MISSION AND GROUP VISITS
All proceeds benefit LPI Scholarship and Support Funds. Please see registration and waivers below.
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Why Visit LPI?
We believe in the power of service and community. We joyfully welcome mission and visit groups who share our passion for making a difference in the world.
We are honored to partner with you in sharing Christ's love through action.
A mission trip to Lydia Patterson Institute (LPI) offers youth and adults a unique opportunity to:
Engage in cross-cultural ministry within a bilingual, bicultural community
Explore life on the U.S.–Mexico border through the lens of faith, justice, and compassion
Serve in meaningful ways that are hands-on, relationship-focused, and mission-aligned
Reflect on Christian values of hospitality, service, and discipleship in a real-world context
Each visit includes a blend of your-choice experience:
Chapel with Students (if available) – Join our weekly worship service (Fridays only) alongside LPI students and staff.
Faith and Reflection – Lead or participate in group devotionals, theological discussions, or moments of prayer during your visit.
Walk in Their Shoes – A guided experience crossing into Ciudad Juárez to better understand the daily realities many students face (valid passport
Campus Service Projects – Help with light facility work such as painting, landscaping, organizing, and beautifying shared spaces.
Skilled Labor Opportunities – For qualified and experienced (licensed in some cases) volunteers: Plumbing, electrical, and construction.
Tutoring / Teacher’s Aide — Volunteers must have prior training and provide documentation of a cleared background check and child-safety training before serving. Background checks must be from a recognized third party and submitted upon registration.
Information: Development & Communications Office at LPI.development@lpi-elpaso.org.
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Other Unique Border Experiences can Include Visits .
Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center – Provides free and low-cost legal services for immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees.
Estrella del Paso – Offers legal aid for unaccompanied minors and families seeking humanitarian relief.
Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) – Leads grassroots organizing and advocacy efforts for immigrant rights and policy reform.
Hope Border Institute – A Catholic-rooted organization focused on border justice through policy, theology, and advocacy.
Alliance of Border Collaboratives (ABC) – Advances public health, equity, and housing through binational partnerships.
About El Segundo Barrio is a historic neighborhood in El Paso, Texas, often referred to as the "Ellis Island of the Southwest" for its longstanding role as a gateway for Mexican immigrants. Rich in cultural heritage and revolutionary history, the barrio served as a hub during the Mexican Revolution and remains known for its close-knit community, vibrant traditions, and striking murals. Its streets are lined with historic buildings that continue to tell the story of migration, resilience, and faith along the U.S.–Mexico border. Read more here: https://medium.com/quinnipiac-icm506/bienvenido-a-el-segundo-barrio-inside-a-border-towns-beloved-neighborhood-4fad085c3c53
About Ciudad Juárez: Resilience and Community at the Border
Ciudad Juárez, just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, is one of Mexico’s most historic and culturally vibrant cities. Founded in 1659 and renamed in 1888 to honor President Benito Juárez, it is home to more than 1.5 million people and part of one of the largest binational communities in the world. Juárez and El Paso have shared deep cultural, economic, and family ties for generations, and have been officially recognized as sister cities since 2018.
Juárez is known for its thriving manufacturing industry, rich cultural traditions, bilingual spirit, and deep family bonds. While the city faces challenges, it is equally defined by the perseverance, creativity, and faith of its people. Daily life here is filled with markets, festivals, and cross-border exchange.
Local nonprofits provide shelter, education, health care, and advocacy—supporting migrants, empowering women, guiding youth, and strengthening neighborhoods. Partnerships between these organizations, faith communities, and friends across the border bring lasting hope and change.
Juárez is not defined by hardship alone. It is a city of courage, generosity, and unshakable community spirit—proof that faith and solidarity can build a better future.
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"It felt really good to share our energy and enthusiasm with a place that offers such life to its students, teachers, and surrounding community."
Alamo Heights United Methodist Church, San Antonio, TX
Visiting Groups Stay
For nominal fee, groups may stay in LPI’s near-campus guesthouse, affectionately called the Little White House. This modest yet comfortable home, just 100 feet from LPI campus, includes a kitchen, two bathrooms, and shared sleeping bunk beds for up to 16 people. Repairs and upgrades to the facility are ongoing, and support for improvements is always appreciated.
LPI provides basic maintenance support but no maid services. Guests are welcome to bring their own bedding. We do not provide daily linen changes .
Visiting groups are responsible for all their meals. You are welcome to cook in the guesthouse, order in, or explore nearby restaurants based on your group’s preferences.
The guesthouse includes:
Refrigerator, stove, microwave, and basic cookware
16 Bunk beds
Dining space and kitchen area
Easy access to nearby grocery stores and restaurants
Proximity to recreational venues such as the El Paso Chihuahuas ballpark, local museums, and other downtown entertainment options
Walk in Their Shoes
“Walk in Their Shoes” is a powerful experience at Lydia Patterson Institute (LPI) that helps visitors understand what many of our students go through every day.
As part of this activity, participants walk through El Paso’s historic Segundo Barrio and cross the Santa Fe International Bridge into Ciudad Juárez, Mexico—just like many LPI students who make this journey to attend school in El Paso. Along the way, visitors pass murals, street vendors, families, and the daily rhythm of border life. It’s busy, loud, and deeply real.
In Juárez, the group continues down Avenida Juárez, a vibrant but worn corridor filled with taco stands, souvenir shops, street musicians, and the everyday activity of a city on the move. The air may smell of grilled food, car exhaust, or dust. The sidewalks are uneven, and life is raw and visible—families working, people resting, vendors calling out to passersby.
The return to the United States is a key part of the experience. Participants walk back toward the Santa Fe Bridge and join the line of people waiting to re-enter El Paso. Depending on the day, the line may move quickly—or stretch slowly under the hot afternoon sun or chilly desert wind. There’s no shade, no seating, and no shortcuts. Just a long wait with commuters, students, and families all doing the same.
This is the daily experience for many of our students.
“Walk in Their Shoes” isn’t a tour—it’s an invitation to experience border life through the eyes of someone who lives it. It helps participants understand the strength, resilience, and determination it takes to cross this border—not once, but every day—in pursuit of an education and a better future.
Groups such as the Nebraska United Methodist Foundation and the Kansas Methodist Foundation have taken part in this journey to witness firsthand how LPI supports students with hope, faith, and opportunity—one crossing at a time.
In short, “Walk in Their Shoes” is a chance to see the world through our students’ eyes.
"In February (2025) , our group of South Central Jurisdictional Foundations traveled to El Paso, TX to visit our shared ministry, the Lydia Patterson Institute, or La Lydia as it is fondly known locally. We toured the middle/high school, experienced the "walk in their shoes", and collaborated with LPI board members.
NEBRASKA UNITED METHODIST FOUNDATION
https://www.numf.org/numf-visits-lydia-patterson#:~:text=Founded%20in%201913%2C%20Lydia%20Patterson,by%20our%20teachers%20and%20staff.
"The sleepy kids are getting ready to walk out the door, cross the Rio Grande and travel from their home in Juárez, Mexico, into the U.S."
February 8, 2020Good Shepherd United Methodist Church Christian News, Church News
https://belonggsumc.com/lyndia-patterson-institute/
REGISTRATION
We are grateful for your visit and the your work.
Please check the calendar below for available dates. Blocked dates indicate times that are no longer available for booking.
CALENDAR: MISSION AND GROUP VISITS
Once we receive your registration, we’ll be in touch to walk through the next steps. This may include a meeting to talk about your itinerary, scheduling, forms, costs, and billing so everything is clear and ready for your visit.
(Download Registration Form Here)
All proceeds benefit LPI' Scholarship and Support Fund.
Additional Donations are welcome.
Flat Registration Fee: $300 per group
Required to confirm your reservation.
Lodging (Little White House) Rates
Includes guesthouse lodging for up to 16 people
Individual Rates ( 1 to 3 people)
$ 30 per night
Group Rates
1 Night to 2 Nights
Fees include round-trip airport transportation and daily use of the van
4–8 people: $250
9–12 people: $350
13–16 people: $450
3 Nights to 5 Nights
Fees include round-trip airport transportation and daily use of the van
6–8 people: $350
9–12 people: $450
13–16 people: $550
*Download Youth Participant Waiver Form
Walk in Their Shoes – International Experience. Pricing includes guide, tolls, snacks and lunch:
$40.00 per person
Notes:
Groups must bring valid passport or passport cards.
Experience duration: approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.