At the end of every month I think...surely nothing can top last month's newsletter - that was a really good one! And then as I reflect on what's happened through the month, I think of so many things to write about I can't possibly fit them all into one short letter.
Ideally, I would be posting the overflow on this blog, but somehow it doesn't seem to happen. I guess I'm writing this post as a bit of a public (to the 3 of you that read this) promise that I will share more of the daily happenings.
But, I'll still probably save the real good ones for my newsletters, so be sure to keep reading those.
:)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Top Five Tools for International Sending.
Below are the top 5 things that make me good at my job (besides D.I.C.E. and the Holy Spirit, of course) :) - these tools are super important in allowing me to send the large number of college students overseas from the Upper Midwest:
5. Google!
Not only do I get an instant answer to a question from this fabulous website (ie: what's the current exchange rate in Uruguay?), Google has a few other important platforms: Google Docs, (shared spreadsheets and surveys) Google Translator, (because I don't read Turkish), and Google Blogger, (which enables me to share my wonderful thoughts with you!)
4. A file-sharing system
Our office (and region) uses a file-sharing system called SugarSync, which allows me to set up folders for each of my 12 vision trips, 6 summer projects and 8 stint teams. I couldn't do my job without this. A file-sharing system greatly increases my capacity to keep track of so many files, and make sure that each trip leader has what they need at the right time.
Along with providing a way for dozens of people to access the same files all at once, file-sharing systems provide a place to hold important documents from year to year. With a few clicks, I can find documents regarding summer projects in 2007. We often joke about not "reinventing the wheel" - and file-sharing programs help us stick to that philosophy.
3. A reliable visa agency
A visa is a piece of paper from a foreign government giving you permission to enter a country. I obtain about 200 visas a year for our various international trips. There's no way I could get that many visas without having a trusted agency in Chicago that actually submits the paperwork to foreign consulates for me. The best feature of using this visa agency is their awesome website. I can type in a country, and the purpose of a trip, the resident country and state of the traveler, and immediately get instructions on the process for applying for the right visa. It's genius, and has made me look like a genius on many occasions.
2. A trusted travel agent (or 3)
I am lucky to have a trio of stellar travel agents to hook me up with good deals. Not only do they provide the basic booking of tickets, they have my back. They offer advice, catch my mistakes, and have taught me a ton about international group travel. They also help me look like a genius.
and finally...the number one tool for international sending...is...
1. Microsoft Excel!!
If you know me at all, you knew this would be number 1! I. Love. Excel. I have so much data I need to store: from tracking $500,000+ in donations each year, to ticket prices and locations for each of our 25+ trips, to passport names and birth dates for travelers.
When I see a jumbled mess of information, my brain automatically wants to categorize it into a spreadsheet that will make numbers and names make more sense. I have a very high value for easily accessible, very concise, and extremely reliable data.
I need to end this post with a shout-out to my boss, who is always very willing to figure out a way to get me the resources I need to do my job well. Sometimes I'm not even sure what that resource is, but with his vast knowledge and expertise in the field of Operations, my questions are never a problem!
5. Google!
Not only do I get an instant answer to a question from this fabulous website (ie: what's the current exchange rate in Uruguay?), Google has a few other important platforms: Google Docs, (shared spreadsheets and surveys) Google Translator, (because I don't read Turkish), and Google Blogger, (which enables me to share my wonderful thoughts with you!)
4. A file-sharing system
Our office (and region) uses a file-sharing system called SugarSync, which allows me to set up folders for each of my 12 vision trips, 6 summer projects and 8 stint teams. I couldn't do my job without this. A file-sharing system greatly increases my capacity to keep track of so many files, and make sure that each trip leader has what they need at the right time.
Along with providing a way for dozens of people to access the same files all at once, file-sharing systems provide a place to hold important documents from year to year. With a few clicks, I can find documents regarding summer projects in 2007. We often joke about not "reinventing the wheel" - and file-sharing programs help us stick to that philosophy.
3. A reliable visa agency
A visa is a piece of paper from a foreign government giving you permission to enter a country. I obtain about 200 visas a year for our various international trips. There's no way I could get that many visas without having a trusted agency in Chicago that actually submits the paperwork to foreign consulates for me. The best feature of using this visa agency is their awesome website. I can type in a country, and the purpose of a trip, the resident country and state of the traveler, and immediately get instructions on the process for applying for the right visa. It's genius, and has made me look like a genius on many occasions.
2. A trusted travel agent (or 3)
I am lucky to have a trio of stellar travel agents to hook me up with good deals. Not only do they provide the basic booking of tickets, they have my back. They offer advice, catch my mistakes, and have taught me a ton about international group travel. They also help me look like a genius.
and finally...the number one tool for international sending...is...
1. Microsoft Excel!!
If you know me at all, you knew this would be number 1! I. Love. Excel. I have so much data I need to store: from tracking $500,000+ in donations each year, to ticket prices and locations for each of our 25+ trips, to passport names and birth dates for travelers.
When I see a jumbled mess of information, my brain automatically wants to categorize it into a spreadsheet that will make numbers and names make more sense. I have a very high value for easily accessible, very concise, and extremely reliable data.
I need to end this post with a shout-out to my boss, who is always very willing to figure out a way to get me the resources I need to do my job well. Sometimes I'm not even sure what that resource is, but with his vast knowledge and expertise in the field of Operations, my questions are never a problem!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Spring Break Vision Trips
Last weekend, 45 staff and students are headed overseas for 7-10 day vision trips! I sent teams to 4 different countries and 5 cities; students from 6 universities, departing from 7 US airports.
I hope to post a few stories here when the trips return. For many of these students, this is their first time out of the country and their first time on any sort of mission trip!
Monday, March 05, 2012
Parking Meters, Coffee and Independence.
I just saw an interesting commercial that got me thinking. The 30-second spot was about a guy going around town plugging meters for people, because he saved so much money on car insurance (from Progressive, if you are wondering). That would be fun to do, don't you think?
The city of Minneapolis recently installed new parking meters, so you can pay for parking not only with cash, but also with a credit/debit card. A very cool system, I have to say. But part of me feels like advances in technology and processes like this make it a lot easier for me to watch out for myself, and rely on God, or other people, less. Not that I'm dependent on someone to randomly offer to pay my $2 to park downtown - but I think about having to ask someone to borrow quarters to pay for my parking, and how ridiculous it is that I think that I'm imposing on someone if I do that.
When I think about this example, I think of it in a grander scheme. I think of the mentality that I don't need people in my life to get by; I can provide for myself no matter what I might need- or want.
A few weeks ago, I was on my way to work and I really wanted to stop at Starbucks - but I decided not to. Soon after I arrived at work, a coworker stopped by my cubicle and asked if I had any coffee yet that day - she wanted to take me out as a thank you for helping her with something earlier in the month.
Her kind and unexpected offer, along with our chat on the way to and from the coffeeshop, was much sweeter than the actual coffee she bought me. And it was way more fun to drink coffee with someone else.
Whether it's a parking meter or a cup of coffee, an unexpected gift can really brighten someone's day. But, this isn't a post about doing random acts of kindness. It's moreso a reminder that being too concerned with meeting my own needs and fulfilling my wants leaves less room for personal interaction in my life. And more importantly, less room for God to show me how he does care about me and can meet my needs (and even how he meets my wants!).
The city of Minneapolis recently installed new parking meters, so you can pay for parking not only with cash, but also with a credit/debit card. A very cool system, I have to say. But part of me feels like advances in technology and processes like this make it a lot easier for me to watch out for myself, and rely on God, or other people, less. Not that I'm dependent on someone to randomly offer to pay my $2 to park downtown - but I think about having to ask someone to borrow quarters to pay for my parking, and how ridiculous it is that I think that I'm imposing on someone if I do that.
When I think about this example, I think of it in a grander scheme. I think of the mentality that I don't need people in my life to get by; I can provide for myself no matter what I might need- or want.
A few weeks ago, I was on my way to work and I really wanted to stop at Starbucks - but I decided not to. Soon after I arrived at work, a coworker stopped by my cubicle and asked if I had any coffee yet that day - she wanted to take me out as a thank you for helping her with something earlier in the month.
Her kind and unexpected offer, along with our chat on the way to and from the coffeeshop, was much sweeter than the actual coffee she bought me. And it was way more fun to drink coffee with someone else.
Whether it's a parking meter or a cup of coffee, an unexpected gift can really brighten someone's day. But, this isn't a post about doing random acts of kindness. It's moreso a reminder that being too concerned with meeting my own needs and fulfilling my wants leaves less room for personal interaction in my life. And more importantly, less room for God to show me how he does care about me and can meet my needs (and even how he meets my wants!).