Palmira, Colombia (Jun 2025) - Service Trip Recap
Dates: June 21 - 29, 2025
Location: Palmira, Colombia
Our team returned from an incredible 8-day trip to Colombia, where they collaborated with our newest international partners to make an impact in the community. Throughout the week, they led English classes, organized carnivals for community kids, played sports and activities with a soccer ministry, distributed clothing, joined in church services and worship, took a dance class, explored the area, and enjoyed some amazing local cuisine.
Read all about our most recent team to Colombia below! ⬇️
Day 1
The trip kicked off with a full day of travel! Team members arrived from across the U.S. - including the East Coast, West Coast - as well as from Bogotá, Medellín, and even Amsterdam. After meeting at the airport, the group took a team bus to Palmira, where they were introduced to the partner organization and toured their home for the week. ✈️🏠
The afternoon was spent relaxing and building connections through team activities. The day wrapped up with a delicious pollo asado dinner shared with partners, followed by a group reflection. Excitement was high for the week of service ahead of them! 🇨🇴✨
Day 2
The team started the morning with breakfast and had the chance to connect with a few members who had flown in earlier. From there, they attended a local church service, where they were excited to see a familiar pastor they had met the night before. ⛪️💙
While the service was taking place, the younger children went to Sunday school - giving the team an opportunity to meet them, play games, and perform a skit that tied in with the Bible story of the day. 📖🎭
Afterward, the group grabbed lunch at a nearby mall and spent the afternoon sorting through donations in preparation for the next fun-filled day! ✨
The day wrapped up with some lighthearted team-bonding games, dinner, and a warm welcome for the final arriving team member! 🫶
Day 3
The team kicked off their first full day of service with an exciting carnival for children from local churches! The morning was filled with engaging stations including arts and crafts, pool time, water balloons, and soccer. 🎨🏊🏼
After lunch, the energy continued with a fun soccer tournament and more games and creative activities. During the event, clothes donations were distributed to the kids in partnership with local churches, and the day’s festivities closed with an uplifting message from a leader in the partner organization, the Hope Mission Center. ⚽️👕
To wrap up the day, the team enjoyed a pizza and pool party while bonding over games like volleyball and spikeball! 🍕🏐
Day 4
The team started the day with a delicious breakfast of arepas and eggs. Their morning was spent at a soccer ministry, Envigado Palmira, where they met around 40 boys in the program. They enjoyed learning more about the kids and playing a variety of soccer games together! ⚽️🥅
For lunch, the group got to try sancocho, a traditional dish from Cali that quickly became a favorite. In the afternoon, they traveled to the nearby town of Guanabanal and spent time with a local youth group, sharing hopes and dreams in what turned out to be a really powerful exercise. They also got to use the @listoslearning activity books to practice English! 📚
They wrapped up the day with some team bonding and a sweet treat - Colombian candy! 🇨🇴🍬
Day 5
The team spent the day at the finca with the boys from Envigado Palmira they had met the day before. It was a day full of swimming, soccer, water balloons, and spikeball. ⚽️🏊🏼
During lunch, a few players from the soccer club and HFK shared their stories. It was a meaningful time where everyone got to know each other better. Afterward, they kept the fun going with more games, including soccer tennis. 🥅🙌
Once the kids headed out, the team had a water balloon toss that turned into a full-on competition (and a great excuse to cool off). They wrapped up the day with a delicious meal at the finca before going to church to lead Bible study for the kids. 📚✨
Day 6
The morning was spent with friends back at Envigado Palmira, where the team toured their impressive facilities and shared a fun time playing Bingo and enjoying lunch together. ⚽️💫
In the afternoon, after a bit of rest, the group headed to La Cascada, a barrio in Palmira. It was a special moment to reconnect with some of the children they had met earlier in the week. 🙌💙
Partnering with Relive Church, they delivered groceries, played with the kids, prayed with families, and were honored by the hospitality of those who welcomed them into their homes. 🏠🫶
Day 7
The team spent the excursion day at the Parque del Café: a coffee themed amusement park. ☕️🎢
They learned about the stages of growing and processing coffee beans as well as how to make a perfect cup of Colombian coffee. They also saw a show consisting of dancing, music and costumes to represent the history of Colombia. This was a beautiful representation of the country they have called home this week! 🎭🇨🇴
They got to enjoy other attractions of the park including roller coasters and water rides. It was a great day of team bonding and fun after their week of service! 🙌💙
Day 8
On the final day of the trip, the group kicked things off with a lively dance class, learning popular Latin dances like salsa and bachata! 💃🏻🕺🏻
They then explored Plaza Bolívar and stopped by a local souvenir shop to pick up some keepsakes. Back at the finca, they packed their bags, shared lunch, and took time for a final group reflection on the week’s experiences. 🧳🍴
Later, they visited Envigado Palmira to cheer on a few of the boys they had connected with earlier in the week. The day wrapped up in Cali, where the group took in a scenic view of the city and the Iglesia de San Antonio. Finally, they gathered for a farewell dinner and headed to the airport. ⚽️✈️
We are very grateful for HFK’s expansion to serve in Colombia and are thankful for this first open team! We are excited for the continued collaboration with our local partners!
Thank you to all our team participants, donors, and supporters. Make sure to check out recaps from all our trips here.
