Mondays with Mike: When Faith Becomes Real
From Our Students in Puerto Rico
Good Monday afternoon PCA families,
Welcome to this week’s insights into what God is doing in and through your children and fellow students.
Here is my question: “What happens when students step outside what is familiar and encounter real people, real needs, and real responsibility?”
In this week’s Mondays with Mike, hear directly from three of our juniors who traveled to Puerto Rico on a missions trip over winter break.
They share moments that stayed with them, challenges they faced, and how their understanding of both their faith and the world around them has grown.
▶ Listen now to this week’s episode
Key Takeaways
- A different place changes how students see people.
Alex described how, in Puerto Rico, people spoke freely with strangers and welcomed them with warmth—very different from what he is used to in New England. - Faith became real in specific moments.
One student shared about praying for a woman in a church they had just entered—stepping out in faith in a way that felt both new and real. - Challenge revealed what students believe.
Brooke reflected on getting sick during the trip and feeling like she was letting her team down, only to begin seeing how God was still at work in her in that moment. - Learning moved from the classroom into real life.
Students described how speaking Spanish in real conversations—especially when they did not fully understand—pushed them beyond what they could learn in a classroom setting. - Students did not just serve—they were shaped by others.
Several reflected that they expected to bring encouragement, but instead experienced deep joy and faith from the Puerto Rican community. - The impact is shaping how they live now.
Students spoke about returning home with a desire to notice people more, step out more boldly, and see everyday life as an opportunity to live out their faith.
In this week leading into Easter, we are reminded of the depth of God’s love for us and the call to live that out in our daily lives.
What you heard today is students growing—not only in what they know, but in how they see people, understand the world, and live out their faith.
We are grateful for the opportunity to see this kind of growth and to partner with you in helping your child develop in faith, knowledge, and wisdom.
Thank you for the many ways you support your child as they grow in mind, body, and spirit.
May the you sense and know God and His love even more this Easter,
Grace and peace,
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
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