We took Josiah on his first mission trip to an orphanage in Mexico when he was 16 months old. He could barely even talk yet, but every morning he would wake up early and say , “KIDS! KIDS!”. He couldn’t wait to play with all the kids at the orphanage!
A few years later, (in 2010)we took led a family mission trip with two other families to Mexico. Between the three families, we had 10 kids on the trip, ages 4-16. We found ways to work and serve, even including the youngest ones. We helped re-do the cafeteria at the orphanage, and we passed out rice and beans in the dump neighborhood.
Since that time, each of those families has gone on to find other ways to serve God, both at home and internationally.
One family has now taken their family to Kenya twice to serve in a hospital there, and they plan to continue extended summer trips there each year.
Another family has sent 3 daughters to college, and Karen (the mom) and I went on a mission trip to China.
One of their daughters then came back to the same orphanage in Mexico for a college spring break trip, bringing a friend with her.
And as for us, we have already spent one year in Mexico and we are on our way back.
Yes, family mission trips can change our lives! There is something about getting away from our normal life and hearing God’s voice more clearly… and as a family, we can all hear that together!
If one person in the family goes on a mission trip, that person may come home changed, but the rest of the family is the same. When the whole family goes on a trip, we all come back changed, and we can then better live out God’s calling for us at home!
If your family is interested in taking a family mission trip with us, CLICK HERE for more info! We would love to have you !
Hmm. Yes, makes sense. Kind of like the disability camp I worked at in Ohio. Great for the kids, and a break for the parents. But the disability camp in Florida…was for the entire family. Totally different experience. And soooo amazing to watch the entire family be changed by it. Thanks for sharing.