Written By: Aidyn Fischli | Southwest Region

In July of 2026, Christian Surfers United States took a team of 26 on a surf mission trip to Costa Rica in partnership with a local Christian Surfers (CS) chapter. While there, they held a surf contest, built and painted benches, and participated in a local CS chapter meeting. CS had a chance to sit down and talk to Genevieve Banasik about the trip. Here are a few of her highlights.

Q: How did you hear about the trip?
A: I heard about Christian Surfers from a lady in a homeschool group that I was part of years ago. And then this summer, I had some extra time.  I just randomly looked up Christian Surfers’ website and looked at the trips they had. I’d actually been wanting to go to Costa Rica for a few years. Everything just lined up perfectly with this Costa Rica trip. 

Q: Why did you want to go on this trip?
A: I live four hours from the Gulf. The Gulf doesn’t even have great waves most of the time. I don’t get to surf very much, and I hadn’t actually been surfing in over a year before the Costa Rica trip. I love to serve, and I also loved the focus on serving the community and Jesus because I didn’t expect to find a trip like that. It’s super neat to combine two awesome things.

I’ve been to Costa Rica before, eight years ago, but we didn’t do any surfing on that trip. I didn’t even know what surfing was. But I just fell in love with the culture, the people, and the slow, intentional way of living where everyone’s just so content. The people that live there are so happy to be there, and they’re so welcoming and hospitable. 

When I worked at Waco Surf, I would meet people who would come from all over the world. I would ask them where their favorite place that they’ve been was. A lot of them would say Costa Rica was at the top of their list. That just made me want to go back even more, this time to surf. 

Q: For someone who has never been on a surf and share (serve, study, etc.), explain how this trip made an impact on the local community and in your life.
A: We were there to encourage the new Christian Surfers Costa Rica leaders, so we were showing up in full support and encouragement to them. Then we also got to help out with Uno Mas, the after-school program for local kids. We helped with beach games, which is super fun, and the community soccer game, community lunch, and just diving into showing hospitality back to the locals and showing them love and care. We also painted some benches and some signs. Encouraging them also encourages me so much.

The people that we were visiting were so kind, and everyone was just so happy to see us. And the people in our group were just amazing, and I was especially encouraged in my own spiritual walk during testimony time. Just hearing how God has worked in people’s lives is so, so good to hear.”

Q: How did the trip make an impact on your spiritual journey? And how did that play into your daily life when you got home?
A: I just felt so refreshed after the trip because of the awesome fellowship and the morning devotions we’d have, and testimony time was one of my favorite parts. And then just being reminded of the greatness of the love of God. 

I was especially convicted and encouraged by Kyle Leon. I asked her, if I want to get into long-term full-time ministry here, what she would recommend and what steps I should take. She told me, ‘You should start by focusing on serving where you are now.’ She said, ‘Take what you’ve seen here, like community lunches or just getting involved with the people around me, and take that home.’ 

Q: Did you have a favorite memory from the trip?
A: I can’t pick one— I have lots of great memories! I liked the beach games, that day that we did all those games with the kids at Uno Mas. I hadn’t played such rough and tumble games in such a long time. 

Q: Why would you encourage someone to go on a trip like this in the future?
A: Because it was awesome. It was like one of the best weeks of my life. I’d encourage anyone who loves Jesus to go on these trips. Then, if you love surfing, that’s an added bonus. You don’t even have to surf because it’s just such a fun group of people. You’re out there just doing life together and serving the local community together.

For more information about Surf Mission Trips, click here.