High above the barren New Mexico desert is the cool, pine-forested mountain homeland of the Mescalero Apache, living on sacred land rich with history and culture.
Explore the mountain world of the Mescalero people. High above the barren New Mexico desert is the cool, pine-forested mountain homeland of the Mescalero Apache. Historically a nomadic group of hunter/gatherers who roamed across the Southwest, the Apache were well-known for their staunch defense of their lands. And thanks to respected warriors like Geronimo and Cochise, their descendants now live on this land sacred to them, surrounded by their four Sacred Mountains.
For years, Group Mission Trips has partnered directly with the Mescalero tribe to serve their respected elders. You and your students will be part of a long-term, sustainable, and ongoing project to protect the health and safety of people who look forward to getting to know you. Like many Native American people, the Mescalero hold a deep respect for their elders—and consider taking care of the elderly to be of the utmost importance. You will be welcome here—everyone on whose home you will be working will have asked specifically for your help.
This will be an incredible opportunity to experience a rich native culture where many people still rely on hunting for their food. Once they get to know you, most residents will be happy to answer your questions or teach you a bit of their history. Plus, you’ll have a chance to learn about a traditional ceremony!
The facility is *fully air-conditioned and offers a mix of open and private indoor showers. Participants will sleep on the floor, so be sure to bring an air mattress and bedding for a comfortable stay.
*Subject to change.
The Mescalero Apache community places great importance on caring for their elders, and your group will likely be serving older residents by making critical home repairs. Projects may include building porches, secure steps, wheelchair ramps, and painting—improving both the safety of the homes and the well-being of those who live in them.
Our partners are incredible, caring people with whom we work closely at Group Mission Trips to serve the people of their community, providing your group with an unforgettable experience in faith and cultural exchange.
We connect directly with an entity of the Mescalero tribe, working with the local people themselves rather than relying on an outside organization. Our partners work every day to provide safe and decent housing for their neighbors, and this Workcamp is part of a long-term, sustainable, ongoing project to build up the community.
The town of Ruidoso is about 15 minutes from the reservation. It’s a delightful little mountain tourist town with lots of restaurants and unique shops. You can learn more at discoverruidoso.com.
Want some adrenaline and beautiful sights? Ride the zip line at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino, or enjoy a stunning round of golf.
Head down the mountain the other way to the larger desert town of Alamogordo. There are restaurants and a Walmart, among other amenities. Just beyond Alamogordo lies White Sands National Monument—a fascinating world of white sand dunes with some short hiking trails.
Between Mescalero and Alamogordo is the charming small village of Tularosa, and just beyond Tularosa are a couple of pistachio farms with shops open to the public—one even offers tours!
For a longer trip, either before or after the Workcamp, consider visiting the town of Roswell, where, supposedly, the remains of a crashed alien spacecraft were brought back in 1947. The Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center is a definite must!"
A "typical" day at Group Workcamp involves serving others, "God Sightings," daily devotions, and interactive worship programs. Your schedule will look similar to this:
Every year, the Group Mission Trips team dedicates extensive time and energy to create a new Jesus-centered program experience through morning and evening programs, crew devotions, and youth group devotions (included in participant handbooks). Programs are designed so that you don't just look to a stage, but look to Jesus.
Our well-trained staff leads programs daily. Plus, you and your youth have the opportunity to serve by leading parts of each worship program through music, drama, Scripture reading, and other hands-on experiences. Feel free to bring guitars, drums, harmonicas, banjos, and great voices!
In a world filled with pressure from school, social media, and division, this year’s theme, “Illuminate,” invites us to discover Jesus as the unstoppable Light (John 1:1–18). His Light brings clarity, purpose, and hope—shining through every challenge and never fading. As we explore what it means to carry that Light, we’ll see that faith isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. Join us next summer to grow in faith, build real community, and shine Jesus’ brilliance in a world that needs it.
We normally split groups up into work crews. But, we are willing to work with your group on how you’d like to split into crews. Our work crews are made up of six people with usually one or two adults and four or five youth--typically each person from a different church. If you’d like to have your youth meet new friends and develop friendships outside of your youth group, then allow us to split up your group. If you have specific church safety rules that require your group to be together, we are more than happy to arrange that for your group as well. Our top priority is to partner with you to arrange the best experience for your youth group and help you meet your ministry goals.
Yes, you must have 1 adult (21 years of age or older) for every 5 youth (20 years of age and under). If both boys and girls are registered in your group, you must have at least one male adult and one female adult registered for supervision at night.
Yes, Group Mission Trips requires all participants 18 years of age or older be screened and background checked by their church prior to attending.
A "typical" day at Group Workcamp involves serving others, "God Sightings," daily devotions, and interactive worship programs. Your schedule will look similar to this:
Check-in: Sunday between 12-2 p.m.
3 p.m First program, followed by the Adult Meeting
5 p.m. Dinner
7 p.m. Evening Program, everyone will get to meet their work crews!
8:30 p.m. Youth group devotions
11 p.m. Lights-out
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
6:45 a.m. Rise and shine!
7:00 a.m. Breakfast, gather supplies and sack lunches
8:00 a.m. Morning program and then depart for work sites!
12:00 p.m. On-site lunch and devotions
3:30 p.m. Return to lodging for clean-up and free time
5:00 p.m. Dinner
7:30 p.m. Evening program
8:30 p.m. Youth group devotions
11:00 p.m. Lights-out
Wednesday:
Same schedule as the other days until 12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Youth groups have free time (dinner is on their own)
7:30 p.m. The Variety Show and Evening Program start
8:30 p.m. Youth group devotions
11:00 p.m. Lights-out
Check-out: Saturday by 9:00 a.m.
Your participants will provide home repairs at no cost for elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged people who need your help. Work crews typically serve the same resident for the entire trip, creating an environment where meaningful relationships develop.
Most projects are designed to be completed during the trip, allowing your group to experience the satisfaction of a job well done. You’ll serve the needs of others through projects like interior and exterior painting, building or repairing porches and wheelchair ramps, building or repairing steps, weatherization and other home repairs. No skills are needed!
Tools:
Each group is asked to bring painting and construction tools including rollers, gloves, hammers, circular saws, post hole diggers, electric drills, ladders, etc. A cooler and water jug is also needed for every 6 people–these keep lunch and water cold for participants on their work site. The full tool list is available for the registered youth leader under their customer account.
Personal Items:
The full packing list is also located under the registered youth leader’s customer account but it’s pretty much what you’d expect. Water jugs and coolers for lunches, work gloves, and modest clothing appropriate for a Christian mission trip.
Safety is our top priority!
A Workcamp can hold up to 400 participants and we house them all typically at a middle or high school. Group Mission Trip staff transforms the facility into a home away from home–there will be a separate boy’s hall and girl’s hall, a cafeteria for meals, adequate bathrooms and showers, and either a gym or auditorium for programs.
Participants need to bring twin-size air mattresses, pillows, sleeping bags or other bedding to sleep on classroom floors. Youth groups are assigned to sleeping rooms together, gender separate. Sleeping rooms may be shared with other youth groups, depending on the size of groups and the size of the room.
Registered groups can see more information about their lodging facility online on their Customer Account under Lodging Info. The primary contact will have access to the lodging facility’s address.
Meals will consist of hot breakfasts, picnic-style lunches, and hot dinners. All meals will be prepared for participants by kitchen staff. Picnic-style lunches will be assembled in the mornings and brought to work sites. The first provided meal is dinner on Sunday and the last meal is breakfast on Saturday. IMPORTANT NOTE: Dinner is NOT provided on Wednesday, youth groups have free time this day and dinner is on their own.
For registered groups: If you have a participant that has to eat gluten-free--please let us know. We can have a few gluten free options at camp, but need to know in advance to plan. The sample menu is located on your customer account, under Helpful Resources, and under Schedule, Menu, and Packing. Share this with your participants so they can start planning. Participants with special diets or allergies are welcome to bring their own food items to fill in as needed during the week. Please know that we do have peanut butter on the menu. Group Mission Trips is unable to guarantee there will not be any cross-contamination during meal preparation by kitchen staff. There will be a staff member available at camp who will be able to answer any questions about food. Click here for a visual on accommodations for dietary restrictions.
Focused on Jesus. Our goal is to point people to Jesus. Programs focus on Bible passages and daily themes that challenge us to respond to Jesus in ways we will never forget.
Interactive. People learn better by doing. Participants will be involved in sharing, speaking, singing, acting,reflecting...not just sitting and watching.
Relevant. Through creative multimedia, thought provoking sound and video, and moving contemporary worship, programs are designed to reach everyone.
Fun. Relationship-building activities, games and having fun are part of every program. Expect to have a great time!
Our payment policy is designed to give you the most flexibility when reserving your mission trip experience with Group Mission Trips.
*Deposits are non-refundable. Registration fees are in U.S. dollars and can be paid by check, money order, or credit card.
**There are no refunds after May 1st.
Payments can be made:
Call us! If there’s space available in your camp, we’ll ask for necessary payment. If you have a cancellation, and you’ve exhausted all efforts to re-fill spaces, call us to make cancellations. We’ll adjust your balance accordingly. 1-844-258-9616. Deposits are non-refundable. There are no refunds after May 15th.
Cancellations have a huge effect on the people we serve--it is devastating news to them when we have to cancel. Based on the number of registered participants, we plan for lodging, food orders, work materials and staffing–just for starters. Also, depending on the time of year, sometimes it’s simply impossible for us to re-fill cancelled spaces.
We recognize that unexpected events happen that can pull participants away from their original commitment. Give us a call, we are happy to talk through ideas to recruit other participants and keep your group intact. If there is no other option but to cancel your group, call us by May 15th to let us know. Deposits are non-refundable. There are no refunds after May 15th.
We ask that all participants arrive on time and stay for the entire time. Every part of the program is valuable and helps guarantee a life-changing experience. We really try not to make too many exceptions to this because it does affect other participants, residents, and work projects. Please check the schedule and make travel arrangements accordingly. Contact us if a situation arises.
All trips are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so register early. However, if you register for a trip that's full, we'll give you a choice: Join the waiting list for your first choice, or register for your second-choice location. Call us. We're eager to help!
Absolutely! Don’t just take our word for it. Give us a call 1-844-258-9616 and we’d be happy to connect you with other youth leaders who have served with us.
Our payment policy is designed to give you the most flexibility when reserving your mission trip experience with Group Mission Trips.
*Deposits are non-refundable. Registration fees are in U.S. dollars and can be paid by check, money order, or credit card.
**There are no refunds after May 1st.