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: Johnnie 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.”
Speaker of the Week: Jamie Saunders
This past week, Jamie Saunders, an international missionary and consultant, sat down with the interns and simply discussed their dreams with them. Taking their questions and providing very knowledgeable feedback, he helped the interns visualize their dreams and goals in an enthusiastic and practical manner. Although many subjects crossed the discussion table, there were a couple of key points that were made many times: No matter what dream you have, simple or complex, there is a key ingredient we all need for it’s success- money. Knowing this from personal experience, Mr. Saunders followed with a second, more compelling statement: “With or without money, you’ll always need the Creative Process. Even if you had money, without the creative process, you would probably spend the money on things you don’t need,” he continued. In return to all of his helpful questions, the interns began directing some of their own towards Mr. Saunders. After carefully answering them, he finished his time by telling the team stories from his life and once again encouraging the interns to pursue their dreams. It was a refreshing time, reminding the team of their value and their responsibility in this life.
Interns featured on News Channel 6!
TULSA, Oklahoma — A group of Tulsa students set out on a mission recently to inspire others. The students created “Sticky Inspiration,” an outreach that left sticky notes with inspirational quotes in locations around town.
The students left sticky notes on cars, bare walls, grocery store shelves and their local Starbucks – anywhere they thought people might see the notes and find some inspiration.
“The student’s vision and desire is that people will be impacted through these notes of inspiration and therefore be inspired to think beyond what they were thinking for that day,” said Lindsey Clark of Go International, a non-profit organization that focuses on helping people in creative ways. The students are interns with the humanitarian organization.
Click here to read the article on News Channel 6.
Speaker of the Week: Greg Fritz
“I want to talk to you about the value of the Word of God in your life,” Greg Fritz said. For his second time at Go, the well-known evangelist was outspoken and direct- we need God’s Word daily. “Open your Bible with me to Psalm 1:2-3,” he continued. “Listen carefully to this passage- ‘blessed are those whose delight is the Word of God, they will be as a tree planted by streams of water… whatever they do shall prosper.’ Now I know that during this time of your life you are trying to discover success and what that means to you,” he declared. “Listen! God says that, ‘whatever you do shall prosper, if you delight in His Word;’ so be confident about your future! To help you understand, think of God’s Word like food for your body.” With a wide smile he continued, “You don’t go days without eating do you? No, you eat each and every day so you can function properly”. It’s such a simple concept, but so powerfully true. Think about how much of our lives are centered around food- everything from food preparation to actually eating it. In fact, entire cultures are greatly influenced by their food. Mr. Fritz finished with a great statement and a closing verse. “The Bible is health for your body and wisdom for your mind,” he exclaimed. “I want to end with the verse, Proverbs 4:1-2,” Greg said. “Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.”
Radiate: Clean House
As the apprentices were putting together our outreach for this past Friday, they decided we were all going to be a blessing to Greg and Christa Baca. We wanted to serve the very people who have served and sacrificed so much for us and the Go family. So we packed up, headed out, and arrived at our Director’s house to clean, clean, clean. We all jumped right in- dusting, sweeping, cleaning counters, and doing some yard work that the boys facilitated. We had a lot of fun talking and enjoying each other’s company while being a blessing. To end the afternoon we all had coffee together and spent a little time with the wonderful people that pour so much of their lives into ours!
Open House: April 4, 2011
If you’ve ever considered joining the Go Internship or if you’re interested in finding out what we’re all about, join us at our next Open House Event. During Open House you can have a look around our offices, meet the founders, Greg and Christa Baca, the Staff, and this year’s current Interns. This is the perfect time to have your questions about the program answered.
Open house begins at 4:00PM from 4:00-4:15pm tour the offices and take a look around. From 4:15-5:00PM Greg & Christa will be sharing about the program. Hear from current interns about the direct impact the program has made on their lives. Feel free to bring a friend or two, grab a starbucks on the way over, and come chill and hang out.
Go International Offices
12814 S. Memorial Ave, Suite 120
Bixby, OK. 74008
Speaker of the Week: T.L. Osborn
For T.L. Osborn’s second visit to Go International he decided to share a few principles and pieces of wisdom he learned throughout his lifetime. Although there were many things he shared (I’m sure there could have been many more), he repeatedly exclaimed the importance of this one truth: The power of God and his love is in the gospel- nothing on our part or our own actions, just simply the message of Jesus Christ.
After he finished this key point, he cited a statement made by Gandhi: “If you have an idea, think about the poorest and most needy people you know about; if it will help them live a better quality of life, then it is a good idea.” I personally love this powerful observation about the purpose and potential of ideas. Many times we have dreams and ideas, but it’s easy to doubt whether or not it could really be useful. Gandhi put it well, “If it will help someone, it’s a good idea”.
Filled with conviction, Mr. Osborn began to explain the importance of remembering Jesus. “Jesus said, ‘Remember Me,’” he stated. “Many times we are hoping He remembers us, but it is we who need to remember Him.” Many people often desire the power of God, but they forget that it’s love that comes first. “You cannot have power without love,” he said. T.L. shared this example: Calvary = love, Pentecost = power. First Jesus gave love, and then He gave power. As I sat there and continued to listen to him speak, I was amazed by how much he stressed the importance of learning. Nearly 90 years old and he is still striving to grow, not only spiritually, but intellectually as well. For one of his final thoughts T.L. once again brought the discussion back to the importance of the gospel by saying: “The mission of every person who follows Jesus Christ is to be His witness. Remember, those who preach the gospel stand in the place of Jesus, and they are as He is. Ministry is not your own, you are simply a continuator of what Jesus did.”
