PUERTO RICO

Prices & Registration

Registration Pricing

4-10Group Size

$ 949

Per Participant

11-20Group Size

$ 899

Per Participant

21+Group Size

$ 849

Per Participant

More Info at a Glance

Pricing Information:

  • All 2024 dates available for registration except closed dates.
  • Trip Prices reflect a 6-day, 5-night mission trip/person
  • What’s included?
Upgrades available:
  • Additional Days: $139/person/day
  • Camp/Dorm Stay (*NEW for 2024*): $25/person/day
  • Guest House Lodging: $45/person/day
  • On-Location Transportation: $29/person/day
  • Recreation

Please contact us for your customized trip estimate.

Register Now

CLOSED DATES: June 2-7 & July 3-5, 2024

Why Puerto Rico & What's Included?

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
$20/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

ministry optionService Projects
Clean-up, repair work, and painting in homes and churches

constructionConstruction Projects*
Skilled construction repairing/rebuilding homes

churchChurch Ministry
Attend and participate in your partner church

homeHome Visits*
Visit homes of families in need, providing supplies/blessing bags

heartMercy Ministry*
Homeless, senior citizens, hospitals, children’s homes, etc.

outreachOutreach Ministry
Outreach events, cookouts, evangelism, prayer walking, etc.

sportsSports Ministry
Sports camps or pick-up games of soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc.

ministryAdult Ministry
Bible studies, parenting classes, lay-leader training, sewing, etc.

youthYouth Ministry
Attend, participate in, or lead youth events or bible study

childrenChildren’s Ministry
Attend, participate in, or lead children’s events, Sunday school, or VBS

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

Complementary

*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.

Complementary

*Most Popular

El Yunque National Forest
$45/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
$45/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
$100/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)
$100/person
Eight exciting zipline runs (Min height: 4 feet. Max weight: 280 pounds 

Upgrade Available

Sample Itinerary

Puerto Rico Sample Itinerary

custom trip sample itineraryClick here to download a copy of the itinerary.

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