Why We're taking our own kids to Young Life Camp Overseas

My youngest daughter, bottom right, is upset because she doesn't think her shirt matches her outfit!

In 2012, my wife and I went to Hawaii. 

In 2013, my wife and I went to Bermuda. 

In 2014, my wife and I are going to the Bahamas. With the kids. All five of them! 

Young Life Commonwealth Region asked me if I would go to the Bahamas this summer to work at a Young Life camp for the students on an island in the Bahamas. 

After praying for a month, my wife and I said yes ... if the kids can come, too!!! 

Here's why! 

1.  We want our kids to have a bigger view of education. Not all education occurs in the classroom, as so eloquently stated by Propaganda in the song Bored of Education. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our kids to get an experiential education on cuisine, culture, geography, ministry, travel and other things. 

2. We want our kids to have a bigger view of family. In the midst of my career switch to nTelos (on Twitter at @nTelosLass), my summer is much more structured. In bringing our kids along, I wanted them to see that family is so important that we would jump through all these extra financial and logistical hoops so that we can be together. 

3. We want our kids to have a bigger view of the world. I believe it was Mark Twain who once said, "I've never met a well-traveled racist." 

4. We want our kids to have a bigger view of service. With our Young Life kids at Lee, we always talk about servant leadership being described as "taking initiative for the benefit of others." Although this trip will likely have some vacation-like aspects for our kids, they will asked to serve, too! 

5. We want our kids to have a bigger view of the gospel. At the camp, I will have the privilege of sharing the greatest story ever told with the kids on the island. I want my kids to be part of seeing that story change lives just as it changed mine and prayerfully changes their own lives one day. 

So here is are two things you can do to help us. Share this blog by e-mail or by social media with friends. 

Help us raise the $7,000 it will take to get to the Bahamas. Young Life is picking up the expenses for Emily and me. We are picking up the expenses for our kids. The trip does cost some money, but we believe it's worth every penny. And, speaking of pennies, every one counts. We need donations great and small, and you can give a tax-deductible gift online by clicking here. 

Chris Lassiter is a Christ-follower, a husband to Emily (read her blog here), and dad to these five crazy kids we see pictured above. His first book You're Grounded was released by Moody Publications in July of 2013. You can read about it here.