DISCOVER JOSHUA WILDERNESS INSTITUTE
Joshua Program:
Five Transformational Trips
Journeys That Stretch Your Faith and Expand Your View of God
Why We Leave the Lodge
At the Joshua Wilderness Institute, we believe discipleship doesn’t just happen in classrooms. It happens when you take what you’ve learned and put it into action. That’s why students participate in five trips throughout the year, each designed to build community, stretch their faith, open their eyes, and deepen their walk with Christ.
These trips are more than just travel—they’re training grounds. Through service, evangelism, cross-cultural learning, and shared experience, students begin to see that following Jesus means stepping out of their comfort zones and into His mission.
Trip 1: Camping Trip
Bonding. Reflecting. Becoming Family.
The very first trip of the year is a camping experience at Wildwood. It’s part orientation, part spiritual retreat, and part family-forming adventure.
This orientation trip:
- Helps students understand the goals of the program and to set expectations
- Establishes community and builds trust
- Sets the tone for the rest of the year, relationally and spiritually
- Students are invited to set themselves aside and ask: “What is God doing in my life?”
This is where the Joshua family begins to form—and where many students sense God inviting them into something deeper.
Trip 2: SoCal Hume Service Trip
Discovering the Joy of Serving Others
This trip is all about reclaiming the lost art of service. Students travel to Hume SoCal and roll up their sleeves for work projects that help prepare the camp for its next season of ministry and camp.
It is about more than physical work. Students explore questions like:
- What does service have to do with gratitude?
- How does Jesus’ model of servant leadership shape the way we live today?
- What does it mean to serve without needing recognition?
The goal is to develop a lifelong posture of serving others with joy, humility, and purpose.
Trip 3: Dominican Republic Mission Trip
Serving Across Cultures. Learning What Helps Most.
In January or February, students travel to Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, where they engage in meaningful and culturally respectful service. Working alongside a local church and guided by our partner organization, Students International, Joshua students learn how to approach missions thoughtfully, serve wisely, and build lasting relationships.
During their time in the Dominican Republic they:
- Learn about various types of ministry—camps, education, medical, and more
- Gain a deeper understanding of what helps (and what doesn’t) in cross-cultural missions
- Build relationships with local leaders and fellow students
- Experience firsthand how God is at work around the world
Many students come home transformed not just by what they saw, but by how they were invited to participate in God’s global mission.
Trip 4: Los Angeles Evangelism Trip
Stepping Out. Speaking Up. Changing Perspectives.
This worldview-shaping trip brings students into the heart of Los Angeles, where they encounter a wide range of cultures, beliefs, and challenges—and are trained to share the gospel in real-time.
During their time in Los Angeles they:
- Practice compassionate street evangelism in everyday conversations
- Ride buses, explore neighborhoods, and meet people where they are
- Participate in prison ministry and work with UCLA Youth for Jesus
- Engage with diverse perspectives to grow deeper in their own faith
- Live generously—students are given funds to buy meals and care for others
- End with a fun, reflective day at Griffith Observatory
Trip 5: Israel or Turkey
Walking Where Jesus Walked
The final trip of the year is a capstone experience—a study trip to Israel or Turkey, where students explore the places they’ve been reading and studying all year.
- Walk where Jesus, Paul, and the early church leaders lived and taught
- Open Scripture in the places where it happened
- Gain historical and spiritual context that will deepen Biblical understanding for life
“They will never read the Bible the same.”
It’s more than a trip. It’s a final layer of transformation—connecting the heart, mind, and soul as students prepare to leave Joshua and follow Christ into whatever comes next.
Why the Five Trips Matter
Each trip is designed to achieve a specific goal, but together, they serve a greater purpose.
Travel within the Joshua program:
Helps students put faith into practice
Takes them outside the classroom to live what they’ve learned
Offers exposure to different cultures, needs, and people
Stretches comfort zones and challenge assumptions
Provides a global view of God’s kingdom and His love
In short, they prepare students to follow Jesus anywhere.