, , ,

Mystery Trip Update: Day 4

, , ,

“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.

, , ,

Mystery Trip Update: Day 3

, , ,

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.

.

Safari & Cape Town Reveal from Go International on Vimeo.

, , ,

Mystery Trip Update: Day 2

, , ,

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.

, , ,

Mystery Trip Update: Day 1

, , ,

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.

, , ,

Mystery Trip: REVEAL!

, , ,

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.

Finished Water Project!

Go Geographic: Written by Brittany Norris

What if there was something that was so vital to your existence that it actually comprised seventy percent of your being? What if that one thing that played such a significant role in your survival was the one thing that was most likely to kill you? That’s the reality for one in six people worldwide that have to go everyday without clean drinking water. Sadly, over 1.1 billion people on earth have to face this harsh realization.

Just off the coast of Panama there is a tribe of people that inhabit the San Blas Islands, called the Kuna Indians. Although they are surrounded by the beautiful Caribbean Sea, they suffer from a lack of clean drinking water. As a result, early infant death and widespread disease among the Kunas has become normality for them. This is where we came in. We shared the love of Christ with these people by organizing a water project for them and meeting a very real need in their lives. Matthew Arbo, a Go Intern, who led the Water Project team, reflects on their time in the islands.

“After riding for over an hour through the Caribbean sea and down a long narrow river leading into the jungle, our team unloaded the small dugout canoes with all the supplies and water we needed for the next few days. As a team of Americans, we began our 10-mile trek through jungle terrain in the 98-degree weather. The next few hours was intense with the load we were carrying, but I was accompanied by these encouraging thoughts as we walked through the thick brush: ‘I imagine this is hardly any type of struggle compared to the lives these Kunas have lived, deep in the Jungle with no fresh water, no convenient stores, and no access to medical care.’ I then realized what blessed lives we have lived.”

Several hours later the team arrived at their work site.

“We had prepared every thing from site operation to maintenance, as well as training others in our place to take over once we left. We then built the solar-powered water filtration system that was able to provide clean drinking and bathing water on a consistent basis for 300 Kunas. The people of the San Blas Islands couldn’t have appreciated it more. Upon the end of our visit, the Kuna’s tribal Chiefs presented us with gifts- hand carved, miniature replicas of the life size oars they use to row their canoes on the islands. As we were handed the gifts, the Chiefs expressed their gratitude, stating how rare it is for people to pick up everything and leave their country to help a community, expecting nothing in return. They told us they couldn’t give us anything that could compare to what we’d given them, but the truth is; we’ve been given so much as Americans and as Christians. How can we not allow that blessing to overflow to those so much less fortunate than us? This is truly our mandate.”

By the team going and meeting a physical need of theirs and demonstrating the love of Christ, we reached the Kunas in a real and relevant way. By expressing the gospel with our works and words, we were able to make a lasting impact on the San Blas islands.

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.

Through My Eyes by Lauren Bruhn

These past couple weeks all of us here at GO have been setting the majority of our focus on fundraising money for the Mystery Trip coming up in January. Today was our deadline for the one thousand dollar payment- it seemed to sneak up on us very quickly. I was expecting to walk into the offices today and feel an uptight atmosphere, but I was surprised when I felt an environment of celebration. God is faithful, and we got our money in! As we celebrated each other’s success, we shared stories of unique fundraising techniques, divine conversations, and miracles that we experienced. Today, 2 Corinthians 5:7 (we walk by faith and not by sight) became real to me. I really love this quote by Gail Dever: “Keep your dreams alive. Understand, to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember, all things are possible for those who believe.”

-Lauren

Through My Eyes by Lauren Bruhn

Just like any ordinary day, we all gathered at the offices at 1:30 and began the day with worship, led by our wonderfully talented worship band.  As I looked around the room and observed everyone entering into worship, I was so... happy? Delighted? Joyful? Whatever the feeling was, I was inspired; inspired by a group of young adults pouring out their hearts fully and shamelessly to God. Being involved with a group of people that have such genuine hearts and a radical passion to make a change in the world makes me want to become a better person; it creates a sort of domino effect. Tonight is our first worship night of the year, and I am expecting the inspiration that I felt today to ripple through everyone that is at the worship night. I’ll let you know how the night went; you’ll just need to check back in tomorrow. -Lauren

Through My Eyes by Lauren Bruhn

Hello readers! My name is Lauren Bruhn, I’m a first year intern at Go International! I work in the missions department, which I love, and write a blog called “Through My Eyes”. Let me decode this for you. Basically, I will be writing a couple of times a week explaining what’s going on at Go, through the eyes of a first year intern. I will be living and writing about everything from a typical day at the offices to the big trips we will be going on. You can be expecting fresh blogs, both written and video, throughout the year! Keep reading- I’ll keep it interesting for you! -Lauren

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

Mystery Trip is Right Around the Corner

Go Geographic: Written by Brittany Norris As a Go Intern, one of the main things to look forward to in your ten-month experience is the annual Mystery Mission Trip. The Mystery Trip is always organized by Staff and Apprentices, while being kept completely under wraps from the first year interns.

Everything from airline tickets to hotels, to sight seeing opportunities and ministry sites are planned out thoroughly without even the slightest hint given to any of the interns. As a current intern, this whole experience has everyone a little anxious and excited, to say the least. We aren’t the only ones either; the Apprentices and Staff are just as psyched for us to find out where we’re going. It’s certainly been the talk of the office for the past few weeks, and I’m sure the excitement will only increase, as it grows closer to the time for us to finally experience the adventure set before us.

Some of the destinations of past trips include: London, England, Paris, France, Rome, Italy, Bangkok, Thailand, Manila, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia! During past Mystery Trips, they’ve created and implemented many different outreaches and ministry styles depending upon the culture in which they’ve found themselves. For example, last year in Cambodia the team met a woman who had lost her husband that week, leaving her to raise her children alone and provide for the family by herself. The woman explained that in their village, her sons would have to be raised in the pagoda under the influence of the Buddhist religion. She then expressed her desire to live near the Christian church where her sons could grow up learning about God.

Knowing that the distance was too far for her to make frequent trips to the church, the Go team got together and pitched in $200 for a house to be built for her and her family right near the church! This wasn’t a planned ministry opportunity, but it’s amazing what kind of difference you can make wherever you go, if you are open to listening to the needs of those around you. The team didn’t know they were going to meet that lady that day, or that their small amount of money could make such a huge impact in her life. It’s just an awesome reminder that even though we’re blind to things at times, and life may seem mysterious in some ways; God always knows what He’s doing.

God always has an awesome plan for every journey we take too, whether it is in our day-to-day lives or as we travel across the globe. Nothing can be a mystery to God, which is one of the main reasons we’re so excited about our trip here at Go! We know He has something amazing lined up for us, once we get wherever it is that we’re going.

Here are some of the pictures from the past Mystery Mission Trips I mentioned, and feel free to follow us on our journey @ www.followthemystery.com as we take our once-in-a-lifetime Go Mystery Trip 2011!!

Photos by: Katie O'Toole