Youth Missions

Dominican Republic 2025

Know God. Be Present. Love Others.  

Know God. Be Present. Love Others.  

West Side Youth Ministry believes mission experiences are an important part of faith development, and we strive to give students a variety of opportunities to learn, serve and grow during their years in the youth program. We rotate our mission experiences every three years: an evangelism training conference, a regional trip and a cross-cultural experience to the Dominican Republic which is where we are going this summer. 

“…All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor…”
—Galatians 2:10 

During our two-week trip (June 27-July 13, 2025) to Dominican Republic, we will be living and working in the town of Caraballo, a poor, mostly Haitian community located in the sugarcane fields on the north coast of the DR. This community is truly the poorest of the poor in the DR. In this impoverished setting Kids Alive is working to meet the needs of children who are growing up with very few opportunities. 

During our two-week trip (June 27-July 13, 2025) to Dominican Republic, we will be living and working in the town of Caraballo, a poor, mostly Haitian community located in the sugarcane fields on the north coast of the DR. This community is truly the poorest of the poor in the DR. In this impoverished setting Kids Alive is working to meet the needs of children who are growing up with very few opportunities. 

Our team of 22 (17 students and 5 adults) will be working with Kids Alive International doing primarily construction on the school, which has become too small for the children it serves. Opportunities to interact with the children during the summer program and in the Barrios (neighborhoods) will also be part of our experience. This will be the seventh West Side trip to DR to work with Kids Alive and alongside West Side supported missionaries and former members, Vic & Leslie Trautwein. Our trip will conclude with a quick visit to the coastal town of Puerto Plata. 

Over the next few months I will be introducing you to our team by sharing each members’ thoughts as they prepare for our upcoming mission experience.

Over the next few months I will be introducing you to our team by sharing each members’ thoughts as they prepare for our upcoming mission experience.

This summer, following our mission experience, we will once again debrief and share with the congregation the impressions, learning and “ah ha moments” that we have experienced while on our mission trip. We can’t wait! Please keep our team in your prayers over the next six months!  

—Stacy

Meet the Team

Between now and when we leave at the end of June, we want to introduce you to our amazing team of students and leaders who will be going on the Dominican Republic Mission Trip.

<span style="color: var(--primary-color-bg);">Jubilee Blum<br></span>

Jubilee Blum

Freshman, Kennedy Catholic High School

Why do you want to participate in this trip?  

I want to be part of this trip because I feel called to serve and show God’s love to others in a new way. I’m also learning Spanish and I’m excited for the opportunity to use it while connecting with people in the Dominican Republic. I think this trip will help me grow in my relationship with God and with the people around me. 

What areas of your life would you like to grow during this trip?  

I want to grow in my faith and learn to trust God more in unfamiliar situations. I also hope to become more compassionate, confident, and open to new experiences. I think using my Spanish will stretch me, and I’m excited to see how God can use even my learning to build relationships.

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Josh Kutz</span>

Josh Kutz

Leader

Why do you want to participate in this trip?

I believe God calls us to serve others with compassion and humility. As a student, I never had the chance to go on a trip like this due to competing summer commitments (especially sports)… but the desire to go never left me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to finally step into this experience and support students in a leadership capacity as they serve. I’m excited to witness how God works in and through our team and hope to encourage others while also exercising my own faith in new ways. 

In what areas of your life would you like to grow during this trip? 

Like many of you all, I am accustomed to hearing the stories from the students (and also adults) who served with Kids Alive. Every “DR Report” I am struck by the humility and sense of “other” that being “on mission” elicits/fosters. So I would say I want to grow in humility. I want to listen more, love more, and be attentive to what God is doing around and through me. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” I had to look this C.S. Lewis quote back up because I think it encapsulates well how I hope to experience both (a) the missional work we go to do AND (b) how I exit from the trip.

<span style="color: var(--primary-color-bg);">Olivia Rutledge<br></span>

Olivia Rutledge

Sophomore, West Seattle High School

Why do you want to participate in this trip? 

I want to participate in the mission trip to the Dominican Republic because I feel called to share God’s love with kids who need it. From my previous experiences at MDR and VBS, by the end I always feel so much more “on fire for God.” So, I hope that through this trip I will learn from and connect with these kids and Jesus to better the lives in the DR. I feel so grateful for all the blessing that I have so I want to share them with these kids and help their communities. I know that this trip will inspire me to make lifelong connections with Jesus and serving His communities. 

What is your understanding of discipleship (being a Christ-follower) and its relationship/connection to mission?

My understanding of discipleship is doing what God has called us to do. All throughout the Bible we see examples of how we can help our communities and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, and to me that’s the best thing a Christ-follower can do. 1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in it’s various forms.”  In the case of our mission trip, discipleship is consistent prayer, being filled and guided by the Holy Spirit, and following our callings to these kids.  

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Isaac Gawthrop</span>

Isaac Gawthrop

Freshman, West Seattle High School

Why do I want to participate in this trip?  

I want to participate in this trip to spread the Gospel and expand my own understanding of the world. I want to put the Word of God into action through what I do. 

What areas of your life would you like to grow through this trip?  

I would like to grow my understanding of my place in the world, knowing how blessed I am for the life I have. I also want to grow in how I can show others the grace of God through me. I want to grow my empathy for others and my will to make a difference in the world while giving to others. I also want to see the wonderful places in this world like the DR.

<span style="color: var(--primary-color-bg);">Arthur Johnston<br></span>

Arthur Johnston

Junior, West Seattle High School

Why do you want to participate in this trip? 

I want to participate in the mission trip to the Dominican Republic because I feel called to serve others and share God’s love in a meaningful, hands-on way. I believe that stepping out of my comfort zone to help communities in need is a way of living out the Gospel. I’m excited to build relationships, support local ministries, and grow spiritually by seeing God at work in a different culture. This trip offers an opportunity not only to help others but also to deepen my faith and gain a better understanding of what it means to be a servant-leader in Christ.

Describe when Jesus Christ became real to you as your Lord and Savior.

Jesus Christ became real to me when I faced a season of personal doubt and uncertainty. I had grown up knowing about Him, but it wasn’t until my freshman year that I experienced His presence and peace in a deep and personal way. Through reading Scripture and talking with mentors in my church, I came to understand His sacrifice and love for me, not just as a general truth, but as something deeply personal. Since then, I’ve trusted Him deeply, and I’ve seen His faithfulness guide me every step of the way. 

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Stacy Kutz</span>

Stacy Kutz

Leader

In what areas of your life would you like to grow during this trip? 

As I get ready to lead this next team with Kids Alive International, my hope is to keep growing as a leader who points people to Jesus with humility and love. I really want to build a sense of teamwork and unity, helping each student find their place and feel encouraged in the gifts God’s given them. I’m also praying that we’ll stay grounded in prayer and remember that it’s God’s power—not ours—that makes a real difference. Most of all, I’m excited to invest not only in the kids we’re serving but also in our team, trusting that God will use this experience to grow all of us in faith and purpose.  

Why do you want to participate in the mission trip?

This will be my third time leading a team of high school students to serve with Kids Alive in the Dominican Republic, and I feel so grateful for the opportunity to return. Each trip has deepened my love for the children and families we serve, and it’s such a gift to come alongside them with open hands and hearts. I’ve also watched how these trips stretch and grow the students’ faith, opening their eyes to God’s work around the world. At the same time, I always remind our team that we don’t have to go to another country to make a difference—there are people in need right in our own communities. My hope is that what we experience together in the DR inspires a lifelong heart for service, both globally and right in our own backyards. 

<span style="color: var(--primary-color-bg);">Abby Gawthrop<br></span>

Abby Gawthrop

Junior, West Seattle High School

Why do you want to participate in this trip? 

I would like to participate in the mission trip to the Dominican Republic so that I can be immersed in a community of people that are strong in their faith. Throughout my life as a Christian, I am closest with the Lord when I have a community around me that I can share my belief’s with, like my experiences with MDR.  

The trip to the Dominican Republic is not only going to provide a deeper relationship between myself and the church/the people that I am going with, but also will expose me to a very faithful community down in the Dominican Republic. Moreover, I think it is important for me to use the blessings that I have been given to help others. This trip is an opportunity for me to take the generosity of the Lord and pay it forward, while also strengthening my relationship with God at the same time.

What is your understanding of discipleship (being a Christ-follower) and its relationship/connection to mission?

To me, discipleship is to follow the paths and examples that Jesus has given us. The trip to the Dominican Republic is an opportunity for me to follow Jesus’s example of laying down my comfort- in Seattle’s temperatures, the culture i’m used to, the food i’m used to, and admittedly, my phone! - in order to love and serve His people. It will also be a way for me to work on following Jesus’s example, for example, practicing patience.  

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Nathan Lee</span>

Nathan Lee

Senior, West Seattle High School

Why do you want to participate in this trip?

I believe that visiting the Dominican Republic will be an eye-opening experience that will widen my perspective, especially on the economic disparities that exist in this world; knowing something in thought, and seeing it with your own eyes are two completely different things. In addition, I believe that being immersed in a culture other than my own will be a great learning experience and a great opportunity to connect with and learn from other humans made in God’s image that speak a different language, look different, and live out of different circumstances. 

In what areas of your life would you like to grow on this trip? 

The biggest area in my life that I would like to see grow is being tested on this trip is the solidity of my Faith in a different environment. Am I holding fast to Jesus? Or when circumstances change, will I let go? I'm looking forward to processing this with leaders and other students during the trip. I believe this experience will be informative; I hope to come back with with a better sense on where I am at in my faith journey, and what next steps I need to take. 

<span style="color: var(--primary-color-bg);">James Ko<br></span>

James Ko

Junior, West Seattle High School

Why do you want to participate in this trip? 

I want to participate in the trip for a couple of reasons. First, I have a lot of friends going on the trip, and I knew it would be a great opportunity to get closer to them. Additionally, the frequent service projects, discipleship groups and more have really kept me in a rhythm with growing my faith. Furthermore, the trip as a whole has brought me closer to God and helped me be a better follower of Christ.  

In what areas of your life would you like to grow on this trip? 

I would like to grow in a few areas of my life, namely perspective and devotion. I feel this trip will grant me a better ability to follow God in my own right, after interacting with some who are devoted followers of Christ but have had a much different experience on this earth than me. Experiencing such a different perspective and way of life should helpfully aid me in growing my devotion.

<span style="color:var(--primary-color-bg)">Eleanor Needham</span>

Eleanor Needham

Freshman, Homeschool

Describe when Jesus Christ became real to you as your Lord and Savior. 

Jesus became real to me when I first went to MDR (Memorial Day Retreat). It was still my first year in the youth group, and until that point I had not really connected with the other people. Seeing and knowing people my age who had a really strong faith in Jesus, and who helped me understand the doubt I was going through, let Jesus become real to me. 

In what areas of your life would you like to grow on this trip? 

I would like to grow in my faith, and I would like to learn how to share it with other people. I would also like to learn how to receive what people share with me. I also hope to grow spiritually, and to gain some more understanding of another culture as well.