From One Week to a Lifetime of Impact: Honoring Vinny’s First Mission Trip

Blog | Mission Trips | Nicaragua

June marks a powerful milestone in the Frontier Horizon story.


It was on June 12, 1991, that our founder, Vinny, began his first mission trip to Nicaragua—a journey that would plant the seeds for what would become a lifetime of advocacy, connection, and commitment to children in need around the world.

At the time, he didn’t set out to launch a nonprofit. He simply said yes to an open week on his calendar and a stirring in his heart—one inspired by the call for justice and compassion from voices like Tony Campolo. That “random” trip to a Nicaraguan orphanage would change everything.

The poverty he encountered was overwhelming. The children he met, unforgettable. He slept in sweltering heat, battled illness, and witnessed conditions that no child should ever have to endure—yet somehow, amidst the hardship, what stood out most was joy. Children laughing. Playing. Swinging. Enduring. Their resilience became the quiet, powerful heartbeat of a mission that would grow far beyond that one week.

That first swing set built in a dusty backyard may have seemed small. But it sparked something sacred—something that would carry forward through decades of mission trips, thousands of relationships, and an entire organization built on the belief that everyone deserves to be seen, loved, and given the chance to dream.

More than 30 years later, the mission continues—with the same heart, the same grit, and the same unshakable belief that doing something matters.

As Vinny once wrote:

“In a world of insurmountable needs, do something. Hold a kid’s hand. Buy the ice cream. Raise the money. Educate. Encourage. Play. There’s no one right way—just don’t look away.”

This June, as we send teams back to Nicaragua and Ukraine, we carry that legacy forward. One swing. One smile. One moment at a time.