"Are you sure you'll be safe?"

"Maybe you should try something smaller first."

When we told friends and family we were thinking about taking a family missions trip, the general reaction was less than enthusiastic. They thought we were three seats short of a full flight to pack up our grade-school age kids and travel to the other side of the world with a group of strangers just to help out at an orphanage. Did we really think our girls could and should minister beside their parents so far from home, eating, sleeping, and (worse) going to the bathroom in strange places?

Well, yes.

Traditionally, short-term missions are the province of youth groups and adults who want the chance to minister to other cultures without quitting their day jobs, if you will. But Adam Henry of the relief and development organization Food for the Hungry says that's starting to change. "More and more, families are beginning to inquire about the possibilities of serving together," says Henry. "I see it as beneficial for ...