Break With a Purpose
Travel. Learn. Serve. Grow.
At the beginning of his third presidential campaign, Donald Trump promised to initiate “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” Since entering office again, Trump has sought to make good on that promise, initiating a wave of brutal and frequently illegal anti-migrant actions around the country.
Christians in the U.S. have long been part of the chorus of voices and bodies resisting xenophobia and offering hospitality to migrants. Welcoming the stranger is one of the oldest and most consistent values in the Christian tradition; in recent years, our community has responded to the call, too. Yet as solidarity with migrants grows amidst this new wave of government aggression, the U.S.-Mexico border itself remains fixed in many of our imaginations as a place of fear, violence, and alienation.
How might our solidarity with migrants be enriched by learning to see the border as a place of “encounter, compassion, and the sharing of culture?” What do we have to learn — about migration, community, justice, and the character of God — from those who call the Borderlands home? And how might this knowledge transform our approach to the “borders” we encounter in our day-to-day lives?
In partnership with Frontera de Cristo, we’ll spend a week seeking answers to these questions and more as we live, learn, and serve alongside migrants and allies in the Arizona borderlands.
BWAP is not a mission trip. We do not go in hopes of evangelizing, converting, or otherwise colonizing the places we go. Rather, we seek to come alongside, listen to, and learn from folks who are part of the communities we enter. We believe that we have more to gain from these experiences than we have to give. As we partner with and bear witness to God’s work in unfamiliar places, we become more equipped to do so in the place(s) we call home.
We also acknowledge that opportunities to learn and grow in this way are part of the set of privileges afforded to us as residents and citizens of the United States. These privileges make all of us complicit in many of the systems and structures that create the problems we see in the world (albeit to different degrees based on our unique identities). Along with an eagerness to learn and excitement to serve, we also come with humility, knowing that we are not the solution to all the world’s problems. We engage this tension directly and intentionally in our team trainings and trip reflections.
Any undergraduate and graduate student at UW-Madison may apply for BWAP.
BWAP is led by Rev. Nii Addo Abrahams, the Associate Pastor for Campus Ministry at Pres House. Learn more about him here.
Organized in 1984, Frontera de Cristo is a ministry founded upon a coalition of the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Together, both churches aim to challenge the historic precedent of how mission work is done—not as one church doing ministry to another, but as churches working together as one for the Kingdom of God.
Today, led jointly by Jocabed Gallegos and Mark Adams, Frontera de Cristo serves people through a variety of partner ministries including migrant shelters, after-school centers, community gardens, a cooperative fair trade plus coffee business, rehabilitation facilities, and more.
Frontera de Cristo sees borders as places for encounter, compassion, and the sharing of culture. Through partnerships in both Agua Prieta, Sonora, and Douglas, Arizona, we work to extend welcome and support to migrants and the surrounding communities.
Our schedule will be customized to the needs and abilities of our team and Frontera de Cristo’s ministry partners. Activities may include:
- a border infrastructure tour
- conversations with Border Patrol agents
- dinner with a family from Lily of the Valley Presbyterian Church
- a desert hike simulating a small segment of migrants’ journeys
- a cross-planting in the desert to honor and remember someone who died in the desert
- visits and information sessions at Frontera de Cristo’s partner ministries, such as the Migrant Resource Center; CAME migrant shelter; Café Justo and the coffee shop Café Justo y Mas; the women’s co-operative at DouglaPrieta Trabaja, the Children’s Enrichment Ministry at New Hope Community Center; and the CATPSIC drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.
- visits to local wildlife areas (e.g. Whitewater Draw)
See examples of border immersion schedules here (most relevant for BWAP is the weeklong schedule).
BWAP trips regularly cost $1500-$2000 per student. However, thanks to generous Pres House donors, we heavily subsidize the cost so that no student pays more than $500. Your $500 BWAP registration fee covers lodging, transportation (airfare and/or rental vehicle), any pre-trip resources, and all meals, site admissions, and team activities during the trip.
Students with financial constraints can request a scholarship from Pres House for up to half of the standard registration fee. To request a scholarship, please apply using the normal application, and answer the prompts accordingly. You will need to briefly describe your financial need and indicate how much of the registration fee you can pay.
Once paid, application fees are non-refundable.
Yes. We will be crossing the U.S.-Mexico border multiple times on this trip. Although it is possible to cross back into the U.S. using your regular driver’s license, that decision is often up to the Customs and Border Protection agent on duty at the port of entry; according to the Department of Homeland Security, a valid passport is required for international travel. When you apply for BWAP, you must either indicate that you have a valid passport or a pending passport application.
For more information on passports and processing times, visit travel.state.gov.
Yes. However, depending on your country of origin, you may be required to present additional documents when crossing the border (such as an I-20), and you’ll need to contact International Student Services to obtain signatures. You can apply for the trip before securing the required document(s) and signature(s).
No. Frontera de Cristo will provide interpreters when necessary. Here is some additional guidance from Frontera de Cristo about how to navigate language differences:
- Don’t be shy about speaking Spanish, no matter how rusty it may be. Individuals you will meet in Agua Prieta will appreciate such attempts and will be more likely to strike up a conversation.
- If you don’t speak Spanish well, you may have the opportunity to speak to someone through an interpreter. In these situations, remember to speak directly to the person you’re speaking with, not to the interpreter. This shows respect for the person you’re talking with and helps you connect with them as a human being regardless of the language difference.
APPLICATION INFO
The application for BWAP 2026 will open at 12 pm on October 1, 2025.
- The application will remain open until all spots are filled or until 12 pm on October 29, 2025, whichever comes first.
- There are ten spots for students on this trip. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis; we will create a waitlist if needed. Apply early to give yourself the best chance of being part of the team!
- Two spots on the team will be reserved for first-time BWAP participants, and an additional three spots will be reserved for BIPOC students.
- If your application is approved, you must pay your registration fee within 72 hours. Your spot on the team is not confirmed until your application is accepted AND you have paid your registration fee.
- Pay online using a credit card, debit card, or digital wallet (e.g. Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc.). We’ll send you the payment link after you submit your application.
- Pay in-person with cash or check. In-person payments can be given to one of the pastors; Mark Gordon, our office manager; or Sherri Kelly, our director of finance and operations. Checks should be made out to “Pres House” with “BWAP 2026” written in the memo line.
The reserved spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis for those who qualify.
- If you qualify for both types of reserved spots and your application is accepted, you will only be counted as filling one spot. For example, if spots for first-time participants and BIPOC participants are both available when you apply, you would fill one first-time participant spot.
- Once the reserved spots are filled, students who qualify should still apply, as any remaining non-reserved spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
- If the reserved spots are not filled by October 22, those spots will become available to the waitlist and/or any other students who apply, regardless of whether they qualify.
Students who do not qualify for one of the reserved spots should apply like normal. If the available spots fill, you will be added to a waitlist and invited to join the team if more spots become available.
To apply, be prepared to submit:
- Personal information (e.g. legal name, address, phone number, etc.)
- Gender identity. Most airlines require this information as part of the booking process; we do not share this information with anyone other than the airline.
- Emergency contact
- Proof of health insurance
- Medical information (medications, conditions, allergies, dietary restrictions, vaccine records)
- Proof of valid passport or pending passport application
- Statement of intent. All team members must agree to abide by the team member expectations.
- Liability waiver
Here are the questions you’ll see on the application which require a written answer. Please limit your responses to 500 words or less.
- Why do you want to go on this trip?
- Describe your previous BWAP experiences (if any) and their impact on your life.
- Describe your involvement with the Pres House community.
- Describe your ability to speak, read, and/or understand Spanish.
- Please list any questions or concerns you have regarding BWAP.
While the Holy Spirit can and does work despite our lack of preparation, there is a notable difference between teams who arrive having had ample preparation and teams who just “show up” on the day of departure. Those who arrive having invested time, energy, reflection, and prayer prior to the experience tend to be more attentive to the movement of the Spirit and generally have a richer experience.
— From the Frontera de Cristo Mission Delegation Manual
Team members are expected to attend and participate fully in the following:
- Pre-trip commissioning service. During this service, the Pres House community will pray for the BWAP team and “commission” them as ambassadors of Pres House.
- Pre-trip team meetings. During these meetings, we will establish group norms, engage with relevant resources, and strengthen our relationships as a team. Each team member will receive a copy of Todd Miller’s Build Bridges, Not Walls to read between meetings.
- Post-trip storytelling & worship service. Each team member offers a written reflection on their BWAP experience for the Pres House blog. Some of these stories will be shared during a special worship service led by the BWAP team after the trip.
- Post-trip meeting. At the final meeting, we debrief the trip and decide what’s next for us and the Pres House community.
COMMISSIONING SERVICE: December 7
TEAM MEETING DATES
All meetings are 7 – 8:30 pm at Pres House unless otherwise stated.
- Sunday, November 2
- Sunday, November 16
- Sunday, December 7
- Sunday, January 4 (virtual)
- Sunday, February 1 (post-trip meeting)
STORYTELLING & WORSHIP SERVICE: February 1
Previous BWAP Trips
The first day of our trip took us to Selma, where we walked across the Edmund Pettis Bridge and toured the National Voting Rights Museum and the Slavery and Civil War Museum. By pure coincidence, the first person we met in Selma was Annie Pearl Avery, one of the foot soldiers of the movement who marched on Bloody Sunday. Later in the day, we also visited Old Cahaba, the former capital of Alabama and the site of a POW camp for Union soldiers.
We spent our next two days in Birmingham, where we visited three houses of worship: 16th St. Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, and Temple Beth-el. 16th St. Baptist Church was bombed in 1963. The bombing killed four young girls and awakened the nation to the depth of racial violence happening in Birmingham. At FPC, we learned about one of the church’s former pastors, Edward V. Ramage, one of the eight white clergy King was responding to in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” At Temple Beth-el, we learned how Jews in Birmingham – who were also targets of white supremacist violence – engaged with the Civil Rights Movement.
On day two in Birmingham, we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and learned more about the campaign to end segregation in Birmingham. We also met a local historian named Barry McNealy, who gave us an immersive tour of Kelly Ingram Park and “Dynamite Hill,” one of the neighborhoods in Birmingham most heavily targeted by racial terrorism.
Our final two days were spent in Montgomery. There, we visited the Legacy Museum, an enormous and immersive museum that takes visitors on a journey from the start of chattel slavery in the 1600s to the era of mass incarceration today. We also toured the Freedom Rides Museum and the Rosa Parks Museum. The last site we visited on our trip was the National Memorial for Peace and Justice – also known as the Lynching Memorial. There, steel boxes and plaques commemorate over 4,000 victims of racial terrorism across the country from 1877 to 1950.
Team Reflections:
- “Something Has To Break” ~ Aaliyah Golden
- “To Love Somebody is To Know Them” ~ Laura Hyde
- “Creating Community” ~ Mei Hippe
- “Remembering America” ~ Kyle Digman
- “Guideposts” ~ Nathan Tan
- “Called to Justice” ~ Emily Johnson
- “Two Classrooms” ~ Shaniya Auxier
- “Saints and Prophets” ~ Will Clancy
- “God’s Enduring Presence” ~ Jasmine Jones
- “Underneath the Edmund Pettus Bridge” ~ Axell Boomer
For BWAP 2024, we traveled to Nicaragua. This unique, immersive experience was the fruit of a partnership between Pres House and Working Capital for Community Needs., a microfinance organization that provides working capital to low-income entrepreneurs throughout Latin America. Our trip allowed us to:
- Learn first-hand how microfinance can empower people and families to transform their lives through small business generation; see Pres House investment funds directly at work
- Learn about the economy of food, textiles, coffee production, the educational system, and more
- Have conversations about wealth and poverty, impact investing, migration, religion, and more
- Hike to the top of a volcano, experience the history and beauty of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Leon, and participate in the vibrant life of Granada, Managua, and Jingotega
Team Reflections:
- Mark Elsdon: “Why Nicaragua?”
- Jack Wilharm: “Power of Microfinancing”
- Mei Hippe: “Perfect Solutions?”
- Nathan Tan: “Politics & Faith”
- Aurora Kuelbs: “Opportunity”
- Allyson Mills: “Grace & Power Under Dictatorship”
- Will Clancy: “Politics of Faith”
- Kyle Digman: “Murals in Nicaragua”
- Sophie Elsdon: “Nicaraguan Pride”
Learn more about our partners for BWAP 2024:
For Break With a Purpose (BWAP) 2023, we partnered with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Techos Pa’ Mi Gente to aid in the ongoing rebuilding and relief efforts in Puerto Rico.
Climate disaster has wreaked havoc on the island of Puerto Rico. Hurricanes Maria (2017), Irma (2017), and Fiona (2022) — as well as earthquakes in 2020 — caused hundreds of billions of dollars of damage to homes and infrastructure on the island, and the situation is exacerbated by ongoing U.S. colonization, slowing the recovery efforts. PDA and Techos are two organizations that offer local leadership and creative solutions to the systemic problems Puerto Rico faces.
Team Reflections:
- Laura Hyde: “Unexpected Connections”
- Lauren Pettis: “From Learning to Living”
- Lydia Larsen: “The Cost of Paradise”
- Aurora Kuelbs: “Deep Roots”
- Mei Hippe: “Deep Love”
- Kevin Lee: “What the Great Commission Didn’t Tell Me”
- Madelyn Peppard: “Three Kings Day, a Four-Day Celebration”
Learn more about our partners for BWAP 2023:
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance – Puerto Rico
Techos Pa’ Mi Gente
In the wake of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, approximately 15,000 Afghan refugees were temporarily housed at Fort McCoy (the military base between Sparta and Tomah, WI) while awaiting resettlement. As part of the operation, the US government contracted with various social service agencies and corporations to help facilitate the resettlement process and to offer hospitality to the refugees while awaiting resettlement. Our team was one of many groups who helped to offer MWR — morale, wellness, and recreation — to Afghan guests, under the leadership of Catholic Charities.
Team Reflections:
- Emma Elsdon: “The Setting”
- Olivia Avery: “The Mess”
- Andrea Wegrzynowicz: “Come, Lord Jesus (A Scriptural Collage)”
- Lauren Pettis: “Presence”
- Madelyn Peppard: “Untitled Poem”
- Evan Digman: “Moments of Grace”