Experience lasting impact on a globalX trip!
Applications are now open for our Summer 2025 globalX trip to Costa Rica with 6:8 Ministries! The trip will take place July 21-28, and we’d love to have you join us.
When Mike Carlton decided that he and his 14-year-old daughter, Katie, would join our 2022 globalX trip to Costa Rica, he was hopeful that the trip would help Katie experience another culture and the joy of serving the less fortunate. “I signed up mostly through the lens of a parent,” Mike said. “I wanted Katie to see and experience how so much of what we consume ourselves with really doesn’t matter and that real joy doesn’t come from things but from relationships with one another and with Jesus.”
Mike learned quickly, though, that the trip would turn out to be just as impactful for him as it was for Katie. “There were multiple ah-ha moments,” he said. “I walked away closer to my daughter and closer to God. I also built lasting friendships with folks from Access who I didn’t know so well going in.”
The children in Costa Rica made a huge impact on Mike. “The sheer joy of the children was incredibly moving,” he said. “I was moved to tears more than once. You could really tell that it means a lot to them to have total strangers show up to let them know they’re loved and they matter.”
Mike was able to see an immediate change in Katie, both in Costa Rica and back at home. “Katie got out of her comfort zone and actively engaged with the people we served and with the other team members,” he said. “I was really proud of her. And when we got back, I saw her take a more active interest in being involved with the Access youth group.”
When he returned home, Mike was inspired to serve locally by working with the St. Francis House in St. Augustine. He wanted to serve the local homeless population including teens who need to know they’re loved by God and others. “6:8 is incredibly inspiring in how they minister to communities of people who otherwise receive very little attention and love,” he said. “I wanted to continue doing the same back at home.”
After their trip, Mike and Katie and the rest of the Carlton family began sponsoring a child in Costa Rica. Almost three years later, they are still sponsoring their child in addition to supporting 6:8’s mission and staff!
The Carltons recently relocated to Virginia, but they continue experiencing the impact of their trip to Costa Rica. “The Costa Rica trip will always have an impact on us,” Mike said. “Since moving, we’ve gotten involved in a church here in Richmond that is very much aligned with the mission of Access. I’ve joined a men’s group that meets weekly and Katie really seems to be enjoying the services. She brings her Bible and takes notes!”
If you’re interested in going to Costa Rica with us next summer, visit our Missions Page to learn more and complete the interest form. It’s an incredible opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with all nations, show your teens a worldview different from what they see in St. Johns, and change lives—maybe even your own! “I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to deepen their faith and expose their children to real-world conditions they’re not likely to ever encounter here locally,” Mike said. “You’ll be moved in ways you couldn’t have imagined otherwise, and you’ll feel God working in your life. We would love to go serve again, especially if it meant we could reunite with our Access family on the trip!”
