"Don't Forget To Pack the Kids"- by Jill Richardson REVIEW

I grew up in a small town in Maine. It wasn't until I got married and moved to California that I ever really encountered people who didn't look like me on a daily basis. I went to work in a child care facility on a military base in Southern California. I took care of children 12-18 months five days a week. I once got to care for a little African- American baby named Corey. He had no teeth even at 15 months but he could "eat" a peanut butter sandwich with his gums! He was the sweetest little kid and I remember him snuggling up to me one day and I looked down at his wonderful brown skin. Such a stark contrast to my own milky white skin. A seed was planted in my heart that day to care for a child other than one who looked like me. For a child with dark skin to call me, "Mom".

Since then, my heart has longed to go on a missions trip and possibly adopt a child from a foreign country one day. I have not had the privilege to do either of these-yet, although my heart still longs to. So I was thrilled when I saw I had the chance to review Jill Richardson's book, Don't Forget to Pack the Kids. Maybe taking my family on a missions trip isn't such a far off idea.
What if there were more "why not" answers to my "why should we" questions?

Watch this video and see how the author's children and family were able to serve God on a short-term missions trip!




Here is some more information about the book.

"Short-term missions have traditionally been the province of singles, youth groups, and married-with-no-kids.

Five years ago, few would have picked up a book about taking the family on a short-term mission. Now, more and more of us 30 and 40-somethings with kids are asking―

Why can’t we do something meaningful for others with our kids? 
Why do we have to wait until they’re teens and then and pack them off on a youth group trip?
Why can’t we let them experience using their gifts in ministry now? 
And why can’t we discover those gifts alongside one another in an experience they’ll never forget?  Well, you can. With some planning specifically geared toward making a family mission trip successful, you can. And you should.

Don’t Forget to Pack the Kids interweaves personal experience stories with extensive how-to information.



Statistics tell us over three-fourths of our kids will leave the church when they leave home. Why? Part of the reason is their feeling that church is irrelevant to their lives and they can get entertainment and fulfillment elsewhere. If we taught our kids early that the church is relevant because they are the church, and it is fulfilling because they fill it with their gifts and ministry, we could reverse those statistics.

Serving together can be a huge part of that."

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. The author takes the reader on a fabulous journey of all the ins and outs of how and why you can and SHOULD take your family on a short-term  missions trip. I found this book to not only be inspiring but very practical. From fundraising ideas in chapter 6 to dealing with all the realities of missions trips I thought this book was a wonderful read and very inspiring to step out of my comfort zone and actually do this one day! The author reminds us through her own personal stories woven into her tips such as things like you can't think of this mission trip as a "vacation" as she describes having to "sleep" on a train with her family. This book has so many tips like making sure your health records are up to date to being certain you "pack Jesus" and spend a huge amount of time in prayer and planning and learning about the country you will eventually visit. If you have ever considered a short-term missions trip but thought you should wait to go once the kids were older, you might want to read this book and reconsider what God might have you do while your children are still young and what God  might teach your children out of their effort to serve and love people around the world!

Author BIO:
Jill has a BA in English and Education and an MDiv in theology. She is ordained in the Free Methodist Church and has served as a worship, preaching, and discipleship pastor. She is also a professional speaker available for speaking engagements. Jill is represented by Diana Flegel at Hartline Literary Agency.

With three daughters, three cats, and (thankfully!) only one husband, she keeps busy otherwise with community theater, gardening, reading, scrapbooking, and bugging her last child to do 4H projects. Jill loves oceans, cats, chocolate, teenagers, her family, the Cubs, and God, not necessarily in that order.

Follow Jill on her Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or on Youtube.

Amazon Link

ISBN-10: 0615581188 | ISBN- 13: 978-0615581187 | List Price: $8.00 Softcover, $3.99 Kindle |Format: Softcover and Kindle | Page Count: 134


I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. I am part of The CWA Review Crew.