Saposoa, Peru
July 29-Aug 7, 2027
Trip #299
Cost: $1695 + airfare
In the jungle town of Saposoa, Peru, Pastor Juan and Keyla Grandez are reaching the next generation through Jogo Bonito, a sports ministry that uses athletics to build relationships, develop character, disciple young people, and introduce them to Jesus.
This unique mission team will bring together CrossFit athletes, coaches, healthcare professionals, and others who have a passion for fitness and holistic health. Through CrossFit workouts, school outreach, health education, medical care, and community events, we'll come alongside Juan and Keyla to invest in the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of youth and families in Saposoa.
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CrossFit creates community. People struggle together, encourage one another, celebrate progress, learn perseverance, and discover that they can do things they didn't think they could do. Those shared experiences can create powerful opportunities for relationships.
In Saposoa, we want to take something our team already loves and use it as a tool for ministry.
A workout becomes an introduction. An introduction becomes a relationship. A relationship creates an opportunity for discipleship. And discipleship points people to Jesus.
The goal isn't simply to bring CrossFit to Peru. The goal is to use fitness and holistic health as a bridge to strengthen the ministry already happening in Saposoa and equip local leaders to continue reaching their community long after we leave.
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CrossFit Classes & Community Workouts
Work out alongside youth and adults in Saposoa through CrossFit-style classes designed for a variety of ages and fitness levels. More than simply exercising together, these workouts will create opportunities to build relationships, encourage participants, teach perseverance and teamwork, and naturally open doors for conversations about faith and the Gospel.CrossFit in the Schools
Take fitness directly into local schools through age-appropriate CrossFit workouts, games, movement challenges, and health education. Team members will have opportunities to interact with students, encourage healthy habits, and connect physical health with caring for the whole person.Coaches Training
Invest in local coaches and leaders by sharing practical tools for safely leading workouts, scaling movements, programming classes, encouraging athletes, and building positive team culture.Community 5K & Fitness Outreach
We hope to partner with Jogo Bonito to host a community 5K or similar fitness event that brings youth, families, athletes, churches, and community members together. The event would provide a fun entry point for community engagement while creating opportunities to share the Gospel and introduce people to the ongoing ministry of Jogo Bonito.School Health Screenings & Education
Help provide basic health screenings and practical health education for students in local schools. Depending on the skills represented on our team, screenings may include basic health assessments while educational sessions focus on healthy habits, hygiene, exercise, and caring for our bodies.Nutrition & Holistic Health Education
Help youth and families understand practical principles of nutrition, hydration, movement, rest, and overall wellness using information that is realistic and appropriate for the local context. Our goal isn't simply physical fitness. We want to encourage people to understand health from a whole-person perspective.Medical Outreach
Healthcare professionals may have opportunities to serve through community medical outreach, basic screenings, health education, and other services based on the needs identified by our ministry partners.Evangelism & Discipleship
Everything we do ultimately points back to Jesus. Whether we're sweating through a workout together, encouraging someone across a finish line, talking about nutrition, sitting with a student at school, or serving someone through medical care, relationships are at the center of this trip.
Team members will have opportunities to share their testimonies, pray with people, share the Gospel, lead devotions, train, and encourage local believers.
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This trip is especially designed for people who love fitness and want to use their skills and interests for something bigger than themselves.
We would love to have:
CrossFit athletes
CrossFit coaches and trainers
Gym owners and fitness professionals
Physical therapists and other movement professionals
Doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals
Nutrition and wellness professionals
Runners and endurance athletes
People passionate about sports ministry
Anyone willing to serve, build relationships, and share the Gospel
You don't have to be the strongest athlete in your gym. Come ready to move, sweat, serve, encourage, and share Jesus.
Bring your love for fitness. We'll use it for the Great Commission.
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The Leaders: Pastor Juan and Keyla Grandez, who lead Iglesia IMCP in the remote jungle town of Saposoa, Peru.
The Ministry: They run Jogo Bonito, a grassroots, faith-based sports ministry designed to reach the next generation.
The Mission: In a region where poverty, isolation, and other challenges can leave young people vulnerable, Jogo Bonito provides a safe, Christ-centered community where youth can belong, grow, and be discipled. Sports give Juan and Keyla an opportunity to enter the lives of young people, but sports aren't the end goal. Discipleship is.
Through this CrossFit and holistic health team, we'll come alongside what God is already doing through Jogo Bonito and help expand the ways they can use athletics, health, and community to reach people with the Gospel.
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Location and Landscape: Saposoa is a remote, tropical town in northern Peru’s San Martín Region, nestled along the Saposoa River deep within the Amazon rainforest.
Spiritual Environment: While culturally Catholic, many residents blend Christian beliefs with traditional indigenous practices. There is a profound need for evangelical outreach and deep, Bible-based discipleship.
Daily Challenges: Geographic isolation, widespread poverty, and a lack of access to quality education create significant barriers to both the physical and spiritual well-being of the local youth and families.
Our Mission: We partner directly with local believers to plant and strengthen Gospel-centered churches, breaking through isolation to bring long-term hope, encouragement, and the love of Christ to the community.
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Our team will stay in hotels throughout our time in Lima and Saposoa. Hotels in this area are much more primitive. Expect that there will not be hot water for showers or air conditioning in your rooms. Only basic amenities will be provided such as linens and pillow for bed, towels, toilet paper, and hand soap. However each room will have a fan!
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Participants will fly to Lima, Peru and stay overnight. The next day, the team will fly approximately 1 hour north to Tarapoto. Upon arrival, the team will get packed up and travel 3 hours in vans to Saposoa.
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The Cuisine: Enjoy authentic, flavorful Peruvian fusion dishes prepared safely by local cooks. Meals are typically carb-heavy (featuring plenty of rice and potatoes) with chicken as the primary protein, alongside occasional beef and fish.
Classic Dishes: You will likely sample local favorites such as lomo saltado (stir-fried beef), pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken), and aji de gallina (creamy chicken).
Food Allergies: Please notify your team leader prior to the trip so our staff and partners can make arrangements to accommodate your dietary needs.
Water Safety: Clean, filtered, or bottled water will be provided throughout the entire trip. NEVER drink the tap water in Peru.
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At Go InterNational, participant safety is our top priority. Our internal team and external consultants use a multi-layered risk management approach, including monitoring global reports and collaborating with ministry partners on the ground. We enforce safety protocols, such as requiring students to be with an adult, while our hosts provide location-specific guidelines. Our team leaders have been trained in risk management principles and have both on-field and home-office support to ensure a secure experience.
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." – Psalm 46:1
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$250 Trip Deposit – A $250 fee is required to reserve your spot, which goes toward the overall cost of the trip.
Payment Schedule:
1/3 of the trip cost is due 3 months before departure
2/3 of the trip cost is due 2 months before departure
Final payment is due 1 month before departure
Our team will provide support and guidance throughout the fundraising and preparation process.
What’s included?
Reaching the unreached often means going where there are no paved roads, hotels, or easy systems. Your trip cost is an all-inclusive investment in the mission. It covers everything from your travel insurance and housing to the project materials (like Bibles, medicine, construction materials, etc.) and the local experts (translators, doctors, construction foremen, etc.) who make our work possible. We don’t just visit; we show up fully prepared to meet the needs of the community.
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Good health
Willingness to serve
Abide by the cultural expectations of hosts
Passport expiration date CANNOT be prior to February 8, 2028
No tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, or profanity
Must meet all deadlines including all documentation and financial obligations
Must complete a background check. An email will be sent to you after you complete your background check from our secure service, CheckR, asking for further information
Your team leader
Questions? Email mgash@gointernational.org or call 859.858.3171
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Michelle Gash, a seasoned mission leader with extensive experience in guiding teams and discipleship on the field, will work with your group for the duration of your trip.
She will accompany your group throughout the trip, facilitating ministry activities, coordinating logistics, and providing spiritual encouragement. She will be available for:
✅ Pre-trip planning
✅ Daily devotionals
✅ Debriefing sessions
✅ Ongoing support to ensure a meaningful and transformative mission experience
