Spring break is often the perfect time for exotic vacations, but is it possible to combine Catholic faith and vacation time into one? Any juniors or seniors interested in spending their spring break serving the less fortunate in Nicaragua should speak to Director of Retreats Ms. Alison Purpera and Catholic Faith teacher Mr. Charles Mansour.

The trip will take place April 18 to the 26th. The total price for the trip is $1300; this covers airfare, room and board, in-country transportation, meals, insurance, t-shirt, and supervision.

Departing San Diego on Friday, April 18th at 9:45 pm and returning to San Diego on Saturday, April 26th at 9:35pm, students who sign up will fly in and out of Managua, Nicaragua and will be staying and serving in Chinandega, Nicaragua.

“Working alongside the poor in Nicaragua, we will help build houses and build trenches for water pipes. Access to clean water is a huge problem in Nicaragua. There will also be opportunities to hike a volcano and go to the beach.  It’s a good combination and a great way to get to know Nicaragua,” said Ms. Purpera.

Ms. Purpera said that there might be a possibility that the charitable organization hosting this event, Amigos for Christ, may ask for donations, but more importantly “They are focused on sharing talent, service and labor with the poor instead of offering them money.”

“Amigos for Christ is a Catholic non-profit organization that has a base in Nicaragua. This company hosts over 50 mission trips a year and shows people what life is like in Nicaragua,” said Ms. Purpera.

The big question many might have regarding this mission trip is about what students attending will take away from it. Ms. Purpera said, “Students attending will take away a deeper awareness of the poverty that exists in our world and will hopefully feel called to live more simply out of respect for the poor that they encounter on the trip.”

“This April will be my third time taking high school students to Nicaragua since the last school I taught at has done trips before similar to this one. This mission trip is really easy to work with and Nicaragua is a fun and accessible place to take high school students,” said Ms. Purpera.

If anyone has any questions regarding the Amigos for Christ mission trip to Nicaragua, feel free to contact trip leaders Ms. Purpera ([email protected]) and Mr. Mansour ([email protected]).