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Family mission trips.
That may have a different connotation for each one of you. In reality, it might have a different meaning every time you think about it.
Short-term. Long-term.
One day. One year.
Near. Far.
Foreign. Domestic.
My family went to Mexico (from the U.S.) this year to help build three houses for families in need. Previously, we had helped with projects near where we live…sprucing up areas, helping at a soup kitchen, and in a world of automatic garage doors, getting to know our neighbors.
But this trip was different. This trip was another step outside our comfort zone. Are we unique in that? Far from it! Throughout time, people have stepped out of their comfort zone (in many more ways than we did) and taken the Good News, the compassion, the love, the (you-fill-in-the-blank) that people the world over are needing…are craving.
Throughout our homeschool years thus far, we have read numerous books about those kinds of people…the ones that do what God has called them to do…and often in faraway lands.
I’m beyond thrilled to be partnering with Sonlight Curriculum for the 2018-2019 school year as a Sonlight Ambassador. After using Sonlight from the beginning of our children’s formal education (6 years & counting!) and loving it, Sonlight has provided me with HBL E, Science E, LA E (including optional supplements & handwriting), and an art elective, for our school year. I look forward to sharing with you as we learn throughout the year. All opinions are 100% my own.
The Books!
These books are true. They are amazing. And they are inspiring.
Whether they inspire you to travel halfway around the world or to make a visit next door is half the fun and remains to be seen. Family mission trips can require an international airport or walking to the next block in your neighborhood.
What matters is a willingness, and what makes it extra special is doing it together as a family.
Bruchko
In Bruchko, we learn about Bruce Olson, a young man who didn’t have the support of his family in his desire to reach the Motilone Indians of Columbia.
When he was of age, he ventured to South American on his own, and his path was definitely not a smooth one. He faced anger from others, physical distress, and abduction, among other things. Yet, he persevered, and people were saved.
Because of the inroads that God provided, Bruce was able to befriend several Columbian presidents and speak at the UN. He became a citizen of Columbia and continued to live in the jungle there.
What can we do for unreached people groups?
In Search of the Source
Published by Wycliffe, In Search of the Source follows the Anderson family to Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Geography Side Bar: It’s always interesting to me how PNG’s biggest island is only half theirs. The other half belongs to Indonesia. It happens other places too, of course. Indonesia also shares the island of Borneo with Malaysia and Brunei. Haiti and Dominican Republic share an island. But, I digress…
Back to the jungles of PNG. Learning cultural norms and infusing that into an understandable Bible translation for the Folopa people was just part of the Anderson family’s task. Translating verse by verse and checking the meaning with the villagers brought real change in people’s lives. They were hearing the Truth for the first time.
What can we do to reach the unreached?
Lights in a Dark Place
Another book set in Columbia, Lights in a Dark Place is a collection of true accounts detailing extreme faith and perseverance. Even when a country or region seems to have a lot of churches, that doesn’t mean that darkness has vanished.
What about the unreached in a place that might have been reached in the past? What can we do for them?
So, What Can We Do?
Family Mission Trips
Maybe you’ve already got something on your radar. Maybe not. As a family, brainstorm ideas for family mission trips. Think outside the box, and share in the comments below!
Faithfully Pray for a Missionary
Ask your church’s missions ministry, or a mission organization, for the name of a missionary you can pray for on the regular. Maybe you know some long-term missionaries personally that you can pray for. Once you have a name, pray for them as a family regularly.
Faithfully Support a Missionary Financially
Taking it one step further, find out if that missionary’s financial needs are met. If not, consider ministering to them in that area, as well as in prayer.
Organize a Driveway BBQ for Your Neighbors
Yum! BBQ! Send out invitations (or, better yet, hand-deliver them…have your kids help with this), and prepare to bring your grill from the back yard to the front yard. Set-up some tables and chairs in your driveway, and get to know your neighbors over an informal meal. A family mission trip right in your front yard!
You see, books can inspire us to do something outside ourselves…something outside the comfort zone that’s just so…well, comfty. Have you ever done that…done something for the Lord outside your comfort zone? Let’s hear it in the comments below!
And, if you’re headed for summer break in your homeschool, check out these articles:
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