HOW WORLD SERVANTS MAKES A TRIP "FAMILY-FRIENDLY"
World Servants offers fulfilling mission experiences that engage all members of the family.
Family Fun
Families value experiences that engage the whole family, to learn and grow in their faith together. Since 1986, World Servants has facilitated more than 2,000 short-term mission trips, providing participants with the opportunity to strengthen their families and connect them with both the world and God.
World Servants encourages families with children, from babies to teenagers, to be a part of a chance to roll up their sleeves and serve a community, meeting the physical and spiritual needs of others through acts of service. Parents will see how their children interact face to face with other people and the family will learn how their presence and service on this trip makes a difference for everyone involved.
Family Focused
World Servant mission leaders are trained specifically to facilitate trips that incorporate children of all ages. Each is well versed in meeting the needs of families and understands flexibility is the key to a successful family mission experience.
To ensure a successful trip, World Servants mission leaders contact participating families prior to departure. The goal is to give a sense to our traveling families about what to expect during the trip regarding service opportunities and to answer the important questions every family has. Our cross-cultural orientation is done in the field, beginning when the group gets together for the first time. Leaders pay special attention to families to ensure they understand the cross-cultural differences that may be encountered on the trip.
World Servants realizes the importance of a family-friendly environment, so offering accommodations where families can stay together is a high priority. Recognizing families come in all shapes and sizes, we offer understanding and flexibility regarding single parents traveling with children of the opposite sex. When traveling outside the United States, ensuring safe transportation to and from the work site and lodging is a important. We build rest and nap times into the afternoon schedule for families with small children. Providing "quiet time" for families before lights out helps children and families fall asleep earlier than the rest of the group. And family devotion time may need to be held at a time convenient for families, not just in the evenings after an exhausting day of physical work, so mission leaders try to be as flexible as possible.
Family Friendly
Kids enjoy interacting with each other and they have energy to burn. We pay special attention when it comes to lodging and do our best to find a site that offers recreational areas such as a game room, basketball court, pool or field. During the week, family-building activities, such as water balloon fights, dodge ball games and afternoon crafts, are scheduled for fun time with the kids.
Picky eaters are a given on family trips. Understanding that parents want to make sure their children have enough to eat and that kids like familiar foods, especially in a new setting, we offer kid-friendly options at all meals. Cereal and milk are always available for breakfast, lunch fare normally includes sandwiches, dinner options offered include chicken fingers, hotdogs and hamburgers. We also encourage families to bring kid-friendly snacks that their children are familiar with and are their favorites.
We encourage families to work together on a specific project such as painting a classroom, building an outhouse or planting flowers around a building, giving families to chance to work alongside each other. On Family Trips, parents are encouraged to work together prior to departure to come up with alternative activities for younger kids who are not physically able to paint or do construction, so they'll still be part of the "action". Other options include older children working together on their own project or taking on age-appropriate responsibilities like directing a craft project or teaching a game during Kid's Club.
The most engaging activities, especially for families, are our outreach programs. Children really love to actively help with Kid's Club, sports camps and home visits when they get to meet local families and learn about the culture. Families are also encouraged to participate in the evening program. To encourage the kids to participate, we sing songs familiar to children, as well as ask groups to use skits and interactive games to make this reflective time rewarding to all family members
During the designated day-off, World Servants arranges all the details for an enjoyable activity to do as a group. Families are free to choose to participate along with the rest of the group or they have the option of remaining at the lodging site to relax and enjoy unscheduled time with one another.
The best part of a World Servants' mission experience is that families come home spiritually transformed. If time with your family is important and you are interested in being part of a learning and serving opportunity that encourages Christian values, World Servants invites you to join them on an upcoming family mission experience.
For more information, please call World Servants, Inc. at 1-800-881-2170 or to send an email visit our "Contact Us" page.
