Trinidad is en route!

The third of our four major missional movements is now en route. They left Columbia at 7:00am this morning. I was crazy enough to get up at 5.45 (am!) so I could meet them all at 6 and see them off. It's a great team and I am overjoyed with their team and the work they are doing (like I am with all the SPACE stuff going on this summer.) For new readers, this team is serving and encouraging a family that our church supports in Trinidad. This is the third student team that we have sent to this family as long as I have been at Grace. Long term relationship, students impacting a part of the world where we already have a connection, seeing church planting and evangelism first hand - all elements that I believe are right on track with a student mission strategy.
On a related note, in the summer of 2004, we sent out 33 students and leaders. 12 of those directly impacted a Grace supported organization (although another 12 went with an organization we had gone with before, but not suppported by the church.) This summer, we will have sent out 52 students and leaders on some sort of missional experience (Trinidad, CMTS, the DC day trip and Brazil.) Of that number, 40 will have connected with a Grace supported missionary family or organization. I know that one of the challenges for this school year and next summer is momentum.