Belize mission trip 2027
February 20-27, 2027
Praying Pelican Missions
West Lawn UMC is preparing for an international mission trip to Belize, February 20–27, 2027, led by Pastor Chris in partnership with Praying Pelican Missions (PPM).
This trip will offer an opportunity to serve alongside Christians in Belize, experience another culture, build relationships, and participate in ministry that responds to needs identified by the local church and community.
This trip will offer an opportunity to serve alongside Christians in Belize, experience another culture, build relationships, and participate in ministry that responds to needs identified by the local church and community.
A Different Approach to Mission
Praying Pelican Missions operates around a simple philosophy: one local church partnering with another local church.
Our team will not arrive in Belize with a predetermined list of projects or assume that we know what a community needs. Instead, PPM develops long-term relationships with churches and ministries in the places they serve. Our team will be connected with a local congregation and will come alongside the ministry already happening there.
The goal is not simply to complete a project during one week and leave. It is to support local Christian leaders, strengthen relationships, and participate in ministry that can continue long after our team returns home.
Our team will not arrive in Belize with a predetermined list of projects or assume that we know what a community needs. Instead, PPM develops long-term relationships with churches and ministries in the places they serve. Our team will be connected with a local congregation and will come alongside the ministry already happening there.
The goal is not simply to complete a project during one week and leave. It is to support local Christian leaders, strengthen relationships, and participate in ministry that can continue long after our team returns home.
What Will We Do?
That depends, in large part, on who joins the team.
One of the unique aspects of a PPM mission trip is that the ministry opportunities are customized around both the needs identified by our local partners and the gifts, skills, interests, and abilities of the participants on our team.
There is no single type of person we are looking for.
If our team includes people with construction experience, there may be opportunities to assist with building projects, repairs, painting, or other hands-on work. If participants enjoy working with children, teaching, cooking, outreach, or simply meeting and talking with people, those gifts can help shape our ministry as well.
Possible opportunities may include:
Construction, repairs, or maintenance projects
Feeding ministries
Community or village outreach
Children’s ministry
Bible studies or church ministry
Visiting and building relationships with people in the community
Other areas of service identified by our local church partner
Our specific schedule and ministries will be developed as the team takes shape.
You do not need to be a carpenter, contractor, Bible teacher, or experienced missionary to participate. If you are willing to serve, learn, work alongside others, and use the gifts you already have, there can be a place for you on this team.
One of the unique aspects of a PPM mission trip is that the ministry opportunities are customized around both the needs identified by our local partners and the gifts, skills, interests, and abilities of the participants on our team.
There is no single type of person we are looking for.
If our team includes people with construction experience, there may be opportunities to assist with building projects, repairs, painting, or other hands-on work. If participants enjoy working with children, teaching, cooking, outreach, or simply meeting and talking with people, those gifts can help shape our ministry as well.
Possible opportunities may include:
Construction, repairs, or maintenance projects
Feeding ministries
Community or village outreach
Children’s ministry
Bible studies or church ministry
Visiting and building relationships with people in the community
Other areas of service identified by our local church partner
Our specific schedule and ministries will be developed as the team takes shape.
You do not need to be a carpenter, contractor, Bible teacher, or experienced missionary to participate. If you are willing to serve, learn, work alongside others, and use the gifts you already have, there can be a place for you on this team.
More Than a Work Trip
While we certainly expect to work, this trip is about much more than completing projects.
Mission happens through relationships.
Throughout the week, we will have opportunities to meet people, learn about life in Belize, worship and serve alongside another Christian community, and listen to the experiences of those who call Belize home.
Each evening, our team will gather together to reflect on the day, share stories, talk about what we experienced, and consider where we saw God at work—in the community, in the people around us, and in ourselves.
The week will also include a final recreation day, giving our team an opportunity to experience some of the culture and natural beauty of Belize and enjoy time together before returning home.
Mission happens through relationships.
Throughout the week, we will have opportunities to meet people, learn about life in Belize, worship and serve alongside another Christian community, and listen to the experiences of those who call Belize home.
Each evening, our team will gather together to reflect on the day, share stories, talk about what we experienced, and consider where we saw God at work—in the community, in the people around us, and in ourselves.
The week will also include a final recreation day, giving our team an opportunity to experience some of the culture and natural beauty of Belize and enjoy time together before returning home.
Who Can Participate?
The trip is open to adults and youth who are interested in serving.
Because this involves international travel, youth participants must travel with a parent or legal guardian.
No previous mission-trip experience is required. Whether this would be your first mission trip or one of many, the most important qualifications are flexibility, a willingness to serve, and an openness to learning from others.
Because this involves international travel, youth participants must travel with a parent or legal guardian.
No previous mission-trip experience is required. Whether this would be your first mission trip or one of many, the most important qualifications are flexibility, a willingness to serve, and an openness to learning from others.
Trip Dates
Saturday, February 20–Saturday, February 27, 2027
Additional travel information, including flight arrangements and departure details, will be shared with registered participants as plans are finalized.
Additional travel information, including flight arrangements and departure details, will be shared with registered participants as plans are finalized.
Cost & Registration
The total cost of the trip is $2,000 per person. To make the cost more manageable, payments may be spread out over several months according to the following schedule:
October 1, 2026 — $250 deposit due with registration
November 1, 2026 — $750 due ($1,000 total paid)
December 1, 2026 — $500 due ($1,500 total paid)
January 1, 2027 — $500 final payment due ($2,000 total paid)
Participants are also welcome to pay the full $2,000 at any time, and payment in full is appreciated when possible.
Your registration and $250 deposit must be received by October 1 to secure your place on the team.
October 1, 2026 — $250 deposit due with registration
November 1, 2026 — $750 due ($1,000 total paid)
December 1, 2026 — $500 due ($1,500 total paid)
January 1, 2027 — $500 final payment due ($2,000 total paid)
Participants are also welcome to pay the full $2,000 at any time, and payment in full is appreciated when possible.
Your registration and $250 deposit must be received by October 1 to secure your place on the team.
Minimum Team Size
A minimum of 10 participants is required for the trip to move forward. If we do not reach that minimum, our team may be combined with another group, or the trip may be canceled. If the trip is canceled, any payments made will be refunded.
We may certainly take a larger group, but reaching at least 10 committed participants will allow us to confirm that there is enough interest to proceed with the trip.
We may certainly take a larger group, but reaching at least 10 committed participants will allow us to confirm that there is enough interest to proceed with the trip.
Informational Meeting
Interested but not ready to commit?
Come learn more at our Belize Mission Trip Informational Meeting:
Sunday, September 6 | 12:30 PM
Room 109, Education Building
Pastor Chris will provide additional information about Belize, Praying Pelican Missions, potential ministry opportunities, travel, costs, registration, and what participants can expect during the week.
Attending the meeting does not commit you to going on the trip. It is simply an opportunity to ask questions, learn more, and decide whether this might be the right opportunity for you.
Come learn more at our Belize Mission Trip Informational Meeting:
Sunday, September 6 | 12:30 PM
Room 109, Education Building
Pastor Chris will provide additional information about Belize, Praying Pelican Missions, potential ministry opportunities, travel, costs, registration, and what participants can expect during the week.
Attending the meeting does not commit you to going on the trip. It is simply an opportunity to ask questions, learn more, and decide whether this might be the right opportunity for you.
Why Belize?
An international mission trip gives us the opportunity to step outside of our normal routines and experience the Church from another perspective.
We will go to Belize not simply to bring something to another community, but also to listen, learn, serve, and receive. We will meet Christians whose lives and experiences may be very different from our own but with whom we share the same faith.
Our hope is that this becomes more than a one-week experience. Through PPM's emphasis on long-term local partnerships, we have the opportunity to participate in something larger than ourselves and discover what can happen when one local church comes alongside another local church in ministry.
Whether your gifts involve construction, children, cooking, teaching, conversation, organization, encouragement, or simply a willingness to lend a hand, your gifts can help shape what this mission trip becomes.
We will go to Belize not simply to bring something to another community, but also to listen, learn, serve, and receive. We will meet Christians whose lives and experiences may be very different from our own but with whom we share the same faith.
Our hope is that this becomes more than a one-week experience. Through PPM's emphasis on long-term local partnerships, we have the opportunity to participate in something larger than ourselves and discover what can happen when one local church comes alongside another local church in ministry.
Whether your gifts involve construction, children, cooking, teaching, conversation, organization, encouragement, or simply a willingness to lend a hand, your gifts can help shape what this mission trip becomes.
Learn More About Praying Pelican Missions
Praying Pelican Missions coordinates mission partnerships throughout Belize and other parts of the world, working through established relationships with local churches and ministry leaders.
Click the button below to learn more about PPM, explore Belize specifically, and view past mission trip journals from other churches.
Click the button below to learn more about PPM, explore Belize specifically, and view past mission trip journals from other churches.