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emphasize family.

 

I would like to do a family mission trip. Our church doesn't sponsor trips for youth and I've got one in high school now, another will be next year. And I've never been on one. But my ds is only 10. I googled "family mission trips" last night and when I got into several to see what they actually were, the ages started at 12 or 7th grade. How can you advertise it as "family" when you're leaving out the youngest ones??

 

Now I completely understand that they need cut off ages. And I understand that the younger they allow children, the more it will impact how much someone else can do. I do understand that! But if you are going to say family mission trip, don't you think they'd go a tad younger?

 

So anyway, does anyone know of an organization that I can look into that does offer family trips for kids who aren't in middle school yet? OH, right now I don't necessarily care if it's inside the US or not. It would more depend on cost and when.

 

Thanks!

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emphasize family.

 

I would like to do a family mission trip. Our church doesn't sponsor trips for youth and I've got one in high school now, another will be next year. And I've never been on one. But my ds is only 10. I googled "family mission trips" last night and when I got into several to see what they actually were, the ages started at 12 or 7th grade. How can you advertise it as "family" when you're leaving out the youngest ones??

 

Now I completely understand that they need cut off ages. And I understand that the younger they allow children, the more it will impact how much someone else can do. I do understand that! But if you are going to say family mission trip, don't you think they'd go a tad younger?

 

So anyway, does anyone know of an organization that I can look into that does offer family trips for kids who aren't in middle school yet? OH, right now I don't necessarily care if it's inside the US or not. It would more depend on cost and when.

 

Thanks!

 

We've never been on a missions trip individually or as a family. However, I'd very much like to.

 

Have you contacted Christian organizations that may steer you in the right direction? BGEA, Focus on Family, others? Also, the large churches, like ours here in Charlotte, that have large missions departments/programs?

 

Keep us posted. Sheryl <><

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Are you wanting a domestic or international experience? A short-term mission (1-2 weeks) or something more like a year?

 

Domestic or international will depend on price. We all have passports and, in my naivete?, that's the biggest hurdle to international missions.

 

Short term - one week right now. DH will soon get 5 days off for volunteer work. I've been wanting to do a family mission trip for a couple years but didn't want it to take vacation away. Now it won't.

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We are taking a 'family' missions trip of sorts this summer. The 'family' will be there at least 2 weeks-- I may be there a few extra.

 

Youngest dd will be 9.5 yrs old. Oldest dd 20 and Dh will also join me. (Dd 18 does not want to go so will stay home and 'take care of the farm').

 

I will be doing teacher training in Uganda and we will be doing all sorts of 'charity' work with orphans, homeless, widows... We will get to experience extreme comfort and extreme poverty (especially in Nairobi). We will go on a safari in Kenya led by some men of the Masai Mara tribe.

 

This fall we participated in a 'bead party' fundraiser for a program called Bead For Life. While in Uganda we will get to visit some of the beaders in a 'beading village'.

 

We may team up with a few other organizations --but due to youngest dd's age most of our plans will have to be somewhat independent (but we have many friends who live there and lots of contacts since I've been there before).

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One idea would be to consider some ministries you enjoy and contact them to see if they could use your family.

 

Maybe International Alert Academy could use a family for service type projects on location.

 

Maybe Gospel for Asia could benefit from your family coming in to help take care of a family that volunteers for them but is having some major medical issues or injury.

 

Maybe Focus on the Family is going to be doing a city wide outreach for spring break.

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If you all want to come to Guatemala, I can set you up! Just let me know the details.

 

I am interested! We have run into the exact same issue as the OP....our church does missions trips but none to where we feel led. All the other places we have checked into have a minimum age of 13 (our youngest is almost 10).

 

My dh spent a year in Guatemala and that is his heart...my kids want to go there as well.

 

I don't think we can do it this year, although we might, but next year definitely. Should we wait until it's closer or is there something we should be doing now?

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If you all want to come to Guatemala, I can set you up! Just let me know the details.

 

Dayle is the one who set us up, and it was truly incredible.

 

We did Spanish language instruction in the mornings with a local Spanish language service (we still do lessons with them via Skype), then spent afternoons volunteering various places. We had never met Dayle before--she and her family are truly lovely. We'd love to go back sometime.

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Talking with Dayle is a fantastic idea! Another thought: even if your church doesn't sponsor youth trips, does your church sponsor any missionaries? If so, you could find out who they support and where they're located and then go from there on visiting them.

 

I totally understand wanting to do a family trip. Dh is on his first missions trip even as I type - he's in Nairobi, Kenya right now. He is doing this trip in part, because he has never been on one (I've been on several) and we would like to take our kids to Peru where I have a very good friend who is a missionary. He wanted to have some kind of international trip under his belt before taking his family on one. When we go to Peru will determine whether we take the littlest one. If it's within the next 2-3 years, we will leave him with grandpa and grandma. But I would have no hesitation on taking a 7yo and up.

Edited by Janna
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I'd love to do a mission trip. We've discussed it and will probably try to plan one once ds is 8 or so. My church sponsors Casas por Christo which is like Habitat for Humanity, but in Juarez, Mexico. That would be the most affordable, I just don't want to go to that area right now with my kids. I'll definitely keep Guatemala in mind!!!

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