Adventures in Missions

The Price of a Child in Cambodia

January 20, 2015
Adventures
Human Trafficking

Still rebuilding from the devastating impact of the Khmer Rouge from the 1970’s, Cambodia’s paying the price by trafficking its children. Adventures short term teams meet with those on the front lines in Phnom Penh, prayer walk the city, and live the Gospel wherever they are. Angkor Wat: The ancient temple city is on the short list to becoming the 8th Wonder of the World. Every year tourists climb the ruins, eager to photograph the sunrise and post on social media. They brave the heat to scale the walls, to run their fingers on the rough rock and touch a piece of...

The Truth About Bangkok’s Red Light District

January 13, 2015
Adventures
Human Trafficking

One of the top vacation destinations in the world, Thailand is known for its second largest industry: sexual tourism. Adventures short term teams spend time in the Red Light District, sharing the love of Christ with those who desperately need to hear it. Known for its pristine beaches and tropical jungle, the awe-inspiring beauty of Chiang Mai’s lantern festival, pad Thai, massage parlors, and tiger temples, Thailand is one of the top vacation destinations on earth. It’s also the birthplace of Southeast Asia’s Red Light District. Modern day human trafficking in Thailand...

Announcing the Finalists for the 2014 Best of Adventures Storytellers Contest: Vote NOW!

We are our stories, so it’s important to live good ones. But living a good story isn’t the end. Good stories need to be shared. God has given many of our missionaries unique abilities to tell stories beautifully, through writing, photography, and videography, and we want to celebrate the best stories. So for the third year in a row, we’re hosting the Best of Adventures Storytellers Contest. We’ve been accepting submissions for the last month from our Racers and Passporters—blogs, videos, and photos—of their best stories from the mission field. We’ve...

High Heels and Red Lights

January 6, 2015
Adventures
Human Trafficking

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, where those on the frontlines share more in-depth stories from the field. Adventures partners with key organizations throughout the world working to not only end sexual exploitation but who are also committed to the aftercare and rehabilitation of survivors. High heels and red lights; bare feet, pre-pubescent bodies. Blaring music and metal poles; cages, ping pong games, virgin fees for pink rooms. Dirty alleys, trash, and sweat. Pimps and parents, pornography and ex-pats. Bachelor parties, businessmen, and beer-stained breath....

The Power of a Family Mission Trip

December 30, 2014
Adventures
Family Mission Trips

Rich Bennett, the Vice President of Ministry & Marketing Strategy for Focus on the Family, recently went on a family missions trip with Adventures to Chicago. He wrote on Focus on the Family’s Dad Matters blog about his family’s experience and the impact of living missionally wherever we are. I met a super friendly cook named Anthony while my family and I were in Chicago recently. At least, he used to be a cook. “The best!” he told my wife and me, with a big toothy smile. That was before Anthony’s legs got so bad that he could barely stand any more....

What I Learned from a 5-Year-Old in Swaziland

December 23, 2014
Adventures
Orphans ~ Adoption

Racer John Harbold of 2014 G Squad learned a valuable lesson about thankfulness one evening after dinner, when he went outside and met a 5-year-old boy who hadn’t eaten all day. “Are you hungry?” “Yes.” “What have you had to eat today?” “Nothing.” That was my conversation with a 5-year-old while sitting outside our team house last month in Swaziland. The sun was setting across the African landscape and something within me said to go outside. I walked outside and was taken aback by the beauty. However, behind the beauty of...

The Scars on Our Wrists Matched

When Passport participant Madeline Holden walked into a women’s rehabilitation center in Nicaragua, she was exhausted from the bus ride in the Central American heat. Her fatigue faded as a girl in a red sweater shared the story of her past pain – a story Madeline recognized as her own. *Photo by @rillo02 As we walk into the women’s alcohol rehabilitation center, I am exhausted from the Honduran heat blazing through the windows on many bus rides to downtown Tegucigalpa. The floors are damp, the air is stale, and the gray walls are spotted with Bible verses...

Why I Hate Instagram

December 2, 2014
Adventures
Staff

Sometimes the reality of day-to-day life looks a lot different than on social media. Adventures staff Jen Schwab describes what it really means to change the world. The pregnancy sickness subsides, and I find myself able to perform basic tasks again. I stand a little taller and walk straighter, and it feels good. I am back to changing the world. Changing the world. Everyone wants to do it. Some people claim to do it. But often, I wonder if anyone really knows what the heck they’re talking about when they speak of changing the world. A stroll through my Facebook feed tells me...

A Witch in New York City Asked Us for Prayer

November 25, 2014
Adventures
Youth Missions

Adventures Staff Ryan Stewart gives a behind-the-scenes view of set up and leading a youth group trip to New York City – and shares a cool story of a practicing witch asking for prayer. In 2014 I was tasked with the project of finding new ministry partners in New York City. While this was my first time doing logistical planning like this, it actually ended up really well. God definitely had my back on NUMEROUS occasions! Through someone else who works in the Adventures office, I was connected with Salvation Army up there… and they were a Godsend many different...

“When There are No Umbrellas to Fix, We Don’t Eat.”

November 18, 2014
Adventures
Long Term Missions

A teen girl talks about her family’s umbrella repair business with longterm missionary to the Philippines, Chelsea Ray. I climb into the jeepny and sit down quickly. I dig into my backpack, rummaging around looking for my wallet. I finally find it nestled in that one corner of the backpack that seems to hide everything and, as I sort through the coins looking for the right ones to pay the driver, I feel a light but intentional tap on my knee. I look up and see Jenny, one of the girls in our care. “Jenny!” I squeal and she comes to sit on the seat next to me. I...

Not Resisting Anymore

November 11, 2014
Adventures
College Mission Trips

Passporter Shannon Budnick shares how God has used her time in Thailand to show her how great his love for her really is. I have struggled with shame for nearly my entire life. There are times when my brain keeps me up at night going over every mistake I made that day, and then each mistake of my lifetime. That usually lands me in tears and wishing for someone to hold me, but I’m too ashamed to ask, so I cry alone. The thought of letting someone else in terrifies me; I think I’m too broken to allow anyone to get close. This shame has affected my self worth as well. The...

I Couldn’t Be His Mom

November 4, 2014
Adventures
Short Term Missions

While leading an Ambassador trip to Jamaica this summer, Adventures Staff Caitlin Roberson met a little boy who reminded her of the power of what it means to love from a broken heart. While leading an Ambassador trip to Jamaica last summer, my team lived on the Salvation Army base in Kingston. There was a nursing home and orphanage on site. Because it had been a while since I came back from the Race, I had forgotten was how difficult it was to love orphans at times. My team was in charge of VBS while there. It would have been easier to teach Bible stories to a room full of...

Author: Adventures