PUERTO RICO

Puerto Rico 2025

Not many locations in the Western Hemisphere have as much need as Puerto Rico.  Recent hurricanes, earthquakes and Covid-19 have left Puerto Rico reeling. Your team will be working alongside local churches with welcoming pastors and local ministry partners. The blessing of serving in Puerto Rico will be immense and greatly appreciated. There are many homes that still need to be repaired since the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria, in addition to a wide variety of other ministry options.  Spanish is the official language of Puerto Rico, and we have staff there to help translate if needed.  A mission trip to Puerto Rico provides a great opportunity to visit a beautiful island and learn about a new culture, while not needing a passport for travel, and greatly helping and encouraging those who need help the most.

Dates: Year Round: January – December 2025 – You choose your dates, minimum of 6 days (travel days included). You can arrive/depart at any time, making the most of the time you have for ministry. 

Trip Cost: Starts at $899/person (6 days/5 nights).

Travel Information: NO passports are needed if your team members  are US citizens.  There are no restrictions for returning to the mainland, as Puerto Rico is a US territory.

Prices & Registration

Registration Pricing

4-10Group Size

$ 1049

Per Participant

11-20Group Size

$ 949

Per Participant

21+Group Size

$ 899

Per Participant

More Info at a Glance

Puerto Rico Mission trips are available year round in 2025

Additional Rooms for Guesthouse/Hotel Lodging, $120/room/day

Additional Mission Trip Days, $139/person/day

Thirst Missions Transportation, $30/person/day

Lodging:

Floor Stay (included)

Camp/Dorm Stay – $25/person/day

Guesthouse/Hotel Stay – $45/person/day

Register Now

What's Included?

Each Mission Trip is 6 days/5 nights.  Additional days may be added as an upgrade, and is encouraged!

Experienced and professional staff members will guide your trip.

Personal Missions Consultant for trip planning.

Location in Puerto Rico: Teams serve throughout the island of  Puerto Rico, so we base your exact partnership location upon the ministries you choose, as well as the lodging.

Lodging:   You have the option of choosing a Floor Stay, which is included in the per person cost, Camp/Dorm Stay, or  Guesthouse/Hotel Stay.  Floor Stays require you to bring your own bedding, linens, and air mattress with no A/C, Camp/Dorm Stay has a bed provided but bedding and linens will still need to be brought, and a Guesthouse/Hotel  Stay has beds, bedding, and A/C provided. All  options are available in Puerto Rico, and ample showers/bathrooms are available for your team.

On-The-Ground Transportation: Teams fly into the San Juan airport.  From there, you can choose for our staff to pick you up and provide on the ground transportation for an upgraded cost, typically in the Thirst Missions bus or vans depending upon the size of your team, or there is an option for your team to rent their own vehicles.

Meals/Snacks/Water: 3 meals/day plus water, ice and snacks provided.  Breakfast would be served at your lodging location.  Lunch at our ministry sites.  Supper would be prepared by local ladies from the churches we partner with.  

Ministry Options.  All ministries have the purpose of leading people to Jesus Christ, connecting people to church, and showing His love through service.

Why Puerto Rico?

WHY PUERTO RICO?

Meaningful ministry options

Bring supplies and food to people in need of encouragement

There is opportunity to show Christ’s love to people who have had homes destroyed, jobs lost, and had friends and family members move away

Help revitalize local churches which have lost members

Learn about and embrace the Puerto Rican culture in a US territory where many people understand English

Enjoy delicious Caribbean meals

Explore, travel, and minister on a tropical island with warm and welcoming people – where lifelong friendships often are developed

No passport needed

Experience 6+ days of ministry and adventure

Inexpensive direct flights from major US cities

Great recreation included!

To follow the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)

 Pre-Trip Consultation

 Promotional Materials

Promotional Videos

Leader & Participant Manuals (PDF)

 Full Hour-by-Hour Trip Itinerary

 Puerto Rico Church/Ministry Partner

 Experienced Staff to Guide Your Trip

 Cultural Orientation & Immersion

 Well-Crafted Ministry Options

 Worshiping with a Local Church

 Service Project Materials

 Lodging

Participant T-Shirt

Devotional Materials

 Delicious Meals & Snacks

 Purified Drinking Water

 Evening Worship Meetings

 Final Day Recreation

Long-Term Church Partnership Opportunity

Online Trip Portal to View and Update Trip Information

Puerto Rico Profile

A lush green island in the emerald Caribbean Sea, Puerto Rico is a lively place with a Latin feel. Beaches line the coasts, surfers hit the breaks, and fishermen ply the waters offshore. Average temps are in the 70s and 80s and refreshing tradewinds roll in off the water.

San Juan is a busy, modern city on the north-east coast of the island. As you venture inland switchback roads take you up the mountains and into the rainforest. Life moves slower in the many small towns and villages in the hill country. Puerto Ricans are, as a rule, friendly and welcoming with ready smiles.

Hurricane Maria was the catalyst that brought us to Puerto Rico, and we will help the most vulnerable citizens rebuild for years to come, but it goes deeper than that. Our calling is to partner long-term with healthy local churches as they seek to be ever more effective at reaching out with the love of Christ.

Puerto Rico by the Numbers

56 – Average annual rainfall in inches

52 – Inches of rainfall from Hurricane Maria

81 – Average temperature in Fahrenheit

70 – Average temperature in the mountainous interior

196 – Average days with a rainshower

12% – unemployment

45% – poverty rate

72 – Billion dollars of national debt

46 – Percent of national income from manufacturing

200,000 – Puerto Ricans moved to Florida by late November 2017

25 – Percent, possible population loss by 2020

406 – Years as a Spanish colony

122 – Years as a US Territory

48 – Number of endangered species that live on Puerto Rico

600 – Number of “uncommon” plant and animal species on the island

Lodging Options

Floor Stay
Bring your own air mattress and bedding. No A/C

Complimentary

Camp/Dorm Stay
$25/person/day, YES bed, NO bedding, A/C not guaranteed

Upgrade Available

Guesthouse/Hotel Stay
$45/person/day, YES bed, YES bedding, YES A/C

Upgrade Available

Ministry Options

Primary Ministry:

ministry optionService Projects
Service Projects would be the primary ministry for the group in Puerto Rico. We have hundreds of homes which need repair, cleaning, cleaning out, and power washing amongst other work needed as a result of damage from recent hurricanes. If the group chooses Puerto Rico, they should be ready to get their hands dirty by investing a lot of sweat equity in people’s homes who have great need physically and emotionally.

A portion of the cost of each trip will go toward construction materials. Participants will need to bring basic tools and painting supplies with them for work projects.

Other Ministry Opportunities:

churchChurch Ministry
Participate in and attend Church services. The group is welcome to have participants prepare to share testimonies, prepare a message and 1 or more people prepare to lead songs in worship if desired.

homeHome Visits
Visit homes of people in the community who could use additional support and encouragement. Your team will have the opportunity to package food and supplies and deliver them to individual homes and families in need, as well as pray with and visit people in their homes.

heartBible Club
Lead Bible Stories, games, crafts and music with local children. This ministry can be as well prepared as desired.

sportsSports Ministry
Organized football (soccer), basketball, and other games.

heartMercy Ministry
Working in food pantries, thrift stores, street ministry, and meeting the needs of people in need as identified by the local pastors we partner with.

questionOther*

 

*Choosing this option may incur an additional cost

Recreation

Each group leader can request one complimentary option and/or one upgrade option.

Day Trip to San Juan & the Beach*
(for groups staying in northern Puerto Rico)
Explore the historic streets of Old San Juan and El Morro. Then end the day lounging/snorkeling/swimming at the iconic beach: Playa El Escambrón
Watch Video

Complimentary

*Most Popular

Day Trip to Ponce & the Beach*
(for groups staying in southern Puerto Rico)
Explore the historic streets of Ponce. Then end the day lounging/snorkeling/swimming at the beach.

Complimentary

*Most Popular

El Yunque National Forest
$49/person
Take an easy ½ mile hike to a pleasant river swimming hole in El Yunque tropical rainforest. Conclude the day with a visit to Old San Juan and El Morro or a local beach and a group meal at a local restaurant

Upgrade Available

Indian Cave & Bishops Pond Beach
$49/person
View petroglyphs and beautiful rock arches at Indian Cave and swim/lounge/snorkel at Bishop's Pond Beach

Upgrade Available

The Monster Zip line
$105/person
Experience a ride on the longest zip line in America, with over 1.5 mile cable, equivalent to 28 football fields over the jungle reaching speeds up to 95 mph. (Min weight: 100 lbs. Max weight: 270 lbs.)

Upgrade Available

Toro Verde (8 Ziplines)
$105/person
Eight exciting zipline runs (Min height: 4 feet. Max weight: 280 pounds 

Upgrade Available

Sample Itinerary

Puerto Rico Sample Itinerary

puerto rico itinerary

Download pdf here

FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What are the maximum and minimum group sizes?

Our private trips can accommodate groups as small as 4 people and as large as 50+. Reduced pricing applies for groups larger than 10 people.

What are the Mission Trip prices?

All trip details are available on our registration page.

Is Puerto Rico safe?

Yes! Puerto Rico is a United States territory and is governed by most United States laws. We always travel in groups, our staff have local knowledge, and we are invited by local pastors and communities. Quality hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies are a short drive away from all areas we’ll serve and stay. We do our very best to provide safe and healthy food, and we are experienced in leading teams. There are no guarantees in life, but we have never had a major safety issue in Puerto Rico or in any of our mission trips over 10 years in ministry. God calls us to go, and we go wisely and pray he will go before us and guide our journey.

What denominations do you work with?

Every year we work with a wide variety of denominations from teams in the US and Canada. Our base of church partners in Puerto Rico is varied as well. We strive to match the team with an appropriate church partner and location.

What is the trip length?

6 days/5 nights. See our Prices and Registration section for specifics

What medications and shots are needed?

None are required. We ask that each person visit their own doctor or travel nurse to see what is personally needed to stay up to date. We have a list of recommended medications for those traveling to Puerto Rico in our trip handbook, but nothing is required by Thirst Missions. Generally Puerto Rico – a US territory – is a very safe and healthy place to visit.

What travel documents do I need?

All adult United States citizens only need a driver’s license or another official form of identification. Youth under 18 need a notarized letter allowing them to travel without both parents. No passport is required for United States citizens.

You know what’s great? When you arrive in San Juan you just walk off the plane, grab your luggage, and exit the airport like you would in any other US city. There’s no drama with immigration or customs!

Is airfare included in the trip cost?

No, but the whole trip is all inclusive from arrival in Puerto Rico until departure from Puerto Rico. Airfares vary too greatly to include in the trip cost. However, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the typical rates and flight options from most US cities.

Each group is responsible for booking their own flights that arrive within a reasonable timeframe so as to be ready at our pickup times and on the exact trips dates registered for. We have a travel agent we work closely with if you’d like help booking your flights.

Can I make contact with my loved ones while on my trip?

Phones work in Puerto Rico with most major US carriers, so communication is generally easy and good. That being said we strongly discourage trip participants from using their phones for calling, texting, going online, or on social media during the trip. Most people use their phone as their main camera, and that’s fine – just put it in airplane mode.

The ministry and relationships built when putting our personal devices down is eye-opening. Our philosophy is no news is good news. We encourage each group leader to to post trip updates and send pictures back home on behalf of each group. In addition we post pictures every day from every trip on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thirstmissions. In the case of emergencies we have open and direct lines of immediate communication on every trip.

I have special dietary needs. Can these be met?

There is a section on the Individual Registration form each person fills out prior to the trip in which these needs can be listed. We read these over thoroughly and pass them along to our cooks. The food on our trips is plentiful and amazing!

We do our very best to accommodate all diets and diet restrictions, but please realize we are in a different culture without all the options we have back home. Feel free to bring supplemental food options with you if this will ease the anxiety of not knowing if there will be food which fit your tastes or diet.

Is the $499 registration fee deducted from my final payment?

No, it’s used right away to offset a small portion of planning and preparing for your group’s trip. Please read through our generous payment policy and cancellation agreement.

Where will our team stay?

Lodging will all be either a floor stay, camp/dorm stay or a guesthouse stay.

A floor stay would be at a local church, which would require the team to bring air mattresses, pillows, and a sleeping bag or sleeping bag liner for bedding. (Think indoor camping!)

A camp/dorm stay would mean shared bathrooms, physical bed provided, group lodging, but you will need to bring your own bedding.

A guest house stay would mean each person would have their own bunk with linens provided. Your consultant will let you know how to plan.

What about on-location transportation?

On-location transportation is not included in the price of the mission trip. Feel free to book your own team’s vans, SUVs, or other transport. If you’d like Thirst Mission to arrange transportation, we’d be glad to do so for $29/person/day.

Are service project materials provided?

Approximately 10% of each trip’s cost is dedicated toward materials. If you see a need and are interested in contributing during your trip, please see one of our staff members and we can talk through options for additional contributions of materials or donations. In order to keep trip costs down we ask that each participant bring the tools/supplies listed on the supplies list.

What additional costs are there?

Not many, our trips are all-inclusive. The only additional money that most people spend is for souvenirs, offerings in church, extra snacks or desserts, and travel money for meals at the airports.

Feel free to bring a credit card if you feel you will want to purchase more expensive souvenirs. Most tourist and souvenir shops accept credit cards and the US dollar is used everywhere, there is no need to exchange money.

How can I stay in contact with people once I return home?

You can use Facebook and Instagram or email, call, or text just like you do with your friends back home. Staying in touch with new friends in Puerto Rico is such a blessing and benefit to going and serving.

View past participant Reviews