Mark's Blog

On Easter Sunday, I visited with two families about doing an LST project this year and both discussions revolved around children of various ages going with their parents, so let’s talk about that again.

As I am writing, I want you to know that our seven-year-old grandson Carter is on a mission project to Haiti with his parents. Three other grandchildren are scheduled to go to Rwanda with their parents for two weeks this summer—so that pretty much tells the story of where our family stands about how important it is for children to go.

Let’s start with the good reasons for either staying at home until your kids are teenagers or leaving the kids with grandparents for a couple of weeks and going alone.

1. My kids are too young and won’t even remember the trip, so it is not doing them any good. That is all true, but they will look at your pictures and see themselves and when they are old enough to remember, it won’t be the first time for them, so they will be more confident.
2. Kids will just slow us down in what we can do! That’s true too! But they will add a completely new and full dimension to your work, i.e., people are attracted to children, AND they are often willing to trust parents of children more readily!
3. It’s a lot of trouble to take kids. That’s true! But older kids are not necessarily less trouble than small children. Also, you can make it less trouble by deciding the kids don’t need all the paraphernalia they get at home—starting with portable beds, chairs, swings, etc for small kids up to DSes and rechargers for young teens.  Go primitive! Simplify for two weeks! It may change your life forever J
4. It costs a lot more to take kids.  That’s true. It’s an investment in building their faith, so what is it worth to you?
5. My kids have summer activities! That’s true, but if that is the reason for staying home, what are you teaching your kids? That T-ball is what life is about, that swimming lessons are more important than missions, or that the whole family’s spiritual calendar is built around their schedules?  I don’t think you believe any of that, so you really don’t want to leave a different impression, do you?
6. The kids don’t want to go!  The worst reason of all! So your middle schoolers are deciding what is spiritually good for themselves? God gave kids parents for a reason!

As you can see, all of your reasons for not taking your kids on a mission trip are true reasons—but they really don’t reflect your own values, so . . . let’s take the kids!

Look at the great things that are going to happen:

1. Best family time ever!  Even on vacations you probably will not have as much time together, nor a context for the best conversations ever!
2. Best lessons that you can teach your kids about serving God!  Mom and Dad really love God and are willing to do special things for Him; I want to be like Mom and Dad.
3. Best way to take your children’s focus off of themselves.
4. Best way to show your children how others live differently!
5. Best way to help your children want to believe and share their faith with others.

 Research (The Gospel According To Generation : The Culture of Adolescent Belief (Lewis, Tippens, and Dodd) has shown that summer mission trips correlate at the top of those adolescent experiences that help secure faith in your children!

Last year, Let’s Start Talking sent 58 children on mission trips with their parents! Some went to Chicago and others went to Beijing, but all those parents made it work!  And all those children were blessed. What we generally hear is that the children want to go again and again!  OK, so you want your kids to beg you to go to Disney World or to Haiti?

Your reasons to hesitate are all valid concerns—but  choose to let God merge your desire to serve Him and your commitment to your children. Let Him blend them into one and the same!

Your two greatest commitments with those you love the most in the same place – that’s powerful!