Ric Peterson would have done anything to get out of going on a mission trip to Appalachia. But God told him to GO and his wife wouldn’t let him out of it, so he went—reluctantly. It ended up being a week he’ll never forget. When my wife suggested we go on a family mission trip, I begrudgingly agreed. Years ago I would have been excited about the opportunity but the older I get, the more set in my ways I am. Plus, I’m a law enforcement officer and over the years I’ve become increasingly suspicious of people, their motives, and their willingness to change. So...

Adventures short term teams in Philadelphia partner with our long term missionaries and churches in local communities. In a city where the street you live on and family is everything, Adventures Staff Melinda Gute saw the work God is doing there firsthand. “You’re not from Philly, are you?” a man in the park said to me on our last night in Philly. Our host church was hosting its weekly cookout in the park across the street. I stood in line for burgers and hotdogs, when the man nearby spoke to me. I responded with a small smirk and said, “No, how can you tell?” He...

Alum Project Leader and Participant Dayna Bickham saw Christ on the streets of Philly during a family mission trip. No one grows up thinking, “I want to live on the streets.” Life is tough. Sometimes our choices lead us to dark places and sometimes we just get the short end of the stick. Regardless of our station in life, everyone matters to Jesus.  When I told people I was heading to Philly on mission trip, I got mixed reactions. Some wondered why I wanted to go to a city in the US to preach the gospel. Don’t you have to go overseas to go on a mission trip? And wasn’t...

Rich Bennett, the Vice President of Ministry & Marketing Strategy for Focus on the Family, recently went on a family missions trip with Adventures to Chicago. He wrote on Focus on the Family’s Dad Matters blog about his family’s experience and the impact of living missionally wherever we are. I met a super friendly cook named Anthony while my family and I were in Chicago recently. At least, he used to be a cook. “The best!” he told my wife and me, with a big toothy smile. That was before Anthony’s legs got so bad that he could barely stand any more. He...

  Adventures’ founder, Seth Barnes, shared these thoughts several years ago, but his challenge is just as relevant today. Sharing the experience of a mission trip with your family can draw you closer together and closer to God as you serve.     Going on a family mission trip may be one of the best decisions you could make for your family. Getting out of the house and out of your comfort zones will teach you to depend on God and to trust each other in deeper ways. I may be a little biased, but I highly recommend that more families go on mission trips together.   It’s...

Dayna Bickham led an Adventures Family trip to Appalachia. She saw the beauty and diversity of the body of Christ as her team served a ministry there. The body of Christ looks like the diversity found on a family mission trip. Our youngest participant was six years old and the oldest was 76. The beautiful unity of young and old, men and women, working and retired, and people from every season of life working together stood out to me. The first two mornings of the trip, I took three small groups to work with an organization called “Live It!” There we learned what ministry can look...