Pucallpa, Peru (May 2026) - Service Trip Recap
Dates: May 9-18, 2026
Location: Pucallpa, Peru
Team members from across the United States and Guatemala came together in Peru to serve alongside Kids Alive in Pucallpa.
Throughout the week, they worked on projects to improve the residential care center, spent time with the children and staff, and built meaningful connections along the way. It was a memorable week filled with hard work, laughter, and the joy of serving together.
Take a look at our latest team’s trip to Peru below! ⬇️
Day 1
The team had a full day of travel, but everyone arrived safe and sound with big smiles. 🙌
Fun fact: All nine team members began their journey from different airports and met up in Lima before heading to Pucallpa together the next morning. 🤍
Enjoy some of their trip selfies so far, along with a few shots from high above. ✈️
Day 2
The team started the day early with one more flight to their final destination. Upon arriving, they headed straight to church, where they had the opportunity to hear a Mother's Day message. For their first full day with partners in Pucallpa, they visited the residence site and spent time getting to know the children and staff. ✈️🙏
Although the rain changed their plans, it did not slow them down. Armed with a trusty bag of activities affectionately known as the "Mary Poppins" bag, the team jumped right in with bingo, Pictionary, Spot It, and even a quick English lesson. ✨
The children were engaged, and everyone had a great time together. The team also shared meals with their hosts and enjoyed tasting local fruits, traditional foods, and delicious homemade juices. Excitement was building as everyone looked forward to the week ahead. 💙💚
Day 3
The day began with a guided tour of the Kids Alive facility where the team will be serving for the remainder of the trip. With the help of two very cute furry friends, Lucky and Kyla 🐾, they were able to explore the campus, learn about current projects, and visit the dedicated workshop spaces that support the ministry's work.
After the tour, the team was introduced to the staff and participated in a few icebreaker games before attending a presentation about the site, its mission, and its values. This provided valuable insight and helped better equip the team to serve the children and communities of Peru. 🇵🇪💕
The team then split into two groups and got to work on different maintenance projects. One group prepared the gate doors for updates, while the other worked on preparing the foundation for a new pathway. 🚪
After making great progress on the projects, the team enjoyed a quick lunch before welcoming local mothers and children from the community for a special event. Throughout the afternoon, they hosted a variety of activities for the kids, including sports, sidewalk chalk, English lessons, and bracelet making. It was a fun-filled day of service, connection, and learning for everyone involved. 😊⚽️🏃🏽♀️📖
Day 4
It was a full and enjoyable day at the residence. We started the day rolling up our sleeves and putting together a much-awaited soccer field for the kids. The weather finally started heating up, but we weren’t deterred and got the soccer field done! 🛠️🥅
After lunch, we took a boat ride with the kids and staff around the lake. It’s actually the Yarinacocha River, but the locals refer to it as a lake due to how expansive it is. During the boat ride, we went into the marsh and got to see some sloths on the move! It’s rare to see sloths moving since they don’t do it often throughout the day, but we were at the right place at the right time. It was such a treat for us and the kids. 🦥🛶
To end the day, we had our inaugural game on the newly constructed soccer field! ⚽️💙
Day 5
We spent the entire day at the community center, our last full day on this site. We worked hard to complete the maintenance projects we started on Monday, and we were successful! The community now has a beautiful gate for all to see and walk through. They also have a porch that’s on its way to being finished; we laid down a strong foundation that they can build upon as more resources become available. 🛠️💙
In the afternoon, we joined moms from the community for a cooking class and had a cooking-show-style bake-off for flan. In the end, everyone was a winner for putting in the effort and stepping outside of their comfort zone. 🍮🫶
We wrapped up the day with dinner alongside the community staff, enjoying some “pollo a las brasas” at a local restaurant. The best way to describe it is a cross between grilled and rotisserie chicken, but even better! 🍽️
Day 6
This was such a rewarding day! We started the morning by heading over to our partner site to begin our project for the day: cleaning the property and adding privacy shielding to the fences surrounding the area. 🛠️🌿
It was incredibly fulfilling to work together on something that will make a meaningful difference for the site. The work was definitely challenging at times because of the intense heat and humidity, but we pushed through as a team. Thankfully, the staff took such great care of us by bringing out cold water, fresh fruit, and jello to help us cool down and recharge. 🍉💧
Around noon, we wrapped up the project and walked over to the school to pick up the kids after their classes ended. Seeing their excitement and energy instantly recharged us and gave us a much-needed boost.
After that, we all sat down for lunch together and spent the afternoon doing English tutoring and drawing. Later, we headed to the mall for a little outing where we enjoyed some ice cream with the kids and did a bit of window shopping at Miniso. 🛍️🍦
Once we returned, the fun continued with tons of games and activities! We played volleyball, soccer, and even had a water balloon toss. There were also bracelet making and more English teaching opportunities throughout the evening. ⚽️🏐📚
For dinner, we had chicken cordon bleu and wrapped up the night with a fun trivia game where prizes were handed out. After such a full and meaningful day, we loaded back into the truck and headed home! 🙏
Day 7
We started the morning with waffles and eggs to fuel up for a full day ahead before heading out for our two home visits. 🧇🍳
Our first visit was with a young girl from an Indigenous family in the local community. The family welcomed us so warmly with fresh coconut water and an assortment of beautiful artisanal goods they had handmade and displayed for purchase. 🥥 We were able to drop off groceries and supplies while also taking time to hear more about their story, culture, and daily life.
Our second home visit was with a young, pregnant woman. We brought groceries and a special gift to help support her during this season of life. Getting to know her and learning more about her story was both emotional and impactful for our team.
Later in the day, we visited a nearby school where the students were having a field day event! The energy was high, and we had the opportunity to hand out gifts to all of the teenagers there. Seeing their excitement and laughter made the visit even more special.
After returning home for a short break, we headed to our partner site for the evening but not without a small surprise for the team first… we took motor taxis! 🛺 The ride was such a fun experience and quickly became one of the highlights of the day.
When we arrived at the partner site, we were greeted with decorations, surprises, and so much love from the children. They prepared performances for us and even gave us thoughtful gifts to take home. We also shared a traditional meal called Juane, a main dish of the cuisine of the Peruvian jungle.
As the night came to an end, we said our goodbyes and headed home to reflect on such a great and heartfelt day. 🫶
Day 8
This day, we got to play the tourists!
We started off the day by taking a boat ride on the Ucayali River and going to an animal conservatory located off the river. In this conservatory, we got to interact with monkeys, the coati (a distant cousin of the raccoon), and capybaras! 🛶🐵
We ended the day eating out to try some other authentic Peruvian dishes, such as ceviche, and desserts. 🍽️
We had a fun filled day to cap off an amazing week serving our partners and the kids they help in the community. 🫶
In the evening, we started our journey back home with a layover in Lima. Here we said our team goodbyes as some split off to an extended trip to Cusco while others continued on home stateside. ✈️
We were honored to partner with Kids Alive in Peru and serve alongside their great team.
Throughout the week, our group worked on projects that helped improve the residential care center, creating a more welcoming environment for the children. We also had the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with staff, children, and families in Pucallpa.
Thank you to our team members, donors, and supporters who made this trip possible. Your generosity, prayers, and encouragement helped make a lasting impact.
Be sure to check out recaps from our other recent service trips! 💚✨
