Sending a Sender.

It was a weird spring for me this year, as I labored to send out teams of students and staff on mission projects this summer, but also prepared to go myself.

Now more than ever before, I see the importance of a support team to stay in the US while people are sent out around the world with the Gospel. Being a 'sender' myself, I recognize the strategy and significance - but this summer I step into the 'go-er' role (I know, probably not a word...).

A few weeks ago we had our Briefing conference, where 150 people gathered together before being sent out to 6 countries for the summer. As I sat with my team learning about security issues and campus guards and code words, a dozen people worked behind the scenes to ensure that these 150 people could go to the world with the Gospel this summer. As I type this from my international dorm in a rather large city in East Asia, I see the importance of people back home that can directly support what we are here to do: take the hope of Christ to Asian college students.

Speaking of support teams, I can't forget about the awesome financial and prayer partners I have! The senders at my office would not have a job to do if it wasn't for faithful friends who give and pray generously - not only to me, but to all our summer project students. More than $500,000 came in this spring for these 6 projects. That's a LOT of givers- and lots of pray-ers who go before the Lord to ask for provision for others. If you're a sender, giver, or prayer, thanks for what you do!

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!

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!