IMMERSION is an opportunity for young adults to step outside of the normal cadence of their lives in order to gain a broader picture of: 1) the world around you, 2) the way God works in that world, and 3) the value of relationships and quality service alongside people whose lives are just as valuable as your own.

Simply put, IMMERSION is about focusing on the “how we do it” of international ministry and service rather than just “what we do.” Our central focus is on the importance of authentic relationships as the keystone to healthy ministry, and engaging in what it means to truly “love our neighbor” as people of privilege in the 21st century.

Teams spend their time equally split between service opportunities, cultural immersion in the community, and relationship building with community partners and host families. This means there is plenty of space to give your time and attention to others—a necessary part of doing missions well—prioritizing people over the simply seeking out projects to complete.

What to Expect:

*Please note: IMMERSION team members are stepping into a different culture, where schedules and plans are likely to change. We expect all participants to come with flexibility and a willingness to embrace last-minute changes to schedules, ministry opportunities, and projects. That said, here are some examples of things past team members have done in this community:

• Helped on plantain farms
• Painted a school
• Installed a fence
• Dug septic tanks for new homes
• Attended church 2-3x a week (depending on host family)
• Cooked and served meals with host families
• Hosted a kids club (similar to VBS)
• Played soccer and volleyball with locals
• Attended local sporting events
• Poured cement for new flooring
• Helped host mom with house chores
• Swam in rivers and explored beaches

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Ideal Costa Rica IMMERSION Candidate:

• Between age 18-30
• Interested in pursuing the intersections of faith and serving others
• Willing to learn and speak Spanish
• Eager to participate in conversations with locals and build relationships
• Able to do engage in physical labor (digging, farm work, painting)
• Willing to adjust and abide by the norms of a different culture
• Able to work through conflict and problem-solve well
• Willing to follow and abide by safety guidelines and expectations

Victor and Sara Mayorga-Molina are one of Experience Mission's longest-standing partnerships, serving together for more than 14 years. Over those years, Experience Mission and IMMERSION volunteers have had the privilege to build a deep relationship with them and their family, watching their kids grow up and their care for their community expand.

Victor and Sara live in the small town of Shiroles, in the Talamancaregion of Costa Rica. They are members of the Bribri tribe, one of Costa Rica's indigenous people groups in the southern part of the country, near Panama.

Over the last 20 years of ministry together, Victor and Sara have dedicated much of their time to the youth of their town. They do their best to have an open-door policy, where young adults know they can stay with them as needed, and a hot meal can be prepared on a moment's notice. For many, they are seen as extended family, and a stable place where they are welcomed and loved.

Upon arriving in Shiroles, teams are split up between local host families. This is at minimum, two people of the same gender in a household.

Host families are an integralpart of the Costa Rica program. It is vital for anyone looking to join this program that you invest wholeheartedly in being present with your family and integrating as best as possible. When done well, this can be the most impactful and meaningful part of the IMMERSION experience.

Safety is a huge priority for the IMMERSION program! We are up to date on all potential safety concerns in the countries where teams volunteer and would never send a team to a location where we have active concerns about their safety and well-being.

Experience Mission local staff and partners are experienced residents or welcome guests in the communities you are serving in, and they communicate to all team members the safest way to move about during their time on the program. Regular communication is also established between partners, team leaders, and EM U.S. Staff, allowing for quick responses to any emergencies should they arise.

For medical issues, IMMERSION team leaders are CPR/First Aid certified, and carry trauma medical kits equipped to deal with a wide range of injuries and ailments.

In the case of a larger emergency, EM staff members will support team members by helping them communicate with home and making sure they get to a place to receive care.

Often, local medical clinics are a short distance from where team members are staying. However, outside of big cities, large hospitals can often be several hours away by vehicle. Team members would not be left to do this on their own.

To ensure medical care is readily accessible, EM secures travel medical/evacuation insurance for all team members. Participants are also required to come with a Personal Emergency Fund—a debit or credit card with $1,500 available and $300 of reserve cash—in case they were to have a medical issue requiring upfront payment or need to travel home from the program unexpectedly. This amount may seem high, but it's purely a precaution. Most team members do not touch their emergency funds while on the trip.

Preventatively, during initial training, all team members are encouraged to enroll with STEP (Safe Traveler Enrollment Program) through the U.S. State Department. This allows team members and staff to receive official travel alerts if there is an issue in the region including political protests, civil unrest, increased crime, weather alerts, natural disasters, terrorism, or specific threats for foreign travelers.

An EM emergency phone line is also available to all emergency contacts.