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
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
Radiate: Sticky Inspiration Blog
This Friday’s Radiate was set on a beautiful day to go out and encourage the city of Tulsa with a project we call, Sticky Inspiration. Life can get busy and sometimes seem hectic, and in the midst of our craziness, a bit of encouragement is just what we need! A reminder of why we are here- that we aren’t forgotten and we’re not alone. So that’s just what Sticky Inspiration was all about. The interns went around town leaving sticky notes of inspiration on car windows, signs, food aisles in grocery stores, park benches, and even passing them out as people pumped their gas. We ventured out and put them anywhere we could think of, knowing that just when someone needs it, an unexpected note will be there to make them smile and brighten their day.
Written by Hilary Patrick
Through My Eyes by Lauren Bruhn
It’s officially springtime, a.k.a. my favorite time of the year. I woke up this morning to the sound of birds singing, and with all this changing of the scenery I started thinking about newness. These past couple of weeks a lot of things in my life have changed. It’s as if my life is reflecting the seasons. Allowing the old to pass and the new to replace it, has been so refreshing; it’s been a “spring-cleaning for the soul”. The journey through life is as much destiny as the destination. Things will change in our lives because we are all on a journey. Let your journey be an extraordinary one filled with newness- new friendships, new scenery and new revelations with God every day. Embrace the seasons of change in your life.
Through My Eyes by Lauren Bruhn
Hello lovely readers.
Travel. That’s what has been on my mind lately- discovering our world without presumption. Last year I traveled around the Dominican Republic. The scenery, the people, and the ocean- it was all beautiful. I ruined something for myself by having a preset notion about this country that I had never been to, and when my expectations turned out to be different than my reality, it partially robbed from my overall experience. The beginning of 2011 when we traveled to Africa I decided that I would destroy every preconceived idea I had stored in my mind concerning Africa, and I’d simply appreciate the country for what it is. With a fresh perspective I was able to uncover this completely new culture. My advice to all you up and coming world travelers… travel with self-abandonment and without limitations. Don’t risk disappointment; traveling is so rare that you might as well soak up the raw culture instead of masking it with your own notions. So get out there, saturate yourself with experience and adventure and travel, and record every moment of it.
