YouthWorks! Mission Trips offer families a mission experience that children in grade 7 or higher can enjoy. This four-day, three-night trip takes families to the Cheyenne River Reservation in the north central area of South Dakota. Families work with the Lakota Nation, a Native American tribe plagued by poverty, teen suicides and depression. Many of the residents on this reservation do not have functioning water lines or phones. Missionaries help the tribe on a variety of projects such as cleaning properties and volunteering in the community garden. YouthWorks! also sponsors a Kid Club on the reservation. Mission families participate in the Kid Club by assisting with arts and crafts or games that help the tribe's children discover Jesus.
Missionaries are responsible for transportation to and from the reservation, but all accommodations and meals are included in the cost of the mission trip.
Go Missions to Mexico offers short-term mission trips for families with children of all ages. Located in the northern area of Mexico near the California border, this mission company has a permanent residence in Baja California, Mexico. Family missionaries help those in impoverished, largely agricultural areas, of the San Quintin Valley. Each group is assigned to a local church and participates in mission sponsored activities like Vacation Bible School and Evangelism Outreach programs. Trips last seven nights; and the fees include all lodging costs, meals and supplies needed for mission activities. Transportation is not included, but Go Missions does offer assistance finding reasonably priced travel options. Smaller teams of nine people or less are welcome, but discounts are given for larger missionary groups.
Global Frontier Missions offers three short-term options for families looking for a mission experience. Missions Exposure Trips are one day and consist of temple tours, where families visit houses of worship of other religions, or ministry tours that teach missionaries strategies for teaching others about Jesus. Two to four days in length, the Missions Explorer Trips are in Atlanta or Houston and feature outreach opportunities at Bible clubs, English as a Second Language programs or at community block parties. Missions Explosion Trips last five to eight days. Missionaries travel to Thailand, India, Mexico or regional locations, providing families with more time to minister and contribute to community outreach programs. Overnight trips include all meals, as well as lodging and missionary supplies. Transportation is not included in the cost. Children of all ages are welcome to attend.
