What Happens When You Spend a Week at Casa Bernabé
Many people who visit Casa Bernabé come expecting to spend a week serving children in Guatemala. What they don’t expect is how deeply the experience will impact their own faith.
Every year we welcome mission teams from churches across the United States. They come ready to work, painting classrooms, delivering supplies, helping with projects, visiting Antigua, and spending time with the children. But again and again, we hear the same thing when they return home: God used the week to shape their hearts in ways they never anticipated.
Recently, we hosted teams from Trinity Church in Amherst, Ohio and Connection Point Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Two members of those teams, Kelly DiGiulio and Alyson Browning, shared reflections about how their time at Casa Bernabé strengthened their faith and opened their eyes to the beauty of God’s work here.
Kelly and her husband Derrick led a small team from Trinity Church at the beginning of February. For many on their team, it was their first mission trip and even their first time leaving the country for some. While they arrived with excitement, they also carried some uncertainty about whether they would be able to contribute in meaningful ways.
Kelly shared that one of her biggest takeaways from the trip was the importance of beginning with gratitude for God’s faithfulness.
“Every story and testimony we had the privilege of hearing during our time began with a reminder that our God is the center,” she shared. “From challenging moments to wonderful ones, every experience was an opportunity to see His glory through Casa Bernabé’s ministry.”
"Our team lacked experience and confidence," Kelly continued, "which I can imagine was a challenge for the Casa Bernabé staff. Still, they were kind, patient, and encouraging, and worked with our team to create project opportunities that were approachable and achievable with our limited skills. I think for a new team, there’s an underlying fear of not being helpful enough to have made it “worth” the effort it took to have us there, but I was shown again and again that this mindset is simply not relevant. We were humbled to find that service was not quantifiable by our worldly standards of finished projects, sweat spilled, and before-to-after photos."
Their team did jump into a variety of projects during the week: painting, helping build a road, digging ditches, repairing equipment, and assisting in classrooms. "But more importantly, the staff and even kids at Casa Bernabe taught us so much about what it looks like to serve through kindness, encouragement, and conversation," Kelly shared.
The most meaningful moments often came in the afternoons, when the team simply spent time with the children. The women on the team colored, sang songs, and laughed with the girls, while the men joined the boys for energetic games, happily losing to kids who knew the rules far better than they did.
Despite language barriers, Kelly reflected that these simple moments of connection mattered more than any physical project they completed. “Showing up and being willing to play selflessly is a language that anyone can speak," she wrote.
Upon returning home, Kelly reflected, "We are eager to continue centering God in our lives and to share our experiences with others! It is such a joy to know and have seen the wonderful work God is doing all around the world.”
Another member of the Trinity team, Aaron, shared how the week reshaped his understanding of service.
“Going to Guatemala changed me in ways I didn’t expect,” he said. “Even though we were only there for a week, I could see how much of an impact Casa Bernabé makes. They don’t just provide food and shelter; they provide a Christ-centered home where the kids are loved, taught, and given the opportunity to grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.”
What surprised Aaron most was the joy he witnessed: “I didn’t expect to see so much laughter and genuine happiness in the middle of circumstances that from the outside seem so difficult. The smiles, the energy, and the way the children and staff interacted with one another made a big impact on me.”
“Walking into Casa Bernabé didn’t feel like visiting an organization. It felt like stepping into a big family. The relationships were real and the people’s care was genuine. You could feel it in the way the staff interacted with the children and in the way the children responded with trust and joy. Saying goodbye was the hardest part, but I left with peace, knowing the children and staff are in God’s loving hands.”
In January, we also welcomed a team from Connection Point Church in Kansas City. Alyson Browning, who helped document the trip through photography (and whose photos you’ll be seeing often on social media!), had visited Casa Bernabé once before in 2012. At the time, she thought she understood the ministry. Returning this year gave her a completely different perspective.
“Yes, Casa Bernabé is a children’s home and school, but it’s also so much more. It’s family, safety, childhood, education, training, love, healing, and community. It’s a place that meets immediate needs while also shaping a child’s future—both here on earth and eternally. I saw it in the relationships between staff and children, in the care they show for one another, and in the intentional way every part of a child’s life is nurtured so they can one day leave Casa Bernabé ready to live a whole and healthy life."
During the week, her team served in many different ways. Some distributed backpacks and school supplies on the first day of classes, others fitted students for soccer cleats or painted classrooms. Team members also taught dance classes, encouraged women in the community, shared testimonies, served meals, and spent time with the children.
What struck Alyson most was how meaningful seemingly ordinary tasks could be: “For years, I had heard people at my church talk about serving at Casa Bernabé,” she explained. “It sounded like collecting donations and painting classrooms. I quietly dismissed it, thinking the work sounded simple enough that anyone could do it.”
"But watching hundreds of children proudly show off their new backpacks, seeing teachers light up as they stepped into freshly painted classrooms, and hearing the laughter of young soccer players trying on brand-new cleats made me realize how meaningful those efforts truly are. Ordinary tasks become powerful acts of service when they meet real needs."
“Weeks later, I can still picture several incredible moments: little girls twirling with delight during dance class, the excited chatter of children receiving cleats, laughing with house parents as they welcomed us into their home, and the entire campus pausing together on Friday for worship and prayer. One of the most meaningful experiences for me was embracing a staff member I had first met as a child during my brief visit in 2012—a living picture of the lasting impact of this place."
She also shared that the week stretched her personally. Normally someone who prefers predictable schedules and controlled environments, she spent the week adapting to changing plans and living in close community. Instead of feeling drained, she described experiencing “a deep sense of fullness.”
“Casa Bernabé models that posture every day,” Alyson wrote, “serving with open hands, ready to welcome whoever God brings and to meet whatever need arises. For one week, I had the privilege of joining that work.”
Stories like these remind us that mission trips are never just about projects. They are about relationships, encouragement, and the body of Christ coming together across cultures and borders.
We're so thankful for each team and individual who visits Casa Bernabé and pours into our kids and staff. Going through the pandemic in 2020-2021 and being unable to welcome visitors really showed us how important it is to invite the larger community of believers to support the work at Casa Bernabé. When our staff are exhausted, new faces encouragement and visitors hold up their arms so they can continue selflessly serving the kids.
If you're interested in bringing a team to Casa Bernabé, the first step is to read about the process HERE and then fill out an inquiry form HERE. We look forward to welcoming you to Guatemala!