Unbreakable Bond

Four years ago, two Saddleback Church teens, Nikki Campagna and Becca Salgado, embarked on an unforgettable PEACE trip to Costa Rica. Both looked forward to serving God and growing their faith. But in the midst of adventure, they found something priceless – a friendship to last a lifetime.

Becca and Nikki had attended Saddleback Church since they were toddlers, but they didn’t meet each other until they attended the first PEACE trip training in early 2011. There, they gathered with 28 other junior high and high school students to begin preparations. Many students on the team had never gone on a missions trip, much less travelled outside the country without their families. As Nikki and Becca began chatting, they discovered they had a lot in common. Nikki had served in Fiji and at an apache Indian reservation. Becca had traveled to the Dominican Republic with her mother through the kids’ small group program. Over the next six months, they grew closer, spending a great deal of time together. They opened up about their lives, becoming honest and vulnerable during the training process.   As their July departure approached, their excitement mounted.

Upon arriving in Costa Rica, the team visited various places, including a special needs orphanage. Many of the disabled children had been abandoned by their parents or left at the orphanage doors after being permanently crippled in an accident. The nuns at the orphanage welcomed these children with open arms and took special care of them every day. Becca, Nikki and the team spent time holding these precious young ones, singing to them and showing them God’s love. One 11-year-old boy, Guillermo, especially touched everyone. Having suffered shaken baby syndrome at age four, he’d been living at the orphanage ever since. He could not move, speak, or communicate. But as the team gathered to pray over him, his eyes lit up, and they knew right then and there God had done something special in him. Guillermo left an imprint on everyone’s heart that day.

As the trip unfolded, Becca and Nikki grew closer than ever. The new experience challenged them. God pushed them out of their comfort zones, revealing himself in new ways. “Seeing God’s faithfulness and watching him work in visible and tangible ways helped us grow our faith,” said Nikki. “We grew in our spiritual maturity and learned to trust him more every day. There’s something special about a group of young students working together for the glory of God – that alone is an understandably bonding experience.”

Four years later, Becca and Nikki’s friendship is still going strong. The girls turned 18 this summer, exactly one month apart. Becca now attends Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, while Nikki takes classes at Irvine Valley College. Recently, Nikki joined Becca’s family as they moved her into her new dorm. “It was so bittersweet,” Nikki said. “We look forward to continuing our friendship, even with the distance. We know it will last a lifetime, especially because Jesus is in the center of it. He is the one who brought us together and has brought so much fruit out of our friendship. He will continue to use us to encourage each other, pray for each other and build each other up in the coming years.”

Though Becca and Nikki have moved on to different stages in their lives, both remain grateful for Saddleback Church and the special part it played in their relationship with God. “Our lives would not be the same without Pastor Rick’s mentorship to plant seeds in all generations and encourage them to be active and push their faith to a higher limit,” said Nikki.

It is this very relationship with Jesus that has become the center of these girls’ friendship. Both know it was no mistake God brought them together on that Costa Rica trip. While stepping out in faith to serve others, they formed an unbreakable bond that will last the rest of their lives. There will be more adventures – college graduations, weddings, careers, perhaps even another trip. Nikki and Becca plan to be there for each other every step of the way.

“We’re looking forward to all the ‘little girl dreams’ we’ve had forever, like being a part of each other’s weddings, having play dates for our children and seeing the world together,” said Nikki. “Silly, but fun to think about.”

Click HERE to learn more about upcoming PEACE trips.