REFLECTIONS from Ghana #3: Mission Minded Children

Now that I've been home from my very first mission trip for about a month, I've had the chance to spend some time reflecting and really digging into what I've learned from the experience.  These Reflections from Ghana are what I feel are the major themes I have taken from this trip and collectively may give insight to the Part 2 of my previous post Why Ghana? 


As I have stated several times, I have hoped and prayed that one of the ripple effects of my own decision to serve on a mission trip would be that it would create a change in my own children's perspective toward outreach. It wasn't that they have been adverse to outreach and missions, but I want to build-up a stronger attitude of service as a guiding principle within our family values.


I have already written about the First Ripple from my trip in a previous post when my son Caleb decided to go on his own mission trip this summer - a decision he made while I was preparing to leave for Ghana.  His decision to go was the first ripple, but the real impact of this decision will certainly show itself during and after his trip.

Noah & Joshua

Another ripple has been my kids simple awareness of others less fortunate than themselves.  When I returned home from Ghana, I shared with all the kids some highlights from our day in Ada Foah and how I met a couple boys, Noah and Joshua, that I really connected with.  Noah was quite the character and very outspoken - borderline rude at times - while Joshua was very quiet and just wanted to walk with me and hold my hand.  There were characteristics about both of these boys that reminded me of my own sons which is probably why I connected with them both so easily.  After sharing these stories with Caeden and Kyron though, Caeden had the idea of praying for Noah and Joshua.  That alone made me proud that he would think of doing that, but it was his idea to pray for Noah and Joshua every night before bedtime that was awesome. "Dad, let's pray for them every night until you go back and see them again!" So, each night since I've been back, Caeden and Kyron take turns praying that God would "Protect Noah and Joshua and bless their families in Ghana."  Pretty simple stuff, but it sure sounds powerful coming from your kids.


These are great first steps, but I am compelled to continue to find ways in which my kids can learn to be more mission minded or more service over self (to steal a phrase from a great organization).  International mission trips would be amazing experiences for each of them, but there are a lot of things we can do as a family in our own city that I want us to be open to as well.  I've recently stepped forward to take on more leadership opportunities with Kids Against Hunger and Northview's efforts to partner with KAH.  As a family we've done these packs in the past and had lots of fun serving in this way, but with more leadership responsibility I hope to help get my kids even more involved in an area of service they have already connected with.


Anyways, I look forward to continuing to share in the coming months how these ripples continues to spread out in our family and we work to become more mission minded on a daily basis.