Youth Missions

Dominican Republic 2024

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. 

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.

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.

James Ko

Junior, West Seattle High School

Why did 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.

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.