Hi! We're the Ali family from Trinidad and Tobago — my husband Craig, our three young children, and me, Je-nell.
This October, our church, 2819 Church, is hosting ACCESS 2026 in Texas — a gathering centered on prayer, worship, seeking God, and calling people wholeheartedly to Jesus.
And our prayer is simple, but pretty big:
We would love to be there together as a family.
Why this means so much to us
Over this season of my life, God has been drawing me into a deeper relationship with Him and challenging me not only to know His Word, but to actually live it — in my marriage, in motherhood, in the way we raise our children, and in the direction of our family.
When I learned about ACCESS, I initially thought about what it would mean for me to experience a gathering like this.
But the more I thought and prayed about it, the more my heart went to my family.
Our children are young. They won't understand everything that's happening. They may not remember every message or every prayer.
But I would love for them to be there.
To hear thousands of people worshipping Jesus.
To see people praying.
To experience an atmosphere where people are genuinely hungry for God.
And to experience that with their mother and father beside them.
As their parents, one of the greatest things we can give our children isn't simply a comfortable life or memorable experiences. We want to give them a foundation built on Jesus.
My prayer is that ACCESS could become one small part of that foundation.
I don't know what God might do through this trip. I don't want to make promises on His behalf.
I simply want to put our family in a position to encounter Him and allow Him to do whatever He chooses to do.
The financial reality
International travel for a family of five from Trinidad and Tobago to Texas is expensive, and this isn't something we're currently able to fund on our own.
But rather than immediately deciding that means we cannot go, we've decided to pray, prepare, save what we're able to, and humbly give others the opportunity to come alongside us.
We've set our fundraiser goal at TT$86,000.
Our estimated travel need is approximately US$10,500. The fundraiser goal has intentionally been set somewhat higher to account for payment-processing costs and our decision to contribute 10% of what is raised back to GiveSendGo, helping support the Christian platform that is making this fundraiser possible.
Our initial flight searches alone have shown approximately US$4,500 for four members of our family, before accounting for the cost of our youngest child's international travel.
Funds raised will help cover:
Passports for our family
U.S. visitor visa application fees
Confirmed round-trip airfare from Trinidad and Tobago to Dallas/Fort Worth
Family-friendly accommodation
Ground transportation
Food
Travel insurance
Baggage and necessary travel expenses
A modest emergency/price-change allowance
Fundraising and payment-processing costs
ACCESS itself is free. None of the money we're raising is being used to purchase admission to the event.
And US$10,500 isn't an amount we're trying to spend.
Our goal is to get our family there as responsibly and affordably as possible.
We'll continue looking for lower airfare, affordable accommodation, and ways to reduce our expenses. As costs become confirmed, we'll share updates so those supporting us can follow the journey.
What if we don't raise the full amount?
This isn't all-or-nothing.
Our greatest prayer is for all five of us to experience ACCESS together.
But every contribution moves us closer.
If we're unable to fund travel for our entire family, we'll prayerfully scale the trip according to what we're able to afford — whether that ultimately means our whole family attends, my husband and I attend together, or I make the journey alone.
We're not taking anyone's generosity for granted. We're simply inviting those who believe in what we're pursuing to prayerfully come alongside us.
What if we raise more than we need?
Because we're intentionally budgeting conservatively, there's another possibility we want to be transparent about: what happens if God provides more than we ultimately need for this trip?
Our goal isn't to spend every dollar simply because it was raised.
If airfare decreases, if we're able to reduce our accommodation or transportation costs, or if we receive more than is necessary to responsibly complete the trip, any funds remaining after our travel expenses would be set aside toward beginning local Christian outreach and evangelism here in Trinidad and Tobago.
This is something that has already been growing on my heart — not simply attending something like ACCESS and coming home inspired, but allowing what God does in us to move us toward serving others.
We are still prayerfully considering what that ministry could look like, but it may include community outreach, helping families or individuals in need, providing meals or necessities alongside practical Christian ministry, sharing Bibles and Christian resources, or creating opportunities to share the gospel and pray with people in our communities.
We don't yet know exactly what form that will take, and we don't want to pretend that we do.
What we can promise is transparency.
If this fundraiser provides beyond what is necessary for our family to attend ACCESS, we want that provision to continue outward — helping us begin serving, sharing the gospel, and showing the love of Jesus here at home.
After the trip, we'll also share an update on our final travel expenses and, if funds remain, how those funds will be directed toward outreach here in Trinidad and Tobago.
So whether your gift helps get our family to ACCESS or ultimately helps us reach someone here in Trinidad and Tobago, our prayer is that it would be used purposefully and ultimately point people toward Christ.
More than money
If you're reading this and can't give financially, please don't feel that you have nothing to offer us.
Please pray.
Pray that God would make His will clear.
Pray for our passports and U.S. visa applications.
Pray for provision.
Pray for our children.
Pray for our marriage and family.
Pray for ACCESS and every person who will gather there.
And pray that whether we ultimately make it to Texas or not, our family would continue becoming a home where Jesus is known, loved, and followed.
If you feel led and are able to contribute financially, we're incredibly grateful.
If you can share our fundraiser, we're grateful for that too.
And if all you can do is stop for a moment and pray for our family, we genuinely value that just as much.
We're taking the practical steps in front of us while trusting God with the parts we cannot control.
Thank you for being part of our journey — through giving, sharing, praying, or simply encouraging us along the way.
Jesus, let Your will be done in our family, and let our lives point people back to You.
With love and gratitude,
Je-nell, Craig & family
Trinidad & Tobago 🇹🇹
