Should I Come to Launch if Invited?

If you are on the Parent Facebook page, you know that Racers have been given the opportunity to invite their parents to a Parent Event that covers the first 24 hours of Launch. The decision is completely theirs and we ask you to respect it. Whether or not you are invited does not always reflect the status of your relationship, and there are many reasons they may choose not to invite you. It’s important that they concentrate on launching well, whatever that looks like for them. Their Race starts when they arrive in Atlanta, not when they leave the U.S. For some Racers, having parents there is fine. For others, it may distract them from concentrating on their task at hand.

After each Launch, I ask parents this question:  What advice would you give future parents who are trying to decide whether or not to come to Launch?  Here are the majority of their answers, just as they typed them.

• It’s a must. It gives you a chance to connect with other parents, make beautiful friends with team parents to have that support while the racers are on the field.

• I had no idea that launch would be so important to the peace I have of sending my daughter on this mission. GO TO LAUNCH!

• Although there is a wealth of information available on the website, it is very comforting to meet and be able to hear and ask questions of past racers, parents of past racers, team coaches and the many staff involved with Adventures in Missions. It was also awesome meeting racer teammates and their parents, helping establish with other parents what I truly believe will be long lasting relationships.

• Totally worth the money.

• I would highly recommend attending if at all possible. The information as to why they do what they do is so helpful. I appreciated the time and effort by the staff that was put in to the sessions to better equip the family members. I walked away excited and wishing I could go too! The opportunity to connect with other parents and racers is priceless as well!

• Well done event, that isn’t just about the racer.

• DO NOT MISS THIS!!! IT IS AMAZING HOW GOD WILL USE THIS TO SETTLE YOUR HEART AS A PARENT AND CHALLENGE YOU AT THE SAME TIME!

• Try to get there.  It’s a brief time but it helps you to understand this whole process so much better.

• Parent Launch is really for the parent more than the Racer. Hearing from others was very helpful as we start the race.  

• Come! Don’t question it, just come.

• If the Lord makes it possible for you to go, GO!!

• Knowledge squashes Fears.

• If you can do it, it is well worth your time and money. If you cannot do it, your racer will still feel welcome and encouraged.

• I would definitely encourage other parents to attend.  Parent Launch gives you a clear vision for the Adventures in Missions ministry as a whole.  It’s also reassuring to see how both the physical and spiritual/emotional needs of the racers are being met, even though we might not know all the details of each leg of the trip beforehand.  It was the perfect culmination to months of preparation and provided a meaningful way to say goodbye.

• Come but be prepared for the emotions you may feel.

• Don’t miss out, you WILL regret it. Invaluable experience & very helpful/hopeful!

• Very informative and powerful

• It’s not what you think it will be- and it’s better than you can imagine. A definite must not miss.

• If there is anyway possible to attend I would wholeheartedly encourage it.  You get to see up close the organization it takes to get the Racers going. It is impressive.  The kindness and attentiveness extended to the parents is amazingly comforting. Meeting and connecting the other parents and creating a support system is wonderful. The information was concise and well presented.

• Very beneficial to get you comfortable with the process and meeting your child’s team and their parents.   Also motivates you in your own faith journey.

• “It will put your mind and ease and let you see you aren’t the only other crazy parent who taught their kids to follow hard after God and trust Him…then believed what we taught!

• Getting that short time to meet the other kids in the squad and teams along with their folks was priceless.”

• Great way to learn about the heart of your organization

• Do yourself a favor and COME.  It’s like a weekend Parent Counseling Session.  Well worth your time!

• Definitely go to launch if you can. It was so reassuring to see the relationships that my racer had developed at training camp first hand. The bond is real! And hearing from literally every level of leadership was reassuring, confirming, informative, and encouraging.

• Mandatory if you want to be emotionally prepared to send your kid away for this journey.

• Do all you can to make it Launch!  It is such an important part of their race and your race too. The encouragement and support I received is incredible.  I have been blessed with other parents I can now reach out to and who I can also be a support to. We all learned that yes our children are ours but they are God’s first!  For this reason like a butterfly must leave the cocoon in order to fly, so must we let our children go to spread their wings!

• It’s worthwhile but be prepared if you are not as entrenched in the evangelical ways, it will be uncomfortable.

• Go, just go. Meeting the other parents and the staff, especially Seth, were inspirational for me.

• Send BOTH parents, not just one!

• My husband couldn’t come because of work and I feel really sad that he missed out as this was so important.

• Life happens to all of us, however, if there is any possible way to attend the Parent Launch please, please, please make it a PRIORITY and attend. You’ll do yourself and your racer MUCH, MUCH, MUCH GOOD by being present.

• It’s not about the goodbye or prolonging it.  I can’t say that I honestly had a lot of questions.  But, what I was surprised about was the connection I immediately felt with the other parents from my daughters team.  I wouldn’t want to miss that opportunity. I feel like I gained a great support group and new friends. I loved being able to meet her team and some of her squad.  It also was so reassuring to hear the information and feedback from past racers and parents. The worship service blew me away! What an amazing memory to leave with.  Financially it was really tough. But so worth it in the end.

• It will be an unforgettable experience.

• Family support is critical for our children’s empowerment.