Join a Beauty for Ashes trip to Costa Rica! (Women Only) A hot spot for surfing, Costa Rica is an adventure seeker’s paradise. Between its stunning beaches, lush rainforests, and beautiful people, it’s easy to enjoy “pura vida” there. Outside of the tourist destinations, however, are large pockets of poverty and broken families throughout the nation, especially in the capitol of San Jose. Social issues like gang activity and teenage pregnancies are widespread in these areas—in fact, in 2012, the community of Barrio Sinai had the most pregnant teen mothers in...

Join a Beauty for Ashes trip to Colombia! (Women Only) From the Andes Mountains to the Caribbean coastline and the Amazon rainforest, Colombia is one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world. It is also home to unreached tribes, a large student population rapidly rejecting the Gospel, and thousands of children living on the streets. Colombia sits at the crossroads of Central and South America, making its culture almost as diverse as its natural resources. Heavily influenced by Native American, Latin, European, African, Middle Eastern, and American cultures, 71% of its...

Join a Beauty for Ashes trip to Guatemala! (Women Only) Known as “The Land of Eternal Spring”, Guatemala is rich in natural beauty—from the shores of Lake Atitlan, to the peaks of its 37 volcanoes, this Central American nation is one of the most beautiful in the world.  Behind all this beauty lies the lingering pain of a 36-year civil war and recent devastating natural disasters.  The true beauty of Guatemala is its people.  Gripped by poverty, the people of Guatemala hunger for the Kingdom of God. The majority of Guatemalans practice a form of...

Join a Beauty for Ashes trip to South Asia! (Women Only) South Asia has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, but this growth comes at a cost.  Despite a growing middle class, a terrible rift exists between the rich and poor of this mainly Hindu country. More than just dollars and lifestyles, this gap began generations ago in the caste system, and it has left the lower-caste people of South Asia without hope. In the South Asian culture, daughters are viewed as costly. Not only is a girl’s family expected to pay the expense associated with raising her but a...

Join a Beauty for Ashes trip to Vietnam! (Women Only) Vietnam’s story is one of searching and fighting for freedom.  After nearly a century of French rule, Vietnam split into the Communist (north) and non-Communist (south) in the 1950’s. Conflict between the two sides led to the Vietnam War. But by 1975, Vietnam was restored as a completely Communist country. Even with the economic reforms and restoration of diplomatic ties, human rights are limited in Vietnam—especially freedom of religion. Over 80% of Vietnamese don’t claim any religion; about 8% are...

Join a Beauty for Ashes trip to Zambia! (Women Only) Zambia boasts one of the seven wonders of the world: the rushing heights of Victoria Falls, known as “the smoke that thunders”. It’s an entirely landlocked nation, touching eight sister countries and home to seventy-three tribes who speak twenty different languages.  Zambia became an independent nation in 1964 after years of British colonial rule. Since then, the economy has grown, but the Zambian people still suffer from poverty, short life expectancy, malnourishment, lack of clean water, and the AIDS crisis....