Go Geographic by Brittany Norris
The annual Mystery Mission Trip is something every Go Intern looks forward to being a part of. Last year the interns first stop was Cambodia where they visited several villages of Kampong Thom, bringing the the gospel in the form of dramas. One day, while in a village, the team was introduced to a woman who had just lost her husband 5 days previously. The translator explained that she was expressing her dream to move to the village we were in, along with her children, and away from their disease ridden community that took the life of her husband. Her reasoning went even deeper than that. She wanted so badly to move from their predominately Buddhist village to this specific village that was home to the local Christian church so that her sons would not be raised in the pagodas and instead, would be under the influence of the Christian church. She had been unable to relocate because of her financial situation. After the Go team heard of her need, we rallied together, and within 5 min, all the funds were raised for her to have a new hut built, which was even bigger than she had anticipated! All it took was two hundred and fifty six U.S. dollars, and she was able to have her desire met. Our team had not planned on being in that village that day, but God knew her and her family were in need, and He is the master of setting up divine appointments; even though the Mystery Trip was left a mystery to the interns, God knew all along not only where we were going, but why we were going there. Don’t miss the opportunities He’s setting up in your daily life, it may not be penciled into your schedule, but rest assured you’ll be blessed for making the time.
Adventures with Arbo: New Mexico Skiing
Check out Matt’s latest adventure on the ski slopes of New Mexico.
Big Jon and Matt Arbo’s: Cambodia Mission
For the latest info on the Cambodia Initiative, check out Angus (Matt) and Jethro’s (Jon) latest adventure.
Radiate: Sand Springs Home
Take a look at Go International’s latest Radiate community outreach.
Through My Eyes by Lauren Bruhn
What does passion mean to you? Take a look at this video for Lauren Bruhn’s view on passion and how it relates to us.
Go Geographic: Ecuador
In June of 2008, Go International made a trip towards the Equator, to the city of Quito, Ecuador; a beautifully developed city surrounded by mountains and amazing views everywhere you look. With warm, dry, temperatures in the day and cool, pleasant climates during the night, this location was all the more enjoyable.The capitol of Ecuador, Quito is home to roughly 2.1 million people. Those we met were very welcoming, friendly and eager to hear everything our group had come to share with them. During our travels, the Go International team spent some time working with a large local church in Quito. Our group helped in their youth ministry- preaching, praying and speaking into the lives of the students; also, later in the week, a couple of our staff members were able to have the opportunity to speak in an adult church service and minister to their hearts as well. The church also set up some ministry time for our group at a local children’s hospital, where we dressed up as clowns to paint faces, make balloon animals, and brighten the days of the children who were ill and had to spend their days away from home. Another day we were able to partner with this same church and distribute food to some of the poorer parts of Quito as well as some of the impoverished villages outside of the city. After the 2-3 hour drive into the mountains to the Quechua Indians, there was a stark realization of the differences between city and village living; not only technologically, but socially as well. We had to use 2 translators to communicate from English to Spanish and Spanish to Quechuan. Although the people in the village were more shy and reserved than the city residents, they were happy our team was there. When we gave the salvation message, it was clear that very few people ever traveled up the mountain to reach them, so we began to explain God’s message from the very beginning of time. It was quite a culture shock as the women, covered with their large tribal pieces of jewelry, and the men wearing their hats, (who were all significantly shorter than even our shortest team member) surrounded us with attentive ears, waiting for the words being spoken to be translated through 3 languages. It was a moment to soak in as we stood on a mountain top, removed from the rest of society with only fog in the distance as 40 of the 50 families in the village raised their hands to receive Jesus. Our encounter with these people was definitely one our team would never forget.
One of our staff members, Lauren Morris, walked away from the trip focusing on the significance of ONE person. She later explained a memory to me from the trip. “After talking to one of the men in the village for almost an hour I remember on the bus ride back thinking: ‘If I hadn’t come and spent forty-five minutes just talking to that one little man and getting everything translated, would anyone else have ever made that effort?’” she said. “Would he ever have accepted Jesus?”
And that’s what it’s about. Even if the only person we ever made any difference for was that one little man, the entire trip was totally worth it, knowing that his life was forever changed and that he accepted Christ into his heart.
Written by Brittany Norris
Speaker of the Week: Tim Gray
Your dreams always begin in your heart,” declared Tim Gray. “Move with what is in your heart and act on it!”
This week we had Tim Gray, a former pastor and current business owner come talk with us. After his opening statement he began to talk about Nehemiah. If you don’t know who that is, don’t worry, I had to clean out the proverbial cobwebs from my mental attic to remember this story myself. Nehemiah had a mission in his heart… to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. Now there was something unique about this work; it was considered holy even though Nehemiah wasn’t a priest. This was particularly odd in Jewish culture at that time. Following this discovery Mr. Gray made a statement, “Ministry isn’t only in the church; ministry is doing what God has told you to do.” He later shared about his experiences in college and how he had declared his major 7 different times! He told us that he didn’t know exactly how he was going to do what was in his heart; he just knew he had to start somewhere. This was encouraging to hear, as a young person who deals with the common struggle of knowing exactly what steps to take to fulfill your dreams. Although we may not nail it down perfectly in the very beginning, be willing to take action. There’s an old saying, “You can’t steer a ship that’s anchored”. In other words, “Take that step”. Success will follow the dream as long as you act on it.
What is it that is in the recesses of your heart? What’s that something that excites you when you think about it? Ask yourself these questions and let those thoughts roll around in you as you allow your desire for this dream to grow each day. Following that, take a simple step in that direction even if it seems trivial. If I got anything out of our time with Mr. Gray, it’s this- It’s Worth It.
Speaker of the Week: Christy Mitropoulos
Starting off the afternoon, Christy Mitropoulos began with a simple statement, “I want to talk to you about the incredible grace of God”. Energetic and enthusiastic about her topic of discussion, she directed us to Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. Elaborating on this choice verse, she told the interns that, “You have to be OK with who you are. There is a difference between ‘doing’ and ‘being’,” she said. Looking intently she continued, “Striving for approval from God will keep you from entering into His rest”. Giving us some personal stories from her own life, she began to unfold the beauty of God’s grace. “Allow yourself to live free from condemnation and guilt.” Continuing with her transparency, she explained her experiences with her husband’s recent passing. “When something tragic happens in our lives, we often begin to question God and His will for our lives. I want to tell you something very important… God’s Word is true even if our circumstances don’t necessarily seem like it.” It’s true. It can be very difficult to experience certain circumstances and still remain faithful to the Lord. We may not understand everything in our life and that’s ok. That’s the beauty of faith, isn’t it? It’s blind and bold and most of all, it’s devoted.
Speaker of the Week: Johhnie Hampton
“Let me start out with a scripture that has been a milestone in my life, Proverbs 3:5&6 – ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight,’” John Hampton, the founder of Hampton Creative said. It was a refreshing introduction as Mr. Hampton approached the interns to speak this year (his 2nd year in a row). Before a list of accomplishments or achievements, before establishing some sort of recognition with the group, he simply stated what God has meant to him. “Trust in God,” he said as he began to unfold his life story. Moving on in the conversation, he talked about dreams and repeatedly centered on this one statement: “Don’t allow yourself to get offended. When God gives you a dream, it might be something that has never been done before and there will be any number of people that will tell you- ‘You can’t do it.’” As the interns focused on our guest, he continued, “Remember these important first two statements and don’t let the world form you into its mold; if God has something for you that the world doesn’t know yet, be obedient to Him.” After several life testimonies affirming God’s faithfulness, he finished with one more principle- “Know what season of life you are in”. Similar to what Mr. Harrison said when he shared with the interns, Mr. Hampton swept over the importance of seeing life for the season that you are in. Finishing, he once again attested to God’s faithfulness with a testimony from his personal life and the scripture, Romans 8:28 –
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Through My Eyes by Lauren Bruhn
There comes a time in every season we enter; a moment that is undesirable, but also uncontrollable. It’s that moment when things suddenly aren’t new anymore. Where quitting looks more glamorous than staying. The urge to give up and move onto something else is gnawing at your thoughts- an incessant temptation.
I know we have all been in a season where we’ve wanted to quit and I know we have all overcome challenges on our journey. Conquering a challenge will set a pattern of endurance in your life and running away in times of distress will only create a pattern of quitting, so stick with it!
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, having stood the test, the person will receive the rewards God has promised to the ones he loves.” James 1:12
