Trinidad Missions Trip

While I manage the home front, my husband and kids will be going to Trinidad on a short-term missions trip this spring. They'll be part of a team of 10 - seven teens and three adults - from our homeschool group, led by Jeff under the auspices of Mission Guides, his mobilizing ministry. In fact, this endeavor is bigger than just the week on the island; they began meeting weekly in October in order to study what the Bible says about missions and to learn how to serve effectively, and they'll have post-trip gatherings as well as the kids (and adults) process their experience in light of God's future calling on each of them. It's been inspiring to see the team's growing unity and how each participant is gaining a vision for what he or she can do during the trip, and I can only imagine how special the trip itself will be.

As with any missions trip, there are costs involved so we've had the girls write a support letter. I'm choosing to share it here, asking my readers to prayerfully consider contributing to the endeavor, which we consider to be part of their homeschool education. We also cherish your prayers - for me as I see them all off and remain at home as much as for them! - and I thank you advance for that and any financial gift you may offer.

*****
Dear Family and Friends:
Twenty years ago, Mission Guides, founded by our dad Jeff Hollenbeck, partnered for the first time with City of God Ministries in Trinidad. This church, founded by Pastor Ramdath Rampaul, started out as a slab of concrete with a roof over it, but it still sought to bring the Word of God to the surrounding Hindu people. Even though the church had a rough start because of the hostile Hindu groups, City of God was able to flourish. With the help of Mission Guides, it was able to build up its small structure into a multi-acre building that included a preschool and elementary school. 

Nowadays, Trinidad is an established country that is full of Christians who send missionaries to the rest of the world. Mission Guides continues to help City of God. We have been given the amazing opportunity to contribute by visiting Trinidad and City of God Church in 2019. We will be going April 6-13 with a group of homeschooled teenagers, led by Jeff and two other adult chaperones. The purpose of this trip is to partner with the City of God high schoolers who don’t have a youth group of their own. In a five-day immersion experience, we will get to know the teens, lead Bible studies and music, and, most importantly, pray for them. We hope that this missions trip will open a new part of the world to us and immerse us in God’s global missions plan.

As you can imagine, a trip like this requires funding. If you would like to help, please prayerfully consider donating. An average donation of $35 would help us reach our combined goal, but any amount would be a blessing. If you want to give, you can send your contribution VIA THIS LINK to the Mission Guides website (and choosing the "Trinidad 2019" option). But, even more important than funding, prayer is the driving force of every missions trip. Money is the first thing people worry about and the last thing we need, but we do need your prayers. Please keep us and the teens of Trinidad in mind, and thank you.

Rachel and Abbie

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.“ Matthew 24:14