Great Lakes Adventist Academy

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

It’s a little overwhelming to encounter snow on the ground and winter coat weather after being on an island where 80 degrees is the norm. Nonetheless we are back from our spring break Mission Trip in Puerto Rico! There were over 80 of us traveling in two groups. One group was a part of the Aerokhanas gymnastics team, and the other was a general Mission Trip open to everyone. I had the opportunity to travel with the general Mission Trip group and I have so much to tell you. 

After traveling all day and eventually landing at the San Juan airport around 11 pm on a Wednesday night, we were hit with the humidity that most have not experienced before. Surprises hit us left and right during this trip, but nothing could’ve prepared us for the bus we would be riding in for the remainder of the trip. (See picture below). Or the chickens that met us at the gate. We arrived at the ADRA compound shortly after and began our Mission Trip. 

We then stayed the next few nights in the Yuquibo campground which was located in a tropical rainforest. There were a few hiccups along the way, but that just gave God an opportunity to re-work the plans we had into more improved ones. So we headed to work and started doing what we do best- helping others. Our vicious group of 37 painted for hours all week, painting buildings and tackling branches that blocked the roofs. After we finished painting for the day we would cool off in the pool that overlooked a lot of mountains and hills. What could get better than that? The Camp director came and told us that everything we did would’ve taken them a month and a half. If you ever have the chance to travel over there, you will see a glimpse of GLAA and maybe a handprint or two on the rocks. 

Our first weekend was very special as we spent it in a traditional Hispanic style. The church members were so incredibly loving and greeted all of us with keychains and Puerto Rican treats. Then afterwards they fed us and took us canvassing across the neighborhood. Dean Sheridan definitely had loads of fun as he faithfully executed his newly learned Spanish lingo such as “buenas tardes”, and “esto es un regalo”. The people of Puerto Rico were so adamant about the Great Controversies we were giving out, so much so that they started reading it immediately after receiving it. 

The rest of our time in Puerto Rico was spent back at the ADRA compound in a one room building where the 37 of us slept in. The guys were on one side, the girls on the other, and staff in the middle. We also were able to access a few bathrooms and showers behind the building inside of the local Adventist school. Adapting was a big word we used during this trip as we were faced with accommodations we have never experienced before. Nonetheless we grew in resilience and in gratitude. Especially after we transformed multiple homes. In one home you could’ve even walk a few feet past the gate at first. There were small trees and branches everywhere that needed to be tossed and metal sheets in the backyard that had to be moved. After about seven hours of work we were able to get rid of everything, including the contents of the house itself. We learned after we were done that this house was going to be a location for churches and outreach programs to grab supplies for their endeavors and to help those in need by quick access. It was really rewarding to work for hours and to learn that afterwards- because we would’ve done the same work even if we didn’t get to find out what the use was.

We then went to our next house later in the week and helped 85 year old Rosalina who has colon cancer and was unable to take care of her yard. In her backyard there was so much debris and various things that needed to be moved. A main job that most of us had was scraping the roof’s paint off in preparation for primer. You see, due to the amount of rain in Puerto Rico, Rosalina suffered many water leaks and thus had to sleep on plastic in order to avoid the water that fell onto her bed. She was very hard working and refused to watch us work alone. She grabbed a machete and started cutting away at her front yard alongside us. Afterwards Rosalina prayed with us and told us that she was eternally grateful for all the work we put in.

We spent that Sabbath at the local ADRA church and spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach with a youth group that taught us about teamwork. It was really peaceful to just lay on the sand and feel the wind race past us. The rest of our week was spent at the beach, Old San Juan, and we even went ziplining on the second biggest zipline in the world!  As a Puerto Rican who speaks Spanish this trip was very special to me and I was so happy to share my culture with everyone who went on the trip. These are memories that will last our group a lifetime and I know this is not the last service project we will tackle. As Academy Days come up we hope that you can come to get a taste of GLAA and what we have to offer. If you want to see more pictures head over to our Instagram and Facebook.