Karen and I just got back from doing a debrief in Guatemala. On our way back, we stopped off in Antigua, the old colonial capital of the country.

As we wandered the cobblestone streets at night, I thought about what a great experience it would be for a family or a young person to live there for three months. We ate in a restaurant that used to be a monastery. As we walked in, we passed along a candlelit corridor leading to a tree-lined courtyard surrounded by thick stone walls.

What a great place to spend our last night. And when awoke, we passed the great town square and walked to the Dona Luisa Café, where we ate a great bowl of tropical fruits on the plant-lined second story balcony. The sun shone in through the leaves and the world seemed perfectly at peace.

I'd forgotten how magical Antigua can be. It is has such a great combination of features. In addition to its rich history, there is its majestic setting at the foot of a volcano. Or there's the colorful Indian culture or the perfect weather or the inexpensive cost of living. It'd be a great place to retire or have a second home.

All that said, here's the reason I advocate (and Karen enthusiastically backs me) moving to Antigua for three months. American youth grow up in a toxic soup of media-rich, materialistic, narcissistic, cynical influences.

Jesus-following families dance closer to the edge of disaster than they know, caught up in a soccer-mom culture that has a much higher spiritual failure rate than most parents realize. From my vantage point leading a discipling ministry, I see the impact it has on young people. They are burning out and bailing out in droves.

To counter this and be strategic in your parenting, you need to take drastic action. A great place to start is for young families to escape America for a summer by learning Spanish at one of the many schools in Antigua. You can live in a local home and work with a tutor for four hours a day or as long as you can stand it.

In your off-time, go exploring or sign up to work with a local ministry. And when you go touring, Lake Atitlan, Tikal, and a hike up the Pacaya Volcano are three
must-see stops.