Why Shawn Johnson and Her Husband Took Their Young Kids on the Mission Field

Published: January 17, 2024

Why Shawn Johnson and Her Husband Took Their Young Kids on the Mission Field

By Movieguide® Contributor

Shawn Johnson East and husband Andrew recently shared their experience serving on a mission trip as a family.

“We did our annual mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico,” Shawn said in one of their family vlogs. “And this year, we brought the kids!”

Andrew added, “It’s been a fun challenge as a parent to try and figure out how we can be intentional with introducing our kids to things that are valuable to us, and we’ve done that through this trip to Tijuana.”

“The one thing I was apprehensive about was it’s a job site,” he continued. “There’s nails and hammers. But [the kids] were fantastic. They were great helpers. They had so much fun. They did such a good job.”

The couple also shared that the experience made them want to do more missions each year, whether far away or closer to home, “because the kids enjoy it…and we enjoy it!”

Shortly after their mission trip, Shawn gave birth to the couple’s third child, a son named Bear.

“Life is so good and we are feeling really blessed to have a third healthy baby join our family,” East said of Bear’s birth, per Us Weekly. “My dad was born on December 9 and passed away unexpectedly on December 27 of last year, so December is a really impactful month for us. Having our baby born so close to my dad’s birthday feels really special and I know he would be smiling down and so proud of us.”

Shawn recently shared some updates on what it’s like parenting three kids.

“Most amazing thing about this special small window of time with a newborn is being able to hold, cuddle, nurse, and be with him 24/7. It’s a time like no other that you’ll never get back,” she wrote in an Instagram story. “BUT. The hardest part of this short phase is missing my big kids. Daddy is doing the best job in the world showering them with attention and adventures but this mama misses her big babies.”

Movieguide® previously reported on Shawn’s thoughts on motherhood:

Shawn Johnson East and her husband, Andrew East, have just welcomed their third little one into the world.

“Recovery is always a process and I’ve learned to be really patient with my body. Not trying to rush anything and really just going to soak it all in,” she said. “The third time around feels so surreal because even though we’ve done this twice before, there’s still so much nervousness and excitement around the days leading up to the birth and then so much magic once you get to hold your sweet baby in your arms for the first time.”

“It really never gets old. You spend your whole pregnancy wondering how you could possibly love another baby just as much as your first two and then in an instant your heart expands and basically triples in size, it’s incredible. Being a mom is truly my favorite thing,” she shared.