About The Trip

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Ephesians 2:10

"Know God, be His people, love others, and change our world."

This blog is for friends and parents of the 2023 Costa Rica Mission Trip. We will be going to help the Salley family, who are missionaries in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Meet The Team

Camille Clements

Our fearless leader, Camille Clements, has been teaching at LCA for almost twenty-five years. She has been going on ministry trips with students since 2001. In 2011, she helped to set up a trip to Costa Rica. Camille contacted the Salley family, and the Costa Rica Ministry trip came in to being and has been going strong ever since. Miss Clements became the Trip Leader through a series of events that only the Lord could have orchestrated. She generally prefers to be a behind the scenes kind of person, but through leading the Costa Rica trip, the Lord has grown and stretched her. She considers herself blessed by God to be used to help young people experience a small taste of the foreign mission field firsthand. Before working for LCA, she served as a missionary for two years in Barcelona, Spain, teaching pre-kindergarten in an international school. As a trip leader with LCA, she has traveled with students to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Baja California, Mexico, Iquitos, Peru and to various locations in Costa Rica. Beyond teaching and using the Spanish language, Miss Clements also enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. “When the Lord calls you to do something,” she states, “trust that He knows what is best for you and do it. Also, trust that He will equip you to do whatever he calls you to do. I has found that he has called me to things that I would not naturally choose to do because in my weakness He is proved strong.”

Maddy Merritt

Maddy is a senior who is going on her third mission trip through the Costa Rica team. She would like to grow closer to God while serving others for His glory while exploring the beautiful country of Costa Rica. She looks forward to interacting with kids and growing closer to the team.

Maddy loves to travel having visited a couple of different countries. If she were a superhero, she would be able to time travel / go to any location she wanted. To encourage others, she wants to remind them that if something bad is going on and they are worried, remember that in about a year, it won’t even matter. She believes she has spent a lot of time worrying about situations that didn’t even matter at the time. Trust God and know that in the end it will be alright.

Alex Shaeffer

Alex Shaeffer, a 2013 alumnus and current teacher at LCA, will be assisting in leading the team! He currently teaches high school English and works in the Legacy Theater Department. This will be his fourth trip with the Costa Rica team!

Alex believes that travel is one of the best strategies to learning; therefore, he looks for any opportunity that allows him to travel with or without students. Having participated on mission trips in high school, he looks forward to watching the current team members discover more about themselves and God.

Alex enjoys reading, grilling, and gardening when he is not teaching or working in the theater department. The one superpower he wishes he could possess is teleportation to save more time. He would encourage others to remember that God can use ANYONE to further his kingdom and that his grace is abundant.

David Norris

David, a sophomore, is interested in this short-term mission trip because he would like a taste of foreign missions, and he would like to experience growth in his faith, character, and ministry skills. In the summer of 2021, David went on a mission trip to Jackson, KY, to help at the Happy Church, a ministry that helps spread the gospel through the poverty-stricken Jackson County. During that time, he helped do physical work at the church’s campus helping clean up and recover from a severe flood earlier that year. That trip exposed David to ministry and how valuable it is to change lives for the better. David is looking forward to experiencing the different culture in Costa Rica while also helping to share information that could potentially change someone’s life forever.

David plays soccer and baseball, and he enjoys playing guitar, working, or spending time in God’s creation. If he were a superhero, his superpower would be the ability to fly so he could fly around and save people. For advice David would tell anyone that if there were a chance to be able to pursue something, if it is God-honoring, that they should put their mind to it and chase after it wholeheartedly.

Gladys Jacob

Gladys, a senior, has always desired to serve others and spread the gospel, but she never knew where to start. She couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go on a mission trip when it was right in front of her. Gladys wants to get out of her comfort zone, and she knows that this trip is God’s way of opening a door to do exactly that. Gladys has helped in local mission outreaches, but she has never been on an actual mission trip. She is looking forward to seeing how God will use her for his glory and purpose. Even though she is nervous, she is excited to get out of her comfort zone and be a vessel in whichever way God wants to use or change her.

Gladys likes to read and play piano, guitar, violin, and tennis. If she were a superhero, she would want the power of changing probability – being able to change the probability of a situation to go from 0% to 100% or vice versa. Gladys wants to remind others that through every trial or situation, we should trust that God is taking care of us. Trust that He knows what is best for us, and it will all work out in the end for His glory.

Moira Ackenhausen

Moira is a junior who is returning to Costa Rica because she wants to have the full experience of serving others while spreading the gospel. Her sister went on the same trip a few years ago, and Moira got to see how much the trip impacted her. She is excited to experience the different culture and learn how to minister to others. She is looking forward to seeing how God will use the team in a foreign place!

Moira enjoys participating in swimming, volleyball, and tennis. She loves to draw and listen to music. If she were a superhero, her power would be to heal people. She would travel around and help people who are very sick or hurt. To encourage others, Moira would want to tell everyone that they should never be afraid of talking about what troubles they are going through. There are always people willing to listen who just want you to be happy!

Angela Harmon

Angela is a sophomore joining the Costa Rica team for her very first mission trip! She has always wanted to see the way God works in other cultures other than her own. She is looking forward to seeing the way God works, not only in her, but in her team members and those living in Costa Rica.

Angela enjoys swimming, reading, and baking. If she were a superhero, she would have the power of mind reading! To encourage another person, Angela would tell them to always remember that God is in control and that He has every minute planned out for you!

Justin Harphant

Justin, a sophomore, has always felt a call to ministry. He is interested in Costa Rica because of what he has read about the culture in his Spanish textbook. He is looking forward to ministering to children in Costa Rica and growing closer to the team. He believes this trip is going to open his eyes to how many people do not know Jesus. Through this trip, Justin wants to show people the light of Christ.

Justin loves sports, mainly baseball. However, he tore his ACL and is unable to play baseball this school year. He has grown closer to Christ seeing that even in a dark time, God is always with him. As a superhero, Justin would want speed so he could travel across the country helping people with tasks while sharing the gospel with them. As advice for other, he wants to encourage others to find a friend to talk to when they are struggling. If they can’t find anyone to talk to, he is always available to listen.

Joanna Arthur

Joanna, a senior, is joining the team for her first mission trip! She is planning to attend Cedarville University to study Allied Health and become a Physician’s Assistant. Joana is interested in missions because she wants to reach out to kids who have possibly heard the gospel many times but have not accepted Christ as their personal Savior. She wants to share with the rest of the world what God has done for her. She is excited to see how God is working in another part of the world. Joanna is interested in Costa Rica because she loves the Spanish language and Latin American culture. She knows it will be a challenge, but she wants to be able to share the gospel in this environment with everyone she meets.

Outside of the team, Joanna enjoys singing, acting, playing soccer and tennis, and spending time with friends and family. If she were a superhero, she would choose the power of teleportation so she could travel quickly and visit her family in England, India, and Canada whenever she wants! She would never be late to anything which would be new for her! Joanna wants to remind others that they are never alone. God is always near and ready to help if asked. He has placed people in our lives who can speak truth and help us to become more like Christ. It is never too late or early to follow God!

Jonas Smith

Jonas is a sophomore going on his first short-term mission trip to grow in his faith and gain a new outlook on sharing the gospel. He is also interested in the culture and nature of Costa Rica. Jonas has traveled to the Philippines when his family adopted, and he learned that although people live differently, they all need the support of Christ. He is looking forward to seeing how the team will reach people with God’s word despite the language barrier. He is also excited to travel outside the country again.

Jonas enjoys hanging out with friends, playing the drums, and participating in theater. If he were a superhero, he would have the ability to stop time. To encourage others, Jonas would remind everyone that they are loved. No matter what anyone is going through or how alone anyone might feel, God is present and loving. He will always be there.

Jocelyn Miller

Jocelyn, a sophomore wants to be part of a short term mission because God has been so good, and she thinks it is important to follow the Great Commission. It’s the least she can do to follow His command. Costa Rica interests her because of its complex history, stable economic and government system, beautiful topography, and lovely climate. She is looking forward to bonding with the other team members and the leaders as they share God’s love! She also looks forward to spending time in a Spanish speaking culture to further her understanding of the subject.

Jocelyn participates in volleyball, softball, and cheer. She likes cooking and making coffee. If she were a superhero, she would be known for flying which is super interesting and could save a lot of lives. If she could give one piece of encouragement, she would say that it’s important to never give up on yourself or others because change is always possible, but that change won’t happen if you’re not working for it. You can’t work wholeheartedly on something you don’t believe in, so keep going when things get rough and, cliche as it sounds, believe in yourself.

Benjamin Smith

Benjamin is a sophomore who has been thinking for the past few years about what he could do to spread the gospel. He believes going to Costa Rica will be a good way to do that. This will be his very first mission trip! He is looking forward to spending time in a different culture where they have different customs and speak a different language, even though he doesn’t consider himself a strong Spanish speaker.

Benjamin enjoys spending free time with friends. If he were a superhero, he would like to be known for having super speed. It would be cool to be the fastest person in gym class or on a sports team. Being the fastest person in the world would be cool! To encourage someone, Benjamin would tell someone that if they are going through a hard time, look to God and the Bible. He would pray with them, and if the situation is complicated, he would take the time to talk through the problem.

Tiffany Howell

Tiffany Howell is a returning leader to the Costa Rica team! She is married to her husband, John, and they have 2 beautiful girls named Ivy (12) and Jetta (9). They have 3 dogs named Kenoh (Rottie), Dizzie (Maltese), and Myles (Boston Terrier). This will be her 3rd trip. She enjoys traveling with the team. Costa Rica is a country she has loved for a long time. She went with her Spanish class in high school MANY years ago. Tiffany is looking forward to the people, flora, and fauna.

Tiffany has been on 2 previous mission trips to Costa Rica with LCA. She loved the interactions and wants to take her family on a mission trip to Costa Rica some day. She is looking forward to seeing the Salleys and the other Costa Rican leaders. She is also looking forward to watching the students grow, learn, and share the Gospel.

Tiffany loves music, cooking, and travel. If she could have a superpower, she would fly so she could go anywhere to anyone. To encourage others, Tiffany would remind others that a smile and a compliment goes a long way for that person and yourself. Show and share your joy in the Lord.

Karen Power

Saludos! Karen is a retired college English professor. She serves as a substitute teacher at LCA and is using her time in retirement to travel! She travelled to Costa Rica on a work-for-stay program at the Pacuare Nesting Beach with Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST) in 2019. It was a wonderful experience living on an impoverished, but tropical jungle island for a month working with foreign and local marine biologists. This will be Karen’s second mission trip. She knows in her heart that the Lord has wonderful things in store for this trip and opportunities for Him to reveal His power and His grace.

Karen enjoys the outdoors! She is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist, she leads interpretive hikes at Pearl's Fen and Oakes Quarry in Fairborn, she cycles long distances, and she loves long-distance hiking. If she had a superpower, it would be to be able to go back in time and find all the things she ever lost. When all things are revealed in Heaven, she’ll find them. But she could really use some of those things now. She has several life verses, but the one she shares the most with people is Hebrews 10:23: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." When we ask, "Why?" The Lord says, "Trust."