ARTICLES & INSPIRATION

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Mystery Trip: REVEAL!

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make avatar With an arrival time of 5 o'clock in the morning, the interns arrived with their suitcases in hand at the Go International offices anticipating the the long awaited reveal of the mystery. For months, the interns have been raising money for this mystery and guessing their destination. With their first clue received, the interns walked into the music room at the Go International offices to discover it had been transformed to South America. After a short "visit" to South America, the interns were escorted to their next continent, Antarctica, where they braved the cold weather and sifted through ice to discover their next clue. The journey continued, as the interns visited Asia, North America, Africa, Australia, and Europe. Although the journey through the seven continents riled up the interns with excitement, they were still clueless as to their destination. With 3 hours til the flight departure, the interns had one more stop to make before heading the the airport. After all, their destination was still unknown. After a series of challenges the interns were granted access to a to a key element, a video, that would reveal their destination. The interns watched the reveal video with wide eyes, hanging onto every word that appeared on the screen. The reveal announced that Go International would be going to a place home to 48 million people, with the highest number of people affected by aids in the world. The interns gasped as they clung to each other, tears began to fill their eyes as photographs of African orphans, African soil, and the South African Flag flashed across the screen. Jumping and screaming with excitement, the interns huddled in a circle as they cried with excitement for where they would be traveling to in less than 3 hours. Andrew Hunt, a first year intern, stated that he was "overwhelmed" and that this was the "greatest gift" he has ever received, his trip had just been paid for 48 prior to the reveal. As Kaylee, Hilary, and Lauren piled into the car to get to the airport, still in shock the girls eyes were still filled with tears as they continued repeating "We're going to Africa!!" The three girls explained that over the last few months, the Lord had heavily laid the continent on their hearts and that they had a burning desire to visit and work with the people there. For many of the Go Interns, Mystery Trip's journey to South Africa is the start of their dreams becoming a reality.

Worship Night Update

Individuals throughout the community gathered together at the Go International offices to take part of our monthy Worship Night. The Go International Band, ushered everyone into the presence of God by singing the truth of God’s word. The presence of God was undeniable in the room as people came before the throne of God with a genuine hunger for more of Him. We appreciate everyone who came out to join us for the first Worship Night of the year, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the next one.

Speaker of the Week: Tim Redmond

Have you ever had a childhood memory when you were little and you were NOT excited to visit that certain annoying relative and your mother told you to, "fake it 'til you make it"? Well, she was on to something. Why have a bad attitude and ruin a good time for everyone else, simply because you're having a bad day? How you let your emotions affect you will determine the environment you are in. Our guest speaker, Tim Redmond, spoke to us about our mindset and how it affects others and us as well. He told us that there are two mindsets: Fixed mindset (disempowered), and the growth mindset (empowered). The fixed mindset is the belief that life is just how it is and there is absolutely nothing you or anyone else can do about it. That mindset states that change is simply impossible. On the other hand, the growth mindset states that anything is possible; it welcomes challenges, and puts its effort into everything it comes across.

He reminded us that we are leaders and as leaders, we are to create an environment for others to grow. Following this reminder, he shared a story about an experiment that a group of scientists tested. They gathered five different people.  Four of the people had neutral emotional states; they were generally happy. In addition to the four pleasant people, they included one extremely depressed person. They put the five of them into a small room and were told to not say a single word to each other. After an hour, they interviewed each participant to see how they were emotionally. Each neutral person had acknowledged that they had become slightly depressed and could not think of a single reason why. This study proved that the dominant emotional state will dominate the environment.

The world around us is subject to how we view it and how we act. Through your attitude you can influence those around you for the better. YOU can be the one that excites others and encourages them to live life with purpose.

Deuteronomy 30:15, 19 – (15)“See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. (19) …Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.

-Tim Redmond-

Written by Joy Wimer, Go Intern

Speaker of the Week: Keith Wheeler

"What is your passion," he asked. "What is your vision?" Each person in the room shared their passions such as worship, fashion, orphans, missions etc... "All of these things that you've shared are good," he replied to us. "You know what my passion is?" Silence filled the room as we all began to wonder… Was it carrying the cross just as he had been doing for over 25 years? Maybe it was his family? He glanced around the room a few times and smiled from ear-to-ear. "My passion is Jesus Christ."

He went on to tell us a simple concept: vision is what you see, what you see is what you look at, what you look at is what you focus on. When you make Jesus your vision you "take up the cross". He explained that taking up the cross means to sacrifice willingly, which brings glory to God, thus bringing redemption in the lives of others!

He shared a story with us about when he traveled to Guyana. As he continued his journey of carrying the cross, a man who had listened to him teach wished to speak to him, but he was timid because they were of different cultures and religions. Keith proceeded to ask him what religion he thought he was. He responded with, "Well, sir, you are carrying a cross, therefore you are a Christian!" Keith smiled and said, "No, I am a follower of Jesus." The man told him he had never heard of that before, so Keith decided to tell him all about Jesus and repentance. The man immediately fell to his knees and said, "I want to know this Jesus you speak of! I want to repentance!" Keith asked him a simple question. "If I was to walk down the road this way, and you were to walk down the road that way, would you say we know each other?" The man replied, "No, we would have only just met." Keith went on to explain that that is what a lot of Christians do. When they accept salvation, they first meet Jesus, but it’s something entirely different to know Him. It is not enough to find Jesus; we are commanded to follow Him.

Keith then challenged us: Do we really know the Jesus that we say we are following? Do we have a deep connection to Him? Are we committed to Him? Commitment looks like the object or person it's committed to. If you're not committed to him, then what are you committed to?

I feel that many times, we get so caught up in completing the goals and dreams that are placed in our hearts, that we forget about who gave them to us. True Christianity is about knowing and following Jesus, not just finding him.

Mark 1:17, “Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men!”

-Keith Wheeler-

Written by Joy Wimer, Go Intern

Speaker of the Week: Ed Gungor

Mark 4:26-27 – Jesus said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”

Expectant eyes watched and eager ears listened as Pastor Ed Gungor began to speak to the interns. During his time here, he spoke to us about what he phrased, "The Dark Night of the Soul". He explained that this is a “wilderness” time during your life when your soul cannot grasp what is going on. A time when you go through the motions and monotony of life and generally feel a deep void in your heart. It can cause you to question the depth of your dreams or even your relationship with Jesus. He compared this time to winter. For a while it appears lifeless and dismal, but in reality true growth is being stored up and developed. The hidden strength of winter is that it sets you up for spring. It is during the winter when the roots of a tree grow to create the foundation for the next season of life. Just like the tree, we go through similar times where God is trying to make you grow up a little and exercise your faith. My sister, Christa, once told me that in order to fully follow after God, you must be willing to have these kinds of days, because worshiping and loving God is not about a feeling or hype, it’s about relationship and commitment.

Pastor Ed reminded us that faith is not an easy thing and that growing up requires wrestling with yourself. This message has meant a lot to me because I had been personally struggling with wondering where God was in my life. I later realized it's because God wants me to fully believe in Him and not rely on "feeling" His presence. He desires for us all to continue to follow after Him even if we were to know that we would never feel His presence another day in our lives.

God loves us and He is diligent to watch over the process of our lives. Maybe you feel like you are in a winter season of your life. Allow yourself to overcome this time and be ready to embrace the life that will come, as you fully trust the God that is shaping you.

"Only in a dimension where faith is difficult, could faith be faith."

-Pastor Ed Gungor-

Written by Joy Wimer, Go Intern.

Go Weekend 2010

Simply put, this year's Go Weekend can only be expressed with one word: “Amazing”. Who knew that in such a short amount of time so much could be accomplished? As one of the interns, Brittany Norris put it: "It should've been called, 'A lifetime's worth of lessons in one weekend' weekend."  Starting Friday, the interns quickly took hold of the core values that were presented to them and established friendships without hesitation. Continuing into Saturday they showed the love of God through various outreach opportunities and leadership challenges that stretched their abilities to new lengths. Lauren Bruhn, another first year stated that: "Through the Go Weekend, I slowly let myself accept the beauty and uniqueness that God gave me! Ahh, it was like a breath of fresh air.” It was evident that not only were people's lives touched in Kansas City, as well as the members of our team. As it ended on Sunday, it was apparent that a new family had emerged and that this year's group of Go Interns had a new energy and momentum! We are expectant to head into the year with this group of wonderful people who are willing to dedicate themselves to reaching others!
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West Coast Life Church hosts Orphan for a Night

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West Coast Life Church in Murrieta, California has decided to partner with Go International and support the cause of orphans on September 24th by holding an Orphan For A Night. Check out some of the photos from the people that have committed to Take the Pledge at West Coast Life Church.

If you're in the Temecula/Murrieta area and are interested in attending Orphan For A Night, contact West Coast Life Church at (951) 696-2229; www.westcoastlife.tv.

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Go Internship's Fifth Annual: Go Weekend 2010!

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Fall is around the corner and the time for new beginnings has quickly approached us once again. Five years ago this month, the Go Internship started with a handful of ambitious individuals chasing God’s heart and plan for their lives. Now, a new group of young and expectant interns arrive to place their hands in the new year’s work and make their mark in the lives of those around the globe. Starting off this year, we carry on the beloved yearly tradition of the Go Weekend- continuing for it’s fifth and quite possibly; it’s most creative time yet. This fun-packed and thought-provoking voyage is merely the beginning of things to come.

Congratulations to Sarah Hunt on her Engagement!

Congratulations to Sarah Hunt on her Engagement to Michael Twyman! Sarah Hunt has interned for 2 years at Go International and is currently a member of the Go Staff. While at Go she has been a key individual of the office management and planning. Since she joined on as an intern she has traveled to six different countries and participated in a variety of different ministries. We are so happy for her here at Go and wish her the best of luck as she begins this new journey of her life!

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Project Panama 2010: Back from the San Blas Islands

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Hello! We are back in Panama City and we had an awesome free day in the city! This past week in San Blas has been nothing short of amazing and miraculous. Each team’s efforts, from the water project to the medical clinics to the children’s carnivals were successful! It’s amazing to see God do so much in such a short period of time through a group of people who’s hearts are so willing to be used. Tomorrow we are flying back into Miami and we will have more in-depth update on all the projects that took place during our travels. Thank you so much for your prayers.

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Project Panama 2010: Arrived in Panama

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Today we arrived in Panama City and have already picked up where we have left off in Miami. Our training has continued at a vigorous pace, but our team members have risen to the challenge. The team's positive outlook and enthusiasm is shown not only in the daily demeanor, but also in how they approach their training as a sacrifice of love for the Kuna people. The air is charged with hope and compassion and we haven't even arrived to the islands yet! Along with each team there is an integral part to play. With everything from the water systems being installed to the medical clinics teaching the locals and even the Evangelism teams loving the people; it is apparent that every individual is taking on their role with a sense of duty and commitment. Only one more day until all the projects begin and only one more day until the Kunas experience the love of Christ in action!

Just as a heads up, we unfortunately will not be able to do web updates while we are on the islands. Although we love getting to share daily photos and stories with everyone back home, we are so excited to have this rare opportunity to reach such a primitive group of people. Since we will be without internet connection while we're on the islands, we will be doing daily updates by phone to our Trip Update Line, which you can call at 1-866-992-2554 ext. 4. We will continue our regular web updates when we return to Panama City on the 27th of June.

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Project Panama 2010: Training in Miami

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Hello! Everyone has arrived safely in Miami and the energy is running high with each of the team members. We started off with orientation following dinner and we finished the night with a pool party and a lively game of water volleyball! All of us are very excited and have high expectations for what God is going to accomplish through each individual during this trip! For updates while we are on the islands please call: 1-866-992-2554 ext. 4

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A Note From Brown

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The medical team on the islands is all about sharing basic health and hygiene with the Kunas.  There is a radical difference between our health standards and theirs, causing many health issues for the people. Things like washing your hands before meals, or not breathing in smoke isn’t common knowledge like it is in the United States; these are the kind of things Matt Arbo, a first year intern at GO, helped educate the people on. This week’s blog we will get to talk to him first-hand and learn all about what a day on the medical project looks like.

Brown- Tell us one of your favorite stories from a day on the medical team.

Matt Arbo- Well, I’d have to say my favorite story was the first day that we set up the clinic. The line was like three miles long; well… probably not three miles, but it was BIG. It was so cool to see the turnout for the clinic and to see so many people get help. I remember being able to help this little baby girl by giving her a nebulizer treatment. I felt kind of bad because she was crying the whole time, (laughs) but I knew I was helping her. I wish we could have done so much more, but I know what we got to do made a huge impact.

Brown- That sounds awesome, Matt!  So, are there any requirements if someone was interested in being a part of the medical team?

Matt Arbo- There are no requirements to be on the medical team. The more knowledge you have in that field the better, but we’ll take anyone who’s willing. There will be nurses and doctors there doing the check-ups and prescribing drugs, but we can use people to work at the pharmacy, to check blood pressures, get general health information and stuff like that.

Brown- Before you went on the trip, did you have any interest in the medical field?

Matt Arbo- No, I didn’t necessarily have an interest in the medical field, but after going, I saw what an impact it made in people’s lives and all the doors it can open for ministry. I definitely left with more of an appreciation for it. Dr. Niko was the head of the medical team, dude, he was super funny and a lot of fun to work with. He was always helpful with all the questions I had, so I learned a lot working with him. He was just an all-around fun guy to work with.

The Kunas don’t have access to basic over-the-counter meds like aspirin or pre-natal vitamins for pregnant women, so when they hear about being able to obtain this stuff for free, we create quite a gathering. Like I’ve said before, their language has no word for love. Saying, “God loves you,” won’t mean much, but showing it will be what makes a lasting impact. The medical team is part of giving something to the people that keeps giving once we're gone. Just a few more weeks!

Guest Speaker: Bob Harrison

This past Thursday we very fortunate to have Bob Harrison, a.k.a. Dr. Increase, come and share with the interns about his life ventures. Well known for his financial lessons and the “Increase” conferences he hosts across the country, Mr. Harrison decided he would begin the discussion with a quote from Donald Trump. When Mr. Trump was asked about his success and how he has achieved what he has in life, his response was, “You’re going to be thinking anyway, why not think bigger”. Although Mr. Harrison talked about many life lessons that were powerful and relevant, I want to talk about just a couple of them that really “hit home” with me and changed my way of thinking. In all honesty there was just too much wisdom and too many topics for me to write about in a single blog. The lessons that were presented could of created a yearlong curriculum. So let’s start with the power of habits. Mr. Harrison made this excellent statement; “The habits you have now will close or open doors for you”. Don’t deceive yourself, if you are not living the way you want to be right now then you aren’t going to magically change five years down the road. This is just another reminder that the little things and little decisions in our life create the most substantial results, desirable or not. “Your life will consist of the habits and routines you choose to have,” he said. “If you are faithful in little things, then you will be faithful in big things.” After this he gave us some of his most important Healthy Habits:

1.     Faithfulness in everything that is given to you.

2.     Do more than what is expected.

3.     Live your life by schedule and routine, but always be ready for interruption.

Another significant point that he presented was just how critical it is to be faithful. Let’s be transparent for a moment. Life can be dull. This is when you need to ask yourself, “What do I believe that God really told me”? When you are dealing with confusion, go back to the last time you had clarity with what God told you. Commitments are crucial to success. Hold on to the word that God has given you. For me, it’s the only thing that gets me through those moments of doubt and insecurity. In the words of Mr. Harrison, “It’s amazing how fast God can create change if you just hang in there." The third one is, “Circumstances only have the power that you give them”. The moment you decide that circumstances will no longer have control over your decisions is the moment you have power over circumstances. If you let circumstances dictate what you do, they will continue doing just that for the rest of your life. God’s promises are greater than your circumstances. The last one and my personal favorite is… (drum roll please). Don’t worry about money. “The fact is money is always behind,” expressed Mr. Harrison. Behind what? What he meant by that is, money always follows those who take advantage of opportunities. Strategies and ideas create money and opportunities. God will give you the strategies and ideas that will bring money to you.

I believe that all of these points are vital to success in life, but it is up to you whether or not you apply them in your life. Remember what Mr. Trump said, “You’re going to be thinking anyways, so why not think bigger”.

Guest Speaker: 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.