Come by Top That! Pizza on Monday, May 2nd from 5:00PM 'til close and enjoy some delicious "Pizza with Purpose." Top That! Pizza will be donating 20% of the profits from each receipt when customers request to donate the funds to Go International.
Come get some pizza and help a greater cause! We hope to see you there!
Top That! Pizza 8393 South Memorial Drive Tulsa, OK 74133 918/994/4399
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.
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.
“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 – -Johnnie Hampton-
“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."
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.
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.
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“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.”
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
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.”
“The beauty of casting your cares to the Lord is that it shows that you trust Him,” said Barbara Arbo. She followed up this statement with Isaiah 30:18 – “The Lord longs for those who look to Him”. Our heart is His desire and our trust in Him, a prized possession. Mrs. Arbo continued by boldly declaring her next point: “The fact is, we are born into this world with nothing and once we leave we take nothing. The Bible says that every good gift comes from above, so we have nothing on our own.” After that she made this powerful statement: “If we are going to have something to give to others, we must first come to God to receive it”.
Her words stayed with me for sometime that day. Recently, I’ve had to come to a place of honesty with myself. I’ve always wanted to do something for God that was bigger than me and I knew it would require that I grow in many areas of my life. So, in my pursuit of the God-given dreams for my life, I worked hard to grow in these areas- so much that I often forgot why, or rather, Who I was doing them for in the first place. I set my goals and dreams in the place of the God who gave them to me. Just like the Israelites in the Old Testament who turned to worshipping idols of metal and stone and in time, forgot their God. They worshipped the creation, not the creator. In my weakness and frustration I once again realized how much I missed intimacy with God and in His faithfulness He brought me back to Him again.
Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, extend to the skies, and Your faithfulness to the clouds. -Psalm 36:5-
“God prepared my heart”, Kelly said. “I’ve always wanted to bless people with money to do traveling ministry, but I thought it would be years from now. God answered my heart’s desire and Hilary’s as well.”
Just two weeks before leaving, apprentice Kelly Drury decided to give her entire trip money to intern Hillary Patrick- months of work and planning gone with a single decision. For Kelly it wasn’t a challenge or even a questionable notion, she knew what God asked her do. More so, Kelly believed in the sacrifice she made because she believed in Hilary. She believed that family sticks together.
Another exciting miracle was soon to follow. Because of Kelly’s efforts, the other interns followed her example and quickly formed a strategy to raise the $2,500 that was needed for Andrew Hunt, the last intern without the trip money. With just 48 hours left before their departure date you wouldn’t think there was much hope, but it was just the opposite. Hope saturated the offices and the atmosphere was charged with possibility. It turns out that 48 hours was more than enough time for the interns. The money was raised. Following the announcement of his latest financial breakthrough, cries of celebration surrounded Andrew’s speechless face; he was coming with us. “I know they care about me; they are family.” –Andrew H.
Today at 8 o'clock in the evening, the team will be leaving South Africa to return to the states. Although today is our final day in South Africa and the Mystery Trip is coming to a close, ministry is not over. The team spent the morning at a local church service, leading worship and preaching the message of God's love, the freedom we have in Him, and the plan He has for our lives. It was evident that the members of the church were encouraged by this message bringing hope. After the message, the team prayed with members of the congregation. Individuals came up for prayer for new jobs, healing in different parts of their bodies, and healing for HIV. As prayer was ending, the presence of God filled the tent as Ben Blount, a first year intern, started singing "Hallelujah". It was beautiful to see the body of Christ unite despite nationality, skin color, age, or language. The team said their goodbyes, and headed to Impact Kids, a project started by Rich Franzen, director of Impact Africa. Rich shared with the team the vision that he had for the organization, and the role that Impact Kids plays in the community. Rich explained to the team that Impact kids is strategically located between two squatter camps, both having approximately 15,000 families in their communities. Aids affects 80% of the camps, resulting in 1,000 deaths per a day, leaving 450 children as orphans. Rich explained that in addition to aids being one of the growing problems in these squatter camp communities is mothers abandoning their babies after birth. Mothers throw their helpless unwanted babies in the streets, in fields, and even in dumpsters. These ugly realities left the team in complete shock. Creating a burning desire to continue carrying out God's mandate: "Learn to do right! Seek Justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:17). So as the team heads out to share the love of God to those in the squatter camps one last time before they board a plane to come back to the States, the team's hearts will be aching with the desire to bring hope and light into these individual's lives.
Though the Mystery Trip is ending, the mystery continues. The need is great and the yearning for a savior is still burning in hearts. The Lord is in search for those who are fully committed to Him and sharing His great love to those who are lost. To those of you who have partnered with us on Mystery Trip 2011, Go International thanks you for helping send us and for your prayers. Much was accomplished in our short time here, there is still more work to be done in South Africa, however we can be assured of this: "The people walking in darkness have seen the light; and those living in the land of the deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation, you have increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest." (Isaiah 9.2-3).
The mystery continues, tomorrow.
Sunday Church Service from Go International on Vimeo.
Throughout this entire trip we have seen many facets of God’s love. Through the Dream Campaign we saw His passion for purpose in the lives of people. For the Forgiven Movement, we witnessed His forgiveness impact the lives of those we encountered. During the hand full of other ministry opportunities, we saw His grace and loving kindness turn a few short moments into appointments of destiny. This evening, we caught a glimpse of another side of God’s love- His power. Throughout the day and into the evening the team took part in a powerful crusade that affected the lives of many S. Africans. In the midst of all the laughter and dancing, a simple message of love and healing was presented to the locals and following that people came forward to be healed. God’s mercy is always humbling and His love doesn’t disappoint. Many individuals came forward to praise God for their healing and thanked Him for His grace. Among all these healing miracles was another one, a different one. It was the team rediscovering the compassion that God birthed in them long ago. Throughout this trip, one step at a time, God has slowly unveiled His love in us. As we opened up our lives to the people of S. Africa we no longer kept a “safe distance” from those around us. We were exposed and broken- to be built again. Staring Need in the face the team extended their hand in love instead of letting fear pull it back. The process of love once again amazes us and we thank God for it.
Johannesburg Ministry from Go International on Vimeo.
What is our calling?
Despite our age, ethnicity, culture, occupation or whatever else you may want to throw into the mix, our calling as Christians is to "proclaim the mystery of Christ".
The Mystery Trip. How did it get its name? To start, the destination is a mystery. But more importantly, on this trip we get the opportunity to "proclaim the mystery of Christ".
In Colossians 4:3 Paul writes, "And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ." The interns were given an opportunity, or as the Apostle Paul would say, "an open door" to share the message of Christ with a group of people who are in desperate need of the love of God. The interns returned to the squatter camps to minister to the people of Cape Town. However, this time, the interns had a chance to go perform powerful dramas at the local community center. Armed with a microphone and speakers, the interns dispersed throughout the community to invite people to come to watch a "presentation". It wasn't long until the community center was filled with adults, teenagers, and little kids who were eagerly waiting for the dramas that were about to be performed. The team, performed skits that shared the simple message of Jesus, showing that because of his deep love for us he came to save us by breaking off the chains of bondage, so that we could live freely. Moved by the dramas, many of the those in the audience accepted Christ into their hearts. As the interns, went around praying for people, one could sense the presence of God was truly in that community center. Light was being shined in the darkness. The interns continued their ministry as they spent time loving on the children, holding and dancing with them. Laughter filled the room, as the music blared out of the speakers, and everyone danced in a circle. The children clung to the members of the team, just wanting to be held and know that they were loved. Their faces were filled with the most beautiful smiles, as the team gave them their undivided attention. Though our ministry in the camps were nothing extravagent, realities were being changed. The people of Cape Town were coming to know the love of God. In this squatter camp, a place where most of South Africa finds unlovely, the mystery of Christ was being proclaimed.
Several things went on while the team was at the little center : Callings were being fulfilled. The mystery of Christ was proclaimed. And the kingdom of God was being expanded. Beauty was filling an area that had been deemed as "unlovely."
The story of the mystery continues, tomorrow.
Last Day in Cape Town from Go International on Vimeo.
Boulder Beach:
Lions, giraffes, zebra and… penguins? Yes, there are penguins in S. Africa too! If one word could describe this beautiful nation, I believe it would be diverse. In what other country could you find such contrasting habitats and the animals that follow? For this once-in-a-lifetime experience the interns spent their afternoon on Boulder Beach, surrounded by a vast ensemble of spirited penguins. It’s almost a surreal moment as you see yourself walking along the beach and jumping into the water with these curious, buoyant birds. These lively, little creatures are just another reminder of God’s overwhelming creativity.
Love from Above:
Beginning with prayer, the team of expectant interns began to seek God for His direction. Discussing their ideas back and forth, they narrowed down the options and followed what they believed to be the best course of action and hit the streets. Armed with just 120 Rand ($20) and their personal creativity, they put their plan into action. A variety of options set into motion, but one purpose was set in their hearts- show the love of God. After they finished their day of ministry the team got together to talk about what had come about from the Love From Above ministry challenge. It’s amazing what you can do with a few bucks and a willing heart. The stories were simple and nothing seemingly amazing, but they were heart-felt and sincere. The heart of God was portrayed wonderfully as they began to explain how they spent their time with the homeless and the children that were scattered across the streets. Throughout the emotional conversation, the point of this challenge was slowly unveiled- everyday life is an opportunity. Ministry is how you live your life and how you spend your time, whether in another country or in your own hometown.
Cape Town Ministry from Go International on Vimeo.
There are stories all around us. Stories waiting to be discovered, waiting to be told, and waiting to be written.
Today, the Go Interns hit the streets of Cape Town and transformed themselves from individuals to a collective live art piece. Dressed in white shirts with a black blindfold covering their eyes, the interns stood in a still line becoming a "scene" that sparked curiosity to those who passed by. Through this eye-catching display, the interns were able to speak to people about having vision for their lives. They passed out "Vision Cards" to the individuals that approached them, and asked them the question "What is your vision?" "If you had all the money in the world- and knew you could not fail, what would you do?" These questions uncovered stories, stories that were hidden, stories that were waiting to be pushed along. One of the individuals that Jon Adams, an apprentice, encountered was a local business man in Cape Town, who had been working on a project, but along the way had lost motivation and vision for the project. As the business man left his house this morning, he considered tossing the project to the sea and told God that he needed a "sign" if he ought to continue on the project. As this man talked with the Go Team, light filled his eyes, as he remembered why he first started working on this project. Vision had been restored. Throughout the Vision Challenge, many of the interns had conversations similar to the one between Jon and the businessman. These conversations revealed stories that were waiting to be pushed along and written. Individuals who passed the live art exhibit woke up that morning, and for some it may have seemed like just another ordinary day, however, for those who stopped to talk with the interns, their lives will be forever changed. "We interrupted their day, but we may have interrupted their life.", stated Kelly Drury. Today marks a day that the locals of Cape Town were encouraged, inspired, and refreshed. Many of the locals left the live art exhibit with a feeling of hope that their story was going to be beautiful, and perhaps even a masterpiece.
The interns continued discovering the stories of Cape Town's locals as they visited a squatter camp on the outskirts of Cape Town. The squatter camp is an area that is home to 15,000 familes, 80% of these families are affected by HIV. A majority of the families migrated from Zimbabwe and Malawi in hopes to provide their families with a better life. However, these families live in the some of the worst living conditions that one could imagine. Their small houses are merely four walls covered by a roof. Unfortunately, the children who live in the squatter camps have been deprived of a normal childhood. In order to aid this problem, a group of individuals created "Homes of Hope", an organization that provides after school care to children belonging to the squatter camp. The organization provides the children tutoring and classes to further their education in English, as well as a safe environment to play in. The interns spent the afternoon loving on the children, singing American pop songs, playing on the jungle gym, giving piggy back rides, snapping photos, and even making beats on the jimbae and having a dance party. The children and the team's face were filled with light and smiles as the afternoon pasted by. This afternoon will be ingrained in the the hearts of not only the children, but also the Go team. It was a day, where joy was brought into these children's world.
The story of the mystery continues, tomorrow.
“I’m able to look beyond my own judgments of others now.” “You brought me relief. Now I can move on and I know there are people that care about me.” "I’m so proud to be a part of what we’re doing.” These few quotes are just a glimpse into the everyday endeavors of the Go intern team while in South Africa. This Tuesday, ministry was redefined as the interns made their way through the streets of Cape Town, one of the most influential cities in South Africa. Bringing the Dream Campaign to new terrain, the Go team once again spread the love of Jesus in a new and refreshing way. Smiling faces flocked around the cameras as the locals had their dreams reawakened while participating in this powerful campaign. Just getting started, they finished their work to continue with a brand new ministry project entitled: The Forgiven Movement. The movement was designed to create an opportunity to share God's message of love and forgiveness in a unique way. Micah 7:19 states that because of His mercy God will "cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea". The Go Team, invited individuals to put pen to paper, and write down what they needed forgiveness for or who they needed to forgive, and then put the message in a bottle which would be emptied and tossed into the sea. Walking along the boardwalk of the V&A Waterfront, Go Interns invited the people they encountered to join in this movement. Once complete strangers, the Cape Town natives opened up their lives and expressed their desire for forgiveness. Many powerful stories were created during this new ministry. Revisiting the Dream Campaign on the V&A Waterfront, the team opened up the hearts of many new faces while they expressed their dreams. The clock struck 9, but the night was not over for the interns. Go International strives to imitate Christ in all areas of our lives, including the way we do ministry. If one were to look at the patterns of Christ's ministry while on earth, one would discover that Jesus spent time in the "unexpected" places, building relationships with those who were in need of His love and grace. The interns were given an opportunity to do ministry just as Jesus did through a new ministry project, Light the Night. The interns headed out for the night to a local pool hall to hang out with the young locals and build relationships. Over a few games of pool and one or two cokes, the interns were able to breathe life into those that they met. Arriving back to "home base", the interns were chatting about not only how much fun they had, but also about the divine conversations they had throughout the night. God only knows who will be impacted in these next few days, but if today is any sign of the upcoming future, we consider ourselves to be very fortunate.
The story of the mystery continues, tomorrow.
At Go International, it's safe to say that "seeing" is never enough, our team is always desiring to be "hands on". This "hands on" mentality trickles into every area of their lives, and that includes whenever an adventure presents itself. Yesterday, the team went on a Safari and saw wild animals from a safe distance, however, they decided to take this wild animal adventure to the next level and visit the Lion Park in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The team got "hands on" as they interacted with young lion cubs and fed giraffes. This was an experience of a lifetime and left the interns wondering if it could get any better. Little did they know, that a clue would be coming around the corner to reveal another adventure.
Life on the Mystery Trip can be described as fluid or perhaps even spontaneous. One moment you can be hanging out with lion cubs in Jo-burg, and the next moment you may be on the edge of your seat discovering that you are about embark on a new adventure. As the days continue, the interns are quickly grasping this way of life. Exiting the park, the interns stumbled upon Greg Baca, director of Go International, sitting on a park bench. Set up next to him was a computer with a video ready and waiting for the interns. Running with excitement, the interns huddled around the video as it started. It wasn't long before their faces were lit up and filled with shock as the video announced that Johannesburg was not the final destination. The video revealed another part of the mystery: Cape Town was waiting to be impacted by Go International. Revealing Cape Town as a second destination caught the interns completely off guard, however, no group of 9 people could be more excited than this group. As they took of running for the vans with excitement, they turned and yelled to the rest of the staff "Hurry up guys! We gotta get to Cape Town!"
So tonight, the Mystery leads the Go International's team to Cape Town, South Africa. Tomorrow, Cape Town will wake up with some visitors who are ecstatic to start ministering.
The story of the mystery continues, tomorrow.
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It was once said that "We must travel. If we don't offer ourselves to the unknown, our senses dull."
Africa.
To a majority of the staff and interns of Go International, Africa is a territory that has not yet been discovered. After a full day of traveling, it was time to DISCOVER Africa. What better way to do that than a Safari?!?
The interns were called into the dining hall for an announcement, although they were unsure of what that announcement was, they filled the room with their enthusiasm. Gathered around a small computer screen, the interns watched a video as it described what they would be doing for the next 24 hours. It wasn't long into the video until you could hear the interns screaming as the word Safari was spelled out on the screen. After a few minutes of jumping up and down, hugging each other, and saying "OH MY GOSH WE'RE GOING ON A SAFARI!!", the interns hustled to their rooms to pack their bags. After all, they'd be sleeping outside with the lions that night. Okay, well maybe not exactly with the lions, but they'd be sleeping on the reserve.
The team arrived to the reserve ready to discover Africa. Loading on the Safari bus, the team discovered a few things. One, several of the interns had never been to zoo, therefore they were about to be blown away. Two, that the lions were not the kings of the jungle. Although, this information did not keep the team from wanting to see wild lions in action. After encountering zebras, impala, rhinos, giraffes, and more the team got word that lions were in action not to far away from their location. The driver got the team to the siting of the lions in the nick of time allowing, the team to see a rare confrontation between a few rhinos and a male lion.
After adventuring on the wild safari, the team ended the night with a African barbeque. In five words, staff and interns would describe today as "an adventure of a lifetime". This adventure is only beginning, it is very apparent that the interns as coming alive as they discover the unknown and embrace uncertainty with open arms as they follow the mystery.
After 27 hours of traveling,
three plane rides,
and a stamp in our passports,
We, Go International's staff and interns, have safely arrived in johannesburg, South Africa.
Although, it was a long journey to South Africa, the interns are ecstatic to be here. In fact if it was up to them, we'd probably start ministry right this second. Listening closely to the chattering going on amongst the interns, one can gather that they have high expectations for what is going to happen in the city of Johannesburg.
Tomorrow is a new day, full of possibilities. With passion in their hearts, the interns will face tomorrow, as the apostle Paul did in Acts 6:9, when the Lord said, "Go into the city, and I will tell you what you must do." As Paul did, the interns are trusting that the mystery is going to unfold in a beautiful and adventurous way.
The story of the mystery will be continued. Tomorrow.
