Thankful for this dear friend who loves Jesus, loves others, and shares the gospel in their home in Florida and on Mission with their children!!
My name is Shae and I have been married to my wonderful husband, Danny, for 18 years. We have been in ministry together for all of those 18 years! He is currently an Executive and Worship Pastor and I work part-time for Florida Center for Reading Research. I do interventions with preschoolers and kindergarteners. We have three beautiful girls: Madison 14, Savanna 11, and Brooklyn 8! (You can say our life is pretty busy!!)
Missions has always been a part of our married life. We know God commands us in Matthew 28:19 to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We wanted to be an example to our girls by participating in local missions and mission trips (mostly Danny because I stayed home with the girls while they were young.) However in 2017, our first opportunity came for Madison (our oldest) to be involved in an international mission trip to Nicaragua with her NextGen Pastor and some youth to minister to girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking. This is a scary thought, sending our girl to a different country, but we knew God’s command to go is for our girls as well and not just for us. Madison’s interest in the trip sparked a desire in Savanna (our middle) to go on a mission trip as well. Her interest was a service mission trip to Alaska that our church participates in each year. They go to Wasilla, Alaska and help the LaVerne Griffin Youth Recreation Camp clean the facilities and prepare the grounds for the kids that will come during the summer. However, this mission trip was during the month of May and she would be missing a whole week of school and maybe even some state testing. Unfortunately, Savanna was not able to go in 2017, but Danny was able go on the trip to see if this would be a good mission trip for her to start with.
Fast forward to 2018. Savanna’s desire to go on the Alaskan mission trip had not faded so Danny and I were able to talk with her principal and she agreed to excuse the 7 days of school she would miss. (Thankfully state testing finished the week before the trip.) We also thought it would be best if I went with her on the mission trip! So last month Savanna and I, along with the rest of our team, flew to Alaska and spent 10 days at the camp. Our team was able to clean cabins, rake leaves, fix screens, replace locks and get the camp ready for the kids! Savanna spent most of the week in the kitchen with the staff preparing meals for the team! (The kitchen is her happy place. She loves to cook!)
It was such an amazing experience to have with my daughter, showing her what it means to go and share God’s love with others! Each morning we were able to do a Bible study together at the lake and that’s something I will always cherish! I highly recommend going on a mission trip with your children! It is such a neat bonding experiencing between you and them and you and God!
“Go and make disciples” is a command of God and it’s a command for all of God’s children! We cannot get around it. Whether it’s local missions or international, God will show you what He desires for you to do! You just have to listen! I have never been on an international mission trip but He has already sent my oldest, Madison, on two of them and she’s only 14. As I write this Madison is on her second international mission trip! She is in Greece ministering to refugees! Also don’t let finances be a hindrance. Over the last two months, three of us have gone on mission trips and God has provided all of the finances needed! If He is calling you to go, He will provide!
My prayer for you, as a mom, is to be open to God’s leading for you and for your children to go and make disciples!
onmissionmoms.com 