PREVIOUS EVENTS

Costa Rica 2024

Lift One Up was blessed to partner with Mission Activation for another missions trip to Costa Rica on April 19-26, 2024. With a team of 18 people we arrived in Playa del Coco, Costa Rica for a week sharing the love of Jesus. We met the needs of many by participating in a youth event which included soccer, dance, swimming and our team’s participation! It was so much fun! We served the youth a traditional Costa Rican meal and ended our day with prayer for each of them!

In partnership with CityServe we organized boxes of shoes, clothing, and household items for over 10 families; delivering to each one. We were not only able to meet their physical needs but also prayed for them and witnessed healings and hope for many!

We had a special time with the senior women’s group by making Vision Boards. A first for most of them! Beautiful and life-changing for many of them!

Las Vegas to Liberia, Costa Rica! We’ve arrived!

Mission Activation Founder - Pastor Skip Preston providing cultural training upon our arrival.

Spending the day with many in Mission Activation's youth program. They taught the ladies a dance while the men spent time playing soccer. We ended the day with swimming and lunch together.

One of our amazing leaders on our Costa Rica team, Jenny Loza, took time to assist teach English to those in the youth program.

We attended Activation Church on Sunday and helped serve with their teams from check-in, production, coffee, and greeting.

At CityServe receiving instructions on how to build the boxes of shoes, clothing, household items, etc. for the families. We built the boxes and then delivered them to the families the following two days.

Pastor Stan leading the team in morning devotion.

Team members Carol, Bev and Stacy selecting clothing items for their list of families.

Ending the trip with a Catamaran ride on the Pacific Ocean. Wonderful food, fellowship and relaxation.

2024 Lift One Up Mission Team with Mission Activation/CityServe directors.

Beautiful Costa Rica sunset over the Pacific Ocean

We surprised team members Jose and Sandra with a wedding renewal during a beautiful Costa Rica sunset.

Mentoring Ceremony 2023

Founder and Executive Director, Equilla Hicks addressing the mentors and mentees in attendance.

Mentors Ali Fragoso & Paula Hoffman

Costa Rica 2021

Lift One Up was blessed to partner with Mission Activation for its first missions’ trip to Costa Rica! Our team of 24 very eager to serve men, women and youth had a wonderful time blessing the people in that region. We provided food for those in need, prayed for the sick, visited many people in their homes, conducted children’s events and so much more! We provided 26,100 meals, 110 families received food bags, 34 people received extended prayer, 35 home deliveries were made (with prayer for the families), and over 300 children in 4 different churches and communities experienced the love of Jesus (with candy and gifts)!

We truly experienced Jesus words in Acts 20:35, “Giving brings a far greater blessing than receiving.”

Las Vegas to Liberia, Costa Rica! We’ve arrived!

On our way to Liberia, Costa Rica! We had an amazing team of 24 people ranging from ages 15-79 and here are two of our amazing team members!

Delivering food to a community of people in need! Lots of communities were suffering from lack of daily necessities due to the pandemic and we alongside Missions Activation were there to help!

One of our amazing leaders on our Costa Rica team, Kirk Williams, took time to encourage a group of young people.

Proud to be in Costa Rica partnering with Missions Activation to impact the community of Playa del Coco! Getting ready to pray for those in need and giving out food! Meeting the needs spiritually and physically!

A local Pastor and his family walked some of our team members through a small village-like area to pray for those who were homebound and unable to make it to church.

Costa Rica 2019

Once again, Lift One Up had the opportunity to partner with Mission Activation and impact the communities of Playa Del Coco, Sardinal and Liberia with love, prayers, encouragement and support! Doing missions “Jesus Style” is so much fun!! Grateful for our partnership in missions with Mission Activation!

Our first Sunday in the country we were able to attend church with a local congregation where Skip Preston (Mission Activation, Founder) preached in English and one of our amazing team member’s, Jose Salazar translated in Spanish! Such a great opportunity for our team to worship with the locals in the area!

Time for children’s ministry! Ydania Solia (playing the role as a very religious Christian but making no impact in the world around her) and Brigitte Fox (playing the role of a very happy Christian who can’t wait to make an impact in the world around her). The kids loved them both!

Our team member, Jose Salazar rehearsing his role as Dr. Dingle-Hopper for the Kids Ministry performances. He was funny and relatable as he shared how through Jesus we can have our sins forgiven and have a fresh start! We had the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with at least 300 kids in a local school, community center and churches!

A very special moment to be able to go into this gentleman’s home, provide food and pray for him and his family. His wife was in serious condition in the hospital and he was working, caring for three small kids and attempting regular visits to his wife in a hospital four hours away. He shared his gratitude, felt God’s love and felt encouraged. Though he had not been to church in a while us coming to his home and showing God’s love has encouraged him to want to go back to church. Our team (Kirsi Whear, Ydania Solis and Equilla Hicks) was so grateful for that opportunity!

Mission Activation has so many amazing programs for every age demographic! One of those groups is focused on mature Christian women who needed community. Since the formulation of this group these women are more joyful, feel like they have purpose and community support. One cloudy afternoon the 11 women on our team got to spend three hours with these ladies and it was beautiful! We worshipped, prayed and did prophetic paintings (led by our team leader, Ydania Solis). A wonderful time of encouragement, laughter and tears! What beautiful memories each of us will have because of that day!

Memorial Day Weekend – 2022

On Saturday, May 28, very early in the morning, Lift One Up joined Youth Leadership Authority in their annual community service event of laying flags on the graves of our fallen American heroes at the Boulder City Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. It was such an honor to come alongside of YLA, and other organizations, families, service men and women and take part in honoring our service men and women. There were over 33,000 flags placed that day!

LOU Founder & Executive Director, Equilla Hicks – Taking the time to read the name on the marker and having a moment to reflect and be grateful for this person’s sacrifice.

Proud Marine – SSgt Hooker! Thank you for your service young man!

LOU Founder & Executive Director, Equilla Hicks and Treasurer, Stan Hicks – Placing a flag precisely above the marker.

LOU Founder & Executive Director, Equilla Hicks and YLA Founder, Marie Tomao – Thankful and grateful for our military and the USA!

Cambodia 2019

We work with international organizations that provide rehabilitation and restoration to victims of human trafficking, as well as providing aide wherever possible. We conduct workshops, participate in local outreaches, and provide materials and lessons that aide in improving spiritual growth. Financial and materials resources are provided on an as needed basis as we work with individual organizations. LOU teams consist of four to eight participants.

Goal: Teach and train; participate in outreach ministry and assisting with necessary resources for victims of human trafficking.

Founder, Equilla Hicks, sharing a moment with Melissa Stock, Director of International Development for AIM at the AIM store in Phnom Penh!

A wonderful time of devotion with the leaders and students of the Center for Global Impact. These women are learning life skills and trades to become self-sufficient and to assist in caring for their families. With our wonderful translator we were able to pray, share the love of Jesus and laugh a lot!

Keys of Faith! Truly a God idea! Scripture references by topic that were originally made for Lift One Up’s founder, Equilla Hicks’ granddaughters. Equilla had an idea to have a few of them in Khmer (language spoken by Cambodians) and given away while in Cambodia! During a visit to the founder’s home by two Cambodian women she shared the idea with them. Giving them five scriptures, they translated, key rings were made and became a part of the gift’s women receive during our ministry time with the local organizations.

One of the amazing Lift One Up team members, Veronica Norman taking the time to pray for a leader at the Center for Global Impact (CGI). Veronica spoke words of life and encouragement and inspired her to continue in the great work inspiring the women in the CGI program!

While having an opportunity to serve at a local organization we faced the dark reality of human trafficking. We had an open door to minister to some of the women that night and share God’s love and good plan that He has for their life.

We had a wonderful afternoon touring the AIM facility (what incredible work they do to bring hope, change and restoration to women and children). Later in the day we shopped with Melissa Stock, Director of International Development for AIM.

This photo is from the Center for Global Impact Training Center. In this incredible facility women are learning to sew, become tailors, start their own businesses and become confident in who they are. For their protection we were unable to take photos of their faces. I assure you they're beautiful!

Annually since 2016, Curly Top Baker Cares has donated hundreds of individually packaged cookies for the women and children we serve in Cambodia! Pictured with Equilla Hicks (Lift One Up’s Founder/President) is the Director of Center for Global Impact. Curly Top Baker (CTB) cookies are always a special treat from the USA! Thank you CTB for your continued support locally and globally!