WHERE WE SERVE
We serve in multiple countries throughout Latin America. In collaboration with our partners, we strive to be a significant piece of the holistic care provided to the children we serve.
Colombia | Costa Rica | Dominican Republic | Haitiο»Ώ | Mexico | Peru
Explore the pins on this map to see where we serve.
Colombia
Partner - FundaciΓ³n Centro Misionero de Esperanza (Hope Mission Center).
Location - Palmira.
Accommodation - Our team stays in a finca (an estate) thatβs owned by our partners. The finca is safe and filled with lots of amenities such as a comfortable main house, additional sleeping rooms, a pool, a soccer field, fruit trees, a playground, an outdoor covered gathering space, and more! Some of our service projects and activities are done right on-site where kids from the community will be invited to enjoy the space.
Food - Colombian cuisine is very diverse and delicious, and youβll get to taste a lot of it! Most meals will be prepared by a local cook. At times, we might eat out at a restaurant or a fast food place to try what the locals eat!
Stats - Diego, our Executive Director, is actually from Colombia! He took our first Vision Trip to Palmira in 2023 and then led our first official trip to Colombia in 2024. We are excited to keep pouring into this partnership and increase the amount of people that get to experience serving in Colombia!
Excursions - Being the fourth largest country in size and second largest country in population in South America, Colombia has a lot our teams can do and see! The neighboring city of Cali is considered the βSalsa capital of the worldβ so itβs only right for our team to take a Salsa class as you can see pictured below! We can also visit the Cristo Rey statue which allows for beautiful scenic pictures of the regionβs stunning topography. Our main excursion is farther into the country to visit El Parque Del CafΓ©, Colombiaβs iconic cultural amusement park. The park provides visitors entertainment and education through rides, shows, and coffee related activities. Coffee is an important part of Colombiaβs history, culture, and economy.
Trip Recaps - To view more pictures, videos, daily summaries, and testimonials, you check out the Service Trip Recaps of previous trips weβve taken to Colombia here.
Costa Rica
Partner - The Roblealto Child Care Association.
Location - San JosΓ©, and San Jose de la MontaΓ±a located in Heredia.
Accommodation - Our teams stay on-site in a team house at the Bible Home. Most of the service projects and activities take place on-site and the team house will always be accessible.
Food - Our teams get fed really well, especially during the sacred Costa Rican βcoffee breaksβ. These are opportunities for our teams to take a brief break from the service project and try different local pastries, fruits, juices, and of course - coffee! Apart from coffee breaks, we make our own breakfast in the team house, eat in the Bible Homeβs cafeteria for lunch, and join different care homes for dinner with the kids.
Stats - Our first trip to Costa Rica was in 2013. It was originally a site where we would take our βLeadership Developmentβ teams. In 2022, we opened it up as a service site for our regular service trips to allow more people the opportunity to visit our Costa Rica partners.
Excursions - Costa Rica is a mesmerizing country nestled in the rainforest of Central America. That allows us to enjoy its beauty and biodiversity on a daily basis. Our trip excursions vary from visiting a nature reserve and waterfall park, visiting Starbucksβ first and only coffee farm, or visiting the breathtaking beaches.
Trip Recaps - To view more pictures, videos, daily summaries, and testimonials, check out the Service Trip Recaps of previous trips weβve taken to Costa Rica here.
Here is a short video about our Costa Rica partners and their mission. You can see two of our HFK teams at 1:48 and 2:37!
Dominican Republic
Partner - Kids Alive International Dominican Republic.
Locations - Caraballo, Constanza, Jarabacoa, Monte Plata, and Santo Domingo.
Accommodation - Accommodation varies slightly depending on the different cities we serve in. Generally, our accommodation is either a team house in a safe neighborhood near the school or care home where we will serve, OR an apartment above the school in which we will serve.
Food - All meals are provided by our partners. Breakfast is on our own in the team house/apartment and lunch is usually at the school or care home with the kids. Dinner varies from a home cooked meal in the team house by a local cook, going to a local restaurant, or eating with the kids in their house inside the care home.
Stats - The Dominican Republic was our first partner country! Our founder, Randy, first traveled to the DR in 2003 and thatβs how HFK was born. We have created such a great relationship with our DR partners that some kids who grew up in the ministry have traveled on a service trip with HFK to other countries like Peru!
Excursions - The Dominican Republic is a tropical country full of life, nature, and beautiful beaches! Our trip excursions are usually to a beach and could also include a visit to the historic, colonial zone of Santo Domingo. There is also a possibility to visit the Three Eyes National Park - a dramatic limestone cave featuring 3 blue-hued lakes, filled with turtles & illuminated at night. We have also done many scenic hikes, visits to beautiful waterfalls, rafting, and more.
Trip Recaps - To view more pictures, videos, daily summaries, and testimonials, you check out the Service Trip Recaps of previous trips weβve taken to the Dominican Republic here.
Haiti
Note - We are currently on a hiatus from traveling to Haiti due to political instability and safety concerns. As soon as our partners start accepting teams again and we see it safe to travel, we will organize a Service Trip.
Partner - Kids Alive International Haiti.
Location - Cap HaΓ―tien.
Accommodation - Our team stays in a team house close to the school and childrenβs village.
Food - All meals are provided by our partners. Breakfast is on our own in the team house, lunch is usually at the school with the kids, and dinner is usually prepared by a local cook in the team house.
Stats - Our first trip to Haiti was in 2016. Itβs a bit different than our other sites in Latin America as they donβt speak Spanish, they speak a French variant - Creole, even though they share the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic!
Excursions - Our trip excursions are usually to a beach to take advantage of the countryβs beautiful beaches.
Mexico
Partner - Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
Location - Tijuana.
Accommodation - Our teams stays at the partner service site in a building which can host big teams and provides a womenβs floor and menβs floor. Many of our service projects and activities are done right on-site and the team building will always be accessible.
Food - All meals are provided by our partners by a local cook. Meals are usually shared with kids from the community and staff from the site which allow for a great opportunity to bond with our partners in between service projects.
Stats - We took our first Vision Trip to Mexico in December 2021. Since then weβve taken weekend-long trips to support our partners in the many project they do to support their community. These weekend-long trips are ideal for those that canβt travel internationally due to other commitments like school or work, but still want to serve internationally. Itβs even more convenient for those that live in Southern California!
Excursions - Because our trips as so short (2-3 days), we focus on serving our partners and spending more time with the kids. At the same time, we are able to see a lot of the surrounding area as we travel by van between the Tijuana-San Diego border.
Trip Recaps - To view more pictures, videos, daily summaries, and testimonials, you check out the Service Trip Recaps of previous trips weβve taken to Mexico here.
Peru
Partner - Kids Alive International Peru.
Locations - Lima, Pucallpa, Andahuaylas.
Accommodation - Our team stays in a team apartment on-site with our partners. The site where itβs located is very safe and always has someone on guard. Many of our service projects and activities are done right on-site or close by, so the team apartment will be very accessible.
Food - Peru is known for its delicious cuisine and youβll get a taste of it all! All meals are provided by our partners. Breakfast is on our own in the team apartment, lunch is usually at the team apartment and is prepared by a local cook that has been serving our teams since our partnership began, and dinner varies from a home cooked meal in the team apartment, or eating with the kids in their house inside the care home.
Stats - Our first trip to Peru was in 2011, making it our second partner country. On occasion, we have been able to support the ministry in creating a βFamily Campβ where they gather all three service sites from around the country into a βsummer campβ experience. We have been able to help support with βFamily Campβ thanks to our experience supporting with a similar project in the Dominican Republic.
Excursions - Peru is the third largest country in South America which provides our teams a lot to see and do! In Lima, we are able to explore the historic and modern downtowns, visit the largest water fountain park in the world, go the the beach, or even do a fishing trip with the kids from the care home. In Pucallpa, we can explore the surrounding jungle and rivers. In Andahuaylas, we can explore the surrounding mountains and scenic hikes which resemble the nearby majestic Machu Picchu. Our teams also have the opportunity to visit Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World! A short flight from Lima, our teams spend a weekend in the beautiful Cusco region which includes an unforgettable trip to Machu Picchu.
Trip Recaps - To view more pictures, videos, daily summaries, and testimonials, you check out the Service Trip Recaps of previous trips weβve taken to Peru here.
