Come on a journey starting in Grand Rapids, Michigan, through Guatemala, and ending in Costa Rica as we visit stops along the route of people on the move. Together we will learn from their faith, hear their stories and connect them to our own, and learn to better love our neighbors as ourselves.
People around the world are adrift, seeking a place to call home. The population of the world that is on the move reminds us of the words of Hebrews 11:
“They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.
How are Christians in North America and Central America responding to the current migration crisis that we are facing? Join James Padilla DeBorst and Delaney Plumb on a 10 day journey to follow the route of migrants and learn from their experiences. You will begin in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a densely Latino neighborhood to learn from the stories of immigrants who have made a home in the United States. Then you will travel to Guatemala, home of Rachel Beveridge and her family, to see a place where many have left and experience some of the reasons why people emigrate. Finally, you will join the community at Casa Adobe in Costa Rica to witness and imagine together what a group of friends and neighbors can do when they live hospitably and openly towards others.
We believe that we are all on a journey to our real home, and we have a calling to welcome the strangers and immigrants among us. Come join us in a journey of mutual discovery and learning as we get to know our migrant sisters and brothers in different contexts. Journey with us as we learn from people on the move.
- Complete application, interview, and pre-trip training and orientation process with Resonate staff and Central American team
- Participate fully in the trip: asking questions, making genuine connections, and adopting a posture of humility and openness to learn new and potentially challenging things
- Reflect on learning and experiences with the group and leaders through debriefing during the trip and in post-trip meetings
- Share what you experienced and learned with your church at home
- Openness to listening and learning about the struggles of our migrant brothers and sisters
- Desire to build relationships and connections across cultural and socioeconomic barriers
- Some Spanish language ability a plus
- Interest in serving with migrant communities in North America a plus
- Resonate's Central America team will host this group, facilitating visits to migrant shelters and organizations that work at the different angles of migration and facilitating conversations with people who have experienced migration in different forms.
- Cost includes all travel from Grand Rapids to Central America and within Central America. Initial travel to Grand Rapids and home from Costa Rica is additional. Resonate will assist participants with all travel arrangements.
- October 13-23, 2025
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