iGoGlobal

Light of the World

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 16:33:03 GMT

Light of the World

I love Christmas lights. Every year there’s a part of me that wants to go full Clark Griswold and cover my house in them. Our family loves taking a trip around town to look at lights as well. Here in Rockwall, we have houses with classic lights, some with creative lights, a famous cul-de-sac with lights and inflatables, and a few houses that set their lights to music. One of our required stops is the house on Ridge Road West because the homeowner is his own DJ introducing each song in his list. Christmas lights are pure greatness.

The lights remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. When Jesus proclaimed to be the light of the world, it was more than just a cool metaphor. It was a fulfillment of prophecy.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” –Isaiah 9:2

His arrival on the first Christmas was the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring light to a world in darkness. If you have some extra time this week, check out Matthew 4:12-16 and compare it to Isaiah 9:1-2. It’s an amazing fulfillment of prophecy with all kinds of connections to missions. I preached this sermon at our church on Sunday and made that missions connection.

Jesus brought light to a world dwelling in darkness. He is the true light of the world. So what does that mean for us? Let me give you just a couple of ways we can respond.

Walk in the light. Jesus says that his followers will not walk in darkness, but will have the light. That means that no matter what we go through or experience in this life, darkness will not overcome the light. He is with us and He guides us through it all. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. When we devote ourselves to God’s word, we find him illuminating our steps and our path as we walk in the light.

Be the light. In Matthew 5, Jesus says that we are the light of the world as we follow him and represent him to the world. We are on mission to shine the light of Jesus into every dark corner of this world. When we shine as lights by living for his glory and following his commandments, we show the world the greatness of our God. This season gives us all kinds of opportunities to be the light for people we are connected to in our lives.

So gas up the car and go look at those Christmas lights. Notice how your town seems brighter this time of year. The darkness is being pushed back by all those lights. Let it remind you that light has come to the world. Let’s walk in the light and be the light for His glory.

Come and see

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 22:23:49 GMT

Come and See!

Jesus had 12 disciples. They ranged from fishermen to tax collectors to seekers to zealots. He even had a traitor in the group. The stories of Jesus calling these disciples are well known and often told, but deep diving into John’s perspective in his Gospel highlights some things for us that I find very interesting.

“The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” –John 1:35–37

John is referring to John the Baptist in the first part of this passage. He’s standing there in his camel hair jacket talking with two of his disciples when Jesus walks by. When John sees Jesus he exclaims, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” After hearing that, the two disciples traded up as they began to follow Jesus.

John points to Jesus and says, “there He is, fellas.” He’s the one you are looking for and He’s the one I came to point everyone towards. One of these guys was Andrew, the brother of Peter (more on him in a second), and the other one is unnamed but highly believed to be the author of this Gospel, John himself.

They followed Jesus because someone they knew and trusted pointed them in the right direction.

“One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus.” –John 1:40–42a

So now let’s talk about Andrew. He heard what John said and began to follow Jesus. After a brief conversation about Jesus’ hotel/AirBNB situation, Andrew and his friend stayed with Jesus the rest of that day. Notice what Andrew did next. He went and found his brother, Simon (we know him as Peter). He tells his brother they have found the Messiah and then he goes one step farther. He brought Simon to Jesus.

Andrew recognized the greatness of Jesus, and immediately thought his brother needed to meet Jesus too.

Simon followed Jesus because his brother cared enough to bring him to the Messiah.

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” –John 1:43–46

The very next day, Jesus called Philip to follow him, and Philip went to invite Nathanael to join the party. Nathanael has some doubts about Jesus’ hometown producing anyone resembling a Messiah, and expresses those doubts in a now infamous question. Notice what Philip does in response. He doesn’t argue or reason with his friend. He simply extends an invitation. “Come and see.” He is confident that getting Nathanael to Jesus will be enough. Jesus will take care of the rest. Philip is convinced of Jesus’ greatness and he wants his friend to experience it too.

Nathanael followed Jesus because his friend invited him to come and see Jesus’ greatness.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are on mission with Him. And sometimes it can be as simple as these stories. Who in your life do you need to point in the right direction? Is there someone you need to bring to Jesus? Maybe you have a friend who just needs an invitation to come and see. Any season is a great season to bring others to find what we’ve found. But this Christmas season is an especially good time to invite people to come and see his greatness.

Come and behold him. But you don't have to come alone.

iGo Global turns 25!

shu@igoglobal.org — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:41:59 GMT

Come Celebrate with us!

Join us at the 25th Anniversary iGo Celebration!

Our first iGo Global team served in Sapporo, Japan in the summer of 2001. That team was made up of 13 students and adults, they left on Friday, the 13th, and the flight to Japan was 13 hours. Thankfully, they were on a Boeing 777.

The vision that compelled us to start iGo way back then, is the same vision that guides us 25 years later. We want to see students engage God's work among the nations, and we want to train them to do that well. We teach and train them to share the gospel, to cross cultures effectively, and to live on mission.

We partner with missionaries all over the world (most of them are former iGo team members these days), and we also work alongside great ministries here in Texas engaging refugees with the gospel.

Through our youth camp (Dwell), our stateside refugee ministry (Launch Box), and our mission trips to NYC and overseas; we get to teach and train over 3500 students every year. Our students get to show the love of Jesus and share the good news of the gospel with hundreds and hundreds of people in need each year as well.

We hope you will join us as we celebrate all that God has done through iGo over these 25 years. We'll also look forward to what he has in store this year and beyond.

Please join us at our celebration event on Sunday, April 27 in Rockwall at Cornerstone Church. The event will begin around 5pm with food, fun, and fellowship.

You will get to hear about iGo, and learn how you can be part of our work. We also have a very special guest joining us this year - Senator James Lankford.

James currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. But he was a big part of the early days of iGo. Before he entered into politics, he was leading the largest youth camp in America - Falls Creek. In that role, he established a partnership with iGo in order to mobilize students to the nations. He event spent time with us overseas during some of those trips. We can't wait to have James speak at this year's event. And we are thankful for his work in leading our country.

Let us know you're able to join us by filling out this quick and simple form.

We can't wait to celebrate with you on April 27!

Unto You and Unto All

shu@igoglobal.org — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 15:49:00 GMT

Joy to the WorlD!

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. --Luke 2:10–11

The greatest announcement ever was made about the greatest gift ever given. A Savior has been born! It doesn't get more important than that for all of us who need to be rescued. And in case you haven't been keeping track, that is all of us.

He will be known as Emmanuel, which is more title or description than name, telling us God has come to dwell with us.

God. With. Us.

His actual name will be Jesus, which also has significant meaning. Jesus means "the Lord saves." He was given that name because He will save us from our sins.

Let me point out two specific things about this announcement and this gift.

First, this gift is unto you. God sent His Son to rescue you. The OG birth announcement was made to lowly shepherds in the field. It wasn't to the dignitaries, the rulers, or the elite in society. The first to hear the good news were some of the lowest. And the angel tells this ragamuffin group of sheep herders that the Savior was born unto them.

Those words are like the tag on the presents under your tree. This gift wrapped up in swaddling cloths and lying in that manger is To: You and From: God. This is good news of great joy, indeed.

Next, this gift is unto all. Notice what the angel said before the unto you part. This good news of great joy is for all the people! Lowly shepherds in the field? Yes. Magi from a far away country? Absolutely? You and your family and friends? Without a doubt. Every nation, tribe, and tongue? Count on it.

Joy to the world! Christmas was a mission. God coming to rescue us. And Christmas reminds us that we are on mission. It's good news of great joy for all the people and all the peoples.

Let's rejoice that our Savior was born. And let's remember that this gift is for our neighbors, our classmates, our coworkers, and the entire world. Share, invite, and include wherever you can.

Unto you and unto all.

Merry Christmas!

2024 iGo Banquet

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 15:10:59 GMT

Sunday, April 14

Save the date

It is almost time for our annual iGo Global Celebration Banquet! Join us on Sunday evening, April 14 at Hidden Creek Events in Heath, TX.

We will share stories from our week of Launch Box (more on that below) and let you know what the summer with iGo will look like - spoiler alert - it's going to be amazing!

RSVP right here!

Some Banquet FAQs

How much does it cost to attend?
There is no cost to attend our banquet. Simply fill out this quick Google Form to let us know you are coming, and we will reserve you a spot.

Can we help?
We always welcome help at iGo whether it be for the banquet, Base Camp, Dwell, or Launch Box. If you are interested in helping us with part of the banquet, just hit reply to this email and let me know.

But the #1 way you can help us at the banquet is to bring some friends with you. Make it a double date or fill a whole table (8 seats). When you introduce your friends to our ministry, it helps us tremendously. Is there someone in your circle who would love to hear about our work? Please let them know about iGo and invite them to join you for a wonderful evening.

You can let us know who is coming with you when you fill out the RSVP.

What can I expect that night?
You will get to hear the story that God is doing through iGo. For the past 24 years we have been teaching and training the next generation to live on mission. You will hear stories from our students and stories about God working in and through our students. God is doing amazing things in and through this next generation, and you will be encouraged by His work.
We will also have some great shirts, sweatshirts, and hats for sale that night.

Special Guest for Entertainment

We recently found out that our friend, John Marc Kohl is going to be join us that night to sing some of his amazing songs. We are really excited about this, and can't wait for our banquet crowd to enjoy that part of the evening.

You can check out John Marc and his music right here.

What is the goal for the night?
This event is our only fundraising event every year, and it is a significant way God provides essential funds for our ministry, especially as we go into the summer. We ask everyone in attendance to contribute to our work that night as the Lord leads them to do so.

Matching Gift Challenge - Double your impact

Thanks to some generous friends who love iGo, we will have a matching gift challenge that night as well. This means that wh atever is given that night will be doubled in order to supply what is needed for the ministry God has put in front of us this year. We will tell you more about the matching challenge that night and in the coming weeks as we get closer.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR IGO ALUMNI (IGOSIANS)

One of our board members wants to challenge iGosians specifically. He is willing to match any donations made by iGo students or their families up to $5000! As an iGo alum, you could help us raise $10,000 this year by giving to our ministry! That would be huge as we head into the summer of Base Camps, Launch Box, and Dwell!

Could you give $10 towards this goal? Or maybe you could knock it out yourself and give $5000? Most of us will be somewhere in between those two numbers, but every gift will help us train the next generation and every gift will be doubled! I'm praying many of you will step up and help us meet this challenge!

You can click here and donate online to jumpstart us towards this goal, but we hope you will join us at the banquet so we can see you and reconnect.
You can even give to iGo through Venmo.

Please join us on Sunday, April 14 at 5:30pm.

Core Values Recap - Part 3

shu@igoglobal.org — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 17:14:20 GMT

Not Gonna be Startin' Something

Take Jesus to China! I once saw this on a poster. It had a beautiful picture of the Great Wall with those words at the top in a big and bold font.

I get the idea behind this. Millions of people in China have never even heard the gospel, so the need for us to go there and tell them about Jesus is huge. However, the idea of taking Jesus to China seems like a stretch. He knows all about China. He created China. Seems like He's been there before.

Our next core value to cover in our recap series is what we call the Ancient Work. This truth reminds that God is at work all over the world, and He has been since the dawn of creation. He doesn't live here in Texas just waiting for a group of teenagers to get Him on a plane so He can go visit Honduras.

The Bible teaches us that God uses His people to accomplish His purposes, but what that really means is God invites us to join Him in the work He is doing all over the world. The reminder that this is God's Ancient Work helps us embrace some key truths:

We don't start anything
We don't finish anything
God invites us and allows us to play a role in His mission

This teaching helps us engage missions with the right mindset. We aren't starting this work; we are joining God in it. There is freedom to be found in this message as well. If this is His work, then we don't have to worry about finishing it. Our goal is to do the work that He allows us to do, and then trust Him to carry it on with or without us. After all, He can do it without us. All of it. This is His work, and He doesn't need us for it. He chooses to use us for it. That's humbling, and also amazing.

Knowing God is at work all over the world helps us see all of life as mission as well. We might join His Ancient Work in Japan for a few weeks, but then we head back to find God is at work in our hometowns just like He is at work in Japan. The invitation to join Him is always open.

Where do you see God at work around you right now? How can you join Him in that work? We should always be asking those questions, and looking for ways to join God's work all over the world.

There's another question that's helpful to ask - how has God been working in your life to prepare you for His mission? You might not be as ancient as I am, but the truth is that God is always at work in us to prepare us for the work He wants to do through us. What have you been learning? What have you been through? What experiences has God brought your way? Look for ways to use what He has been doing in your life to impact others for His glory.

Advent Reading - BTLOG

shu@igoglobal.org — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 01:59:52 GMT

An Advent REading to go with Andrew Peterson's

Behold the Lamb of God

Check out this Advent reading guide put together by iGosian Jami Lee Gainey. Jami Lee put this together for her church's Advent publication as a resource, but we wanted to share it with the iGo world. It goes along with Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God Christmas album - if you aren't listening to that yet, you might be doing it wrong. Thanks Jami Lee!

Core Values Recap - Part 2

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:52:28 GMT

Hope of the World

There's nothing quite like an iGo Base Camp. You may have heard about the country we invented called iGosia, but hearing about it and experiencing it are two very different things. You are always invited to come see it for yourself as a Base Camp volunteer, by the way. Watch for that invite to hit your inbox closer to the summer.

The iGosian cross-cultural experience can change from year to year. It always helps to keep things fresh, and to keep the repeat students on their toes. But one thing that doesn't change is the iGo Core Values. These biblical doctrines are what we teach at all our Base Camps every single year. They are crucial truths to help us engage God's mission well and live on mission always.

We invite you in for a sneak peek into the teaching from Base Camp. No luggage will be lost in the writing or reading of this email.

We started last week with a focus on The Bottom Line (Core Value #1). God's ultimate agenda and purpose is to be worshiped and glorified in all the earth. This is what He is doing and the bottom line reason behind everything He does.

Our next Core Value - The Hope of the World - tells us how God plans to accomplish His purpose. And the answer is through His church. The hope of the world is the local church.

We know that sounds a little off to many of you. The expectation is that we would say Jesus is the hope of the world. That is the "Sunday School" answer to give whenever you are in doubt, but it actually seems really right this time.

You're not wrong. Because of the gospel, Jesus truly is the hope of the world. However, God's plan (His only plan) to make Jesus known to the world is through His church. The mission to make disciples of all nations is the mission of the church.

The apostle Paul is the GOAT when it comes to missionaries. He wanted to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. How did he do that? He planted churches. In fact, in Romans 15, Paul talks about how there is no longer room for him to work in a huge geographical area - from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.

Was the work really done in all those villages, towns, and cities? Of course not. But Paul had planted churches all throughout that region, and those churches would carry out the mission.

God's plan to bring the gospel to every nation, tribe, and tongue is going to be carried out through the church. This has all kinds of ramifications for all of us, but here are a couple we want to highlight:

Disconnecting from the church is disconnecting from God's mission
The church is God's sending agency no matter what org you serve with
iGo's role is to partner with churches in order to train them for the mission

We are so thankful for you and for the hundreds of churches you represent. We count it a privilege to partner with so many churches to help teach and train students and adults to live on mission. If we aren't currently partnering with your church, please let us know how we can start a conversation regarding our opportunities and ways we can serve your students and your body.

Align with the Bottom Line

shu@igoglobal.org — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 19:51:27 GMT

Core Values Recap Part 1

A lot of things go into an iGo Base Camp. After all, we created an entire fake country called iGosia to help us train our teams before they head overseas. So you would expect there to be plenty of hoopla involved. Cross-cultural training, evangelism training, team-building, and so much more are part of that time.

The heart of it all, however, is what we call the iGo Core Values. We have been teaching these biblical truths to students for the last 20+ years. Embracing the core values will not only help them engage the work on the mission field well, it will also lead them to a life on mission.

The core values begin with what we call the Bottom Line. In many ways, this is the core of the core values because it points to God's ultimate purpose. The bible teaches us that God's ultimate purpose is to be worshiped and glorified in every nation, tribe, and tongue.

The idea that this is the bottom line of God's heart and purpose indicates there is a top line as well. The top line is what God does for us. Because of God's love for us, the bible teaches us that He saves us, rescues us, redeems us, forgives us, guides us, provides for us, and promises to always be with us. Of course that list could go on and on and on.

We all have a tendency to focus on the top line while ignoring the bottom line, but when you put these truths together, we can really understand what God is doing. In Genesis 12, God calls Abram to follow Him. And He promises to bless him if he does. But there at the end of verse 3 God adds a key component to the covenant:

--"and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3b)

God blesses His people so that through them He can bless all peoples. Everything He does is ultimately for His glory. He saves, rescues, redeems, forgives, guides, and provides for His glory. We receive the blessing and we then share that blessing with the world. He saves us so we can bring the good news of salvation to the nations. He guides us so we can point others to His greatness. He provides for us so that we can be thankful and give generously to help others.

God receiving all the glory is the bottom line.

On one level, this means that signing up for that mission trip is embracing the bottom line. We go and we share and we serve for His glory alone. But on a deeper level, we begin to see that if we align our lives to the bottom line, we have found the ultimate purpose for our existence. We are here for His glory. We are called to live to make Him famous. No matter our life stage, work field, or home address; we are all on mission. Blessed to be a blessing. Bringing Him glory.

Let's align our lives to that purpose.

Help us continue to teach and train the next generation. Please consider the following ways to stay connected and help:

1. Tell your church leaders and students you know about our opportunities.
2. Make a donation to support our work , or become a monthly partner.
3. Send us a message and let us know how you are living on mission today.

Youth Camp in Honduras

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 21:03:58 GMT

Bring Youth Camp to Honduras!

Our partnership is Shannon Hopkins and the 61 Isaiah team in Gracias, Honduras is pure greatness. We love sending teams down there for all kinds of reasons. From the Aggies for Honduras to a team of Rockwall Lady Jacket hoopsters to our FLT (Field Leadership Team), it's always an honor to walk alongside our partners there.

The 61 Isaiah team also offers one of our most unique mission trip opportunities every summer. Our team serving in Honduras from June 29-July 9, 2024 will lead a youth camp for the students at the private school in Gracias.

Help us bring camp to the kids in Honduras!

Students on this team will truly get to lead the camp. This is part of the core vision. They will lead the activities, lead small groups, lead game time, lead in worship, etc. And all throughout they will build relationships with the students from the school.

It's an amazing way for your students to serve, put the gospel on display, and plant seeds of the gospel among kids who need to hear the good news of Jesus.

If you are in the process of trying to find an amazing opportunity for your group next summer. An international trip with meaningful work that is gospel-driven awaits you in Gracias, Honduras.

Youth Pastors: Let's start a conversation today about your students joining this team.
Fill out this quick and simple form and let's talk.

If you are a student looking for a great opportunity for next summer...

--click here for our Honduras trip.

It's Banquet Time Again

shu@igoglobal.org — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 16:02:27 GMT

Please join us at the

2023 iGo Banquet

Our 2023 iGo Banquet is coming up quick, and we would love to see you there!

Here are the details you need:

Sunday, March 26

6-8pm

Hidden Creek Events in Heath, Texas

Address:

215 Chris Cuny Parkway

Heath, TX 75032

Click here to reserve your spot.

Please bring some friends with you!

The banquet is a great opportunity to introduce some friends to iGo. Please invite some friends to join you that night and let us know you have guests coming. Invite another couple and make it a double date, or fill a whole table (8 seats) and make it a party!

If you want more info on inviting friends, please let us know.

Join us for a great night of fellowship and hear how God is using iGo Global to make a long-term impact all over the world.

Cooking Things Up at Launch Box

shu@igoglobal.org — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 20:57:26 GMT

The swedish Chef said no, can you help?

The Swedish Chef, Sookie from Gilmore Girls, Martha Stewart, and Gordon Ramsay have never volunteered to cook for one of our Launch Box weeks. But that doesn't mean we haven't had some great cooking crews. We always do.

The ones who serve the ones who are serving are such a HUGE part of the mission. Would you consider joining us this spring break and cooking at Launch Box? Here's what we need.

San Antonio Launch Box - March 13-17
We need a cooking team captain. This person would lead the cooking team to provide all the meals for Launch Box that week.
We have a detailed plan that is easy to follow, but all of our cooks are encouraged to add their own touch to the plan.
We provide all the food and resources needed.
You will have some volunteers to help throughout the week.

Email me directly if you are interested in being the cook or part of the cooking team.

Want to help, but can't be there the whole week? Let us know.

Want to help by providing one meal or covering the meals for a whole day? That can be helpful as well - since we can easily order in food for one or more meals. Email us to let us know you want to help. (shu - at - igoglobal.org)

FOMO can defeat your FOBO

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 22:39:02 GMT

Say not to Fobo

You are probably familiar with FOMO - the fear of missing out. It’s mostly a negative idea associated with seeing others have more fun than you on social media.

But have you heard about FOBO? This is the fear of better opportunities, and it is not your friend. FOBO makes it super hard to commit to anything. No one wants to sign up for something only to have a better option come along afterwards. That would be the worst.

Or would it? Making a commitment to a good thing is a good thing. Even if a better opportunity comes along later, there is still tons of value in being the type of person who makes and keeps commitments. Makes and keeps. Both are required.

The danger of FOBO is that you end up missing out on something really good. You wait too long for a better opportunity, and it ends up being too late in the end.

We do NOT want you to miss out, so we are trying to fuel the FOMO in order to get you past the paralysis of FOBO.

Serving on Launch Crew this spring break is a GREAT opportunity. Skiing is always fun. The beach is all kinds of sandy. But leading others as you serve some of the neediest people in the world is hard to top. Time is running out, but we have a few spots left.

Click here to get signed up for Launch Crew!

Hundreds of students have served as FLT (formerly JSI) with us over the years, and it may be one of the best ways you could ever spend your summer. Serving alongside our missionary partners, leading 1.0 students, and immersing yourself into a new culture is something you don’t want to miss. The deadline to apply is this Friday! You are so close to missing out, but you don’t have to!

Click here for more info about FLT opportunities in NYC, Honduras, Germany, and Japan!

Looking for a different good opportunity? How about a 3.0 trip to northern Africa or any of our other trips this summer? Don’t miss it. And please send it to a friend in danger of missing out as well.

Great Opportunities 2023

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 16:17:58 GMT

4 Opportunities to consider...and a bonus for Aggies

Great opportunities are here

Are you looking for the right opportunity to serve, to lead, and to make Him famous this year? I want to point you specifically to four of our best opportunities and biggest needs. And if you are an Aggie, we have a bonus opportunity just for you.

Do you know someone who needs to see this? PLEASE share and encourage them to consider these.

Want to quick version?
We need more Launch Crew for spring break.
We need FLT for this summer .
We have an incredible 3.0 opportunity in northern Africa.

Jimmy is a great way to experience mobilization (and we pay Jimmy).

Bonus - Aggies for Honduras (really cool details on this trip)

Want the details? Keep reading!

Great Opportunity #1 - Launch Crew 2023

Launch Crew is a team of students that helps lead in just about every way during our weeks of Launch Box. As you serve and lead the students, you will also get to engage refugees and other people in need right here in Texas. Here are our current needs:

March 12-17
--San Antonio - 8 more LC needed
--Fort Worth - 7 more LC needed

March 5-10 NOTE - this is not a popular spring break week, but if you go to Baylor or if you are out of school and have some time you could give, we need help this week!

--Austin - 7-10 LC needed

We will also need Launch Crew for our summer week (July 9-14).
The not-so fine print
It costs $125 to serve on the Launch Crew. That covers your meals and ministry expenses for the week. You will also receive some free iGo merch for serving. And everybody loves iGo merch.

We have scholarships available if the money is keeping you from serving. All you have to do is ask. We also offer discounts if you serve more than one week.

Here is your link to sign up for Launch Crew 2023.

Great Opportunity #2 - Field Leadership Team (FLT)

Serving alongside our missionary partners on the Field Leadership Team is one of the best ways you can spend your summer. So many things make the FLT experience awesome - here are my top three.

Our missionaries in New York, Germany, Honduras, and Japan are all eager to welcome you to their FLT this summer. Here are our current needs:

New York City - 3-4 students needed
Germany - 2 students needed (1 guy and 1 gal)
Honduras - 1 student needed
Japan - 2-4 students needed

Go here to get more info on our FLT opportunities.

Great Opportunity #3 - The Ends of the Earth

Over 3 billion people on the planet are unreached. Most of them have never heard the gospel. Many of them live in difficult places. Opportunities with iGo to join the work in those locations are considered 3.0 trips. These trips are for college students who are ready to take the gospel to people in the 10/40 window (the ends of the earth).

We have one such opportunity for this summer in northern Africa. The M's in this country are excited about a team coming to help them, and the people of this country need to know about the hope we have in Jesus.

If you are interested in our 3.0 trip, please end an email to ky@igoglobal.org.

Great Opportunity #4 - Jimmy

Do you want to be involved in mission work this summer, but also need some income? Jimmy is a paid internship with iGo Global. You will join our team to help us train, mobilize, and send students to make Him famous all summer. You will experience every aspect of mobilization as you prepare events, lead and even teach at events, help recruit new students, and get to know our staff at iGo. Plus, you will forever be iGosian royalty.

To apply for Jimmy 2023, fill out this form.

Bonus Opportunity - Aggies for Honduras

If you are an Aggie, this trip is especially for you. We have partnered with our friends at 61Isaiah Ministries in Honduras to put an amazing trip together for this summer - May 14-20. Kick off your summer by being part of an Aggie team serving in a variety of ways in Gracias Lempira, Honduras. There are three different treks for this team based on your interests and abilities, so make sure you read the trip info.

Aggies for Honduras Trip Info Page

The best way to have a great 2023 is to make Him famous. Choose one or more of these opportunities and sign up today!

3 Reasons to Join the Fleet

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 19:16:16 GMT

Join the FLT this summer

FLT - pronounced Fleet - stands for Field Leadership Team - formerly known as JSI

There's nothing like the FLT experience. If you are a student (college or older HS) looking to be challenged, stretched, and discipled as a servant-leader, you really need to consider the FLT. Even if this summer isn't going to work for you, I highly recommend you give at least one summer to this before you get out of college.

Here are my top three reasons to join the FLT.

Living the M life

Joining the FLT means becoming part of the missionary's team for the summer, and our missionary partners are the best. You will become part of their team and most likely feel like part of their family. Their kids will practically adopt you.

Our partners love students and they love to pour into FLT. The things you will learn from them as you walk with them and see how they live out their faith overseas are hard to quantify. You will get to see from the closest view possible what the M life really looks like, and you will get to experience it yourself as part of the FLT. This reason would be enough all by itself, but I figured you might want at least a couple more.

Leading and learning

Our leadership strategy at iGo is simple - we let students lead. This is one of the biggest reasons the FLT experience has been so incredible for so many over the years. You will grow as a servant-leader through this experience no matter if you have been leading for a while or if you are just beginning to explore your leadership abilities.

We partner with these missionaries to train and prepare you to lead, and then we let you lead. You will learn from seeing things go well, and you will learn from seeing things go the wrong way--like the train that you just got your whole group on. There's no better way to learn, especially when you have someone watching and speaking into you as you go. The FLT experience will help you develop as a leader. Period.

Leaning into relationships

On some level, all iGo teams are learning and practicing relational evangelism. We want our students to learn what it looks like to build relationships and establish friendships as they share the gospel. Just like Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:8, "we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our lives as well."

As an FLT, you will get the opportunity to go much deeper as you build relationships with new lost friends overseas. Some of our former FLT/JSI have continued relationships to this day, some of them have gone back on their own to visit friends, and we even had one girl from Japan travel to Texas to be at her JSI friend's wedding!

I haven't even mentioned the relationships you will make with your teammates that might be lifelong. We've seen plenty of those kind of friendships come out of this experience. We've even seen a few weddings between former FLT/JSI teammates, who did not even think about dating during the trip, of course. ;)

Those are my top three. Ready to get started? Here are the links for our four FLT locations in 2023. Let's go!

New York City FLT Honduras FLT

Japan FLT Germany FLT

What did Mary know?

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 18:43:44 GMT

What did mary know?

I'm not sure Mary knew that her baby boy would one day walk on water. I doubt she could have predicted that he would calm storms with his hand or give sight to a blind man. My guess is that Mary had more questions than answers after her little conversation with Gabriel, and that would be expected.

However, a close look at Mary's part in the story can show us some things that Mary seemed to know really well. And those truths can also help us celebrate Christmas and follow Jesus through all the seasons.

Mary knew nothing was impossible for God

Gabriel's announcement sounds impossible. This is not how the birds and the bees work. Mary asks a fair question, but then she moves to acceptance. God is the God of the impossible and Mary seems to know that very well.

What about you? Is there something in your life right now that feels impossible? A goal you don't think you can reach? A relationship you don't think can be saved? A problem you don't think can be solved?

Nothing is impossible for God. Nothing. He may not do what we want Him to do when we want Him to do it. But there is no limit to His power. We must learn to trust His ability and submit to His timing.

Mary knew that she could trust God's plan.

Her response to this news is remarkable. Luke records it in Luke 1:38 - "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

What a statement of faith! It is easy to marvel at the incredible role that Mary gets to play. God chose her to be the mother of the Messiah! She will be able to one-up everybody at story-time for the rest of her life.

Even so, there was a great cost for Mary to consider. Embracing this crazy plan could have cost her everything. This could have easily ended things with Joseph (and it almost did). No doubt the rumor mill in Nazareth proved pretty unkind to her version of the story. I would imagine even Mary's parents struggled to believe her. She surely endured shame, scorn, judgment, skepticism, and more. She also had to watch her son grow up to be betrayed and killed on a cross. As great as this plan was for her, it included plenty of suffering and hardship.

Mary accepted it anyway. She seems to know that God's plans are better. His dreams are bigger. Mary trust's God's plan for her life. "Let it be to me..."

What about you? Following Jesus will cost you something. Jesus made that really clear in his teaching. There will be desires you have to deny and dreams that have to die. But the truth is it will be worth it. Jesus is always worth it. His plans and dreams for our lives are always better and bigger than our own.

Mary knew it wasn't about her.

Mary's magni ficent song begins with, "My soul magnifies the Lord." She continues on to proclaim that God was doing a mighty work in and through her in spite of her humble background and status. God chose her because of His grace, and Mary seems to know her role is to bring glory to Him.

Her role in the story is uniquely hers. She is the only one that can play it. However, her acceptance of her role by grace and her willingness to point others to Jesus is a part we all can learn from and emulate. God allows us to play a part in His story. We get to live for His glory. As we understand more and more how great God is, we magnify Him in worship. And we glorify Him in all the earth.

Mary may not have known everything, but she knew enough to help us follow Jesus as we see her response and example. Let's follow Him more closely and worship Him more intently this Christmas and beyond.

We let students lead

shu@igoglobal.org — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 22:12:11 GMT

You don't learn how to ride a bicycle by listening to lectures, watching videos, and taking a test. You have to get on a bike and figure it out.

So many things in life are like that. Driving a car, playing an instrument, swimming in a pool, speaking a foreign language, baking a cake, or playing spicy Uno.

Knowledge helps. Information and instruction can prepare us well. But some things can't be really learned unless we do them.

Leading others is one of those things. Learning to lead requires some instruction, of course. But there is no substitute for being in a position where you have to lead when it comes to developing as a leader.

For the past 22 years our leadership development strategy could be summed up in one simple phrase: we let students lead.

Yes, we teach them how to lead and we train them in leadership. We want to prepare them as well as we can. We believe students can lead, and we know that they will learn how to lead much faster if we throw them into leadership opportunities.

With proper preparation, intentional mentoring, and a suitable environment students can develop into Christ-like leaders at an early age.

Who do you know that needs this challenge?
These are great opportunities to challenge leadership students. We partner with churches to develop the leadership potential in students so we can send them back to as servant-leaders in the local church.

Please consider pointing some students to one or more of these opportunities.

Launch Crew at Launch Box

Our Launch Box weeks (mission trips here in Texas) have become a fantastic entry point into leadership development. Students sign up to serve on the Launch Crew, they come in early to receive training, and then they lead in a variety of ways throughout the week. There are different roles to match different gifts and abilities as well.

2023 Dates
March 5-10 - Dallas
March 12-17 - Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Dallas
July 9-14 - Houston

For more info about serving on Launch Crew, click here.

You can also email Bailey Sanderford if you have questions.

Field Leadership Team - FLT

Students can serve alongside our missionary partners in key locations on what we call the FLT (Field Leadership Team). These students are leadership interns with the missionaries and they specifically help lead the other teams that come to work in those locations throughout the summer.

With all countries opened up again and students ready to travel, our need for FLT will be big next summer. This is an amazing learning experience, and FLT trips are typically about 4 weeks in length. They are open to college students and high school students with missions experience.

Locations for 2023
New York City Japan
Honduras Germany

Dates - June 10-July 13 in all locations

To apply for any of our FLT positions, click here.

For more info about these and other opportunities, visit our trips page.

For specific questions, email Ann (FLT Trip Coach) .

Jimmy 2023

The mobilization side of missions is crucial to the overall work as well, and our summer interns called Jimmy serve alongside the iGo staff to help us train and send out our teams. Jimmy interns get to serve in a variety of ways and they are challenged to lead in many areas such as Launch Box, Base Camp, recruiting, and Dwell Camps.

You can apply to be a 2023 Jimmy right here.

Not only is Jimmy a great leadership learning experience, but Jimmy is considered iGosian royalty for life. It is also a paid internship.

Jimmy 2022 = iGosian Royalty

Your partnership with us at iGo enables us to invest this way in the next generation. Your support helps us train our leadership students and keeps their costs lower so we can develop more servant leaders. Thank you so much for your faithfulness and generosity!

Jimmy is Back!

shu@igoglobal.org — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 22:21:23 GMT

Everybody needs a friend named Jimmy

It's been a minute since Jimmy showed up around the iGo HQ. The collab of Launch Crew and Jimmy into Jimmy Crew last summer helped fill the gap a little, but it is so good to officially have Jimmy back for a full summer! First time since 2019!

Allow Jimmy to introduce him/herself.

Aaron Kocurek

Jimmy Aaron hails from McKinney, Texas, but now spends most of his time in College Station as an Aggie where he is majoring in Agribusiness, of course.

He lists snacks, movies, and games as his hobbies. When it comes to snacks, he prefers those pretzels stuffed with peanut butter, anything chocolate, and tangerines. That sounds like a trail mix you could find at Buc-ee's.

Aaron had a car accident during his HS prom, and he showed up for his first day driving his dad's car.

Aaron has a hidden talent for thrifting and would pick a T-Rex if he had to fist-fight an animal. We all hope the T-Rex resists the urge to head-butt or reenact the Tyson/Holyfield fight from 1997.

Bailey Sanderford

Jimmy Bailey is another one of those Aggies, but she grew up in the strong iGo town of Stephenville, Texas and was part of that FBC 'Ville crew.

As an Aggie she majors in Recreation, Park, and Tourism - which is perfect as we open up iGosia for tourists again this summer.

Bailey enjoys dancing as well as playing all kinds of games (cards, dominos, and those of the board variety). She also claims to be pretty good at clogging, which is something that will have to be verified soon.

Her most embarrassing moment was spilling an entire beta fish bowl down the front of her formal gown in front of 100 people at a banquet. The beta fish also found it embarrassing, and Bailey no longer takes her pet fish to banquets.

Bailey would choose to fistfight a chimpanzee, but we would prefer the fight turn into to a dance battle.

Rebekah Grinestaff

Jimmy Beka or Jimmy Rebekah (she's good with either one) is from H-town and attends H-town Baptist University. Beka served on the last iGo international team before COVID, but we don't talk about that team, no no no.

Beka enjoys long walks with her dog, writing, and camping. She is also on a quest for the perfect muffin recipe.

When it comes to talent, Beka has plenty of skills. She can pogo stick without using her hands, she understands eyebrow language, and she claims to be able to giggle to the tune of Careless Whisper. We might need to see if a certain iGosian Saxophone player can join us this summer for an epic duet.

Unfortunately, she is not very good at wrapping/tying an African sarong skirt, so you might get someone else to help you pick out your iGosian costume this summer.

Beka would choose to fist-fight an alligator. No word yet on whether she did that growing up in Houston.

Emma Frank

Jimmy Emma is a local from Rockwall (well, technically she is from a farm in Union Valley, but Rockwall is close enough). She is a student at Dallas Baptist University, but this summer she moved back in with her parents. We still call it her host home.

As a Commercial Art major, she loves painting. But she also enjoys reading and picking up dogs on the side of the road. If you see her doing this, just wave.

When it comes to her preferred fist-fight, she would choose the honey-badger. Good thing she also lists tree climbing as one of her talents. Those honey-badgers don't play.

Hudson Allen

Jimmy Hudson is new to the iGo world, but that won't last long. Hudson is from College Station, attended Blinn College this past year, and as you would expect, is going to be a DBU Patriot this fall.

Hudson has a plethora of hobbies including hunting, fishing, hiking, hooping, baseballing, playing guitar, and watching movies. His favorite day of the week is probably Tuesday, since his favorite food is tacos.

Hudson needed better friends in high school since he split his pants one day and no one told him until the day was over. Jimmy would never treat him like that.

Hudson lists his "secret talent" as flipping jandals onto rooftops. We are working on Instagram proof of this skill.

It is so great to have Jimmy back! Look for them this summer and send them some encouragement if you can.

3 Reasons to join the FLT

shu@igoglobal.org — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 16:20:49 GMT

It's hard to beat the iGo Fleet

We call it the Fleet, or the FLT. And it actually stands for something - Field Leadership Team.

And there really is nothing like it.

Our plan and prayer is to have FLT in Germany, Honduras, Houston, Japan, and New York next summer. We need (and our missionary partners need) the fleet. Here are three reasons you should consider joining the FLT next summer.

1. Learning to Lead.
At iGo, we want to develop the next generation of leaders. Let me let you in on the secret to how we have done that so well for the last 20+ years. We let students lead. We believe you learn how to lead when you are leading others with real assignments and real stakes. The missionary team is there to guide you, but you will grow as a leader in this experience in exponential ways.

2. Diving into the deep end.
As an FLT you will be in your city for several weeks, if not the whole summer. You will really get to know the work and really get to build relationships with the people. Do you already have a heart for people group you've worked with? Or ready to develop one? This is the way. You will also go really deep with your FLT members along the way. It's truly a win/win.

3. Doing life with M families.
All three of these reasons are incredible, but we might have saved the best for last. As an FLT member, you will do life with the best missionaries out there. You will become part of their family as you join them in the incredible work they are doing. Note: MK's (missionary kids) are the best.

Ready to go? Join the FLT today!

Bonus - don't just take our word for it.

Kristin Schroder is an iGo FLT from back when we still called them JSI's. In our latest podcast episode, Kristin shared with us how God used her three summers in Japan to make a long-term impact on her life.

Check it out and hear from Kristin how great it was to do life with the missionary family, go deep with the people of Japan, and learn how to lead through leading.

We love Kristin's story. Now it's time for you to go get your own.

iGo to Afghanistan

shu@igoglobal.org — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 16:46:06 GMT

What can we do about the crisis in afghanistan?

We all watched as Afghanistan fell apart. It's bad. Really bad. There is no doubt about that right now, and that statement has nothing to do with politics.

If you can set aside your political thoughts and questions for just a few minutes, I think there is a bigger question for us to consider.

How can we help?

At the end of the day we have very little to say about the would, should, could, and the where, when, and why of this mess. But surely we can help. Surely we can ask Jesus to help us see these people the way he sees people.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." --Matthew 9:36

Compassion. When people are in trouble, that is what God leads with. He moves to help them, and it doesn't seem to matter how they got into trouble.

So what can we do? Since we aren't adding any iGo trips to Afghanistan right now (we thought about it, but we knew your parents would never sign all those release forms), how can we really help?

We can pray.

You knew that was coming, right? That doesn't make it any less true. I quoted Matthew 9:36 above. Do you know what comes next in the next verses? Jesus tells his disciples they should respond by praying. That is always the first step, and it is more than just preparation. It is the work. So, let's pray for the situation in Afghanistan. And let the Scriptures inform our prayers.

Colossians 4:2–4

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak."

Paul requests this prayer from prison. Pray that a door will open up for him to proclaim the gospel, even while he is in chains.

The church in Afghanistan has been growing for a while. The leaders of those churches and the members of those churches are in danger. We should pray for their safety, of course. But we also should pray for doors to open so that the gospel can be proclaimed. The only hope for Afghanistan, the Taliban, and everyone else is the hope found in the gospel. Let's pray God opens up doors.

Genesis 50:20

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

This is what Joseph told his brothers in Egypt after he finally revealed his identity to them. After all they had done to him. After all he had gone through, suffered, and endured. His view of the whole journey is incredible, and it shows us that Joseph trusted in a mighty and powerful God.

There is a lot of evil running rampant in Afghanistan right now. But God is in complete control. He always is and always will be. So pray that God will demonstrate His plan and His provision and His power in all of this mess. Pray that God will be glorified through it all. And pray for justice to reign because we serve a God of justice. Pray that even now we will begin to see the Romans 8:28 promise shining through the chaos.

Psalm 146:7-9 (emphasis added)

He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.
The Lord frees the prisoners. The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down. The Lord loves the godly.

The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

Our God cares deeply about the oppressed and the foreigners without a home. He cares deeply about refugees. Pray through these verses of this Psalm, and then ask yourself if you might be part of God's help for these people.

We can go.

No, we aren't planning a trip over there, but people in need are all around us. In fact, refugees from Afghanistan are the main focus of our Launch Box week in San Antonio. You literally can join us as we serve refugees from Afghanistan next March. I'm not exactly sure where this new group of Afghan refugees is going to be settled, but this country has had plenty of other problems in the past, and probably will find more in the future.

Our Launch Box week in San Antonio is set for March 7-11, 2022. Students and adults serving that week will get to share the love of Jesus with people in need. People from Afghanistan.

We also have a week of Launch Box in Fort Worth - March 14-18. We work with refugees in Fort Worth from all over the world. And yes, some of them are likely from Afghanistan.

Let's pray. Let's go. Let's be the hands and feet of Jesus. Let's make Him famous.

For more info about our refugee work called Launch Box, visit our Launch Box page.

All in on The Challenge

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 16:07:50 GMT

Welcome to

The Challenge!

Thank you for joining the first ever online Challenge by iGo! We can't wait to see how God uses this week to launch you into the school year on mission.

You may be just jumping into the challenge, or maybe you missed something along the way. We made it easy to catch up with the info and links below.

Keep reading beyond that to see 3 ways to get the most out of the challenge.

What is The Challenge?

It is a 5-day online challenge to get you ready to live on mission this school year.

Our focus each day will be different as we train and equip you to live on mission. We will send you a devotional every morning, give you challenges to work on throughout the day, and connect via Instagram Live every night at 8pm (replay available afterwards). Here are the themes for each day:

Day 1 - Reflect and Remember

Let's look back on what God did this summer to help us continue moving forward.

The Day One Devotional - Reflect and Remember

The Day One Video Replay

Day 2 - Faithful with Little

God wants to do big things in and through us, but that always begins with the little things in front of us.

The Day Two Devotional - Faithful with Little

Bonus Video for Day 2 - Faithful in the Little Things

The Day Two Live Video Replay

Day 3 - Ambassadors

God has already placed you where He wants you to represent Him.

The Day Three Devotional - Ambassadors

The Day Three Live Video Replay

Day 4 - Prayer is the work

Prayer isn't preparation for the work. It is the work.

The Day Four Devotional - Prayer is the work

The Day Four Live Video Replay

Day 5 - Join God's mission

God is on mission all around us and all over the world, and He is inviting us to join Him.

The Day Five Devotional - Joining the Mission

The Day Five Live Video Replay

We want you to get the most out of this challenge for the most impact. Here are three ways you can go all in on The Challenge.

Number One - Just Do It

All of it. I have no doubts that you are busy. We all seem to be. This is a five day challenge, and we want you here for all of it.

Every morning you will get a devotional setting the tone for the day. Read the passage. Take time to reflect with the questions. And respond by taking action. Putting it all into action (taking the challenges and doing the work) is a big part of this process. It's how this challenge takes root and begins to change you.

Tune in for the Live videos and be ready to learn and interact. Yes, we will post the videos after on YouTube for those that couldn't make it or don't have Instagram.

Five Days. Just Do It.

Number Two - Post and Share

Of course we want to see what you are learning and what you are doing with The Challenge. But others need to see it as well. Others will be encouraged and probably challenged by seeing you post what you are learning and how you are responding.

The more you post and share, the more you will encourage others. And the more you will be encouraged in return.

Need some extra motivation? Challenge participants that post every day for the five days are eligible for some cool prizes as well.

Post and Share

Number Three - Don't Go Alone

A lot of this challenge will simply be better with friends. The same is true for living on mission. We don't want you to do this alone. Talk about it with your parents, your friends, and your student minister. Spoiler alert: one of the challenges is going to be a prayer walk around your campus. You are going to want some friends to join you for that one for sure.

It's not too late to invite some friends to join you for the Challenge. Send them the link. Build your squad.

Don't Go Alone.

Reminder: when you post, please tag iGo Global. And use the hashtag for the challenge - #iGoChallenge21

The Challenge Day One - Reflect and Remember

shu@igoglobal.org — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 04:01:19 GMT

Day One - Reflect and Remember

by Jami Lee Gainey

Read

It can be so easy to move into this season of a new school year and simply forget what God did and taught you this summer about himself and about his desire for you to join him in the work of making Him famous wherever you are. This is not surprising. Throughout scripture, we are described as a forgetful people. Take some time to read the following passages to understand the truth of this principle.

Psalm 106:21
Psalm 78:11
Matthew 16:9

Consequently, we see the command in Scripture to take care to remember. The Lord repeatedly gave the command in Deuteronomy to “only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children” (Deuteronomy 4:9 ESV).

The writers of Psalms likewise seem to desire a resolve to remember. Take some time to read these passages -- Psalm 77:11 and Psalm 78:35

Even Paul commands us to “remember that you were at that time separated from Christ. . . . but now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11, 13).

Spend some time reading Joshua 4 and how God commanded Israel to take up stones as a way to remember what he did as the people crossed the Jordan.

Reflect

In light of Joshua 4, how can you “set up stones” as a memorial or reminder of what God did this summer? Begin by taking some time to focus on what God did through your experiences over the last few months. Pull out your notes and look at what you learned, decisions made, etc., and consider the following questions as you journal and reflect:

What did you learn about God this summer (think back through what you learned at camp, on a mission trip, etc.)?
What did you learn about what it means to live in obedience and make God known?
What changes do you need to make in your daily and weekly life this school year in order to make God known where he has placed you?

Respond

Post what you learned and how you want to approach this school year in light of that experience. You can post a picture of your notes, or you can use the caption to post your thoughts as you reflect on all God did in your life this summer.

Make sure you tag iGoGlobal in your post. You can also include #iGoChallenge21.

Click here to print a copy of the Day One Devo.

A Ridiculous Question

shu@igoglobal.org — Fri, 21 May 2021 20:58:56 GMT

A Ridiculous Question

It's right there in Matthew 15:33. Jesus wants to feed a crowd of people instead of sending them away. Not a small crowd either. They are about to sit them down in groups and count them, and they will count 4,000 men plus women and children. And your mom thought she had a lot of mouths to feed.

So how do the disciples respond?

"Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?"

These disciples didn't always get it. At times it seemed like they were out to prove that there actually is such a thing as a dumb question. At one point, even the mom of James and John got involved. I bet her name was Karen. Karen Zebedee, probably.

This question in Matthew 15, though. It's at the top of the bad question list.

That's because there's a Matthew 14. Yes, just one chapter earlier Jesus and these same disciples found themselves in a similar situation. Big hungry crowd. Not enough food.

On that day Jesus fed 5,000+ with five loaves of bread and 2 fish from a kid's sack lunch. These disciples passed out the food. These disciples picked up all the leftovers after everyone ate. 12 baskets full of leftovers!

One chapter later, these same disciples have no idea where they could ever get enough food to feed this crowd.

What. In. The. World.

We tend to give the disciples a hard time for being slow to learn while forgetting how many times we tend to act just like them. That's for another blog post.

However, I find it hard to believe they are simply forgetting what Jesus did. I don't think they are doubting his power to work wonders. That would truly be ridiculous.

I think their question here is exposing a deeper issue. And we can understand this if we think about the three most important aspects of real estate: location, location, and location.

Jesus fed 5,000 (chapter 14) in Galilee. The crowd that day was predominantly Jewish. On this day (chapter 15), Jesus had led the disciples into the region of Tyre and Sidon. The crowd in this story is predominantly Gentiles.

Could it be that the disciples remembered Jesus feeding the Jewish crowd, but simply did not expect him to feed these Gentiles? Did they perhaps think Jesus was the bread of life for the people of Israel, but not for outsiders? Might they have believed that Jesus would provide for His people, but not for foreigners?

There are plenty of reasons to consider this possibility. After all, it seems like Peter needed a trance-induced vision of bacon, a road trip to Caesarea, and an impromptu speaking engagement in the home of a Roman Centurion before he fully figured out that this gospel was for all nations. And that didn't happen until Acts chapter 10.

“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right." -Peter (Acts 10:34-35)

If this idea is correct, then they really were missing something.

They were missing the heart of God. They were missing the hints, signs, predictions, and prophecies all throughout the Old Testament leading to this point.

The gospel is for all nations. Jesus is the only hope for all peoples.

This truth is foundational to our vision, our mission, our purpose, and our teaching at iGo. And it will be until the end.

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." --Jesus (Matthew 24:14)

We won't be going to the nations this summer due to COVID complications with travel. But the nations have come to us, and we will be engaging them in Houston, Kansas City, and New York City.

Please pray for us as the summer is about to begin. Pray for our students, our churches, and our leaders as we point the nations to the hope that is only found in Jesus.

And pray for our international mission partners as well. They live and the serve on the front lines all over the world in order to share the ultimate good news with every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Jesus is more than enough for everyone. Let's join him in his work.

Mission Trips Gone Bad

shu@igoglobal.org — Tue, 11 May 2021 13:59:20 GMT

Mission Trips Gone Bad

Most people can tell you a story about things going wrong on a mission trip. Missing flights, vans breaking down, lost passports, and some form of Montezuma's revenge come to mind pretty quickly.

We would love to hear your bad mission trip story. For real.

Send it to us in whatever way is best for you. Comment on our social post, email us, send us a DM, etc.

The reality is that when you take a group of students out of their comfort zone, possibly into a foreign country and culture, all kinds of things can go wrong.

We showed up ready to paint that fence, but they were still scraping the paint off of it from last weeks' group. That one kid didn't get off the train when the rest of the team did, and we will never forget the look on her face as that train sped away. We got detained at the airport when a couple kids tried to bring Samurai swords home on the plane. Our missionary thought climbing a semi-active volcano on our free day was a great idea. That boy and girl keep trying to sneak away from our group to practice "speaking in tongues," if you know what I mean.

Maybe these are just wild examples, or maybe this is more like those Farmer's Insurance commercials.

"We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two."

For the most part, the stories from mission trips (even the bad ones) are just challenges that come as part of the journey. They make great stories around campfires for years and years to come.

But there is one mission trip challenge that is much more serious and all too common.

The worst kind of mission trip is the kind that doesn't last.

It doesn't seem like we really did any significant work on the field. In fact, it felt a lot like we were a distraction to the missionary.

Our team was emotionally affected in some ways, but that feeling didn't last as long as the drive back home.

Our students went and served, but they haven't changed at all.

This is the mission trip gone bad that we set out to eliminate 20+ years ago. This is why we are a training organization before anything else. Our goal, our passion, and our focus is on short-term mission trips with a long-term impact.

Training is the key to all of that. The right training makes all the difference.

We've been training student teams all these years by bringing them to our Base Camps and hosting training events at churches. We also train daily throughout our trips.

This year, we are making our training more accessible than ever before. Our Mission Trip Training course is going online. It will be ready and on sale by the end of the month, Lord willing.

We hope it helps many, many groups this summer and beyond. We hope it produces a long-term impact in countless students. We pray that it makes your next mission trip your best one ever.

Shoot us an email if you are interested in our online course.

We miss Base Camp!

Thu, 06 May 2021 18:24:56 GMT

Raise your hand if you miss it too

Summer is coming quick,, and it is shaping up to be a great one. We will be serving refugees and engaging the nations in Houston, Kansas City, and New York this summer with multiple teams and lots of students.

It's gonna be great. And it's gonna be different.

Again.

This will be our second summer without Base Camp.

People cope with this kind of disappointment in different ways. I've found that it helps me to recount the great memories from Base Camp.

I'm hoping you can help with the memories. Base Camp in iGosia is basically one huge inside joke. So I need your help as an insider. I'll get the process rolling and you can join in.

Base Camp quotes from students will always stand out.

"No, seriously. Where's my luggage!?!?!!"

"Well, that was a mildly frustrating experience."

"Ummmm, our dorm is on fire!"

"Welp, my suitcase is gone. I guess I should have seen that coming!"

Then, you have an assortment of random iGosian memories.

Raise your hand if you...

were sent to the back of the line

watched in agony as Ky threw a perfectly good piece of fruit into the lake

failed to properly stand the line behind

ate a meal with your hands tied together with a teammate

bought the wrong bus ticket and got an unnecessary tour of iGosia

think about iGosia whenever you hear that one Black Eyed Peas song

enjoyed cucumbers and tomatoes for breakfast

stayed in the One Way Out cave way too long

I know there's a ton more memories. Let's deal with it together. Share your favorite Base Camp memories on social media (hashtag iGosia) or in the comments below.

Clueless in Kazakhstan

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 18:29:57 GMT

I was so clueless, and I didn't even know it.

I grew up going to church, had always been part of a church, and had even gone to Super Summer.

I wasn't always on the right track, but things finally started to click during my last year of high school. My youth minister (Norman Flowers) even tricked me into preaching in Big Church on youth Sunday. It was terrible. For me and for everybody there that day.

With a cornerback's short-term memory, I surrendered to the ministry right after my senior year and headed off to DBU to start my next season. DBU was amazing in just about every way.

I was learning how to follow Jesus and being pushed into ministry opportunities. I even served as a team leader for a Shine Out Revival team after my sophomore year preaching revivals at 10 different churches in the Amarillo area.

I was growing in ministry, but something was missing.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I felt like all the international students at DBU were an inconvenience. They seemed to be in the way, really strange, and almost impossible to talk to; not that I actually tried.

My BSM director (Joel Bratcher) had to have seen my blind spot. I bet part of him wanted to rebuke me and challenge to me wake up to the mission field right in front of my face. But Joel is an encourager, and he is amazing at discipling college students. He took a better approach.

He showed me an opportunity to go to Kazakhstan over the summer. He said he thought it would be a great opportunity for me and wanted me to pray about it. I probably thought he meant an opportunity to do more ministry. I know now that he actually meant an opportunity for me to learn some things I was missing.

I prayed about it and signed up to go, not once considering that I wasn't even sure it was a real place. It was my first mission trip ever. And it was a long way from Whataburger and the rest of my comfort zone.

It was exactly what I needed.

I believe God is completely in control and I believe He uses us in spite of us. So I believe He accomplished some things through us that month that summer.

It's just much easier to identify what he accomplished IN ME that summer.

He showed me how much bigger He was than I had realized. He showed me how much He loved the whole world. He showed me the beauty of His creation. He showed me how much He wanted all the nations to worship Him. He showed me that living for anything other than His purpose would always be settling for less than He wants for me. He showed me that I was here to live to make Him famous.

I had no idea at the time, but God birthed deep down in me a desire to point students to these truths. We didn't start iGo Global until almost ten years later, but my passion to lead iGo is directly connected to my clueless summer in K-Stan.

It didn't take 10 years to show up, though. I saw the whole world differently after that trip. I saw my college campus as a mission field, especially the many international friends I would finally have. Yes, friends. They weren't projects. They were people that God loved and pursued that I got to know and got to share the gospel with right there on a Baptist university campus.

My friends and I began to invest in our international friends. We threw parties for them. We did crazy stuff like sitting with them in the cafeteria. We went to their gatherings and tried their food. Pig's ear is even more chewy than you would think.

We even somehow borrowed the DBU security van and took a group of them out to the country for a bonfire, but DBU has asked me not to really talk about that.

This iGo Global thing has been going for over 20 years now. And those stories continue to pile up. Mission trips are essential. Don't let anyone tell you they aren't.

Mission trips with solid teaching and training produce a long-term impact on the field and in the lives of the participants. These trips solidify our worldview. They provide opportunities to join Him in His work. They clue us in to God's heart and His passion in unique ways.

They teach us to live on mission.

Jimmy Crew

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:32:00 GMT

Apparently, the times are still pretty unprecedented. Thanks COVID!

So, here at the iGo Global World Wide Headquarters, we are ready to bring you something unprecedented, which might become a new tradition along the way.

Most of you have heard of Jimmy. This is what we call our summer mobilization interns, because everyone needs a friend named Jimmy.

You've also probably heard of Launch Crew. Our fearless servant-leaders at Launch Box.

What if we mashed those two things together in an unprecedented way? Allow me to introduce you to Jimmy Crew!

Jimmy Crew will be a group of students serving with iGo this summer. They will travel to youth camps to recruit students by calling them to join God on mission. They will serve in Houston, Kansas City, and New York City as leaders for our teams. They will be the ambassadors from iGosia all across the Republic of Texas and beyond.

Make sure you pay attention to this next part.

You don't have to commit to the whole summer to be part of Jimmy Crew. You only have to commit to at least 2 weeks (events). You can sign up for more, of course, but if you can only help us at 2 different events, you're good to go.

Note: Thanks to some generous donors, iGo will cover your costs for almost everything this summer. The only exception will be the weeks in Houston, Kansas City, and New York. Serving in Houston or Kansas City for a week will only cost $50 for Jimmy Crew members. If you serve in NYC, you will need to raise funds for that trip and we will send you that info. There are potential scholarships available for all of those trips as well, so let us know if you have a financial need.

Jimmy Crew will all come together at the beginning of the summer for an overnight retreat. We'll do some training, some worship, some bonding, and some memory-making as we get you fired up about the summer. Date and location for this retreat is TBD, but it is most likely going to be Friday/Saturday, June 4-5.

We will check in throughout the summer as you serve in various ways and various locations. And then we will gather together at the end of the summer for a Texas-style celebration.

Jimmy Crew will receive some new iGo Swag as well.

Get started today with the Jimmy Crew application.

We have spots for 20-30 Jimmy Crew this summer. Email Shu at shu@igoglobal.org if you have any questions.

Nick Watts Part 3 (Episode 17)

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 17:22:01 GMT

Episode 17 - Nick Watts Part 3

We are so thankful to Nick for sharing his story, experience, and wisdom with us on our podcast. In this third part of three episodes, we talk specifically about suicide and its link to depression. Nick shares the story of his Jordan (his son) taking his own life. It's intense. It's raw. It's authentic. It's emotional.

And it's hopeful. Nick points us to Jesus, the only source of real hope.

Some resources Nick mentioned

In the inter view, Nick referred to several blog posts he has written on his blog ( nickwattssoulfood.com) Check them out on the links below.

His post about the danger and recklessness of the Netflix show - 13 Reasons

His post about Suicide in the Bible

The video he referred to - I jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge

3 Questions to ask someone who is considering suicide

What people need when they have experienced a suicide

Nick Watts Part 2 (Episode 16)

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 03:06:07 GMT

Episode 16 - Nick Watts Part 2

In our last episode (Nick Watts Part 1) we had some fun and got to know Nick through our Rapid Fire podcast tradition. But in this one, we dive right into the topic at hand - depression.

Nick shares part of his story and gives us some really helpful insights into how we can recognize and help students and families who are struggling with depression.

This is always an important topic to discuss, but this last year has made it unbelievably important. Check out the episode and share it with your friends in youth ministry as well.

Below you will find some notes and resources that Nick referred to in our discussion that are very helpful for further study.

Resources you need to check out

Nick shared the following resources with us while we were talking:

Nick has a blog with tons of helpful info. https:// nickwattssoulfood .com/

This post he wrote about suici de and bible has been viewed over 55,000 times. https://nickwattssoulfood.com/2013/09/27/suicide-and-the-bible/

Nick recommended the book - Depression: Looking up from the Stubborn Darkness by Edward Welch

Part 3 is coming next week where we talk more specifically about suicide.

Advent: Share Peace

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 02:00:54 GMT

Peace on earth. The angels proclaimed that to the shepherds as they gave the most important announcement the world has ever heard.

The Christmas story has so many layer s. It’s a story of hope. A story of love. A story of joy. And a story of peace.

As you hear songs about peace and you see decor highlighting peace this season, do you feel at peace?

I love the Casting Crowns version of I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Take 5 and listen to the song paying attention to the lyrics. I especially relate to this verse:

“And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men”

Peace can easily be the most confusing focus of Advent. Did Jesus really bring peace to the earth and good will to men? There’s a lot of violence in the Christmas story not too long after Jesus is born. Wars and rumors of wars continued in Jesus’ day and haven’t slowed down a bit in the last 2000 years, and then we lived through 2020. Where is this peace?

It’s between us and God. Jesus came to establish peace where we needed it the most.

We all tend to diminish the seriousness of our sin. We know Jesus came to save us, but we don’t always fully grasp our desperation that required saving.

We were God’s enemies. Romans 5:10 makes that point crystal clear.

Our sin is a rebellion against God. We declared war by living as if we don’t need God, don’t want God, and don’t care about God.

Every single one of us chooses a side in this fight, and every single one of us chooses the wrong side. And our choice was eternal. It was one of those choices with no do-overs. We rebelled, and we can’t do anything to make it right. We were at war with God, and we had no way to make peace on our own.

So God sent His son. It was a rescue mission. It was to give us hope, to show us love, and to fill us with joy. And it was to bring us peace.

Instead of punishing and destroying us as His enemies, God punished His son in our place so that He could establish peace with us and bring us into His family as His beloved children. Because Jesus was born in Bethlehem, we no longer have to be God’s enemies.

That is a peace worth celebrating. That is a peace worth singing about. That is a peace worth proclaiming to the world.

Let your eternal security in Jesus guide you with peace this season and beyond. Let this peace guard and rule your heart and mind every single day (Colossians 3:15, Philippians 4:7).

And take this peace to a world that desperately needs it. Proclaim God’s peace to your neighbors and to the nations.

Advent: Share Joy

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 02:02:44 GMT

Chances are you haven’t spent a lot of time digging into Habakkuk lately. Bonus points if you can find it without using the contents, an app, or blind luck.

By the way, if you are currently doing the One Year Bible (and you are actually caught up to date), you will be reading Habakkuk tomorrow (December 18). Consider this your spoiler alert.

Habakkuk is a minor prophet, which has nothing to do with his importance, but only the length of his book. It was short, but not all that sweet.

Habakkuk’s book is basically a conversation he had with God about the state of the world. Habakkuk would pray, but his prayers mostly sound like complaints. He doesn’t understand what God is doing, why God is silent, why justice is losing. He is tired of waiting for God to fix all the problems.

He also records God’s answers, even though they weren’t exactly the answers he was looking for. God doesn’t promise to take away all his problems. In fact, he says that some of them are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

He does, however, assure Habakkuk that He is in control. He reminds Habakkuk that His purposes will be accomplished.

At the end of the conversation, we see how Habakkuk responds. These are some good, strong, and challenging words.

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” –Habakkuk 3:17-18

Wow! Can’t you imagine Habakkuk writing this very same thing in the middle of 2020? He might tweak the details:

Though the virus continues to spread, and there is no toilet paper on the shelves. Though the unemployment rate continues to rise, and we are quarantined and cut off from our family and friends. Though murder hornets threaten, and travel plans have been ruined…

No matter what the circumstance. No matter how bad it gets.

Habakkuk proclaims that he will rejoice in the Lord.

Joy is such a huge part of the Christmas season and the Christmas story. The angels brought good news of great joy! Joy to the whole world.

The greatness of this joy is that it is not bound to our circumstances. God gives us joy in spite of our circumstances. God gives us joy that is deep, deep down in our heart. It is the confidence that God is for us. The assurance that our future is secured. The knowledge that because of Jesus we are saved.

Here are some reminders/challenges related to joy this season and beyond.

Joy is a choice. We are commanded to rejoice in the bible, but doing so requires a choice. We must choose to believe that God is in control no matter how things have turned out this year. We must choose to trust that God is leading us, guiding, us, growing us, conforming us, transforming us, and absolutely never ever leaving us on our own. We must choose to embrace an eternal view of our lives and the world. This place is not our home. This trouble here is light and momentary when compared the greatness of eternity with our Savior and King. We must choose to be thankful in all circumstances. You may need to let Thanksgiving bleed into Christmas as you take time to count your blessings. You might need to name them one by one.

Joy is a fruit. While we choose to rejoice, God produces joy in our heart through His Spirit. We are both responsible to choose joy and completely dependent upon God to produce it in us. Remember the gospel. Study God’s word. Worship God with His people. And ask Him to create joy in your heart.

The baby in the manger reminds us of all this. He came to a desperate and dark world with unbelievable joy. A joy both surprising and overwhelming.

Don’t miss the bottom line. This joy is not just for you. It’s not to be kept deep, deep down in your heart. Joy needs to be shared. Joy needs to be shown. Joy needs to be proclaimed.

Joy to the world! The Lord has come!

Let’s share it.

Advent: Share Love

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 02:04:27 GMT

We say we love our families, and we say we love donuts. Hopefully we don’t love those two the same way, but if that is your struggle, you are probably looking for a diff erent blog.

One of the problems with love is the word itself. We use love to describe our feelings towards all kinds of things: our children, a sports team, our pets, the weather, gas station jerky, activities, songs, movies, and sweaters.

Greek, which is the original language of the New Testament, was a step ahead of English when it comes to love. They had several different words for love, each one focused on a different aspect.

However, when God took on flesh, was born in Bethlehem, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin and rebellion; even all the Greek love words came up short.

Except one. Agape.

Agape was a really old Greek word for love. Homer used it way back in the days of The Iliad and The Odyssey, but its meaning wasn’t clearly defined. It had a vague sense of love between soldiers who fight together on the battlefield, but it was hardly ever used.

Jesus showed up, and a new way to describe love was needed. So the NT writers grabbed agape and gave it new meaning.

This happens all the time. Old words pick up a new meaning and suddenly become part of our language in a new way. We saw it this year with the word zoom. 2020 brought zoom a new meaning (which basically is “going to a meeting without having to put on pants”), and now zoom is everywhere.

So the writers of the New Testament gave agape a new meaning, because Jesus came and showed us what love really is.

The Christmas story is a story of love. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world, that He gave us His son… The “so loved” part of that verse is highlighting the way that God loved us. God loved us in this way – He gave us His son.

To live for us. To die for us. To rescue us. To give us hope.

This season of Advent is a time to remember God’s amazing love. Find some time to slow down. Be intentional in your remembering. Find an Advent devotional that causes you to marvel at the love God puts on display.

This season of Advent is also a time to respond. John tells us that “we love because God first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Our first response to His love is to come and adore Him. Worship Him this season, and worship Him with your life.

Another way to respond is to share His love with others. That obviously starts with telling others of His amazing love, but it also includes showing others this kind of love.

Agape love. As shown to us by Jesus, it means pure, willful, intentional, sacrificial, and unconditional love.

Someone around you needs to experience that kind of love this season. Let’s show them a picture of God’s love by loving others well.

Let’s share love this Christmas.

Advent: Share Hope

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 02:05:48 GMT

Jesus was born into a world marked by hopelessness. God had been silent. No doubt people wondered if He had given up on them. Surely they questioned why He hadn’t shown up to deliver them out of their misery.

I’m glad we don’t feel like that anymore. Oh wait…it’s 2020. Has this year made you wonder if God is finally done with us? Have you grown abundantly weary waiting for Him to end all this craziness?

Well, a COVID Christmas is up next. After shrinking Thanksgiving in the Corona wash cycle, it is safe to say this Christmas will be different. But the truth of Christmas? The reminders of Christmas? The meaning of Christmas? Not even a global pandemic can touch that.

Yes, Christmas is all about proclaiming joy to the world. Peace on earth gets a lot of December publicity as well. But don’t forget hope.

Christmas reminds us of the hope that we have in Jesus. You see, our struggle is not from a lack of hope. It’s from a lack of understanding true hope.

We tend to reduce hope to wishful thinking. I hope I win the lottery. I hope to never be on a Zoom call again. I hope all the bad stuff goes away on January 1. I hope those Christmas Lexus commercials come true for me this year. I hope my kids never embarrass me in public. I hope the Cowboys finish out the year on a big winning streak.

Wishful-thinking hope is full of uncertainty. That kind of hope will surely disappoint almost all of us, especially Cowboys fans.

Christmas reminds us of a hope that is certain. A hope that is founded and grounded in God’s promises and His perfect record of keeping them. Christmas is telling a story of God bringing hope to the world via a manger.

Jesus was born in tiny Bethlehem, lived his whole life in Israel, and died on a Roman cross in Jerusalem. The story doesn’t end there, of course. No grave could contain Him, and He rose again to conquer it all.

So we have hope. A hope that is certain. A hope that will never disappoint. A hope for all eternity.

During this season, let me challenge you to do two things in light of the steadfast hope Jesus brought us.

First, we need to embrace the only hope that matters. Our hope is bigger than our circumstances. Our hope comes from the truth that Jesus is with us and will never leave us. It is far too easy to place our hope in things that are not promised, things that are not that important, and things that are not eternal. Let’s find true and lasting hope in the gospel.

Second, let’s share the hope that we have with a world that desperately needs it. This is the bottom line of Christmas. We have hope, and we are called to share that hope with the world. Pray for opportunities. Ask God to open up doors and guide conversations. And let us know how God uses you. We love to hear those stories.

Let’s share the hope of Christmas.

Election Reminder

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 02:07:48 GMT

I figured we all need at least one more reminder about the election, right? You know, just in case every single app on your phone hasn’t done the job.

Hold up. Please don’t close this window. This is not a reminder to vote (although I hope you have or will). This is also not going to be instructions on how to vote disguised as a reminder.

I’m taking on a different goal. I want to remind you of some things in a way that will help you survive this week. Some truths that can guide us all through the stress and craziness of an election in a year like this one. My hope is to encourage you, regardless of your preference for red or blue.

Election Reminder #1 – There will be no surprises

Of course, we all know this. God is never surprised. But do we act like it? An even harder question is, do we react like it?

Let’s go a little further into this idea. We know God won’t be falling off his throne on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, or whenever this election is decided. We know this because He is in control of it.

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Romans 13:1

God will not be startled because God appoints all leaders. Presidents, judges, kings, emperors, teachers, bosses, and mayors. They all hold their positions because God has allowed it, ordained it, and instituted it.

There are so many facets of this truth. Too many for one blog post for sure. But consider that God raises up some leaders to bring blessings to the people, and some he raises up to bestow punishment on the people. He raises up some to deliver and some to discipline. He gives leaders that are desired and he gives leaders that are despised.

Remember, Paul wrote these words to the church in Rome. The Romans were the leaders he was talking about. Yes, those Romans.

No matter what happens with this election, remember this truth. These are the leaders God wants for us at this time. We may not understand his purposes or his ways (they are often beyond our reach), but we can trust His sovereignty over all things. Even an election in 2020.

Election Reminder #2 – The mandates are still in place

The word mandate has left its own unique mark in 2020, and it might not be done yet. However, as followers of Jesus, our mandates are firmly established and will not be affected Tuesday’s results. Not even a little.

Our mandate is to love God and love our neighbor. The ones that vote like you and the ones that are wrong. <<<Just put that in there to see if you were paying attention.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” –Jesus (John 14:15)

The mandates to care for orphans and to minister to widows won’t change with the resident of the White House. Our calling to fight for the unborn, the mistreated, the marginalized, the discriminated, and the outcast is not dependent upon a court no matter how supreme it claims to be.

Our assignment to be the salt and light will be the same when we wake up on Wednesday.

Side note: the hope to end abortion may not ever be found in Washington. Instead, that hope can be found at your local pregnancy resource center where they minister to women, meet real needs, share the gospel, and save lives. Your support of their work and ministry could actually make a much bigger impact than your vote.

Election Reminder #3 – The mission hasn’t been cancelled

A common mission brings people together. It reminds us that we are on the same team with the same goals. Jesus gave His followers (the church) a mission.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

That mission is our mission until Jesus returns. Period. And staying engaged in this mission will keep us united. It will remind us of the work in which we all have a part. It will cause us to sacrifice for the greater good. Alongside our brothers and sisters.

iGo’s own Ky Martin said this in his sermon at Crosspoint Community Church this past Sunday:

“No matter the sign in your yard, [as a Christ-follower] you have more in common with people who are a part of the church than you do your unbelieving neighbor, who maybe shares the same political beliefs. You fit in with the church because we are one in Christ. He has diminished and conquered any dividing lines between us.” –Ky Martin

Making Him famous is the life goal we have in common. Staying engaged in this mission will help you live out this truth.

Oh, and don’t miss that promise at the end of the Great Commission. Jesus promises to be with us. Always. Even to the end of the age.

Even through this election. Don’t forget that.

Convinced Yet?

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 01:09:30 GMT

To be completely certain about something = convinced.

I’m convinced about all kinds of things. I’m convinced that Blue Bell makes the best ice cream. I’m convinced that classic country is far superior to what is called country music today. Long live Waylon, Willie, and the Boys.

I’m convinced that Buc-ee’s is worth the stop. Every time. I’m convinced that I-35 between Dallas and Austin will always be the worst. I’m convinced that Seinfeld is better than The Office. And I’m convinced that Whataburger is the GOAT when it comes to fast-food burger joints.

It’s not just me, though. Check out that social media feed these days. People are convinced about anything and everything.

We are convinced about politics, about masks, about conspiracies, about science, about electric vehicles, about education, about cats, and about movies. There are even some that are convinced the Cowboys are terrible (ok, ok, we are all pretty much convinced on that one).

It seems like we enjoy being convinced about things. So let me give you a convincing challenge. Consider these words from Peter in Acts 4. Peter is on trial before the same religious leaders that crucified Jesus. Check out what he says.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” -Acts 4:12

He sounds convinced. He seems completely certain.

That Jesus is the ONLY hope for the whole world.

What about us? What about you? Are you convinced of this truth? Are you convinced that Jesus is the only hope for your friends? That he is the only hope for your classmates, your co-workers, and your neighbors?

Are we completely certain that Jesus is the only hope for the entire world? That Jesus is the only hope for the people of Japan, Germany, Morocco, Honduras, Fort Worth, and Houston? And every other person on the planet?

How do you know if you are convinced? It will show.

True story – my wife and I lived in Indiana early in our marriage for a few years. Every single time we came back to Texas, we stopped at Whataburger first. For real. Every time.

We missed it. We longed for it. And we were convinced it was the best. And it showed.

If you are truly convinced that Jesus is the ONLY hope for the world, it will show. It will show in your conversations with your friends. It will show in your prayer life. It will show in the way you use your money. It will show in how you spend your summers. It will show in how you raise your kids. It will show all the time.

He really is the only hope for the world. He said so himself.

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. -John 14:6

Convinced yet? Let it show.

The Most Popular Commandment

Tue, 06 Oct 2020 15:20:00 GMT

Commandments. They are a big part of Scripture. A big part of how we are to follow God. Jesus said that if we love him we will keep his commandments.

We all know about the Top Ten. These are the OG commandments. They are designed to lead us to the life that is set apart. A life that pleases God.

But we didn’t keep them. Especially when you see how Jesus explains them in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Which reminds us that they have a bigger purpose as well — to point us to our need for a Savior. One who would pay the penalty for our commandment-breaking, but also One who could keep them all perfectly and give us his obedience.

We are also probably familiar with the Greatest Commandment. The commandments just began with the Top Ten. God continued on from there and gave His people all kinds of commandments designed for our good and His glory among all the nations.

The Pharisees came along and added even more. The whole thing began to get out of control. So when Jesus showed up and started teaching with authority, people wanted to know what was most important. What is the greatest commandment, they asked.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

None of these commandments are the most popular commandment. The most popular commandment is not one of the Top Ten. It isn’t the commandment to make disciples, give to needy, or to not boil a baby goat in its mother’s milk. (yep, that’s really in there)

The most popular commandment – meaning the commandment most often given in the Bible is this — don’t be afraid.

Don’t be afraid.

God knew we would struggle with fear. He knew we would battle against the fear of angels, spiders, enemies, heights, public speaking, dying, and the dark.

What fear is trying to rule your life right now? Fear of the virus? Fear of the election results? Fear of conflict? Fear of another person? Fear Of Missing Out?

God says don’t be afraid. Don’t let fear control you. Don’t let fear keep you from doing what is best, what is right, what is necessary, what is essential, and what is commanded.

I know. Easier said than done, right? Fear is a real problem, and it doesn’t let go of us easily. So, how do we really embrace the most popular commandment? Let me offer you two thoughts.

First, we need to remember that God is with us. In one of the most famous passages related to all this, God challenges Joshua to not be afraid. He commands him to be strong and courageous. And he does so b/c He will be with Joshua. Everywhere and every time.

God always goes with us. He doesn’t call us to follow and obey on our own. He will be with you. Always. Even to the end of the age.

Second, we need to remember that God is for us. The gospel makes that ultra clear. If God was willing to give us His only Son to die on a cross in our place…then we know He is truly for us. Forever.

In Romans 8, Paul asks the question, “If God is for us, then who can be against us?”

The answer is no one. Not successfully. Anything that happens to us is in His control. In fact, He promises to work all things for good in the end. We have nothing to fear.

We truly can be controlled by faith instead of fear.

Sign up for that mission trip. Start that conversation with a lost friend. Invite someone to church. Tell someone you are sorry. Confess that sin. Ask someone for help. Sign up to serve. Engage your church. Send that text. Make that phone call. Love your enemies.

God is with us and God is for us. Don’t be afraid.

Preach this truth to yourself today. And every day. And then follow Jesus. Without fear.

The Right Mindset

Thu, 17 Sep 2020 19:44:00 GMT

Is anyone planning anymore?

How’s your 2021 calendar looking? Lots of plans coming together?

Probably not. It’s no secret that it is really hard to plan in the future tense right now. So many unknowns continue to linger with this pandemic.

We are right there with you. Planning for overseas iGo trips (or any trips) in 2021 feels like throwing darts while wearing a blindfold.

So what do we do, when planning is so challen g ing?

It might just start with a change in our mindset. Here are two mindsets we can adopt during these times.

The first is the “If the Lord wills it” mindset. Check out this wisdom from the Epistle of James:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” –James 4:13-15

At first it looks almost like James is doing away with planning altogether. After all, we do not know what tomorrow will bring. But that isn’t James’ prohibition. He is simply saying that as we plan, we should remember that God is in control. Our plans, even our best plans, will only come about if the Lord wills it.

So plan away, but keep this truth in mind. And maybe have a backup or two as well.

At iGo that means we are planning to be back to work in 2021 with teams serving in Japan, Honduras, Germany, North Africa, and the Middle East. If the Lord wills it, we will have students in those locations.

We are also planning backup stateside locations in Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas City, and New York. Some of these backup locations might become the Plan A for churches that are hesitant to commit to an international trip as well.

The second shift is the “Here am I, send me” mindset. As you probably guessed, this one comes from the prophet Isaiah:

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” –Isaiah 6:8

Isaiah is ready to go wherever the Lord wants to send him even though he doesn’t have any details at this point. He doesn’t know when, where, or for how long. But he knows that God wants someone to go.

The mission hasn’t been cancelled. We know that God’s plan to be exalted in all the nations is right on schedule. And we know that His plan is to send His people. We are already called to missions. We just need the right mindset.

For more on this idea, check out the Missions Moment I recorded for our iGo YouTube channel:

For the rest of 2020 and beyond, let’s embrace these mindsets. Let’s plan and see if the Lord wills it, and let’s say, “Here I am, send me.” Even when we don’t know the details.

Speaking of YouTube…

After checking out that Missions Moment, take some time to explore our newly updated YouTube channel. You will find some great testimonies, highlights, and stories from our missionary partners. The iGo YouTube Channel . Please subscribe while you are there.

The Hometown Fleet

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 18:17:00 GMT

In the year of the llama, you stay home with your mama.

Yes, all of our iGo trips this summer were grounded. And just like everyone else, we figured out a way to pivot.

Hometown 2020: Your town, His Mission was born. The mission didn’t get cancelled. God’s ancient work is always on schedule, and always around us. Wherever we find ourselves at the moment.

Churches are joining us for Hometown 2020, and the list keeps growing. And most of our churches would love to have some iGo student leaders. It’s time for the Hometown 2020 Fleet to assemble.

Fleet = FLT = Field Leadership Team

Would you like to get out of your house and help a church engage their community? Would you be willing to serve alongside one of these groups for a week?

As of today, we need FLT to serve near San Antonio, in Rockwall, near College Station, close to Fort Worth, near Lubbock, in New Mexico, and in Kansas.

Are you close to any of those places? Or ready for a classic road trip?

Let’s talk. Shoot me an email – shu@igoglobal.org. Hit us up on Instagram or Facebook , or even the Twitter.

You might just get a short break from your mama, in the year of the llama. Not that anyone would ever need that, of course. #welovemamas

How True It Is

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 21:31:00 GMT

Fulfilling the Great Commission is connected to the Greatest Commandment. Jesus commissions his followers to make disciples of all the nations. To go to every nation, tribe, and tongue with the good news.

Obedience to this can be done, I guess, out of a sense of obligation. That might lead someone to take a mission trip just to check it off their spiritual to-do list. But it doesn’t really work that way over the long haul, does it?

Enter the greatest commandment. When asked which commandment was the greatest, Jesus answered this way:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37–39

Jesus says we should love God with everything in every way. We do that because God loved us first. One aspect of love for God is an appreciation of His creation. All of his creation. All the races. All the cultures. All the peoples.

And the love that God has poured into our hearts is supposed to spill over into a love for our neighbor. Jesus also clarified who our neighbor is for us. The Good Samaritan story (a story about crossing cultures and loving people of other races) was his answer to that question. So God’s love in us produces a love for our neighbors. All our neighbors. All the races. All the cultures. All the peoples.

This is what we have been pointing students to for the last 20 years — God’s heart for all peoples. We are training students and pointing them to the truth of God’s word. We are showing them God’s overwhelming love for every group of people on the planet. This is way bigger than taking mission trips. This is about training a generation to see the world through the eyes of Jesus, and to engage the world through that lens.

One of our many prayers for this generation is that they would come to understand what Peter did in Acts 10 at Cornelius’ house:

“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” Acts 10:34-35

How true it is. God does not show favoritism. He loves us all.

This is the gospel message. This is the good news we live, carry, and proclaim. Jesus has abolished the dividing wall of hostility. Let’s love God and love our neighbor with this truth as our guide. Across the street. Across the tracks. Across the world.

Hometown 2020

Thu, 28 May 2020 18:55:00 GMT

Sometimes the iGosian mascots seem to be chosen with a sense of destiny. Tokyo put a penguin logo on their subway cards in the year of the penguin. The JSI team from the year of the goat (2007) still claims to be the greatest of all time. And those sloth shirts from 2017 moved way too slowly out of our warehouse. This year’s mascot, however, may have topped them all.

In the year of the llama…you stay home with your mama.

So pretty much everything has been cancelled, and we all may end up stuck in our hometown all summer. But we are always on mission. We are called to live lives that make Him famous.

That’s why we have created Hometown 2020: Your town, His mission.

It’s a week filled with the training from iGo to help you engage the mission and live the mission. It’s a week of worship and preaching the gospel. And it’s a week of you serving in your hometown. Meeting needs. Helping people. Sharing the gospel.

Hometown 2020 is for you. It’s for your youth group. It’s for your college ministry. It’s for your friend group. It’s for your family. It’s for your church.

Some of those details

Hometown 2020 will take place July 27-31 . We will kick things off Monday night at your church, or maybe in your living room with worship and teaching.

Tuesday – Thursday we will provide training and teaching. We will teach the Core Values, how to share the gospel, and maybe even some cross-cultural strategies. Each evening we will gather for worship and gospel-centered preaching.

Each day you will be challenged to serve as well. In your hometown. Based on needs in your community. Your group will serve together, and your group will determine where, when, and how.

Ready to sign up already? Go ahead and email us and let us know you want more info. Keep reading if you want to know even more right now.

There are a couple different ways you can participate.

At the base level, you and your group can participate for free. Sign up your group and you will be granted access to all the training videos as well as the livestream worship every night.

We will have 2020 shirts for sale as well as other items to add to the experience, but the overall experience won’t cost you a thing.

You can level up your experience by adding iGo leaders. As long as it remains safe to do so, we are willing to send at least 2 student leaders to your church to help you with all the aspects of the week. These iGo interns will arrive ready to lead your students, emcee the event, facilitate discussions, and help your students engage your community.

In order for this to work, we ask you to cover a small honorarium (paid to the student leaders) as well as room and board for their week. Email us if you are interested in hosting some of our FLT (Field Leadership Team), AKA the Fleet.

One more thing for now – the goal of every night is to have live worship at your location followed by live-streamed preaching. Who can lead worship for your group? Absolutely don’t have an answer to that question? Let us know. We might have some options for that as well.

Let’s live on mission. Let’s engage the mission right outside our front door.

To sign up, request FLT students, or just to ask questions, email us at shu@igoglobal.org.

The Year of the Llama

Mon, 18 May 2020 19:53:00 GMT

I guess the iGosian year of the llama means you stay home with your mama.

We waited. We prayed. We waited some more. And we hoped against hope that things would clear up in time for our summer trips to go as planned.

Unfortunately, things have not gone the way we had hoped.

We have made the decision to postpone all of our Summer 2020 iGo teams until 2021.

The list of reasons behind this decision has continued to grow, and the safety of our teams has always been a top priority for us at iGo. We believe this is the best decision at this time and one made with an abundance of caution.

So what now?

One of the things we have taught for the last 20 years at iGo is that we are called to live on mission. God’s call to missions is not limited to taking mission trips. It is about seeing how our lives fit into God’s ultimate purpose. It is about living every day to make Him famous.

We know that God’s mission hasn’t been halted, thwarted, or even delayed by any of this. We know that He has a plan and that He wasn’t caught by surprise. We are choosing to trust those truths as we move forward.

Global missions hasn’t stopped, so we just postponed our trips.

Instead of cancelling our teams for this summer, we are postponing them until 2021. We are finalizing dates with missionaries, and moving this year’s students to the 2021 teams. Lord willing, we will see students engage the work all over the world next summer.

The mission hasn’t stopped, but the method has changed.

We are currently working hard to begin a missions training and resourcing podcast for the summer. We want to continue to challenge students to live on mission, and we want to continue to train and equip them to do so.

The mission hasn’t stopped, especially in our home towns.

Mark your calendars for July 20-24. We aren’t ready right now to throw all the details down, but we are really excited about the first ever iGo Global Hometown Mission Trip. A week of iGo training while you engage the needs right there in your hometown alongside your friends? Yes, please! More info will be coming soon, but go ahead and reserve us that week on your calendar.

And pray with us. Pray for our 2020 participants to persevere. Pray for God to strengthen their faith as another cancellation becomes a reality. Pray for our missionaries that will not get to host teams in their work. Pray for God to help us pivot and make the most of every opportunity. Even the ones disguised as a global pandemic.

And let us know how we can pray for you.

Comfort with Comfort

Tue, 05 May 2020 21:26:00 GMT

It’s not supposed to end with you.

God blesses His people. We’ve been teaching that here at iGo for all of our 20 years. And we don’t plan to stop. But the blessing of God on His people is not meant to just be a blessing for His people.

The bottom line of God’s blessing is that He wants you and I to share that blessing with our friends, our neighbors, our classmates, refugees, and the whole wide world.

We are blessed to be a blessing.

We are blessed to bring a blessing to others, so that others will then turn and bless the Lord. God will get the glory. God will get the credit. God will be made famous.

In spite of what the old hymn challenges us to do, I don’t think any of us can actually count all our blessings and name them one by one. There simply are too many, and our phones would distract us at some point anyway.

So let’s just talk about one blessing. The blessing of comfort.

Check out what Paul says here in 2 Corinthians 1:3–4.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

That is quite a blessing. God comforts us in all our affliction. And it is clear that He is more than able to comfort us. He is the God of ALL comfort.

Have you experienced his comfort in this season of quarantine, isolation, and loss? I hope so. And according to this passage, I would bet so. This is one of the ways that God blesses us. He doesn’t always take away the affliction, which is another topic for another day. But he comforts us in all our affliction.

Take a few moments right now and think about how you have experienced his comfort over the last few weeks. Maybe over the last few days.

Now, consider the bottom line of his comfort. Did you see the “so that” in the passage? Go back and read it again.

He comforts us so that we may be able to comfort others. It doesn’t end with us. It is supposed to sink down deep, fill us up, and spill over onto others.

So here is the challenge. Embrace the bottom line of this truth today. Who do you know that could use some comfort? Who do you know that needs encouragement? Who do you know that benefit from a reminder of the truth of God’s love right now?

A friend? A sibling (yep, it really could be a sibling)? A parent (I really went there)? Your youth pastor? Your pastor? A teacher? A missionary? Someone you know needs God’s comfort right now. And it may be God’s plan to bring his comfort through you.

Send them a text. Write them a letter. Snap them a chat. Gram them a story–right this instant. Give them a call.

Comfort others with His comfort. Pass it on. #TuesdayTruth

Tuesday Truth – 4/28/20

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 22:04:00 GMT

Contentment.

That’s what Paul is talking about in Philippians 4:13.

¹¹ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. — Philippians 4:11-13 (NLT)

Surprisingly, Paul wasn’t talking about his ability to hit the game-winning shot as time expires. He wasn’t talking about passing a test even though he “forgot” to study. He wasn’t even talking about asking someone to prom. Oops. Sorry about the prom reference. #toosoon

The famous T-shirt verse known as Philippians 4:13 is about being content in any and all situations.

Paul has had times of plenty. And he has had times of scarcity. He has been surrounded by friends, church members, and co-laborers. And he has been alone in a jail cell.

Through it all, Paul says he has found the secret to being content.

Jesus.

No really. The Sunday School answer is right this time. Paul has found that Christ gives him exactly what he needs exactly when he needs it.

In those times that we are hitting on all cylinders and life is rolling, Jesus is with us, sustaining us, providing for us, and strengthening us.

Every good and perfect thing comes from above.

And Jesus does all that for us in any and all circumstances as well.

Even in quarantine.

How has Jesus helped you find contentment in this season? How has he strengthened you, sustained you, and provided for you?

It’s true. We can be content in all circumstances. We can do all things. Even shelter-in-place for weeks on end.

Through Christ. He gives us strength.

All worshippers welcome

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 19:02:00 GMT

Matthew skips the shepherds. And the little drummer boy too, for the record.

Instead, Matthew tells us about the visit from the magi, which most likely didn’t happen the night Jesus was born.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

As we continue to focus on the bottom line of Advent, allow me to point out a couple of things. These magi came from the east. Back home we would say, “they ain’t from around here.”

They were foreigners. Not of the people of Israel.

No surprises here, especially for you iGosians. This baby born in Bethlehem had come to save the world. Every nation. Every tribe. Every tongue!

Matthew begins the story of Jesus with the foreign magi, and ends it with the Great Commission. This gospel is for all the nations!

Why did the magi come? Why did they travel this far for a baby shower?

To worship Him.

Right here in the Christmas story we find a stark reminder that God’s ultimate aim is to be worshipped by all peoples. For the knowledge of His glory to cover the earth! The bottom line is always there.

God knows we were made to worship. And He knows that until we worship Him and Him alone, life will never make sense. We will never be fully satisfied. We will never find our purpose.

It’s true for you, and it’s true for every people group on the planet.

It’s the reason we can be still in the middle of the craziness of this season.

“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in all the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Be still and remember that this Christmas.

And let us exalt Him among all the nations.

God to the Rescue

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 17:20:00 GMT

His name is a title. A description that tell us not just who he is, but what he came to do.

Jesus. The Lord Saves. God to the rescue.

Christ. The anointed one. Messiah. King.

It’s actually more title than name. Christ isn’t his last name for sure. He wasn’t born into the Christ family. The first Christmas card didn’t come with a picture from the stable and a note – Happy Future Holidays from Joseph and Mary Christ… and baby Jesus.

Jesus was what he was called and it was his name. But his name was given for a much bigger purpose than just identification.

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” –The Angel (Matthew 1:21)

And this wonderful name is a reminder to us all. We needed a rescue. We were dead in our sins. We were cut off from God. We were without hope in this world. We needed a Savior.

God to the rescue. The Christmas story is a rescue story. God leaves his heavenly throne, takes on flesh, is born in a small town, and takes our place on a cross.

To save us. To rescue us. To bring us back to Him.

Christmas tells us that our God is on mission. The Christmas story is a mission story. And the mission is a rescue operation.

Remember that this Christmas. Remember that you had no hope of rescuing yourself. God came on mission and saved you.

And remember that the world still needs to be rescued. Living on mission is joining the rescue operation. The global rescue operation.

Let’s take the good news of Jesus Christ to a world in need of rescue.

The #LastingImpact Challenge 2019

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 20:07:00 GMT

I still find myself amazed that it happens. Even though our teaching and our training is all geared for life on mission way beyond the actual mission trip, I get caught off guard when I hear how God really used iGo to do exactly that. And so much more.

God has used iGo Global to make a #LastingImpact on hundreds and even thousands of students. Incredible.

Is that your story too? Did your time with iGo (even if it was only one summer years ago) leave a lasting impact on your life and your view of the world?

If so, we would love to hear it. Send me your story. It can be 2-3 sentences or 2-3 paragraphs or whatever. We want to hear it, so please send it. shu@igoglobal.org

And would you help us continue this work? Your support could be the catalyst for God using iGo to make a #LastingImpact in the life of a student this summer!

And now for the challenge part . We have an iGo board member/donor/friend who has agreed to match any donation by an iGo alum and the parents of an iGo alum up to $10,000!

For real! If iGosians give $10,000 between now and the end of February, that will be doubled to the tune of $20,000! $20K to help us train and mobilize the next generation! We will use these funds to help our staff, develop more leaders, assist team leaders with trip costs, recruit more students, and open new partnerships.

Here is what we are asking you to do in 3 easy steps:

Here is what a sample #LastingImpact post could look like:

I donated to iGo Global today in order to help make a #LastingImpact. Back in high school, I went to Japan with iGo and God used that experience to create a lasting impact in my life. It was during that trip that I learned that life is not about me, but I am here in order to live for God’s glory and make Him famous.

I want to challenge my mom and dad and these teammates: Allen, Jason, Tara, Jordan, and Allison to help create a #lastingimpact in others by donating and sharing their story as well.

This next year, 2020, will be the 20th summer for us at iGo! We are so thankful that you were part of the first 20 years, and we are asking you to partner with us and help us as we head into the next 20! Thank you so much!

One Tribe, Y’all!

Shu

The Bottom Line of Advent

Mon, 02 Dec 2019 16:37:00 GMT

The tendency is to skip them. Or maybe at least skim them quickly and move on. We know that all Scripture is profitable, but those genealogies?

“God really spoke to me in that long list of names I couldn’t pronounce,” said pretty much no one ever.

Which makes it interesting, or at least odd, that Matthew starts his gospel this way. After all, this is the greatest story ever told. Why give people a reason to skip the beginning?

It’s probably too much to ask for you to stop and read Matthew 1:1-17 right now. But would you give a little over 2 minutes to watch this video of it put to music?

Ok, so the song is creative and now we can all say we didn’t skip it. But isn’t there more to it than that?

Yes, absolutely there is.

Matthew is establishing Jesus’ pedigree and connecting him to the promised Messiah that would come from the line of David and Abraham. The genealogies also remind us that God is always at work in the world to accomplish his purposes. They remind us that God works through families, even families with lots of dysfunction and drama .

There is actually a lot we can learn from Matthew’s genealogy list by looking at the stories behind the name. But let’s focus our attention on two names in particular: Rahab and Ruth.

Two women. This should cause us to pay attention since genealogies were traced from father to son during this time. But these two women are mentioned by name, and they are in ancestors of the Messiah.

Rahab, the Caananite prostitute that helped protect the Israelite spies in Jericho. And Ruth, a Moabite woman known for her faithfulness to her mother-in-law.

Both of these women were outsiders. Not of the nation of Israel. Not part of God’s chosen people. But yet, they are.

When God made his promise to Abraham, he promised to bless him and make him into a great nation. And he also promised to bless all the nations through him.

The evidence of this Bottom Line plan is seen on just about every page of Scripture, and in every story. Even here, in Matthew’s genealogy list.

Two Gentile women are not just included in the blessing. God brings them into the royal family and uses them to prepare the way for the ultimate blessing to arrive one incredible night in a stable outside Bethlehem.

This gospel is for all nations, all peoples, all tribes.

Rejoice in that today as your celebrate Advent. And pray for opportunities to make Him famous during this season and all the seasons. Let’s live for the bottom line.

Core Values in Real Life – Part 1 – Bottom Line

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 20:17:00 GMT

It was basically an organized riot. They filled the theater in Ephesus and the crowd was shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

This mob is angry at Paul. Paul brought the gospel to Ephesus. He proclaimed it boldly. People received the gospel and they gave up their idol worship.

And that stirred up the people of the city against Paul. How dare he cause people to stop worshipping Artemis.

The crowd couldn’t find Paul so they grabbed some of his known companions and drug them into the theater. This could get out of hand quickly.

Where is Paul? Hiding out in someone’s attic? A good ways down the road towards the next town? On a boat headed to Tarshish?

That might be where you and I would be, but not Paul. Acts 19:30 tells us where he was. “But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.”

Paul isn’t hiding from the mob. He is trying to get in to the theater ! His friends won’t let him b/c the crowd would probably kill him.

But there he is. Outside the theater trying to get in. Knowing it might even cost him his life.

Why?

The Bottom Line. Paul is living to make Him famous. He is living for God’s glory among every nation, tribe, and tongue. This is Paul’s mission. This is Paul’s life.

In Acts 20:24, Paul says it this way – “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

Paul’s life is a mission. Mission is Paul’s life. He lives according to the bottom line.

Now this is where I get all up in your business.

What if this school year wasn’t about you?

You don’t want to go back to school? Who does? You can’t tell me Paul actually wanted to go into that theater and be killed by the mob. But he is ready to go in there because he lives on mission.

So what if you asked God to give you this same attitude about going back to school? Ask Him to keep your school as a mission field in the front of your view this whole year.

Go into the school year – even on the first day – looking for others and looking for opportunities to make Him famous.

Do you look to see if your friends are in your classes, or do you look to see who might need a friend?

Do you run to the lunch table and thank God that you have someone to sit with, or do you look for someone who doesn’t?

Are you hoping to make the best memories possible and enjoy every moment this year, or are you looking for ways to make Him famous in ways you never noticed before?

That’s our prayer for you at iGo. That you would embrace the bottom line every day of school this year and beyond. We pray that God would bless you like crazy and that you would enjoy every bit of your experience. And we pray that through it all, God will use you to bring a blessing to others. Your friends, your teachers, your teammates, people you don’t know yet, people really different from you, and people that desperately need some good news. The good news.

Go….and make Him famous!

The Challenge of Christmas

Sat, 29 Dec 2018 16:58:00 GMT

It is truly one of my favorite missions quotes of all time. Some guy I don’t know much about named Oswald J. Smith is given credit for it. Apparently guys named Oswald are good for quoting. Here is what he said: “We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first.” Such a great…

The Challenge 2018

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:15:00 GMT

Hopefully by now you have seen the #Dare2Declare project we kicked off this December. If not, please don’t admit it for your pride and our feelings.

We have challenged The Tribe, which is well over 4000 strong these days, to help us train and mobilize the next generation by giving $10,000 before the end of 2018.

Yes, $10,000 seems like a lot. Which is why we have divided it up. Everyone has a place where they could help us. Check out the chart below:

This money will go straight towards the work of iGo in training our teams. It will cover costs at Base Camp, help pay for all of the team leader training weekend, and help iGo develop some new partnerships.

But here is where this gets really fun…and interesting.

We have developed this thing we are calling The Challenge 2018 . And the prizes are intense.

The Challenge is simple. We are asking you to contact your iGosian friends and get them to give to the #Dare2Declare project. Simple enough? Good.

And now for the prizes – aren’t you glad you kept reading?

First Prize (to the iGosian who raises the most money – AKA The Champ)
*You get to pick the 2019 iGo mascot. No really, you get to pick it. #legendary
*A $100 Amazon Gift Card – b/c tangible goods are cool prizes too
*One of every 2019 new iGo T-shirt – in just your size
*A stuffed animal version of the mascot that you picked (as long as this exists)
*An autographed poster of the Mayor of iGosia – worthy of a Hobby Lobby frame

Second Prize (b/c there should always be more than 1 winner)
*You get to be the Mayor of iGosia for a day (Launch Box or Base Camp)
*a $50 Amazon Gift Card – enough for 2 seasons of Lone Star Law
*A poster of you with the real Mayor of iGosia – you’ll brag about this to your grandkids
*One of every 2019 new iGo T-shirt – colors and styles will vary but you get them all

Third Prize (let’s be honest – this is just to keep the slackers motivated)
*A $50 Amazon Gift Card – there is only so much iGo coolness to give out
*One of every 2019 new iGo T-shirt – the good soft ones and also those Comfort Colors
*An iGo Global official water bottle – word is that these are the real deal Camelbak
*A poster of the Mayor – we kind of like that guy and you should too

Are you fired up and ready? I thought so. Here is how it works.

Step 1 – Email me (Shu) at shu@igoglobal.org and let me know you are taking the challenge!

Step 2 – You start texting, calling, messaging, etc. all your iGo friends (and other friends if you are ready to explain some stuff). Ask them to give $10, $25, $50, $100, $200, $250, $500, $1000, or any amount to iGo. Explain that it will help us train students to live on mission.

Step 3 – Send them a link to our donation page. From there they can select a one-time general donation and start filling out the normal info.

IMPORTANT – At some point in the donation process there will be a box where they can add Additional Info (Order Notes). They need to put YOUR NAME in that box so you get credit for their donation! That is how you win and become iGosian legend.

Giving deadline is 11:59pm on December 31, 2018. On your mark….get set….

Some details:
Winners must raise a minimum of $100 in order to be eligible for prizes
Gifts already given to the Dare2Declare project can be designated retroactively
Current iGo staff members are not eligible. Former staff members are.

You ask…He answers

Tue, 31 Jul 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Your iGo trip is officially in the books. Your suitcase is unpacked (unless you are a Germany JSI and iGosian Airways took over your return flight and lost your luggage in or near Philly. In that case, just trust the process).

Part of you misses your time overseas. Part of you wishes you were still there. Part of you can’t believe that the trip went so quickly. Part of you, it seems, stayed overseas.

So now what?

It’s always a good idea to find your answers in the Word.

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” –Matthew 9:36–38

Now, maybe more than ever, you can relate to what Jesus says here. You have seen the people and God has given you compassion for them. You have seen their lostness, their hopelessness, their need for a shepherd. You have prayed big prayers for them, maybe even wept for them.

You now know that the harvest is plentiful.

You now know that the workers are few.

So pray. Keep on praying. Pray with insight, because you spent that time on-sight.

And Jesus told you what to pray. He says to pray earnestly that He will send out more workers into these fields.

So pray that. Earnestly.

And consider this. Chapter 9 ends there at verse 38, but the story continues. In chapter 10, the very next thing that happens is that Jesus calls his 12 disciples to him, gives them authority, and sends them out. So he tells them to pray for workers, and then he uses them as the answer for that prayer.

How can you be an answer to your own prayer? Just like Luke 9-10, you can start now praying about going back overseas next summer. We are adding new opportunities to our Trips Page all the time, and we would love for you to come back again, or consider a different/longer/etc. opportunity.

And then there is that whole thing about the harvest field of your hometown, your campus, your dorm, your team, your club, your friends. Don’t neglect that harvest field while you are waiting on next summer to come.

Now, for a challenge. Bring someone with you. The harvest is plentiful, right? There is room for your friends as you engage the mission field at home. And there is always room for your friends beside you on your next iGo trip.

Who do you know that needs to go global with iGo next summer? Who do you know that needs the training you have received and are still processing? Who do you know that needs to see how plentiful the harvest fields really are? Who are you going to invite on this journey with you to make Him famous?

Point some friends to our website. Invite some friends to join you in praying for your school and for the work overseas. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out more workers. And then start packing a suitcase.

iGosian History Month 2018

Mon, 07 May 2018 05:00:00 GMT

May is here and iGosian History Month is back to help rekindle that Psalm 96:3 passion as you prepare for the summer months.

Help us raise awareness all month long by making sure you are following us on Facebook and Instagram as we celebrate the people, the customs, the food, the traditions, the dance moves, the industries (iGosian Airways), the tour buses, the mascots, the agriculture (cucumbers and tomatoes), and everything else you love about iGosia.

Remember: iGosian History Month isn’t just for nostalgia. It is also a Call to Action ! We need your help as we gear up for another summer of helping students change the world while also getting their lives changed…or ruined for His glory.

The iGosian History Month Call to Action has 3 parts.

Call #1 – The Tribe Gives Back. You can help us train the next generation by giving financially to iGo. Our goal and prayer is still to have 100 iGo alumni on our support team helping us impact the next generation. A monthly gift of $9.63 is a small amount that makes a big difference when added together with other iGosians. You can also give an annual summer donation of $96.30 towards our summer training efforts.

Click here to donate to iGo today and help this generation make Him famous!

Call #2 – Be an iGosian Again. As an iGo alum you have the inside knowledge and experience we need in order to help this year’s students experience iGosia. Come serve as security, run an iGosian market, greet people at the bus station, or help them learn iGosian Tai Chi. We could also use some help leading small groups and walking through some of our training curriculum with the 2018 teams.

There are three training opportunities this summer. Base Camp Alpha is June 16-17. Base Camp Bravo is July 7-8. And we are training some students from The Village Church Plano on July 21.

Click here to find more info and sign up for one or all of our volunteer opportunities this summer!

Call #3 – Pray for our Teams. You have prayer walked with iGo all over the world. You have prayed with insight because you were on-sight. And we need you to join our team of prayer warriors to cover our teams in prayer this summer. Joining the Haystack Prayer Team will give you updates throughout the summer with specific prayer needs for our teams.

Click here to email President Shu and let him know you want to be on the Haystack Team.

As always, we encourage to #fireup! iGosian History Month is a time to remember, to celebrate, to reconnect, and to give back. Let’s #makeHimfamous!

Day of the Mascot Challenge Game

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 06:00:00 GMT

It’s an iGosian holiday today. The only one, really. We call it the Day of the Mascot. The basic idea is that iGosians will celebrate this day by wearing their favorite iGo Mascot shirt and gathering with other iGosians to share stories and memories from your time overseas with iGo.

So we thought it might be fun to create a #MascotDay challenge this time around. See how many points you can earn from the list below. Total up your points and you might be a winner. Did I mention there will be prizes?

Don’t forget to post using the #MascotDay hashtag. This will help us verify your results.

Day of the Mascot Challenge 2017

Selfie with your mascot shirt – 5 points

Picture with at least one other team member from your trip – 10 points

Picture of you wearing a non-mascot iGo shirt – 3 points

Picture of you wearing more than 3 mascot shirts – 10 points

Picture of you with an iGosian from another team/year – 10 points (20 if both wearing mascot shirts)

Picture of you with another iGosian on a college campus – 20 points

Picture of you with a live mascot animal (one of the real iGo mascots of course) – 20 points

Picture of you at work with a mascot shirt – 15 points

Picture of you at Whataburger with mascot shirt – 25 points

Picture of you at In-n-out burger with iGo shirt – -5 points (yep, that is a negative score)

Selfie with a school teacher/professor with one of you wearing mascot shirt – 20 points

Selfie from a deer stand while wearing the deer mascot shirt – 30 points

Picture of you and your spouse both wearing mascot shirts – 15 points

Picture of your kids with iGo mascot stuffed animals – 20 points

Most creative display of iGo mascot – 30 points

Picture of you overseas in mascot shirt – 20 points

Picture of you with mascot shirt on TV – 50 points (school announcement TV counts)

Selfie with mascot shirt on while driving your car – -20 points (don’t selfie and drive)

Picture of you holding a catfish – 20 points

Picture of you holding a sloth – 50 points

Picture of you holding a rhino – 100 points

Mascot shirt selfie with a current or former iGo staff member – 25 points

Mascot selfie with an international student – 20 points (only 5 points if you don’t know her name)

Selfie with mascot shirt at your school pep rally – 15 points

Selfie with the 2005 armadillo mascot shirt – 40 points

#TBT photo from your team before 2005 mascot tradition began – 20 points

Video of you doing the iGosian dance in mascot shirt – 50 points

Picture of you at a formal event in mascot shirt – 40 points

Picture of you in the snow wearing penguin mascot shirt – 40 points

Picture of you riding a giraffe or moose – 100 points

Selfie from the #MascotDay gathering tonight in Waco – 20 points

Mascot selfie with an iGo Jimmy – 25 points

iGosian History Month: A Call to Action

Mon, 08 May 2017 05:00:00 GMT

You may not know that May is iGosian History Month. Probably because we just decided that in our last staff meeting. You can do that, you know. Just decide to declare a day or a week or a month to remember or honor or celebrate something? So why not iGosia?

So join us this month as we celebrate and remember all things iGosia. We plan to fill up the social media landscape with famous iGosians, favorite things about iGosia polls, best cucumber and tomato recipes, and so much more.

But the most important thing we have planned for iGosian History Month is a Call to Action . Help us raise awareness for iGosians everywhere by responding to the following four action steps.

Speak In . In the next few weeks a whole new crop of students will come to Base Camp and become iGosians. What advice do you have for them? What encouragement could you share as they are trained and prepared to make Him famous? What do you wish someone had told you before you visited this wonderful place? Send President Shu an email and with your thoughts for this year’s students and we will share them at Base Camp.

Sign Up . How long has it been since you visited iGosia personally? Well…that’s too long. We need your help in training and mobilizing this summer. Check out the Base Camp page on our website to see all the info you need to volunteer at a Base Camp this summer. Reconnect with your iGosian friends, and help us prepare the next wave of students. You can also send an email to Rachel Partridge Rachel Partridge in order to secure your spot as a volunteer.

Give Back . What did your time with iGo mean to you? How did it shape your worldview? What did you learn about God and His plans? How did the training impact your life then and now? Our prayer has always been that God would use iGo to impact a generation with the Bottom Line. Would you help us to continue this work by giving back? We are praying for 100 iGosians to partner with iGo for $9.63 per month. This money will go directly towards our work of training and mobilizing. Send an email to Chassidy Rogers to get signed up today and start giving back. You can also v isit our donate page to sign up and join the NINETYSIX3 club.

Thanks iGosians! Together we can make this the best iGosian History Month ever!

NINETYSIX3: An Unlimited Value

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 05:00:00 GMT

The standard streaming subscription for Netflix costs $9.99 per month and there are over 47 million Netflix subscribers in the USofA alone. What a phenomenon.

I get it. I mean, there are always Stranger Things you could be spending your money on, right? Netflix is a good investment when you consider all the ways you can use it. You can binge watch it with Friends, or you can get Lost in a show all alone. Streaming Netflix on your smart phone means you can take your favorite shows outdoors. You could watch a comedy on benches in city Parks, And that could be a form of Recreation. Some people have been known to sneak a peek at their favorite sitcom while working in The Office. Talk about Breaking Bad. Netflix allows you stay current on some shows, but you can also catch up on shows from The Wonder Years of your childhood.

It doesn’t take long to see that Netflix is a good value for that price. Less than 10 dollars per month gets you access to all those shows and movies. Doesn’t take a bunch of Mad Men to figure that one out.

So let me tell you about something else you could do for less than $10 per month. We call it NINETYSIX3 based off the command in Psalm 96:3.

“Declare His glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!”

NINETYSIX3 is a way for iGo alumni to stay connected. It is a way for iGosians to invest in the next generation. It is a way for a generation impacted by this teaching and training to pay it forward to the next generation.

A monthly contribution of $9.63 makes you part of the team. That’s it. $9.63 per month. Less than you spend on Netflix. Less than a couple grande lattes at the bucks of all stars. It’s probably even less than that Jelly of the Month club someone gave you for high school graduation.

Any day would be a great day to sign up and become part of NINETYSIX3, but today is November 1–The Day of the Mascot. That would be a really cool day to start.

Oh yeah, the value. That Netflix $9.99 value is pretty hard to beat for sure, but I think we got them. Your $9.63 per month is an eternal investment in God’s Kingdom and His work through iGo Global. This is no House of Cards. This is you choosing to support a ministry that had an impact on your life so that God can use this ministry to impact countless others. There is no limit to the value of that.

Please join the team today. Together we will continue to make Him famous!

Lance Shumake,

3 Ways to Celebrate the iGosian Day of the Mascot #iGoMascotDay

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 05:00:00 GMT

iGosia has everything. Amazing people, beautiful scenery (tour buses included), delicious food, one of the world’s most consistent airlines, and the best cucumbers and tomatoes you will ever find.

iGosia even has its own holiday .

November 1 is the date every year that iGosians celebrate the Day of the Mascot. The iGosian diaspora throughout the world look forward to #iGoMascotDay and the chance to represent their beloved fictional country in a variety of ways.

As you prepare, we would like to offer you 3 ways to make the most of your Day of the Mascot celebration in 2016!

#1 – Rep your mascot and tag us so we can see your iGosian pride. Use the hashtag #iGoMascotDay as you share a picture of you wearing your mascot shirt from your summer, or the one you made yourself when you realized your mom donated yours to the thrift store. Mascot shirts are the perfect way to promote your iGosian heritage as you attend classes, hang with friends, or go to work. Got some kind of dress code issues at school or work ? Sounds like a creative challenge to me. Just don’t forget to take that selfie, post it on the world wide web, and use that hashtag.

Bonus points if you just go straight up iGosian for the day. Who knows? Maybe you will start a new trend.

#2 – Join a Day of the Mascot gathering near you. This year iGosians will gather together in four different official #iGoMascotDay locations. We will gather at the iGo World Wide Headquarters in Wylie. We will also have three satellite gathering locations in Austin, College Station, and Tyler. Live near one of these locations? Make your plans now to join in the fun by meeting up with other iGosians to celebrate together. We will be connecting those locations virtually through Facebook live that evening as well. Check out our Facebook page and Instagram for the details you need.

The gatherings will provide you an opportunity to meet some other iGosians, share some of the meaningful moments from your time on an iGo trip, and hear about some ways you can continue to connect with iGo as part of our alumni base. It’s gonna be awesome, so put it on your calendar now.

#3 – Be bold and host an unofficial gathering yourself. So maybe you don’t live anywhere near one of those locations. Maybe your iGosian friends are with you way out in Spokane, Hamburg, Munich, or even Shawnee. We would love to hear where you are gathering and who is gathering with you. Share it on our Facebook page or send it to us and we will share it for you. Let us know in advance and we might be able to connect you in virtually as we all gather and celebrate.

Are you the only iGosian for miles and miles and days and days? You can still connect. Make sure you check out our Facebook that night and you will virtually be right here with us. We are looking forward to seeing you here in Wylie or all around the world this November 1. It’s the iGosian Day of the Mascot. Get ready. Get excited. Fire up.

This is definitely not for you

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 05:00:00 GMT

No, really. You. This is not your deal, sister. You are not ready for it and you couldn’t do it even if you were. In fact, it is probably safe to say that God didn’t even call you to this in the first place, bro. Seriously, why would He call you? What do you even have to offer?

So you’re still reading? Nice. This probably felt a little like the old reverse psychology tricks from your parents. You know the ones: “Don’t you dare smile for this picture!” Or maybe, “You’re right. School is a waste of time. I think you should drop out tomorrow and get a job.”

But I am not using mind tricks here. Or am I? Ok, ok. For real. What I am doing is giving you some of the lies that the enemy wants you to believe in order to keep you from ever setting foot on an extra wide jet plane headed over an ocean.

Think about it. How many times have you sat through the Super Summer Global info meeting, but you haven’t actually applied? How many times have you heard about that opportunity to go and make Him famous among people that have little or no access to the gospel? Plenty, right?

So why haven’t you gone? It could be that you have believed some of the lies. His lies aren’t new. That’s mainly because he isn’t that creative, but it is also, sadly because his lies still work.

So let me give the truth and let me give it to you straight. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Here it goes:

God has already called ALL of us to engage the mission. See Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, Psalm 96:3, etc. As a result, missions is definitely for you, and for me, and for all of us. This really is your deal, sister. God already called us all to this in the first place, bro.

But there is one truth that the enemy may have gotten half right in some ways. You can’t do this. But that is the beautiful part of it, really. You don’t have to.

“But you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.” —-Jesus

When God calls us to something, He always supplies everything we need. And, just in case you already forgot…He has called us to this. And He supplies the power through His Spirit living inside you.

In addition to that, we are going to train you and teach you so that you are truly ready to join God’s work. This is what we do. We’ve been training and mobilizing students just like you for the past 16 years. You need this training . You already have His calling and His power. It’s time to ignore the lies and embrace the truth.

This is DEFINITELY for you.

iGo Global Trip Page

Leadership

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 06:00:00 GMT

The Best Kept Secret at iGo

You won’t find it spelled out in our mission statement. We haven’t turned it into a fancy video. We’ve chosen not to put it on a billboard on I-35. In many ways, it seems like some kind of secret.

But leadership development is a huge part of what iGo does. It is woven through the fabric of our training, our mobilization, our systems, our strategies. In some ways, leadership development could be viewed as simply a by-product of our mission. But that view overlooks the intentionality behind it.

I call it the best kept secret simply because we don’t make it known clearly that we are right in the middle of raising up next generation leaders. This is very much the heart of what iGo is all about, and it’s time to bring it into the light.

Here are 3 paradoxes that highlight how we intentionally develop leaders at iGo.

1. Simple, but not easy. The core of our leadership development strategy is simple. We let students lead. No really, we do. I’m not talking about inconsequential leadership tasks here. I am talking about big responsibilities and big assignments. If you decided to join up on our Super Summer Global team this summer, you would be greeted at the airport by students. But they wouldn’t just be the welcoming committee, they would be your leaders. They would guide you through the airport, get you to the right transportation, and even help you exchange your money (which they would know was at the top of your to-do list). These same students (some of them as young as 16) would lead you the entire time you were in Munich. They would introduce you to restaurant owners they have become friends with, teach you how to pray on-sight with insight, and teach you all kinds of tips about the people and the culture you are engaging.

Letting students lead is a simple strategy…but it is far from easy. Sometimes these students make mistakes. One adult complained that his JSI got their entire team on the wrong train going the wrong way, and he didn’t realize it until they were at the next stop. #thehorror If we are going to develop students into leaders by letting them lead, then we have to make sure we are engaging them at every level of this process. We train them and we provide immediate instruction and feedback along the way. It isn’t easy, but it is definitely worth it.

2. Leading through serving. The bulk of our training is focused on the foundational idea of servant leadership. It is the leadership modeled for and taught to us by Christ , and it is the end goal for iGo as we develop the next generation of leaders. We want to see iGo students become the most amazing and most humble servant leaders in every field and every endeavor. iGo students learn servant leadership and take it with them into the local church, their home, their marriages, their parenting, the marketplace, the classroom, the mission field, and who knows where else. These are the kind of leaders that will change the world, and these are the kind of leaders that iGo strives to develop.

3. The first shall be last. iGo student leaders learn that sometimes leadership is getting out in front and saying, “Follow me!” There are plenty of situations and circumstances where the leader has to literally take the lead. However, there are just as many times (maybe even more) where true leadership takes place from the back of the pack. We hand leadership responsibilities off to our students, and we want to see them do the same. iGo student leaders set the pace when they need to, but more often than not, you will find them behind other students pushing them into leadership roles of their own. After all, the students they are leading will learn much more by stepping up and trying it themselves than they ever will just watching their leader do it for them. Leading from the back…and the front is a crucial part of our leadership development strategy.

With these three paradoxical ideas guiding us, iGo intentionally develops next generation leaders through our mobilization internships (Jimmy) , our overseas internships (JSI) , our Launch Box leaders (Launch Crew), and our training of team leaders for all of our overseas teams.

The secret is out now. Aren’t you relieved? Go ahead and let it out yourself. If you are an iGo alum, or an iGo parent, or a minister that has had students go with iGo, please share with us how you have seen and experienced this best kept secret at iGo. How have you seen iGo develop leaders? Hit that comment button and let us know your story.

An iGo M Partner Gives Thanks

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 06:00:00 GMT

We are kicking off a week of thankfulness by thinking about the amazing M partners that we get to serve alongside at iGo. These men and women and their families are simply the best. The. Best. And we couldn’t be more thankful for their partnership and willingness to allow students to share in their work. We could go on and on, and at some point we probably should. But every now and then, our M’s turn those tables on us and share thoughts with us about iGo from their perspective. We received this email of thanks last week and thought it was worth sharing so you could see the mutual partnership that God has allowed us to foster.

It’s not difficult to quickly list out many reasons why we are thankful for iGo: bottom line focus in all arenas, solid training for students, experience in working alongside field team strategy, reminders of core values, faith stretching leadership opportunities, and simply fun people to be around. Let us elaborate on a few of these things as we are reminded of His good deeds.

D partnered with iGo for the first time in 2004 while living in Europe. He has worked with iGo teams both from the field and stateside almost every year since then. I was first introduced to iGo in 2008 while living in the Middle East. I worked closely with a summer team, and during that summer I heard the core values taught for the first time. Since we began working with iGo teams over a decade ago, we have been incredibly thankful for the basic truths of Scripture that are integrated into everything that is done to prepare students to make Jesus famous among the nations. We share the desire and vision the iGo staff has to not simply provide a “good” experience for the students, but rather help provide an opportunity for young men and women to mature in their walk of faith as they become disciples of Christ.

Fast forward a few years to 2011, D and I were married and living in the States as we prepared to return to the field. Soon after we were married, we had the opportunity to travel to Amsterdam and Paris to work with the field teams, JSIs, and one week students. The students we worked with in 2011 were no exception to the hundreds of students we have worked with over the years that always come very well trained and ready to do great front-line work. We were so thankful for the prayer, thought, time, and teaching that went into the preparation and training for each student beginning many months leading up to their arrival on the field.

We are humbled and thankful for how Father has used students to deepen our dependance on Him. Walking closely with students has helped hold us accountable in allowing the truths of Scripture to impact our speech and actions. We are constantly challenged to lead in His strength and with the wisdom that only comes from above.

We have also been privileged to help connect iGo with field teams all across North Africa and the Middle East. What a blessing it has been to partner with iGo as a part of His body locally and globally. Our journey with iGo continues as we look forward to welcoming students into the city we now call home during the summer of 2016.

Thank you for being a part of the iGo team that we love dearly.

The Official Holiday of iGosia

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Fact: iGosians love a good holiday.

Fiction: iGosian Airlines employees treat every day like a holiday. (No really, it’s fiction. It only seems like it is true.)

Fact: iGosians also love mascots .

Fiction: All iGosia mascots eat cucumbers and tomatoes. (The octopus can’t do it. #textureissues)

Put these two facts together and you have yourself a one-of-a-kind celebration .

The good people of iGosia would like to invite you to join us as we celebrate our national holiday, The Day of the Mascot. Every year, on November 1, iGosians unite in order to show their support for the country that has meant so much to their personal growth.

So break out your favorite mascot shirt, or the one that still looks presentable (this year November 1 is on a Sunday, people), and wear it with pride. But don’t forget the most important part—the picture. Group pics, selfies, or even getting a friend to take a picture of you (as anachronistic as that might seem) are all acceptable. Tag us in the pic or share it on our iGo Facebook page. Tweet it out to @igoglobal and use the #iGomascotday hashtag. You can even use that instagram thing .

Don’t have a mascot shirt anymore? Sounds like a reason for some mascot mourning . Take heart! There is still hope for you…barely. You just need to get creative and make your own. These girls did it, and we know you can too.

One final thought. This year’s holiday is even bigger! We recently kicked off a brand new initiative for iGo alumni (that’s you) called Ninety-six3! So while you are thinking about iGo this Sunday, take a moment and join Ninety-six3 and be part of giving back to the next generation as they make Him famous.

That is all. Carry on, iGosians!

Ninety-six3: The Tribe Gives Back

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 05:00:00 GMT

“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.” –Psalm 145:4-7

The passage above shows a common theme throughout Scripture. One generation tells the next generation about God. Generation after generation passes the amazing story of God to the next generation to come. It is a beautiful pattern and a wonderful plan.

With this pattern in mind, we are issuing a challenge. We are extending an invitation. We are presenting an opportunity. We are making an appeal. We are submitting a proposal. We are requesting your help.

And we are asking you to respond by November 1 – AKA The Day of the Mascot.

Over the last 15 years iGo has been used by God to train and mobilize a generation. You are that generation. Our mantra has been simple. Make Him Famous. That phrase comes from Psalm 96:3 —

“Declare His glory among the nations. His marvelous works among all the peoples!”

Our work is not done. In many ways it is always beginning… at least until every nation, tribe and tongue have been accounted for that is. The next generation needs to hear the call to engage God’s Ancient Work . This generation of students needs to have their life trajectory altered in order to align with The Bottom Line . They need to be challenged to embrace the Joy of the Sower . And they need to be pointed back to their local church as the only vehicle by which God brings the Hope of the World .

Will you help us commend God’s work to the next generation? Last week, we asked you to SHARE . Today, we are giving you a practical way to do exactly that.

We are looking for 100 iGosians to join what we are calling Ninety-six3. One hundred, or as Brad says, “a hunnerd”, who will help position iGo to continue to train and mobilize students to make Him famous for the next 15 years and beyond.

Specifically, we are praying for 100 iGo alumni to partner with iGo financially. A commitment of $35 per month would add up to a $420 investment in our ministry over the course of year. That $420 covers the ministry cost associated with recruiting, administrative logistics, and Base Camp for one student. Here is a breakdown for you:

$35 per month = $420 per year = helping iGo train and mobilize one student to make Him famous.

$70 per month = $840 per year = helping iGo train and mobilize two students to make Him famous.

$105 per month = $1260 per year = helping iGo train and mobilize three students to make Him famous.

You get the picture. You can help us train and mobilize as many as you want. But let me make the picture even bigger and even cooler for you.

100 iGosians giving $35 per month would mean $42,000 per year for iGo Global to train and mobilize students, adults, youth groups, and beyond! If the Tribe would come together and give back in this way, iGo would have some serious resources to expand our work, help our hard-working staff, recruit more students, and make an even bigger impact in the next 15 years!

So here is the best way I can present this to you: If you learned anything from iGo… If you have benefited from our teaching and training…. If the core values changed things for you and still show up in your life today…. If your eyes were opened on an iGo trip overseas and have remained open… If the intersection of your life and iGo Global has made any kind of lasting impact on your life…

then would you consider commending God’s work (through iGo) to the next generation? We are calling it Ninety-six3: The Tribe Gives Back. It’s your turn to invest. It’s your turn to train and mobilize. It’s your turn to give back.

To be one of the 100, follow this link: iGo Global Recurring Donation (Note: If you would rather give the annual total than a monthly gift, you can do that with this link: iGo Global One-Time Donation .

Select the “Other” amount bubble and type in your amount based on the choices above. In the box below that says “This gift is for,” type Ninety-six3.

And just in case you are wondering…the answer is yes. Anyone who joins Ninety-six3 will receive some really cool stuff in the mail from iGo. I think the kids like to call it iGo swag or something like that. I know you are going to want this stuff for sure .

Please join us today! You will be part of the 100. You will make a huge difference in the next 15 years at iGo. And you will help the next generation to make Him famous.

Thank you,

Lance Shumake, President iGo Global

SHARE your favorite iGosian memory

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Let me say this right from the start so there is no confusion. This blog post is meant to be a 2-way conversation. At the bottom of this post, you will find a comment button. This conversation needs your voice. Be ready to share. Ok, you may now proceed. You have been notified.

What we are asking you to do (and we will keep asking) is to SHARE. Share your favorite memory or moment from your time in iGosia. There are 15 years of training and mobilizing in the books here at iGo, which means that the memories and moments have changed over the years. In some ways there are different generations of iGosians now, and the different generations will have different memories.

There are some of you out there that will remember “Ernie Smith’s” demands for payment for a picture taken with such a celebrity.

Earlier generations of iGosians may still have a whistling noise in their ears.

For some, your memories of iGosia are wrapped up in the charm of a third-world country camp called Lavon. “Ummmmm, our dorm is on fire??!!??” Those were some good days when spider crickets, backed-up toilets, late-night quinceaneras, musty paneling, and trusty but rusty golf carts helped our teams dominate their “real” cross-cultural experience.

For some, the memories are focused on the food. Cucumbers and tomatoes have long been the official food group of iGosia. But culture meals, markets, and meager meals have also been part of our training over the years. Perhaps you ate sardines in order to get a honey-bun? Or maybe your whole team shared a gallon of luke-warm milk for breakfast….without any cups? It has been said that the rotiesserie chickens of iGosia are a memory category of their own. Perhaps you remember a surly and uncaring iGosian market vendor that occasionally chunked perfectly good “tomatoes” into the “ocean.”

Of course, we can’t forget that iGosians themselves provide some of the best memories. The beggars, the children, the pick-pocket artists, and the money-for-my-baby lady have all created some lasting impressions. Do you remember the iGosian that taught you the iGosian dance? Do you remember the iGosian that made you sing a Taylor Swift song? Which iGosian sold you the wrong bus ticket….2 times??? Those iGosians have hassled you, frustrated you, annoyed you, awakened you, and taught you iGosian Tai-Chi all for God’s glory and your gladness. Or at least your training.

Finally, there is the actual teaching of iGosia. Core values that travel with you for the rest of your life. Cross-cultural awareness that enables you to adapt to any and all situations. Gospel-centered teaching that informs your life’s journey in every possible way.

Will you SHARE your memory? Please add your voice and SHARE your story. You can share your iGosian memory today by hitting the comment button here or commenting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. In the next few weeks, we are also going to be asking you to SHARE your iGosian memory in a much, much bigger way. Stay tuned for those details. For now, we wait to hear from you.

The Hope of the World Hits Home

Tue, 18 Aug 2015 05:00:00 GMT

One of our core values at iGo is Hope of the World . It is the biblical doctrine that God is bringing His message of hope to the world through the local church. That is the plan. The only plan.

We don’t just teach that as a value. As a staff, we try to live it, embrace it, and model it as well. Some iGo staff are elders, some are married to elders, some are married to church staff members, and everyone serves in some capacity at their home church.

But this core value is getting a lot more up-close and personal these days at my house.

We are planting a church . Five words I never, ever thought I would say. In fact, when the elders of Crosspoint Fellowship in Greenville, Texas invited me into a discussion about their plans to plant a church and their search for the right guys to lead it, I resolved to make sure their plans stayed as their plans. I told them I was not the guy, not one of the guys, and definitely not the son of the guy.

It didn’t work. Not because I can’t say no , but because this is what God wanted. I know that is a big statement to throw out on a blog, but here is what I mean by that. God speaks to us through His word, and confirms it through His church. Through God’s word about His church and the way He has gifted me as a pastor/teacher, God spoke to me. He confirmed that in every step (even when I was resisting) through His church.

So here we are. Poised and ready to actually begin this new church in less than four weeks. Our first Sunday is September 13. We will meet at Williams Middle School in north Rockwall at 10am with as many or as few people that God brings. We will begin teaching verse by verse through the book of Acts that morning as I preach the first five verses of chapter 1. I am excited and nervous, filled with anticipation and a little fear. I covet your prayers for sure. But I also really want you to know a few key things about what we are doing, how we got here, and where we are going.

1. We love Lake Pointe Church. For 14 years we have served at LPC. They provided iGo’s first office for 2 years while we were trying to figure things out. I have served as an elder, Life Group teacher, sports team coach, and teaching team member there. I baptized my three oldest kids there. My wife has served in a number of capacities there. We have a flood of great memories, great relationships, and just plain great feelings for this church that invested in us more than we could ever return.

And God didn’t call us away from Lake Pointe. In fact, in my experience, God rarely calls people AWAY from things. Instead, He seems to call people TO things. Which is what He is doing with us. For at least 3 years God has been affirming His calling on my life as a pastor/teacher, and He has now opened up a door for me to fully engage this calling. He has called us TO this new work, this church plant, this new journey. It isn’t about leaving as much as it is about going. We look forward to being part of God’s redemptive work in the Rockwall, Texas area alongside Lake Pointe, Cornerstone, C3 Rowlett, First Baptist, and other churches God is using right here.

2. I am not leaving iGo Global. I will serve at this new church as a non-staff elder and I will lead the preaching ministry. That means I will be preaching about half of the Sundays as we get going. My good friend Ryan Lewis, and iGo’s own Ky Martin are also serving as elders at this new church and they will share the preaching load with me. Ky is not leaving iGo either. The day may come that God calls me to something else which causes me to leave iGo in His hands and the other leaders that I work with. This is NOT that day.

3. We will be called Crosspoint Community Church. God has given us a vision for this new church. Values have been adopted from our sending church, our past experiences, and ultimately from God’s Word. Crosspoint Community will value plural leadership, expository preaching, family discipleship, true community and accountability, and missional living. We desire to see people know God, be fully known, and make Him known. It is simple and the way we do this will be unique in some ways. But that doesn’t make us right or better or smarter or more spiritual. There are many ways to do church, and God blesses more than one way for sure.

Thanks for reading all the way to the end. I earnestly ask you to pray for us as we move towards September 13 and beyond.

-Lance Shumake, President, iGo Global

Frontline Friday: iGo all over the world

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 05:00:00 GMT

What a week this has been at iGo Global.

Our Texas Super Summer Global and Louisiana Geaux Students teams visited iGosia, were trained at Base Camp, and flew out Monday to Madrid to make Him famous. They are doing an amazing job of engaging the Ancient Work alongside the M’s and our wonderful JSIs (overseas interns). Here is a just a small sample of daily updates from one of the trek groups on this team:

H.W. Weatherford The Father has done unreal things here and I can’t wait until tomorrow!

B.V. Groesbeck So blessed to see Father honor and bless our PRs today. He is working in ways I can’t describe! Please keep PRing!

G.D. Gainesville Today was another powerful day of Fathers work. His hand is working great works.

E.C. Centerville Father is doing awesome things in our site and it’s awesome to see Father work. I can’t wait to share with yall what Father is doing! Love yall!

E.W. Lubbock So much is happening here! PRs are definitely being answered and it’s such an amazing thing to be apart of! I can’t believe how quick seeds are being planted here. PRing for yall and love yall!

H.M. Stephenville We’ve gotten to talk to so many people. Father has been incredibly faithful and our trek has been really encouraged today. Love you!

B.L. Groesbeck Today was totally amazing! It is crazy how fast time is flying by. Please keep the PRs coming. Love all yall!

For more postcard updates from the rest of this team, spend a little time on our other blog: Flight 963 .

Our team in northern Africa is really getting to see God at work in a difficult place. Recently God has been opening up doors for them to share the gospel story with multiple taxi drivers as they “make the most of every opportunity.” As they near the end of their time in country, please continue to pray for their friendships and every conversation and encounter.

And just last night, our final LaunchBox of 2015 wrapped up. Five different youth groups from Weatherford, Fort Worth, Crosbyton, Pampa, and Winters had a great week engaging people from a variety of countries in Plano, Texas. They also served some of the marginalized through a food pantry and assisted an elementary school staff in reaching out to a nearby apartment complex. It was a great week of missions, training, and worship as LaunchBox 2015 is now in the books.

Frontline Friday: God Opens Doors

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 05:00:00 GMT

This past week has been one to remember for sure. Last week we branched off into different sites that we had been to only one or two times since we’ve been here. My team went to a site I had been to before, but I didn’t care for it much. I asked Father to break down my own barriers and show me how he was at work there.

After PR walking for a few hours, we began to try to find a place for dinner. This was a difficult task because literally every restaurant in the area was closed due to the month of fasting. We asked a man passing by where a good place to eat is and he led us to his friend’s restaurant even though it was closed. Very generously the shop owner, D, opened up his doors to our group and served us dinner. After a great meal we tried to talk with him but he was very busy so we were unable to have a full conversation.

The next day we got to spend a lot of time prayer walking then went back D’s for dinner. After the meal we were able to hang out and talk with our new friend a lot more. He began to explain his Islamic beliefs and we shared what we believe. The beginning of the conversation felt more like an argument between the two different faiths.

However, Father reminded us we weren’t here for debates, we were here to share the gospel.

We continually poured into this man by sharing the story over and over. He continued to try to argue with us until we shared what the gospel meant in our lives. The whole conversation turned right there. Our new friend was intrigued and liked the fact that our faith was personal to us. We then began to tell him of our interest in his culture and how we would love to know more. He happily invited us to go to the mosque that he attends and break fast with him and his friends.

Going to the mosque is something that I will never forget. Standing there watching people worshiping and PR-ing to a powerless god was an indescribable feeling. I felt extremely blessed to be able to go in and not only pray over the people but to praise Father knowing he will make His name great among these people.

Even though we did not get to spend much time with our friend, Father had something else in store. One of our M’s was able to go to the mosque with us, and he was able to make instant connections by speaking their native dialect. This opened up some doors and he is now welcome to visit there anytime.

Honestly it is insane just to see Father’s sovereignty and the ancient work throughout this whole process. It’s incredible to think about teams from previous years pr-walking the area and asking for connections and conversations like the ones we are now having. We came in and joined in those prayers. Now the M can visit the mosque and will continue the work there long after we are gone.

Father is so good to allow us to join in what he’s already doing all over the world. Literally, there is nothing I could have done to make that situation happen other than relying fully on Father to work and use us. I am thankful to have had my prayer answered so beautifully.

Frontline Friday: Camels, taxis, and Gospel Conversations

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 05:00:00 GMT

I can’t believe that we are halfway through. The last few weeks have seemed to really fly by. When first getting here I was excited to step into the work and see how Father had been working. Now that I am involved I am completely in awe and humbled. Amazing things are happening here and He is working.

I am also really enjoying the culture. I have ridden a camel, had plenty of hot tea and coffee, taken many taxis, slept in the desert, and overall had a really great time.

People here are so enthralled in their culture that it plays a huge part in beliefs. We have met many people that have had much trouble understanding the concept of a Father that loves us and a son that would die for us. But it is also encouraging how many people want to talk to us and are listening to the truth.

Please pr that Father would speak to these people and draw them to Himself. Some of the people we have met here really just want to meet with Americans, but we continue to pr that we will meet people that want to hear truth. I trust that this will happen, and I believe Father is working.

Before I go I want to share one story. While on the way to meet another group of guys, a friend and I were in a taxi. We used the little Arabic we know to start a conversation. From here using a few more words we were able to start a conversation about the Word. After asking him why he hasn’t read the word he told us that he hasn’t pr-ed or done anything for his relationship with “Father” in a long time. We were able to share truth and have a plant some seeds. This reminded me that there are so many that have not heard the truth and are looking for ways different than how they were raised. Please be lifting these people up.

Rejoice, Remember, and Realize: How to Pray for the Persecuted Church

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 05:00:00 GMT

A timely challenge and some inspiration from iGo staffer, Rachel Partridge to get you focused on this Monday morning.

3 Ways to Pray for the Persecuted Church

Rejoice: I’m fully aware of how strange it sounds to say that we should rejoice, and that in our prayers we should praise God for persecution. But when I read the stories of persecuted believers in the New Testament, I see that they rejoice, and that God’s name is made famous through persecution.

Peter and the apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus (Acts 5:41). Paul says that he rejoices in his sufferings because they are an example of the suffering of Christ (Colossians 1:24).

How can they rejoice when they have physically been beaten down, in some cases to the very point of death? Because God’s name spreads and is made known through the suffering of his people. In Acts 8 a great persecution arose against the Church immediately after the stoning of Stephen. The believers that were in Jerusalem were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria and they went about preaching the word. Because of the persecution, they began to do what Jesus commanded before he ascended. People from every nation, tribe, and tongue began to hear the gospel because the Church was persecuted.

In your prayers for the persecuted church praise God, because even in the hardship God is sovereignly working for his name to be made famous among all nations. That is a reason to rejoice.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12 (emphasis added)

Remember: In the comfort of our American lives, it is easy to forget that there is a whole world of people that suffer great physical harm and deep earthly loss for the sake of Christ. There has been no shortage of stories circulating recently about persecution around the world. While it is difficult to hear and see, it has caused me to remember and pray more than ever.

Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” In 1 Thessalonians 3:6-7 Paul tells the church that he has been comforted because he received word that they had remembered him in his distress and affliction.

In praying for the church we must pray earnestly and frequently for those that are being persecuted that God will be near to them in those dark times and supply comfort and endurance through other believers. Pray that the persecuted church will hold on to the truth that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” that they will praise God for his love that is better than life itself, and that they will know the hope that nothing, not even death, can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Realize: It is so easy for us to pray for those people, over there, in that country we’ve never been to, and then praise God that we can worship freely in America without having to deal with suffering. But then I read the words of Jesus that say, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10) Jesus doesn’t call the ones who are safe and comfortable “blessed;” he calls the ones who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness “blessed.” And in Matthew 10:22 he tells his followers they will be persecuted for His name’s sake.

In praying for those around the world that are being persecuted, realize that it could very well be you. Pray that God will give you grace to value obedience over earthly comfort, and know full well that obedience may one day mean suffering for His glory to be made known among the nations.

At iGo, we always challenge you to pray with insight. Check out Voice of the Martyrs for an interactive prayer map and more info on the persecuted church that will help you pray.

Frontline Friday: Building Relationships and Sharing Christ in Madrid

Fri, 03 Jul 2015 05:00:00 GMT

God has been doing great things in Madrid! This past week we were Pr-walking through a park and we passed a young woman sitting on a bench by herself. We started Pr-ing for her and sat on a bench nearby. After a couple minutes we felt led to go talk to her, so we went over and started a conversation.

She is 22 years old and speaks a tiny bit of English, so we told her we could practice our Spanish and she could practice her English. She was extremely friendly and invited us to sit on the bench next to her. She opened the door to spiritual conversations almost immediately by talking about her fasting and other religious practices and traditions.

We talked for a while and then we went for a walk because she wanted to show us the fair that was in town and to see her house and meet her parents. As we walked we talked more and there were lots of opportunities for me to listen to her beliefs and then tell her who JC is and how he loves us and died for us. She told us that she actually has a Bible that she reads sometimes and that she likes it, and that she has many Christian friends.

Eventually it was time for us to meet back up with the group but she met everyone and invited us all to go to the fair with her family after they broke fast that evening. At the fair we just spent time together and had fun! We were able to spend time with her the next two days also and had lots more opportunities to tell her about Jesus and continue to invest in the relationship. We were also able to give her a booklet about Jesus in Spanish, and she was very excited and appreciative and said she would read it!

There are only 7 known North African/Middle Eastern people who have come to be believers in Madrid, so it is huge that there is a girl like her who has a Bible, reads it, and is open to hearing about Jesus! We may have a chance to spend more time with her in the future, but for now seeds of truth have been planted and we can trust Father will be moving in her heart. Continue to PR for her (for safety reasons we will call her, D). Pray that God would move in her heart and bring her to know him!

This week we are volunteering at a basketball/cheerleading camp that is a combination of Upwards basketball and VBS. We have around 140 kids! PR that Father would move in the children’s hearts and keep giving us energy and opportunities to serve!

The team is still doing great as far as unity goes, but please pr against discouragement on days when it feels like Father isn’t moving or when hours of Pr-walking gets wearisome. Pr that we would be content with whatever step of obedience God has for us, whether that is leading someone to JC, sharing the Story, or just covering the area in pr.

Frontline Friday: Park Bench and Tea Salon Conversations in Africa

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Summer is definitely in full effect. We just finished our first week of LaunchBox 2015 l ast night. Pray for the students and these youth groups as they are launched back home to live on mission. We also had a Group Trek (the students from Central Baptist in Crandall, Texas) serve in Vancouver and return. Pray for them as well. Our JSIs are getting acclimated to life on mission in Madrid, and we have a team getting settled in on the front lines in northern Africa. Today’s update is from CB (one of the team leaders on that team).

It has been a little over a week since we have arrived in North Africa, and I cannot believe how much we have been blessed! We have the opportunity to work with some amazing people who really care about the community and are seeking to plant ch’s. Please continue to pr that we would meet women who understand English and who are seeking to know more about the Son.

We have already been given a few opportunities to talk with some women and families with the help of some of the field team here. Our first opportunity was a few days ago when we were pr walking around our neighborhood. We walked past an older woman, and I decided to go over to her to practice my new Arabic greetings. I completely forgot how to ask her how she was, so I stood their awkwardly trying to remember the phrase. K (one of the girls who lives here) rescued me and began to talk to the lady, who spoke only Arabic. The lady invited us to sit down, and we ended up sitting with her for almost 2 hours.

K was able to share truth with the lady, her daughter-in-law, and some other women who joined us. Because it was only in Arabic, we did not get to say much so we pr-ed for K, that Father would allow the conversation to become deeper. K ended up sharing why she cannot accept their book as truth over our book. This family also has invited us back quite a few times. Praise Father for a good standing with some of our neighbors.

It is definitely a humbling experience to be used because of your weakness. Father has a plan for these people, and even though I am a fallen, broken person, he is using me to write part of His story. Please be pr-ing for this family, that they would all come to know the Son and would become our brothers and sisters.

Our second opportunity to share with others came last night when K, G, and I went to a Tea Salon. We wanted to meet some younger people who spoke English, so we went upstairs and sat down next to this group of teenagers. After a few minutes we noticed that they were trying to take selfies of themselves with us in the background. They seemed to be having trouble taking the pictures, so we encouraged G to offer to help them. She did, but she ended up having a lot of trouble with the phone, which led to some laughter and lightened the mood. Then one of the girls wanted to take a picture with G, so she did.

This led to us starting a conversation with them. We asked about the culture, about fasting, and their book. We got to share why we believe that the Word is true, and that we can never earn our way to Father because one wrong action condemns us. We also talked about Father’s sovereignty, and how JC said that he was the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one can come to Father except through Him. We are very excited about where this conversation will lead, because these 4 teens want to meet with us again to hang out. Please be pr-ing that we will have more opportunities to share truth with them and the full message, and that they would become followers.

iGo Training: Don’t just take it from us

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

So you have most likely seen or heard us make a big deal about our training. That isn’t just a marketing technique. In fact, we are not totally sure it even is a marketing technique. We make a big deal about our training b/c we want to train you for missions.

And when I say you I mean you, your youth group, your college group, your church, etc.

And when I say for missions I mean for a cross-cultural mission experience, but even bigger than that, I mean for a life on mission.

Jesus said that we will BE his witnesses, which is a lot different than just doing some witnessing on trips every now and then. At iGo we want to show you how to do that.

So we have all kinds of mission experiences for individual students. We have Group Treks when your youth group is ready for a trip overseas or just to an unchurched area of the USA. We also have the brand new Launch Box strategy kicking off this week in Plano, Texas.

At the core, all of these opportunities are training experiences. You could even say they provide on mission training while you are on mission. Training is what we do.

But don’t just take our word for it . Take it from iGo alum and current DBU student, Laney Anderson. Her student minister asked her to share some thoughts with him about iGo training. This was her reply:

If I could talk to someone about the training, I would hit on the three ways that they train: iGo trains Biblically, practically, and reproducibly (three points–I could be a Baptist preacher!!)

They start by pulling four main truths out of Scripture to teach students about missions according to the Word of God. This helps answer questions like, “Why do we do missions?” “Who is responsible to share?” “What if someone doesn’t respond to the Gospel?” These questions are answered using the truth of God’s Word.

They also focus on practical training. iGo creates very realistic cross-cultural situations and issues that you will deal with overseas, and they give you a chance to make mistakes and learn about the cultural norms, taboos, and expectations before you even get there. You also learn a ton about flexibility, which is good for life in general, but especially for overseas work.

Lastly, they teach things that are reproducible. You will learn tips and methods for sharing the Gospel in a new culture, but the things you learn are applicable for back home as well. You learn to live on mission in another country, and you are able to bring these truths back and live on mission at home.

The quickest periods of growth in my walk with Jesus in high school occurred overseas with iGo, and I would recommend ANYONE to do it!! If you fear about the cost or your parents’ response, the Lord’s sovereignty cannot be overpowered by any man. So answer the call. He will equip you and make a way.

**However, if after conversing with them, parents still say no, iGo stands by the principle to honor your parents. So their no could mean that’s not what God has for you OR not yet.

–Laney Anderson (Super Summer Global, 2010; Paris JSI, 2012)

Check out the iGo website for the training/mission experience that is just right for you and your group.

Frontline Friday: Pick up that walkie-talkie

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

One Tokyo team returned last week and our Tokyo JSI team returns home today. Three teams were at Base Camp last weekend and flew out earlier this week and are getting settled in and engaging the work.

Which means that we don’t always have fresh and amazing stories to share with you when Friday rolls around.

But the work goes on and the work still needs your support. Pastor John Piper wrote these words regarding the armor of God in Ephesians 6:

“So I do not tire of saying to our church, The number one reason why prayer malfunctions in the hands of a believers is that they try to turn a wartime walkie-talkie into a domestic intercom.

Until you believe that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for. Prayer is for the accomplishment of a wartime mission. It is as though the field commander (Jesus) called in the troops, gave them a crucial mission (“Go and bear fruit”), handed each of them a personal transmitter coded to the frequency of the general’s headquarters, and said, “Comrades, the general has a mission for you. He aims to see it accomplished. And to that end he has authorized me to give each of you personal access to him through these transmitters. If you stay true to his mission and seek his victory first, he will always be as close as your transmitter, to give tactical advice and to send in air cover when you or your comrades need it.

But what have millions of Christians done? They have stopped believing that we are in a war. No urgency, no watching, no vigilance, no strategic planning. Just easy peacetime and prosperity. And what did they do with the walkie-talkie? They tried to rig it up as an intercom in their cushy houses and cabins and boats and cars – not to call in fire power for conflict with a mortal enemy, but to ask the maid to bring another pillow to the den.”

So on this day when we have very little “news from the front lines” will you still pick up that walkie-talkie and engage the work? Pray for our JSIs in Madrid (pictured) as they get to know the city and prepare to lead our first-time teams coming in a few weeks. Pray for the Group Trek team in Canada as they serve alongside an iGo alum now pastoring a multi-cultural church in a multi-cultural city. And pray for our team in northern Africa as they begin to build relationships with people that have been blinded to the Truth.

Finally, please pray for the first Launch Box of 2015 a s it begins on Monday. The Launch Crew and other leaders arrive in Plano on Sunday to begin setting up and preparing. Thank you!

HGPF and The iGosian Summer Reading Club

Thu, 18 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

HGPF

This is the acronym that iGosians have come to love, despite the fact that it spells nothing and sounds strange. HGPF has been a central teaching at iGo Base Camps for well over 10 years now.

In case you need a refresher course, HGPF comes straight out of Ephesians 4:1-3 . The letters stand for Humble, Gentle, Patient, and Forbearing. Paul is instructing the Ephesian church to maintain their Spirit-given unity by engaging each other in these ways in light of the amazing work of Christ (Chapters 1-3).

HGPF, like all of the other Base Camp teachings, ties directly into the Bottom Line. We don’t just relate to each other with HGPF so we will have good mission teams or happy youth groups. We love each other with HGPF in order to put the gospel and God’s glory on display. Check out what Jesus says about how we relate to each other:

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13:35

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” – John 17:20-21

The world will know that we are following Christ by how we love each other. In addition, the world will know that God sent Jesus into the world when we are truly united. Our relationships must be informed by the bottom line and the gospel.

Which means that HGPF needs to be more than a 20-minute teaching session at Base Camp. You need to go deeper. You need to lean in a little more. Let HGPF and your understanding of God’s purpose for relationships invade your youth group, your church family, your friendships, and maybe even the way you treat your siblings.

Let’s call it the iGosian Summer Reading Club. I like the sound of that. The first book we would like to recommend is Relationships: A Mess Worth Making by Timothy S. Lane and Paul Tripp. Check out some of the HGPF and Bottom Line quotes straight from the book:

“God has a two-fold purpose for human community: personal growth and witness to the world Christ’s prayer is that his people would grow and reflect his glory to a watching world.”

“Your experience in relationships helps you understand why the Bible includes so many commands and exhortations to be patient, kind, forgiving, compassionate, gentle, and humble. The Bible assumes that relationships this side of eternity will be messy and require a lot of work. If this applies to our best relationships, how much more does it apply to relationships that are more difficult!”

“Notice all the differences that exist among us. We have different gifts, serve in different capacities in the body of Christ, and are at various levels of spiritual maturity. All of these differences are there by God’s sovereign apportionment. That is, God chooses to surround us with people who are different from us because he knows it will promote his purpose. Yet how often do we see diversity as a hindrance to good relationships and God’s purposes?”

“When I remember that Christ has given me everything I need to be the person he has designed me to be, I am free to serve and love you. When I know who I am, I am free to be humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, and loving as we navigate the inevitable messiness of relationships. Is there evidence that you are looking to your relationships to give you things you have already been given in Christ?”

The best part? This book is actually being given away for FREE today if you own a kindle or use a kindle reading app on one of those fancy electronic devices. Check it out. Download it. And get your iGosian Summer Reading Club off to a great start.

Frontline Friday: Sowing Seeds in Japan

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Frontline Friday brought you to you by Addi (one of our JSIs in Japan)

I just want to start out by saying that I have never, before this week, quite experienced how passionate of a Savior we have. How passionately and relentlessly he pursues each and every one of us.

This week started out great. The team from Kansas/Nebraska arrived on Tuesday afternoon and we hit the ground running. The team is split up into treks and I am leading my own, the blue trek. I have been given the opportunity to lead around nine people, seven students and two adults. This group of people have a burning fire in their heart and a desire to spread the Good News to every person they meet. I could not have asked for a better Trek.

Each trek went to a different location, and my trek went to Toyo University. On Wednesday , Thursday, and Friday we went and had lunch at Toyo. We split up and sat around different parts of the cafeteria and made conversation. We met several people and were able to get their numbers. We met many who had never heard the name of Jesus and we also met some who knew a little bit about him. With many of the people we met, we were able to eat with them multiple days this week. In the afternoons we prayer walked around the neighborhood by the university and then headed to different parts of the city of Tokyo to do Five-Minute English lessons. The Japanese love to practice their English, so these were very successful. We were able to make many connections through them and get contact information so that we could follow up.

This weekend we held a party in the park on both Saturday and Sunday . We invited every person that we had met this past week to come out and join us. On Saturday , we had a few people come. Two girls in particular that Jordan, one of the other JSIs met came to the park. Their names were Natsuki and Nazomi. We sat down on a blanket and began talking. The conversation led into us talking to them about Christmas. They asked us to explain to them what Easter was and we knew that this was God giving us the opportunity to tell them the Gospel.

We got our bibles out and began to explain to them many different things. The language barrier was a little difficult so we asked Teresa, one of the M’s to help us explain it to them. They listened to her the entire time and asked many questions. Natsuki actually studied abroad in California and was given a bible by her host mom and went to church (seed planted). At the end of the conversation they told us that they were interested in studying more about Christianity.

I look at this conversation and I can see Gods handiwork through all of it. God was at work in Natsukis heart before we got here and God gave us the opportunity to sow more seeds into her heart. They both want to hang out with us again before we leave. I am praying that we will be able to talk with them more.

During Sunday’s party in the park, I was amazed at the relationships that were formed. There were so many people that we met and almost all of the connections we made this week were able to come. We played games for about three hours. At one point I looked up from what I was doing, and I realized that no one was playing anymore. Every single person was sitting on a tarp and having conversations. There were bibles out and explanations of who Jesus is all over the place. I was in awe of what God was doing in these moments. One of the most beautiful things about this was that God was actively pursuing each one of these people. I am praying wholeheartedly that these people will receive him.

All Places (and Peoples) From Here

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

iGo hasn’t just been sending students to the “ends of the earth” for the last 15 years. Our teams have actually found it.

Or at least a place in the middle east that makes that claim.

Our focus has always been the least reached/unreached peoples of the world. We point our students to engaging those who have little or no access to the gospel wherever they we can find them.

Sometimes that is at the ends of the earth. Sometimes that is in your college dorm. Sometimes that is in a Western European gateway city.

“I’ve been on many overseas mission trips and seen many amazing things happen on those trips, but there was something different about this week of LaunchBox. This was in my country, my state. As we prayer walked and approached people, I realized that this was what I should be doing all the time! A week at LaunchBox motivates, encourages, and inspires all involved to not just go on mission trips, but to seek to be a missionary every where you go. This is definitely a week you don’t want to miss!”

We are already finalizing our weeks for 2016, and we are excited about the way things are coming together. Let us know if you want us to hold a spot for your group.

Of course, we can also send your group on an overseas trip to engage the least reached on an iGo Group Trek . Let us know if you are interested in one of those options as well.

Frontline Friday: Postcards from Tokyo

Fri, 05 Jun 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Cucumbers and Tomatoes is the place to go when you need to hear from iGo. We share updates, highlight iGosian culture, and dispense inspiration through the C&T blog.

But we also have the Flight963 blog in the summer months. At Flight963 you get updates straight from the front lines. Our students serving on 1-week teams write on a postcard at the end of each day. They share thoughts, experiences, and prayer requests. Those postcards are then collected by our wonderful JSIs and entered in as daily updates from the field.

Here are some updates from our Kansas/Nebraska Super Summer team currently serving in Tokyo. Pray through these postcards as you read them:

J.B. from Auburn —Today was pretty fantastic! I am having a great time. I can not think of words to describe how amazing this trip has been. During the 5-Minute English lessons, a friend and I were able to meet two girls. I was shocked that they had never heard of Jesus or even seen a Bible before. My friend and I were able to show both girls the gospel for the very first time. It is crazy how God works. Thank you friends. God is good!

L.B. from Kearney —Hello! Today was a great day. The girls in my trek and I got to meet up with two girls we met yesterday at Toyo University. We had some awesome conversations. God’s ancient work was so apparent in meeting them today. It was cool to see and feel his work in action! We did 5-Minute English alone today which really pushed me outside of my comfort zone. The Father is so great! Please pray for these two girls we met–that Father keeps working in their hearts. The food is really good here. Love and miss you all!

C.V. from Halstead —Today we went back to the college and ate lunch with the girls we met yesterday. Turns out one of them was a Christ follower and so was her whole family. It is amazing to see Father’s ancient work and know that we do not start or finish anything.

C.C. from Andover —Today we did some more prayer-walking. We also did 5-Minute English. It rained the whole time, so I thought we wouldn’t be able to talk to anyone. However, towards the end of our time, 12 people came up and we got to share the gospel with them!

For more updates as well as the most current reports, check out the Flight963 blog daily. Pray for the front line work and make Him famous!

Flight963 Blog

Frontline Fridays…We’re back! (with bonus road trip tips)

Fri, 29 May 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Frontline Fridays are one of our ways of keeping you in touch with our teams. During the iGosian Mobilization Season we aim to post on Fridays some updates from selected teams. Our hope is that you will find yourself eager to hear news from the front lines and ready to engage the work as you pray for these teams.

The first team of 2015 departed DFW on Monday of this week, arriving in Tokyo after a quick little 13 hour jaunt over the Pacific. These three JSIs are busy preparing the way for our Kansas/Nebraska Super Summer team to arrive next week.

Speaking of Tokyo, these JSIs mark the first iGo team in Japan since 2010. The inaugural iGo student team served in Sapporo, Japan in 2001 . In fact, iGo teams served in Japan every summer for our first 10 years of training and mobilizing. Tokyo was also the landing spot of our largest team ever – 189 students and adults on the 2008 Texas Super Summer Global team.

We have always loved our work in Japan and we are excited that God has opened the door for us to send teams there again. Please pray for these JSIs as they get settled in:

Pray for God to open doors in Japan for the gospel message to be proclaimed and heard clearly (Colossians 4:3).

Pray for these 3 students as they get used to their surroundings and begin to build relationships in the city (1 Thess. 2:8).

Pray for the M’s that have partnered with iGo that they will be encouraged in their work as our students serve alongside them (Philippians 1:3-6).

Bonus Update:

iGosia officially begins the annual tourism season tomorrow. iGo staff, Jimmy, and some amazing volunteers are on their way to Webster Conference Center as I type to get things ready for Base Camp to begin tomorrow. Please pray for them as they travel to and from Kansas and train and mobilize this team.

Double Bonus Friday

iGosian Road Trip Tips:

1. If you stop at Braum’s for ice cream and they are out of your favorite flavor…just go to the end of the line and hope to get a different ice cream scooping specialist the next time around.

2. Fill up the tank BEFORE you get on that one long tollway . Trust us on this one.

3. The best way to express your dislike of tollways is to unleash the bees from the hidden hive on the trailer when you have to stop and pay the toll.

4. Feeling a little tired or maybe just road weary? Have some electricity.

5. Backseat drivers are never welcome. This is also true of backseat, backseat, backseat, backseat drivers in 15 passenger vans. This principle also applies to music selection and temperature control in the van .

Let the iGosian Summer begin!

Let the Jimmy Transformation Begin

Fri, 22 May 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Being a Jimmy changes a person. This is an extremely undocumented fact. And the Jimmy metamorphosis begins almost immediately. Whether a new Jimmy is an iGo repeat offender (veteran of many trips) or brand new to the iGo culture, transformation commences soon after Jimmy enters the not-so-hallowed halls of the World Wide Headquarters.

The catalyst of change seems to center on Jimmy’s newly acquired royal status. After all, Jimmy is annually immortalized (as much as one can be immortalized for one summer) when we place their image on the iGosian currency. In one sense you could call Jimmy the Prince and Princess of iGosia. Or you could also call them our interns.

Just to be clear, Jimmy doesn’t arrive with such lofty aspirations. They honestly thought they would never be royals. They are here to serve and to fully embrace the “behind the scenes” work of mobilization. But royalty happens nonetheless.

Ladies, Gentlemen, and iGosians, we proudly introduce you to this year’s Jimmy. Welcome them to the royal family. (bios complete with before and after photos) .

Jimmy Kaitlyn — from Sanger, Texas,

School – Junior at Oklahoma Baptist University Major – Secondary English Education.

Favorite Food – Ice Cream

Personal Trivia – I have a twin brother (who happens to be the JSI Madrid Team Leader this summer)

People Might Not Know – I am taking an Arabic class “just for fun.” You wouldn’t know b/c I am horrible at it.

Favorite Musician/Book – I am terrible at favorite questions. Right now I love Broken Vessels by Hillsong.

iGo History – Paris 2012, Paris JSI 2013, and Madrid JSI Team Leader 2014.

Jimmy Caroline — from Kilgore, Texas

School – Junior at Mississippi College Major – Nursing

Favorite Food – Pizza and M&M’s. Chocolate comes from a bean, therefore it is a “vegetable”, so I love vegetables.

Personal Trivia – I love to sew.

People Might Not Know – I was once grounded from buying books .

Favorite Musician/Book – I love to read, but if I have to choose it would be Redeeming Love and Pride and Prejudice.

iGo History – Tokyo 2010 and Paris JSI 2011.

Jimmy Audrey (Code name – Audge) from Cypress, Texas (which is near H-town)

School – Junior at University of Mary Hardin Baylor Major – Public Relations

Favorite Food – Bushfire Tacos at Torchy’s.

Personal Trivia – If whistling was an Olympic sport , I would probably get a gold medal.

People Might Not Know – I’m obsessed with music from the 50’s. Yes, I’m an old lady trapped in a 21-year old body.

Favorite Musician/Book – The Screwtape Letters for my book and The Gaslight Anthem for my band.

iGo History – None. I had never even heard of iGo before this year.

Jimmy Ty from Harleton, Texas (a small, but charming East Texas town.)

School – Sophomore at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical University Major – International Studies

Favorite Food – Sushi. Specifically I like Alaska roll the best.

Personal Trivia – I am colorblind (just like this year’s iGo mascot #YearoftheDeer)

People Might Not Know – I auditioned for a role in Polar Express when I was young. #BELIEVE

Favorite Musician/Book – The Name of the Wind

iGo History – Central Asia 2012 and Madrid JSI 2014

The mission is not a checklist

Tue, 12 May 2015 05:00:00 GMT

We sure do love our check lists. We love to-do lists, grocery lists, honey-do lists, bucket lists, packing lists, and Base Camp supplies lists (iGosian costumes and confusing airport signs–check). Lists can help us for sure. There are all kinds of lists that can help us be more productive. There are even lists of the lists that can help us.

But lists also give our hidden (or not so hidden) OCD that much-needed feeling of accomplishment. We like to check things off the list.

Speaking of OCD ? The image that you see above? iGo VP Brad Cardwell’s OCD got the best of him yesterday during our warehouse cleaning. The doors on that cabinet wouldn’t stay shut properly (it was given to iGo circa 2002). So Brad “fixed” it. It stays shut now. Or it did. Somebody needed something out of there today, so the whole thing unraveled.

There is, however, a potential problem when we bring our checklist-obsessed worldview and preconceptions to the Text. Try this example:

“ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea andSamaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

Our checklist compulsion makes it really easy to see it through that lens. We want to believe that Jesus is saying, “Ok guys, first start in your hometown with the mission. Then go to the nearby towns and your state. Then go to states that are really different than your state… like Arkansas . And finally, when you have all those other things done, you need to think about going overseas.”

But the truth is Jesus wasn’t giving us a checklist for missions. He was describing the scope of the mission. In fact, he isn’t even telling them to start in their hometown. We see that clearly in Acts 2 when the promise of Acts 1:8 was fulfilled:

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. ⁶ And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. ⁷ And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? ⁹ Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, ¹¹ both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” -Acts 2:5-11 (emphasis added)

They were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, and the result of that was that the Jews from all over the world that were living in Jerusalem were able to hear the gospel in their native language. Don’t miss what they said about the disciples. “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?” These disciples weren’t from Jerusalem. They were from Galilee. The mission didn’t start in their hometown. Instead, it simply started right where they were at that moment.

So what does that mean for us? It means that if we are going to embrace the Acts 1:8 life on mission, then we need to embrace the description of the mission and move away from the checklist mentality. God desires to use you right where you are right now. In that English class, as part of that club, on that campus, in that dorm, on that team, living on that street. And it also means that God desires to use all of us on the front lines of His mission to the “ends of the earth.” And you don’t have to wait until you get “done with your hometown” before you go somewhere else.

Where will you be on mission today, this week, and this summer? We would love to know.

The bottom line is good medicine

Mon, 04 May 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Some of you are taking finals. Some of you are experiencing the slowest and worst countdown to summer break ever. Some of you are out of school and just realized there are no more summer breaks. And to top it all off, it has been quite a while since you were at an iGo Base Camp.

So here is some good medicine for this Monday in May. Bottom Line medicine to be exact. The bottom line is the truth that everything is ultimately for God’s glory. But that doesn’t happen in remote parts of the cosmos independent from us. Instead, God works out and reveals His glory through us and in our circumstances. He gets all the glory and we gain benefits for the journey along the way.

So let these bottom line reminders (complete with top line blessings) be good medicine for your soul today.

For you are my rock and my fortress;
and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; (emphasis added) – Psalm 31:3

How is your stress level today? Anxiety creeping higher and higher? Could you use some guidance? He will be your unshakeable rock and fortress. He will put you on the right path. And that will be good for you, and that will demonstrate His greatness.

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins. (emphasis added) – Isaiah 43:25

Did you completely mess up recently? Maybe last month? Maybe sometime this past year? Maybe yesterday? B/c of the completed work of Christ, God chooses to not remember your sins. For your joy for sure, but ultimately for His name’s sake. It shows the world how gracious, loving, kind, and slow to anger He really is. Embrace that and walk in that today.

“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” – Psalm 46:10

You can be still this week knowing that He is God. He is in control. Even when things seem to be out of control in Baltimore or Garland or Nepal, they are ultimately not. God will be exalted in every nation and in all the earth. Mark it down. It will happen. And rest in that truth this week.

Could you use some comfort today? You won’t find anything or anyone more comforting that your heavenly Father. God is truly the God of all comfort and He will flood your soul with comfort. But the truth of the bottom line reminds us that He doesn’t do that for you as an end of His blessing. He does that for you to make you a conduit of His blessing. He comforts you, and then He uses you to comfort others. The top line always leads to the bottom line.

So here is the bottom line question, “Who around you needs some comfort?” Pick up the phone, shoot out an email, stop by for a visit. Bring the bottom line to someone who needs the medicine just as much as you.

How do you pray for your pastor?

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Pastor Ben McGraw of Crosspoint Fellowship in Greenville, Texas recently finished preaching through the book of Hebrews. As he neared the end of this four year journey, I was privileged to hear him preach on the following passage:

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.” –Hebrews 13:17-19

As the writer of Hebrews (most likely Barnabas IMHO) closed out his letter, he asked the church to pray for him. This verse (verse 18) and the message on it were great reminders of the need to pray for our pastors, youth ministers, etc.

So what, specifically, should you pray as you pray for your spiritual leaders? Pastor McGraw took us straight to Scripture for the answer to that question. Which is the best place to go at all times, but especially when you don’t know what to pray. Praying Scripture pretty much guarantees that you are praying prayers God wants to hear.

So check out these passages and commit to praying for your spiritual leaders.

Ephesians 6:18-19 – “ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,”

Pray that your pastor will have God provided words as he proclaims the gospel.

Colossians 4:2-4 – “ Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. ³ At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— ⁴ that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

Pray that there will be clarity in the message as your student minister teaches and preaches.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 – “ Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,”

Pray that the messages your pastor preaches would be honored.

That last one gives you a chance to be part of the answer to your own prayer. Honor the message your pastor preaches by listening, taking notes, and meditating on the truth throughout the week. You can start that today. What did you learn yesterday? How can you honor that message by being a doer of the Word this week?

Feel free to hit the comment button and let us know. We love hearing from you.

Got a bad case of the Mondays? Check this out.

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 05:00:00 GMT

It’s Monday.

Again.

How has your Monday been so far? Too many fires to put out? Enough distractions to fill the Palo Duro Canyon? To do list becoming a too long list? Or even worse, did you have STAAR testing ?

Of course, it is easy to blame the outside forces of evil that conspire to make our Mondays difficult, exhausting, and downright ugh-ly.

But let’s be honest. The problem is mostly us. It is our response, our frustration level, our reactions that do us in. Be angry, but do not sin? Yeah, right.

We make a mess out of Mondays, as well as the other days that end with the letter y .

Ready for some good news? How about The Good News? That is what the word gospel means–good news. And the gospel is the greatest news for sure.

Check out the following gospel quotes from one of our favorite authors, Paul Tripp:

“Be thankful that because of the work of Jesus, he will respond to you with lovingkindness even on your worst day.”

“On your very worst, most rebellious, and most faithless day, you can run into the holy presence of your heavenly Father and he will not turn you away. Your acceptance has not been, nor will it ever be, based on your performance.”

That is good medicine on Monday and any other day of trouble.

And while you are checking out those quotes, why not check out the book that these quotes came from? They came straight from Paul Tripp’s new devotional called, New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional.

At Base Camp we teach you to never move past the gospel. We challenge you to be a student of the gospel. This resource will help you go deeper in your understanding of the gospel. It is a great way to start your day with gospel reminders, and a great way to keep the gospel central as you battle the enemy and his Monday Minions .

make Him famous

Spend your summer wisely…Volunteer at Base Camp!

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 05:00:00 GMT

So you are not going on an iGo trip this summer? We get it. Everyone can’t go every summer. Which leads us to an important question.

How are you spending your summer?

And when I say spending, I want you to take that word literally. You are the steward of this gift we call summer break. God has entrusted you with some time away from the routine for a couple of months. So how will you spend it? You have a chance to invest this commodity we call time, but you also have a chance to waste it. What will it be?

Please don’t misunderstand me here. Spending time with family, catching up with old friends, and sneaking in a vacation trip to a relaxing and fun location are all good things. Time spent this way can be a really good investment.

I am not asking you to skip any of the good stuff you might have planned. I am simply asking you to consider the entire investment opportunity.

Why not join us on the other side of mobilization? I’m only talking about for a weekend or maybe two. iGo Global Base Camps are fueled by volunteers. We need YOU in order to train and mobilize this year’s teams. You give us a weekend, and we will give you the opportunity to engage God’s global work through training students to make Him famous.

That is what they call a good return on your investment.

We need volunteers in a variety of roles. There is something for everyone in iGosia:

We need iGosians to run the airport, man our customs process, provide security, and welcome all the tourists to our country.

We need people gifted in hospitality to take care of our staff and iGosians throughout the Base Camp.

We need alumni that can teach iGo curriculum in small group settings called tribes and treks.

We need production crew volunteers to help us set up and tear down the set, and maybe even do some media production.

We need greeters who can welcome families to Base Camp and pray for them as they begin their journey.

We need leaders who can help coordinate different aspects of Base Camp from merch to production to simulations.

We need YOU.

So stop what you are doing and map out your summer. Check out our Base Camp page to see the opportunities that await you, find the weekend or weekends that work for you, and sign up.

And just in case you missed it, we also have a HUGE opportunity for former JSIs to serve this summer as Launch Crew members at the first every iGo Launch Box. Check out the info on that right here.

I look forward to seeing you in iGosia!

Living on mission: Lessons from an introvert

Mon, 13 Apr 2015 05:00:00 GMT

I do better in small groups of people. When I join a new group I tend to drift towards the observer rather than the director position of the group. My name is Sarah Arnett and I am an introvert. When given the choice, I always want to disengage…it’s in my nature. I will withdraw from any situation because my comfort is found in thought and in being on the outside looking in.

So how does an introvert like myself (and I’m guessing many others) engage the Great Commission to live missionaly in daily life? (Because let’s face it- when I go to the grocery store the LAST thing I want to do is chat it up with the lady behind me in the check out line.)

1) Know that you are wonderfully made. You do not need to change your personality to live a missional lifestyle where you are, you need only be faithful. Be faithful to recognize when people are around you and actually talk to them! Be faithful to press in to the moments He presents you with to make a new friend or have a conversation that could last longer than a few minutes.

2) Realize that it’s not about you and your comfort. Each time that you press in instead of pull away see it as a win. When a moment arrises for you to have a conversation, respond with a corresponding question instead of only having one or two comments and then being done. Remind yourself that you need to press in. Ask one more question or make one more silly statement. Just one more.

3) Set yourself up to win. Join groups – go to meetings – go for a walk. Know that as an introvert this is not natural for us. We are more of the movie-on-the-couch-alone or a good-book-at-a-coffee-shop-with- headphones-in kind of people, but this is the the best way for us to meet people and begin good conversations. Check your area for events or groups that enjoy a similar hobby as you. Any platform automatically gives a little more courage to put yourself out there socially.

And if I can add a secret fourth tip it’s this; know that you cannot ruin anything. I tend to over think the simplest of encounters, constantly having to remind myself that as long as I am faithful to share my life and how God is using it to His glory then I am doing it right. God is bigger and better than anything I think I do “wrong.”

What about you? Introvert or not, how do you press in to the encounters you have daily to share your life in Christ? What would you add/subtract from my list?

Featured Resource: Journibles. Yes, that is a real thing.

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 05:00:00 GMT

From time to time, we like to point you to resources that will help you know God and make Him known. iGo staffer Jami Lee Gainey took some time to share her thoughts about a resource she is currently using.

Recently, a friend in my small group from church recommended a resource for our LTG called a Journible. The Journible is laid out so that you actually handwrite your own copy of scripture on the right hand page of the book. The left hand page is reserved for your own notes and journaling. Occasionally, there is a question or word faintly printed on the left hand page, which can spur on additional thoughts about a passage and assist with journaling. Check out the picture above to see what I mean.

Despite my love for writing, my journaling has certainly been in a dry spell the past several years (since I became the mother of little people ). Nevertheless, I decided to give this a shot.

To my surprise, I loved it. Our LTG started using one, then my husband and I started doing a different one together. And now our church is planning to give it as a gift to all the ladies that attend our women’s retreat.

The creators of Journibles have their own list in the introduction of each Journible as to why it’s a pretty cool resource (including leaving a handwritten copy of scripture for the next generation), but here’s a few reasons I like it:

It places a strong emphasis on the importance of scripture.

Reformation Heritage Books does a great job of explaining that the motivation behind the Journible comes from Deuteronomy 17:18, when Moses is foretelling of how Israel’s king will be required to hand-write his own copy of the law for multiple reasons. Verses 19-20 best explain the purpose behind this hand-written copy:

“…that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers , and that he may not turn aside from the commandment , either to the right hand or to the left…”

I’m one of those people who normally writes a lot in my Bible – it often helps me stay focused. However, one of the down sides to this is when I am re-reading a passage, I tend to focus more on the underlines/highlights/notes I previously took. Using a Journible helps me to look at scripture in a fresh way, without having to go out and buy a new Bible. Furthermore, actually writing down scripture seems to help me retain more of it. Countless research and studies backs this up – writing things down helps people remember.

It creates some structure for time in the Word without impositions or too many boundaries. The lay-out of the pages allows you to write your thoughts about a verse right out beside that verse, and the occasional word or question spurs you on to focus on particular passages that maybe you wouldn’t have noticed previously.

It’s great for both individual and group time in the Word. Currently, I spend personal time in this James-Jude Journible each week before meeting with my LTG on Wednesday nights to discuss what we’ve read and written in our Journibles. Additionally, my husband and I ordered our own copies of this Galatians-Second Thessalonians one that we’ve been going through a few days a week. Some days we spend more time than others discussing what we’re learning, but it’s neat to look at each others’ notes and sharpen one another as we walk through the same passage of scripture that we’re slowing down to read.

Whether the idea of journaling is new to you or maybe you just need a fresh approach, I definitely recommend giving the Journible a try. Order through Amazon Smile and your purchase actually helps support iGo. Check them out.

Attention JSI Alums: Launch Crew Needs You!

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 05:00:00 GMT

You were a JSI.

Despite the fact that you never really knew what JSI stood for (or even worse, someone told you it stood for Just a Summer Intern), your JSI experience is almost impossible to put into words. So here goes nothing…

As a college student, or maybe even a high school student, you found yourself living overseas for the the majority of your summer. Some people might call what you did a mission trip. Some people would be wrong. This was different, so different from a mission trip. This was living the life of a missionary.

I don’t say that lightly. I say it because every time I visited our teams on the field the JSI experience was the one that always stood out. It was always impressive to see you lead our first-time student teams for sure. But what was really outstanding was the way you became so culturally adept. You became friends (real friends) with restaurant owners, convenience store clerks, gelato stand workers (of course), and people that hung out in the park nearby (even the old guy in Cologne that did tricks on the rings).

I received free warm cokes more than once simply because I was your guest when I entered a restaurant. And you were 17. And you had only been there for 3 weeks. You were a living picture of 1 Thessalonians 2:8: – “so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

As a JSI you learned to lead. You led first-time students and you led adult chaperones. You led future JSI’s, and you led a few students that might have tricked us on their application. You led from the front, and you led from the back. You modeled prayer walking, 5-minute English, obedience over activity, and how round can you get. You made mistakes in front of your group, and you learned how to own them and move on. You even wore man-pris.

More than anything else, you led by example. Which is why the JSI program continues to thrive today. Someone in your trek group watched you and realized that God could use them to do what you were doing. And they became a JSI that next summer. And someone watched them and followed suit.

Someone did it before you as well. And you followed in order to learn how to lead. There is no doubt that your JSI experience changed you. In some ways it probably still defines at least a part of who you are. It is a beautiful memory of a summer of learning, leading, and transforming.

So what if we gave you an opportunity to relive that experience, but we skipped the $4500 price tag?

Welcome to Launch Crew. By now you have heard that iGo Global is doing something brand new this summer called Launch Box, right? If not, you need to watch this , and read this, and also read this right now.

Launch Box is going live in Plano, Texas in June and again in July. The box will also be launched in Oklahoma City in July. And we need you to make it possible. The Launch Crew is basically a team of JSI’s that will serve at Launch Box by leading teams/groups/treks on the field every day.

You can do one, or you could do two, or you could even do all three. Launch Box is going to be amazing, and the Launch Crew will be the heart of it all. We need YOU former JSI. Come and join us this summer!

Start your Launch Crew application by visiting the Launch Crew Webpage right now.

So you weren’t a JSI? No problem. We can train you for this.

We Are Ambassadors

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMT

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” –2 Corinthians 5:20a ESV

Ambassadors. As a result of the fact that we are new creations in Christ (v17), are reconciled to God through Christ (v18), and are ministers of the message of reconciliation (vs 18-19), we are ambassadors. That is what the therefore is there for.

An ambassador is a government official living in a foreign country in order to represent his or her home country, government, and ideals. God calls us ambassadors as we live in a world that is not our home. We represent God’s kingdom. We are royal ambassadors, so let’s just do our best.

While we most often think of the term ambassadors in this official capacity, the basic meaning of the word is simply this: “an authorized representative or messenger.”

And this is truly who we are in Christ. As disciples, we have been authorized to represent Him and share His message.

Everywhere.

There are two very important truths that we need to embrace in order to be the ambassadors God has called us to be. First, we need to understand that God has already sent us. If you have been reconciled to God through your faith in the completed work of Christ, you are His ambassador.

Right where you are. Embracing this truth will change your perspective. Why do you go to the school that you go to? Is it because you live in a certain neighborhood? Is it because that school offers the degree you wanted? Were you attracted to a campus due to the football team or the girl/guy ratio? All those things could be true, but the big picture tells us that God placed you at that school (no matter how you think you got there) in order for you to represent Him there.

Let’s go even deeper. Why are you in that particular English class at that particular hour? Is that how it worked out with your schedule based on your electives, activities, and course requirements? What if God worked in sovereignty to put you in that class at that time as an ambassador? Why are you on that team, on that squad, in that band, in the school play, or involved in whatever it is you have a passion and talent to do? Could it be that God gave you that talent and that passion in order for you to represent Him in that arena?

This is how God works. He places us as ambassadors and authorizes us with the most important message of all time. You are already sent.

The second truth of our ambassador status is this: God also wants to send us out. Verse 19 of 2 Corinthians 5 tells us that in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. So this is much, much bigger than your team, your class, your activity, and your school location. Being an ambassador means engaging the big picture of God’s purpose to reach every nation, tribe, and tongue.

This is why we go to the ends of the earth. We are His ambassadors and He sends us out with the message to people that have literally never heard it before. We don’t have to pray about whether or not God wants us to go. We are ambassadors.

So what if you aren’t going anywhere anytime soon? Look around you. You have already been sent. But at the same time, stay engaged with the global mission. Did you go overseas back in high school or back in college or last year? Pray strategically and faithfully for the work and the workers in those places. Are you giving directly to support the work of frontline missions? The Bible directly connects our giving with our passion. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). You can give directly to missions through your local church and you can give to frontline work through iGo. Giving sacrificially will help you stay engaged as an ambassador to the nations even when you aren’t getting on an airplane.

Because of Jesus, we are ambassadors. Where and how will you represent Him today?

iGo Group Treks: Letting doctrine drive our missions

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Short-term mission trips have never been more popular than they are right now. Researchers estimate that over 2 million people will participate in short-term mission trips this year from U.S. churches alone. That’s a pretty incredible number.

But why?

What is driving the popularity of short-term missions?

Before you pull out your Sunday School answer and say Jesus so we can move along here, let’s stop and really consider the question.

I’m not saying that Jesus isn’t the answer, of course . Ultimately I think that people are doing missions because Jesus commanded us to go make disciples. I doubt that there are any churches out there planning their mission trips for any other reason than to make God known and to help hurting people.

Even with the right motives and the big picture securely in place, it is easy to begin to let other things drive our mission engagement. The most common problem I see is the tendency to let the experience for our people drive the trip.

It starts with questions like, “What will our students be able to do or accomplish when they are on the field?” Or, “Where can we go with a high level of “gospel receptivity?” After all, we want this to make an impact on our participants.

But those questions can lead to other questions. “Will this trip give us good enough footage for the highlight video we will show back home?” “Will this make my students appreciate how good they have it in ‘Merica?” Questions that may or may not be spoken out loud.

There are better questions we can ask in order to make sure doctrine drives our missions.

“How can we truly help the workers/church planters/missionaries that live and serve here?”

“What Biblical truth can our students learn and absorb by serving in this location with this assignment?”

“How do we integrate this “experience” into our real lives back home so that we begin to live on mission?”

You see, when doctrine drives our mission trips…everyone wins. Instead of being pulled away from their work, the workers on the field see the work advanced and receive personal encouragement. Long-term impact is accomplished as we fit into the strategy on the ground. Students engage a work that causes them to see and embrace the purpose of God for their lives.

So what does this look like? Basically it looks like approaching the mission trip with our Bibles open. What are the Biblical truths that inform why we go, what we should do when we go, how we communicate what we are doing, where to go, and who God wants us to be when we return? These are some good questions, and the Bible has plenty of answers.

At iGo we call these foundational doctrines core values. These four doctrines drive everything we do, and our approach to mission training might help you no matter where you are with your mission trips.

We call them Group Treks. They are our way of coming alongside local churches in order to help train and mobilize youth groups, family groups, or even adult teams for mission engagement. We would be HONORED to come alongside your church in order to help take your mission trips to the next level. Or help you get started with your first youth mission trip ever.

Check out the info on our Group Trek Page and share this with your youth pastor or a friend you think this could help.

Make Him Famous

Mascot Madness

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMT

How’s your tournament bracket doing these days? That bad huh? Sorry I brought it up.

The good news is that you are not alone. ESPN reports that out of the 11,570,000 brackets (not a typo, that is truly 11.57 million) submitted through their challenge, only 273 were still perfect after the first day. That number seems ridiculously low after just one day until you stop to think that those 273 people all picked UAB to beat Iowa State AND Georgia State to beat Baylor. Not much confidence in the Big 12 with the remnant.

After the first two days? Only 1 bracket remained perfect. One out of 11.57 million. And that ended after Arizona beat Ohio State, leaving us with zero perfect brackets again. After the first weekend, there are only 14 brackets that have all of the Sweet 16 teams correctly picked. Fourteen! This is why they call it madness. It is nearly impossible to predict.

Which is part of what makes picking the brackets so fun. There is no tried and true method. The experts get it wrong just as much as people that don’t follow college basketball. Case in point? My family picks a bracket every year together. It is one of our traditions. Leading our family after the first weekend? My 7-pound sissy dog, Buddy. My oldest son “helped” Buddy pick his bracket by putting a treat in each hand and assigning each hand a team. Whichever hand Buddy went to first, became the winner of that matchup. Buddy has 13 of the 16 teams left correct on his bracket, and he now weighs 7.5 pounds. Ridiculous.

Yes, anyone can pick a bracket and everyone has a chance. Your method of picking could work as well as any other method. You can pick based on your favorite colors. You can pick based on alphabetical order. You can pick based on how many teams have Bible names like my 8 year old daughter (St. John’s, Maryland, Providence, Davidson, and Iowa because “Iowa sounds like Israel”). You can even pick based on which mascots you like (Anteaters, Shockers, Chanticleers , Ospreys, or Ducks anyone)?

Which brings me to the point of this post. iGosia needs a mascot for 2015. And picking our mascot is a lot like picking a bracket. There is no method in our mascot madness. There is no discernible pattern to go by when you look back at the last 10 years: Armadillo, Penguin, Goat, Giraffe, Octopus, Moose, Owl, Elephant, Duck, Rhino.

So what is your pick? Should it be another bird? Maybe an insect for the first time? How about another creature of the sea? iGosians, we want to hear from you. No hints yet. Those are coming next week. Until then, give us your suggestions, your predictions, your hopes, your dreams. Which animal is worthy of such an honor?

A couple other blog posts for your “mascot prep and research”:

The Luck of the iGosians

Ranking the Mascots

Launch Box: Don’t Just Check the Box…

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMT

Tag lines can be so helpful. Without them, we could potentially be lost, confused, or flat out wrong . Tag lines can help us understand. They can lure us to find out more. They can even inspire and motivate.

And so it is with Launch Box. Well, kind of. Our tag line doesn’t exactly clear up the confusion …at least at first glance.

The name Launch Box is already confusing to start with. Is that a typo? Should we tell them they misspelled lunch? Wait. that isn’t a typo? Then why did they put that logo on a lunch box?

Yep. Confusing.

So we added a tagline.

Don’t just check the box. Launch it.

Clear as mud? Allow me to help.

For many, many of us mission work, or the general idea of missions is relegated to a box that you check off on your “Christian resume.” You know that Christians are supposed to care about missions. Every now and then, when your mind draws a blank in a mealtime prayer, you throw in one of those, “And God, please bless all the missionaries,” lines to keep things going. You know you should fight hard to stay awake when a missionary visits your church with a slide show that will. not. end.

However, when it comes to actually being involved in missions many Christians have moved on.

“Oh yeah, missions. I did a mission trip back in high school. We slept on the floor of this church and played some games with kids, and painted a fence that looked like it had been painted many, many times before.”

“Missions? Yeah, I gave some money for a missions offering one time.”

“I love missions. I go on a mission trip every year with my church. It is the best week of the year. I can’t wait to go on the next mission trip and tell people about Jesus.”

Box checked. Let’s move on.

And that, my friends, is a problem. Missions is not a box to be checked off on your way to becoming a fully developed Christ follower. You don’t do missions only on trips, and you don’t do missions and then move on to something else in the Christian life. The Bible challenges us to live on mission; to see all of life with Christ as an assignment to make Him famous.

Launch Box embraces that truth.

At Launch Box, you will come alongside a local church (Hunter’s Glen Baptist in Plano or Henderson Hills Baptist in Edmond) in order to do some amazing work among internationals in those areas. You will get to make a difference there as God uses you to show and share His love with people in need.

But the ultimate goal of Launch Box is to launch you back to your hometown to live on mission. We want your youth group to see that missions is life, not a box to be checked off. All week you will gather ideas, you will be trained, you will discuss the mission in your hometown. And at the end of the week, Launch Box is going to launch you. Not literally, of course. They don’t make a parental release to cover that. But you will be launched/sent/commissioned back to your hometown to live the mission. We can’t wait to hear how that goes.

Launch Box: Don’t just check the box. Launch it.

You still have time to get your youth group to Launch Box this summer! Regular registration rates apply now until April 1. Find all the info you need to get your group registered or get your youth minister on board at the Launch Box Page on our website.

We also have some other helpful blog posts about Launch Box to check out and share:

Launch Box: The Top 5

Launch Box: This is Not the End

The Luck of the iGosians

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 05:00:00 GMT

There is a market in Marrakesh, Morocco crazier than the one in iGosia. Trust me on this one. The snake handlers push it right to the top. I once tried to get a picture of the dancing cobras and their trainers. Instead, I ended up with a snake wrapped around my neck, and a local “friend” telling me to kiss the snake. He said it would bring me good luck. And then he added, “Enshallah,” which basically means, “if the Lord wills it.” That kind of negates the whole snake kissing brings good luck promise, though.

The greatest thing about that story was trying not to laugh with a snake around my neck while watching Kent Jones doing a Barry Sanders impersonation as he was forcefully telling another snake guy, “You get that SNAKE away from me, DUDE! I mean it! Get that SNAKE away from me!”

That memory makes this whole St. Patrick’s day tradition of wearing green for good luck quite a bit more appealing. But what about the iGosians? It is widely known that you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy celebrating St. Patrick’s day. And iGosians are no different.

iGosians don’t necessarily hope for luck from a certain color, but they do love their mascots. And when you stop and think about it, a lot of the iGosian mascots can be associated with luck.

Of course the luckiest mascots are the ones that become the iGosian favorites. 2014 marked the 10th year of iGosian mascots. In case you missed it, we recognized this milestone with our very own Top 10 Mascot rankings. Check it out.

For other ways that mascots are associated with luck, you don’t have to look far. The Armadillo was the first iGosian mascot, which is lucky enough in itself. However, on top of that distinction, the armadillo is also known as the official small mammal of the State of Texas. Luck overflows with that one.

The clear lucky bird of iGo mascots would be the penguin. That was mainly because the other iGosian bird mascot – the owl – is considered a bad omen (aka bad luck) in most of the Middle East. Even so, the penguin had luck of its own. Just about everything in Tokyo had a penguin on it in 2006, including the train cards. March of the Penguins hit the screens in late 2005, as did Madagascar, with those crazy penguins. It was a penguin world in those days, and iGosians were just heading to the ends of it.

The Moose proved lucky enough in 2010 after defeating the above-mentioned owl in a final staff vote. In fact, that was the year that we began voting on mascots as a staff and having staff members give persuasive speeches on behalf of the final two contestants in order to swing the vote.

But no mascot has proven luckier yet than the Goat. Rated #1 in our Mascot Rankings and proudly displayed on an all green shirt, there is no doubt that wearing a 2007 iGo Team Goat Shirt on March 17 will bring you at least a double dose of good luck…if the Lord wills it, of course.

So what about 2015? Any ideas? Any suggestions? Let us know. Our ears are alert and listening.

Putting our strategy where our values are…Hope of the World

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 06:00:00 GMT

At the heart of iGo Global, we have Core Values. Everything that we do as an organization (from big picture strategy to the details of our training and mobilizing) comes from these defining values, which (by the way) come straight out of Scripture.

On the surface, these Core Values are there to help our students to engage the mission. They give us the right foundation, the right perspective, and the right approach.

Below the surface, however, these values are even more important. Embracing them and making them your own will shape you into the person God wants you to be. The person that lives on mission. The person that lives to make Him famous.

A little history lesson: Our first attempt to pick core values left us with seven. After a couple years and multiple Base Camps, we realized that was too many for our students to consistently remember. On top of that, we knew that choosing a smaller number would help us to really focus in on what is most important. So we narrowed the list down to 3.

And…we left one out. We didn’t know that at first, but we started seeing it as we moved down the road. Things looked good for a while. Students were really embracing the Bottom Line. They were pushing in and seeing Ancient Work and Joy of the Sower flesh out in all sorts of ways. But we slowly started seeing a problem.

Some iGo students were discounting the church. A growing number of iGo students seemed to identify as missional while not seeing the value of their home church. This was, without any doubt, a major problem.

At iGo, we still valued the church. Our staff are members of local churches, serving in a variety of roles in the Body. But our students weren’t seeing that from their vantage point. The importance of the church was fading while mission engagement was rising.

The truth is that in the Bible, you don’t see mission without the church. Instead, I would argue that if you disconnect from the church, you are also disconnecting from God’s mission. His mission will be carried out and accomplished through the local church and ONLY through the local church.

The result? We brought the list back up to four. Hope of the World was back in business, in more than just our teaching.

The core value, Hope of the World, emphasizes that God’s plan is to bring the message of HOPE to the world through the local church. And at iGo, we plan to embrace that truth in every way we can.

Which means that after 14 years of training and mobilizing, we are making some significant changes to our strategy. Our mission hasn’t changed. iGo is still training and mobilizing the next generation to make Him famous. But our strategy will now more adequately represent our values.

In the past we indirectly helped churches by helping students. The new focus of iGo is to truly come alongside churches directly helping them to become missional while we train and mobilize their students.

And we need your help! No, really. We do. Would you consider helping us in the following ways?

1. Tell your church leadership that iGo can help them. We can help you pull off an amazing youth group mission trip. We call them Group Treks . We have a brand new mission event called Launch Box. This is a pre-packed mission experience close to home (not expensive) that will launch your student ministry into the mission field of your home town. Please make sure your student minister knows what we are doing.

2. Give us some feedback. How did your experience with iGo impact your view of and your engagement in your local church? We want to hear from you on this one, and we plan to use your thoughts to help us spread the word.

So hit that comment button and give us some feedback. We love to hear from our fellow iGosians.

Your Support Makes Us Smile

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 06:00:00 GMT

I remember my last Black Friday experience all too well. And when I say last, I do not mean most recent. I mean the one that ended it for me forever.

No, it wasn’t one of those truth is stranger than fiction brawls at the local Walmarts over bath towels . It was much more boring than that. Much, much more.

The scene was Sports Authority. The time was just after midnight on Black Friday (or Thanksgiving night if that’s how you prefer to handle the midnight hour discussion). I didn’t camp out. I actually sat in my truck in the parking lot until they opened the doors and let the real crazies go inside. I wasn’t in a huge hurry, and the item in question didn’t have the notorious fine print: limited quantity available. So I was good.

I made my way into the warmth, bright lights, and festive music of the store. I picked up a few items in that too good to pass up category, before I located The Item. Yes, the motorized scooter for $50 off that had beckoned me from the warmth of my bed. There were plenty left. Even in the preferred color. I was, in my opinion, winning.

Then I turned around and saw the line. When I say I saw the line, I mean I saw the line in the same way you can see Interstate 30 from the Whataburger on the corner of I30 and Hwy 205 in Rockwall.

The line that I saw started at the cash register, snaked it’s way through the “super-mega-hot-door-busting-deals of the century, winded up through a couple racks of Nike Elite socks, continued up the aisle next to the entire shoe selection, made the turn at the back of the store by the bicycles and exercise equipment, and was continually extending down the back aisle by the hunting and fishing equipment.

It was right then and there that I made a horrible error. I decided to “look around some more” as the line died down. 30 minutes later, equipped with a few more items to make this “worth it,” I entered the line…just past the hunting equipment near the camping section.

And the next hour and a half ended Black Friday for me…forever.

Well, that and Amazon.com. As an Amazon Prime member, I get free 2-day shipping…even during the Christmas season! Most of the time I get prices that are lower than the store. They even have their own Black Friday deals as well as the new-fangled Cyber Monday deals. And I shop from my couch, where I only have to listen to my own kids screaming and crying in the background.

So why the big Amazon plug? I share that with you because I hope it will help you. I really do. But, that isn’t the only reason. Shopping at Amazon could also be one of the ways you help iGo Global.

Amazon has a new initiative they call Amazon Smile . When you shop at Amazon using the iGo Global Smile link, Amazon donates a percentage of every dollar you spend to iGo (aka i-Witness Ministries). This is what you call a classic win-win situation. You get good deals on all the items on your list this Christmas season from the comfort of your home. At the same time, you are supporting the work of sending students all over the planet to make Him famous.

Your support of iGo always makes us smile . This Christmas, that smile could get even bigger. Below are the links you need.

Here is the link to the iGo Global (iWitness Ministries) Amazon Smile storefront – iGo Global Amazon Smile.

You can also download an extension for your browser so that all your Amazon shopping year-round can benefit iGo Global. Follow this link for that.

Thanks so much for helping us out. Happy Thanksgiving!

Launch Box: The Top 5

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 06:00:00 GMT

By now you have heard about Launch Box, right? Hopefully you have seen the Launch Box trailer. You might have wondered if the name is just a typo. You quite possibly enjoyed playing the crazy corn-hole game at conclave. And you surely are aware that Launch Box is that brand new thing that iGo really, really want you to know about.

But what exactly is this Launch Box thing? Why should you consider bringing your youth group or student group to a week of Launch Box in 2015? To answer that, iGo presents The Top 5 Things You Need to Know About Launch Box.

1. Launch Box is missions. 14 years ago iGo Global began providing opportunities for students to engage least reached and unreached people groups. This passion is still at the heart of what we do, and it is the heart of Launch Box. In Plano, Texas and Oklahoma City students who attend Launch Box will join the work of local churches in reaching out to internationals through relational evangelism, outreach events, ESL classes, conversation partners, food pantries, distribution, and more. When you bring your students to Launch Box, they will get to engage people that have very little access to the gospel.

2. Launch Box is training. iGo is not a sending organization. Sending is the church’s job. We are a training organization. Students who participate in Launch Box will be trained as they engage the mission. They will be trained with a theology of missions by focusing on four Biblical doctrines (we call them the iGo Core Values ). Launch Box students will also be trained in cross-cultural engagement so that they can effectively reach out to people of different backgrounds. Ultimately, Launch Box students will be trained to live on mission. The goal of the week is not to check the mission trip box, but to launch your students back into a life on mission where they live. Our training focuses on that.

3. Launch Box is worship. Every day at Launch Box we will gather together for personal and corporate worship. As John Piper said best, “worship is the fuel and goal of missions.” Launch Box will emphasize the worship and mission connection with Biblical worship and Biblical preaching. We are beyond excited to share with you that several worship leaders/bands have agreed to partner with Launch Box in 2015. Nick Gainey , Cole Risner , and Sixteen Cities will be leading worship for us in our first year! In addition, the preaching will be brought to you by Lance Shumake, Brad Cardwell, and Ky Martin . We are pumped about the 2015 lineup!

4. Launch Box is fun. In case you don’t really know us, let me just say that we do NOT take ourselves very seriously (The People would like to present Exhibit A and Exhibit B ). At the same time, we are very serious about the mission. How does that play out? Well, I can’t really explain that to you in a blog post. I can simply tell you that while your students are at Launch Box, they will get to be part of a serious mission. And they will get to have some good old-fashioned fun along the way. Got students that are ready for an intense mission trip? Bring them to Launch Box. Got some students that are still figuring their walk with Christ out? Bring them to Launch Box.

5. Launch Box is budget friendly . Overseas trips at iGo Global cost in the neighborhood of $3000 per person. This doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done or that it is too expensive. But it does mean that it isn’t for everyone all the time. One of the things we are most excited about when it comes to Launch Box, is our ability to offer an amazing mission experience to students for around $250 per person (Even less if you register early, hint hint)! This means you can bring more students and adults with you. This means that more students can be trained to live on mission. This means more people can be impacted in Plano and Oklahoma City. This means more people can be impacted in your city/town/village when your students are launched back home to live out the mission. This means that the number of car washes, bake sales, and Facebook donation requests could go down while the amount of impact for the Kingdom goes up!

There you have it. The Launch Box Top 5. Questions? Comments? Let us know.

And make sure you stop by the Launch Box page on our website.

Want to know more? Check out the other posts in our Get to Know Launch Box series:

Launch Box: The Nations Have Come to Us

Launch Box: This is Not the End

Ranking the Mascots

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Armadillos in Germany, penguins in Central Asia, squid in the Middle East and flocks of many, much moosen all over the globe.

We recently counted them up and we have officially had 10 years of iGosian Mascots. And while each and every mascot has a special place in all of our hearts, the reality is that some of them were simply better than others.

Which led us to an interesting discussion at our recent iGo Staff retreat. We took a break from our high-level strategic plans to take over the world in order to rank the 10 mascots. The criteria? We chose to not define any. We simply ranked them based on personal preference. Here is what our current staff came up with (The commentary added may or may not reflect the views of all or any of our staff).

#10 – Penguin (2006) The penguin only received one vote in our iGosian-style election. The staff member voting for penguin chose to remain anonymous, but Ky Martin added, “You guys are stupid. The penguin was our best one ever. All those penguin movies came out right after we chose it, and then the whole city of Tokyo put penguins on their train tickets. We looked like geniuses.”

#9 – Giraffe (2008) The giraffe didn’t do much better than the penguin, and we blame this one on the shirt. White shirts, we learned, just aren’t that cool. In fact, this is one of our shirts that you don’t even see in thrift stores.

#8 – Moose (2010) The great mascot debate of 2010 will forever be remembered. It was the the first time we were completely divided as a staff, and the first time staff members were appointed to make speeches on behalf of their mascot preference. In the end the moose won by one vote over the owl, and HGPF needed to be embraced as we continued our staff meeting.

#7 – Owl (2011) The owl turned things around the next year, however and appears to have gotten the last laugh by edging out moose in the rankings. No doubt the owl would have finished even higher if it weren’t for the little fact that we later discovered owls are associated with curses and bad omens in middle eastern countries. #ourbad

#6 – Elephant (2012) There are so many things about elephants to admire and love. Unfortunately, at the time of this voting, we couldn’t think of most of them. We did like them a little, which is ironic, seeing as how elephants are so big.

#5 – Rhino (2014) Coming in at #5 is the great horned beast we know as a rhinoceros. The rhino obviously took advantage of the fact that it was fresh on our minds as last summer’s mascot. That, combined with the neon green mascot shirt (neon is so in right now), obviously led to the rhino cracking the top 5.

#4 – Duck (2013) The year of the duck was another one of those timely hits. Duck Dynasty blew up some beaver dams and exploded their way into American culture in 2012-13, and the iGosian mascot took full advantage to secure a #4 ranking. Not to mention that ducks eat for free at Subway .

And now The Top Three!

#3 – Octopus (2009) The biggest surprise from our rankings has to be the 3rd place finish for the octopus. After all, there was much debate back then and still some today as to whether or not 2009 was the year of the octopus or the squid. The traveling version only sported 4 tentacles which puts the whole oct part of octopus in question. Nevertheless, the octopus/squid/quadopus had a super soft shirt, some amazing pictures, and earned it’s #3 ranking.

#2 – Armadillo (2005) The first iGosian mascot narrowly missed finishing first as well. Being the official small animal of the Republic of Texas and being the first mascot in our history secures the armadillo its legendary status. Hardly anyone can find one of our armadillo shirts anymore, it has been 10 years since our teams travelled with one, and yet here it is nestled in safely at #2.

#1 – Goat (2007) Unfortunately for the armadillo as well as all the others, there is simply no competing with the goat shirt from 2007. It was green. It had a goat on it. And it simply said, “Goat.” It is hard to explain it, but that simple shirt made all the difference in the end. Goat. What else needs to be said?

Now it’s your turn. Disagree? Agree? How would you have ranked them and why?

And while you are at it, do you have any ideas/suggestions/guesses for 2015?

Join the conversation below.

Launch Box: This is Not the End

Wed, 22 Oct 2014 05:00:00 GMT

What do you remember from your last mission trip? You probably have a plethora of memories and images etched away in the mission lobe of your brain. Missionaries or church planters you served with, children you taught, sights you saw, food you tasted , cold/hard floors you tried to sleep on, pictures you took, boards you nailed, busses you rode. And the list goes on and on. Great memories come from mission trips.

Often, though, we are left with nothing more than these memories.

This is a fundamental problem with many mission trips. After the Cheese Puff dust is sort of vacuumed out of the church van and the Sunday night slide show and testimonies have been given, mission trip memories quickly begin to fade. In very little time, the life-changing mission trip becomes background noise as we resume cruising speed in our normal lives.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

What if your mission trip didn’t end when it ran past the dates allotted for it on the church calendar? What if you were sent from your mission trip experience to continue the mission back home? What if you did things on the “mission field” that you could also do in your home town? What if you spent a week doing missions in another city while you were learning and gathering ideas on how to live on mission where you actually live? What if there was a mission trip experience in which the #1 goal was to launch you into the mission field AFTER the week was over?

Now there is. We call it Launch Box. We have dates on the calendar with a start time and an end time . But the end is not the end . When your week with Launch Box ends, you will be sent back home…to continue the mission. No doubt you will impact the nations during your Launch Box week. You will worship alongside other youth groups and serve some of the least reached, least served, people in those cities. But the ultimate goal of the week is that you would see that all of life is mission. That you would see how easy it is to live out the mission on your campus and in your neighborhood.

Your mission trip memory won’t collect much dust in the youth group storage closet after a week with us at Launch Box. Instead, the memory will remain front and center as you live it out day by day.

It’s Launch Box. Bring your youth group. Be trained. Engage the nations. And be Launched into the mission field that is your hometown.

You need info. We have it. Visit the Launch Box page on our website .

Also in this iGo Blog series:

Launch Box: The Nations Have Come to Us

iGo Global: Cooler Than a Cardboard Box

Launch Box: The Nations Have Come to Us

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 05:00:00 GMT

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Jesus, Acts 1:8

This verse contains the marching orders for Jesus’ followers. Theirs would be a life on mission. They were going to be witnesses to all the nations.

But they didn’t…at first. They holed up in Jerusalem, which wasn’t all bad. After all, God was adding to their number daily. But that all changed the day Stephen was killed. The Bible tells us that on that day persecution broke out against the church. Notice the result of that persecution:

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, (Acts 8:1)

The result of the persecution is that Christ’s followers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? We could probably camp out right here for a while and discuss a lot of deep doctrinal truths (and maybe someday we will come back and do that), but let me make one simple observation on this point.

God will accomplish His purposes.

This is without question. You can count those chickens even before they hatch. God wants His disciples to take His message to Judea and Samaria, and He will make that happen.

In fact, God is still pointing His disciples to the nations. His plan and purpose is to be worshipped by every nation (AKA people group) on the planet. And His plan is Right. On. Schedule.

At iGo Global, we have had a front row seat for the last 14 years. We have been able to watch (and be a small part of) God carrying out His plan with a generation of students. A generation willing to go the ends of the earth to make Him famous. And we have countless amazing and inspiring stories.

God seems to be writing a new chapter in this story. Over the last few years, we have noticed some significant changes. The nations have come to us. In Acts 8, God scattered his disciples into the nations. In 2014 it seems that God has scattered the nations into places like Plano, Texas, Oklahoma City, and Fort Worth.

At iGo Global, we want to join God in this part of story as well. And we want you right there with us.

Introducing Launch Box 2015. Launch Box is a week on the ground in Plano or Oklahoma City engaging some of the world’s least reached peoples. People from nations with little or no access to the gospel…until now. Now they have been scattered into Plano looking for a new start or a better life. Now they have found themselves in Oklahoma City in order to escape serious danger back home. iGo has partnered with a couple of local churches in these two locations in order to provide an opportunity for your student group to engage the nations.

Come join us. We are going to worship together that week. We are going to learn together from the Word. We are going to get trained together on how to effectively live on mission. We are going to have some serious camp-style fun together. We are going to make Him famous together. And we are going to launch your group from this week back into a life on mission in your hometown. It’s going to be amazing.

For all the important info regarding Launch Box 2015 and how you can be a part, follow this link: Launch Box 2015 .

Don’t just check the box…Launch it!

iGo Global: Cooler Than a Cardboard Box

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Many have assumed over the years that the little i in iGo Global came to be after the not so hostile takeover of our culture by iPod, iPhone, iTunes, etc. Many have been wrong.

Once and for all, let the record show that the iPod was released into our world on October 23, 2001. iWitness Ministries became our official name in November of 2000. Boom.

There was no such thing in those days as apple leaks. We simply thought it looked cool to say i-Witness and emphasize the Witness and not the i. After seeing how ridiculous it was to try to get our teams into closed countries with that name, we soon changed things over to iGo Global. The rest, as they say, is history.

So I guess you could say that iGo was cool before Apple figured out how to be cool. Maybe they copied us? Think about that for a second. You could say that, but we won’t. We don’t like to toot our own horn .

But one thing is for sure. We can’t take credit for everything. As creative and inventive as you might think we are, there are some things that just came about before we were even around.

Like the box.

Credit for the first cardboard box is given to some British folk back in 1817, which not coincidentally was only 24 years after William Carey left for India to later become known as the father of modern missions. Some Germans also produced a cardboard box in 1817, but they won some soccer tournament this year so we are giving this one to England.

I can’t help but wonder if those Brits back in the day had any idea how much they had changed the world. Did they know that years later people would be able to put at least a dozen donuts in a box and take them home? Could they have imagined the greatness of having a stranger show up at your doorstep with an extra-large steaming hot pizza in a box? Surely they didn’t anticipate the convenience of carrying new shoes out of the store in a shoebox? How else would we ever get our shoes home? Did they envision how people would covet great boxes when moving ?

They might have actually tapped the brakes on their whole commercial box invention had they had the foreknowledge to see Pinterest box ideas .

No, we didn’t invent the box here at iGo. Even so, we are bound and determined to take something great and make it even awesome-er.

BREAKING: iGo Global introduces Launch Box for 2015!

Launch Box is a mission experience designed specifically for youth groups that will ultimately launch your youth group to a life on mission in your hometown and beyond.

Of course you need more info. Get the complete picture and everything else you need on our official Launch Box page .

But for now, we simply ask you to spread the word. Tell your youth minister. Tell your friends. Tell the social media world! iGo is doing something brand new. It’s coming in 2015. It’s Launch Box and you don’t want to miss it!

Launch Box: Don’t just check the box. Launch it!

Frontline Friday: JSIs wrapping things up in Spain

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 05:00:00 GMT

The iGosian summer is quickly coming to a close. All the iGo teams are now back home except for our JSI team in Spain. JSIs are overseas interns. They serve alongside iGo staff and the M’s overseas as they learn to lead and live on mission. JSIs get to lead students who come for a week through one of our partnership trip opportunities. Today’s update is from our JSI team leader, Matt.

I can’t believe the end of the summer is here! It is crazy how fast it went by! The Texas Super Summer Global team and the Louisiana Geaux Students teams were here last week and they left Tuesday. I had my own trek group to lead that week which was very different, but I loved getting to know them and see Father work through them.

We were at a site that I was familiar with, which allowed me to keep up a relationship with a restaurant owner in that area. I’ll call him “C”. “C” is from Iran and he is not a believer. We became very close to him and his family. I loved getting to know them as they were cooking our food everyday. I knew him before this week, but it was awesome that my trek group jumped in and became his friends too. Throughout the week we had a few conversations about the Son and were eventually able to give him the Word in his language, which he thought was awesome!

Also, this week one group was able to break fast in a local mosque. It was so cool seeing people in Spain being open to us. The amazing part of that is the Story was sown among those people several times. Father is incredible.

This week we are doing something the M’s have never tried before called English camp. It’s amazing being able to hang out with these kids. They are all from Morocco and our main goal is to make relationships with the families to pass off to the M’s. It has been a crazy week, but we have loved every minute. Father is moving and that is always encouraging to see.

As the summer is winding down, we are looking forward to our retreat this weekend. We have three days to debrief the summer and talk about integrating our experience into life back home. I am excited to hear how Father worked in my team’s life. Please be PR-ing for my team as they think about home and what waits for them upon their return. Our desire is to continue to live on mission as we return.

Frontline Friday: Daily glimpses from the edge

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 05:00:00 GMT

The iGosian summer is winding down, but the work goes on. And one of the main ways the work continues is through our prayers. Jesus tells us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for the fields, so we want to do that. We also want to ask Him to bless the work in those fields.

Currently our Texas Super Summer Global and our Geaux Students (Louisiana partnership, of course) teams are in Spain.

Would you join us in praying for these teams as they make Him famous there? Would you pray for the iGo JSIs (overseas interns) who are helping to lead those teams? And would you especially pray for the long-term workers that live in that city that have partnered with iGo to host and teach our students?

And, if you really want to get serious about joining in the work through praying, we have an opportunity for you.

Every day on the field, our students get to write an update on a card. Those cards are given to our JSIs, and those JSIs then type them up and post them on our other blog called Flight 963.

These posts give you insights as to how our students are doing, what they are learning, and how you can specifically pray for them as they serve.

Take a few minutes and visit Flight 963 for a glimpse from the edge of God’s kingdom advance. When you get to the page, you will see the most current posts on the left hand side. You can also look on the right hand side towards the bottom for posts from the different treks that make up these two teams.

Flight 963 Blog

Thanks for praying and thanks for joining the work.

Frontline Friday: Checking in with North Africa

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Plowing and Sowing. Our teams do a lot of this kind of work in tough places. We train them very specifically that the work of sowing seeds, even when you don’t get to see fruit, is significant. And our students have to cling to this biblical truth throughout their time overseas. There is joy to be found in God allowing you to sow seeds, but we all long for the harvest. Please pray for our Northern Africa team to find joy in the work God has given them. And pray that they will continue to be faithful no matter the response they get.

Things are still going well over here! I think our overwhelming request right now would just be that we would not burn out. It can be hard to keep an eternal mindset when the days are long, and we don’t see immediate fruit. We take rest in knowing that we are playing a small role in a much larger story, but we still ask for prs of strength, perseverance, and wisdom during this time.

Our friend, “H”, that we met on the tram a while back invited us to a Pizza Hut dinner with her and her twin sister (where else would you take your American friends, right?). We were very excited about this meeting, and it actually turned out to be one of our most in-depth religous discussions. While the girls are not really seeking, they had a deeper understanding of Islam and Christianity than any of the other women we have talked with. We got to share the full story with these girls, but they couldn’t get past JC being more than a prophet. The conversation was good, and we pr that at the very least it will encourage them to seek more. The girls agreed that they should read the Word to know more, so we hope to see them again soon to give them a copy. Please continue to pr for “H” and for her sister (also “H”).

Something we talk about often is how we have to be ready in the in-between moments to meet and engage with people. The other day, after we had spent a good amount of time meeting people, we were tired and ready to head back to our apartment. I feel like it’s always in the times when we’re tired and kind of done for the day when cool things happen. This particular day I got to talk to a girl on our tram ride home. The conversation was not particularly out of the ordinary, but one thing she said was particularly encouraging. She explained to me that she was a Muslim, and I explained to her why I follow JC. She wasn’t moved by the presentation of truth, but she was very excited to tell me she had another friend at school who was a follower as well. What an encouragement to hear of seeds that have already been planted in this friend’s life! Please pr with us that seeds would grow, and for continued truth to be spoken to this friend.

As the summer has progressed we have had more and more opportunities to share truth with people. Praise Father! We have taken a lot of joy in sharing, but it can also be disheartening to hear similar stories from so many different people. We continue to ask for cultural walls to be broken down, and for people to seek truth in spite of what they’ve grown up hearing.

I want to continue to thank you for joining us with your prs! We believe that apart from the Father we can do nothing, and that pushes us to pr.

Frontline Friday: Back after a technology-induced hiatus

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

So Frontline Fridays have been pretty silent for a couple weeks. To be accurate, the entire Cucumbers and Tomatoes blog has been.

It wasn’t because we lacked stuff to share. It was… Well, I need to know I can trust you with this…we launched a brand new iGo Global website about 2 weeks ago. Before you go all tweet happy and tell your friends/followers/twitterers, the new website is still sort of a secret. You can go look at it if you want to, so the secret is technically out; but the truth is that we still have a couple bugs we are working on before we make a big iGosian deal about it to the masses.

Consider yourself an official insider right now. Congrats and welcome.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog post program, aka Frontline Friday. Today’s update is from our Super Summer Global Xtreme team currently serving in the Middle East. Pray for them as they serve on the edge of the front lines.

During Base Camp, we talked about a concept called Ancient Work, which is the idea that Father has been working in the places we visit long before we get there and will continue working long after we leave. It’s incredibly humbling to be able to join in his work. Though we’ve only been here in Q (their city) a few days, it’s already evident that Father has been working on people’s hearts here in amazing ways.

One of the main things we’ve done over the past three days is visit refugee families in their homes. The culture here is very relational, and one of the best ways to reach people with the truth is to build lasting relationships with them. These families are beyond kind and generous to us. Even though they have nothing, they give everything they have. As we eat with them, they share their stories with us: stories of war, terror, heartbreak, and loss. They have been through unspeakable things, and many are open to hearing the truth.

We visited one family today for the first time. The worker who took us there (A) had met the father (Ah) in a supermarket a few weeks ago. A has visited most of the families we’ve visited many times before we came, but this was his first time in Ah’s home as well. Ah and his wife, H, welcomed us with smiles. They have one young son named S, and a daughter on the way.

We sat down on the couches, which had been donated to them by a local family. H immediately served us very sweet and hot tea as is customary here. They shared with us how they fled three years ago with only the clothes on their backs, after narrowly escaping a bombing of their home. They are thankful for their lives and the two children they now have, but they long to return to their home country.

After hearing their story, A began to ask them more questions. Ah asked if we were followers of JC, saying that he could see something different in the way we treated his family and the way followers of Is treated them. Soon the conversation turned to the Word, and to my surprise, Ah went into another room and returned with a copy. It had been given to him by a local woman when he asked for his own copy so he could read and study it. That was seven months ago, and he has already read many of the stories.

We were all so excited to see that Father had already been working on his heart, preparing him to hear the truth from A and the fellowship. Sadly, he told us that the crisis in his home country has made it difficult for him to focus on the truth in the Word. His heart is beginning to soften towards the truth, but there is still a battle being fought for his mind. Please pr that Ah and H would continue to thirst after the truth, and that Father would continue to reveal himself to them through the Word. We are visiting them again on Wednesday, so please also pr that we would be able to have more good conversations with them.

Thanks for praying for these specific requests. Please remember to pray for our teams in Spain and Northern Africa as well. Currently, our iGo crew is setting up for Base Camp here in Oklahoma. We will be training the GO Students team along with a church youth group from San Antonio this weekend and send them to Spain on Monday.

How to Talk to Your Parents

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

So you’re very excited about serving overseas, but not so excited about broaching the subject with your parents…

Don’t worry. You’re not alone.

If you’re reading this article, you’re on the right track. It means you already understand that this is a big deal and that your parents will likely have some questions. Following these five tips will set you up for success in this conversation.

Five tips for talking to parents about an iGo trip:

1. Pick a good time to bring it up . Ask them when a good time to discuss this trip would be. Don’t bring it up in public or on the way home from camp. The best way to begin the conversation is to say something like this: “While I was at camp, I heard about an opportunity that I’m very interested in and would really like to talk with you about it. When would be a good time we could all sit down and discuss that?

2. Do your research. Find out as much as you can about the trip before you talk to them so you can explain where you’re going, what you’ll be doing, who you’ll be working with, and how much it costs.

3. Provide information. Give them the information you received at camp and take them to the Parent Page on the iGo Global website. Help them ﬁnd answers to any questions they have about the trip or about iGo in general. You may need to give them some time to review that information on their own.

4. Recognize the financial side. It’s easy to say, “God will take care of the money.” It even sounds spiritual, but it could communicate that you are approaching the trip with a sense of carelessness instead of responsibility. Remind your parents that once you are accepted, you’ll receive a fundraising packet from our office. It will help them to know that you’ve thought through this and are willing to work hard to raise support.

5. Ask them if they think you’re ready. They may see some immaturity or lack of responsibility that indicates you are not ready to do this. If so, you would be wise to listen to them.

Helping Your Student Return Well

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Over the years we have seen students respond to coming home in a variety of ways. Some have easily and quickly integrated back into life at home, others have struggled and had to work to get back in stride, and still others have fallen somewhere in the middle. (Check out our blog post on Reverse Culture Shock ) We know that you are praying for your student and want them to integrate in a healthy way, and we want the exact same thing. Below are some tips that may help you and your student:

Actively Listen

Your student will have tons of stories. Sometimes students need to unpack their experiences before they are ready to transition back into life at home. Allow them this time, and even take it a step further by encouraging and showing them that you want to hear from them. Look at pictures, ask questions, and really share in the conversation with them. Most people will not care enough to listen past 1 or 2 stories, so this is a huge opportunity to minister to your child.

Expect Your Student to be Different

Global experiences change people. Encounters with poverty, a new culture, inability to communicate, being a minority possibly for the first time, and spiritual darkness will alter the way your student views and interacts with the world, including you and your family. Patiently try to discover the changes in your student and help them readjust in a godly way. Many of these changes are for the better, so your job is not to help them change back, but to help them integrate these experiences and changes into their lives and your family.

Share in Their Passion

Many of the people your student comes back to will not be able to identify with them or will not be interested enough to try. This will most likely make for some disappointing or frustrating moments. Having someone who shares in their new passion will make a big difference. Read up on the people group, religion, or country your student worked among and talk about what you learned with your student. Explore how God may have used this experience to give your student a bigger heart for the world or this specific people and how it could help shape their future.

Don’t Assume This is Over

Students who serve overseas often return home already planning their next mission trip. Please know that we are first and foremost concerned about your student living on mission and integrating his/her mission experience into life back home. Give your students a few weeks to process the whole experience, and then see if her passion to go again is still strong. We have some amazing next level experiences all over the globe, and we look forward to the opportunity to partner with you and your child once again as God leads them to go.

Reverse Culture Shock

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Like the name suggests, reverse culture shock is similar to culture shock. Culture shock comes from a sense of disorientation brought on by a new and unfamiliar environment. Reverse culture shock comes from returning to a setting you assume will be familiar that is actually no longer the same. Through the trip experience, the student has changed. At the same time the student’s home environment has changed. People’s lives did not go on hold while they were gone. The problem here is that they did not change together. Both the student and those back home expect to pick up where they left off, but things are not the same. That is where the stress of reverse culture shock begins. It is subtle and unexpected. Your student will be dealing with a lot when they return home, and there is a good chance this could be a difficult time for them. It can be just as difficult for parents and families as well. Below are the three types of responses we see in students returning from a mission trip. Take a look at these to help you discern where your student lands. Try to find ways to help them transition with a healthy response. Extreme #1: Isolates and alienates a. Pulls away from stressful situations by being alone or only with like-minded people b. Strong negative reactions or judgmental attitude toward home culture c. Daydreaming about or unwilling to let go of memories and experiences and move forward d. Unwilling to engage opportunities to impact the home culture Extreme #2: Imitates and re-socializes a. Reverts immediately back to conventional norms b. Resumes life as if nothing happened c. Unable to translate experiences to life back at home d. Very high need for acceptance by home culture e. Afraid of consequences of seeming different from home culture A Healthy Response: Integrates and is proactive a. Accepts the reality of transitioning cultures b. Relates back with the home culture without compromising lessons learned from the short-term experience c. Recognizes that changes have occurred through their experience d. Re-enters the home culture as a learner and looks for ways to integrate what they have learned Tips for Family and Friends 1) Be patient. Give them time to readjust. It will not happen overnight or maybe even in a week. Sometimes it takes a full semester before a student really puts it all together. Each person is different. Avoid the temptation to push too hard. Give your student time and space, but be ready and waiting when they are ready to talk. 2) Recognize teachable moments. Use this time of re-entry as a growing process for your family. Learn about your student, the people group and culture they have come to love, and how you can continue to minister to the people group from home. Help them find ways to take what they learned on the field and apply it to life back home. Check out our M.A.P. to Missional Living Series. (Link to this) 3) Share your own changes Talk about the most significant changes that have occurred at home while your student was gone. Share with your student what God has done in your life and the life of your family during your student’s time in another country. Check out our post on Helping Your Student Return Well

How to Help Your Student Prepare for Their Trip

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

There is no doubt that sending your student overseas for any length of time is challenging and requires trust in God’s plan. Each step requires faith – including signing off on the trip application, helping your student with fundraising, and dropping them off at Base Camp. As you and your student walk through this process together, there are two main categories of preparation that you can be a part of as you help your student make plans to go this summer.

Logistical Preparations
As your student is preparing for their adventure, it is very likely that challenges will arise. Raising thousands of dollars over the course of a few months is not an easy task, and yet we see God provide in huge ways through students’ efforts and sacrifices. Encourage your student to be diligent to begin fundraising immediately while reinforcing that this task is a necessary aspect of being sent into the nations. Let your student be the one to organize and prepare fundraising events, but cheer them on as they work through this leg of their race.

Additionally, help your student with submitting the necessary forms and paperwork by the deadlines, while letting them take the lead in these efforts. This allows your student to take ownership of the calling God has placed on their lives.

Spiritual Preparations
Until your student is actually overseas, they will most likely not comprehend the significant impact that a short-term trip can make on their lives. Your student will be placed in an environment demanding spiritual discipline as they spend hours each day in prayer, training, sharing, and studying the Word of God. Our hope is that as they engage in the work, these disciplines will not be new to them.

One of the greatest ways to prepare your student before they go is to ask intentional questions about what God is teaching them. Some of these questions may be: What are you reading in the Bible this week? What is God showing you through what you are reading? What are you struggling with? Do you understand what you are reading? What are you praying about? How are you seeing God work in your life? These are just a few examples of questions that can stir a conversation and get your student talking about his/her walk with the Lord. Additionally, we want to encourage you to share with your student about what God is doing in your life. Your student will be challenged to grow spiritually this summer, so they will benefit greatly from implementing these conversations into their daily life now.

Encourage them to begin sharing the gospel with the people they interact with already. We hope that your student will learn that we are called to live a missional lifestyle, regardless of our geographical location. There may even be ways they can meet people from other countries in your community or on their school campus. Again, your student will be challenged to establish new friendships overseas in hopes of sharing the Good News, and they will thrive even more if this is not a new endeavor for them.

Finally, pray for your student consistently. Begin praying now for the team they have been placed on, the location they are being sent to, and the people they will encounter. God has ultimately placed them on this trip for His glory, and we pray with you that your student will continue to develop a heart focused on making Him famous wherever they are and whatever they may be doing.

iGo Safety Precautions

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

At iGo Global, we take issues like safety and supervision of teams very seriously. While it is true that some things are outside of our control, and we cannot guarantee safety for anyone, we will never use phrases like “God is in control” and “the safest place to be is in God’s will” as an excuse for not being diligent, prepared, and wise in our movement and decision making.

We want parents and church leaders to be aware of the steps we take in order to ensure safety of our trips. The following list is not exhaustive, but it does convey the major precautions we take to minimize and manage risk on our teams:

Supervision of Qualified Team Leaders and/or Adult Chaperones – All of our teams have a designated team leader or leaders. Each of these leaders attends an additional training retreat in the spring preceding the team’s trip, ensuring that they are prepared and adept to handle any situation that might occur during the process of the team traveling.

Guidance of Missionaries – Our teams work alongside church planters who live on the field and are adept at handling situations that might arise in their particular environment. They set guidelines that our teams are required to follow to help ensure their safety. They are also prepared to cancel a trip if they feel the team’s safety would be compromised.

Embassy Registration – iGo registers all international trip participants with the nearest US embassy. This means in the event of a large scale emergency, the US government workers in that country will be aware of the team’s presence.

Travelers’ Insurance – iGo purchases travelers’ health insurance for all participants on international teams.

Emergency Contact Information – Each of our students receives contact information to use in the case of an emergency. We provide them with contact information for their team leaders, missionaries, lodging location, and any other information helpful to the location where they are serving.

Emergency Procedure Preparation – Although significant measures are taken to prevent a student from ever being separated from the team, we have an explicit protocol to follow if that happens. Each student will be prepared on what to do in the event that he/she is separated from the team. Additionally, the training and strategy of the work never allows a student to travel anywhere alone.

Contingency Plan – In addition to the contact information that each team member receives, each Team Leader receives contingency training and information directly from our staff. In the event of any sort of emergency, whether within the team or on a larger, national scale, iGo Team Leaders know the protocol for who to contact, where to go, and what to do in any situation that might arise.

Learn to Lead by Leading

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

In the chronicles of iGo History you would find that at one time we had two different kinds of interns. Well, we actually still do have two different kinds of interns. But we used to also. The difference was that back in those days (and I’m still not sure if they were the good old days or just the old days at this point) we called our interns that stayed here in our office interns. We also called our interns that served overseas interns. It didn’t take long to get confused.

So we no longer call anyone interns, even though we still have interns. Following? Good.

Jimmy is our iGo Mobilization Internship. Jimmy stays here all summer and helps us train and mobilize. This post is not about them so I will move on now.

JSI’s are what we decided to call our overseas interns. What it stands for is not important. If you need it to stand for something to satisfy your inner need for information, then go with Just Summer Interns. If you like things more spiritual sounding, you could try Jesus’ Summer Interns. In light of that, you could just say JSI’s…for Christ. That always works.

What is important is what a JSI is and what a JSI does. JSI’s are the backbone of our mobilization strategy in Western Europe. When we show up and recruit at Falls Creek, Kansas/Nebraska Super Summer, Texas Super Summer, and Louisiana YEC, we are hoping for students to respond in bulk quantities to the opportunity to make Him famous in one of our partnership locations. We put these students on large teams (we once had 189 students on a team to Tokyo felt a little more like an invasion than a student M trip).

To send large teams to our partnership locations would be a huge burden on the workers that live there and serve there. Most of the workers are on a small team themselves (2-3 families), and a large team of students could potentially derail their current work significantly.

Enter the JSI. JSI’s are students who are ready to learn how to lead other students, ready to learn how to live the overseas M life, and ready to develop leadership skills that translate into any setting.

Our JSI teams arrive on location a couple weeks in advance. They learn the city and areas being targeted. They learn where to eat, how to get from A to B, and all the insider info they can glean from the workers.

And then our first timer teams arrive. The workers set the tone and our JSI’s lead. They lead these first time students through the city. They lead them in focus time in the Word. They lead them in engaging people from this culture. They lead them in embracing and applying the core values. Day in and day out. JSI’s learn to lead others by leading others .

While all this is going on, these JSI’s are building and investing in relationships with people from that city. They are living on mission in a cross-cultural context while being invested in as leaders.

What I’m trying to say is this whole JSI thing is pretty cool.

So what about you? Are you ready to take the next step in your journey to become the leader God calls you to be? Are you ready for 6 intense weeks of living on mission, building lifelong friendships, and making Him famous overseas next summer? The time to apply is NOW. Check out the application on our website.

Former JSI’s: Help me out. Hit the comment button and let someone know how being a JSI impacted your life. Your testimony might be just someone needs in order to take that next step.

Sharing Christ with Muslims

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

No matter where you are in the world, some principles are universal when sharing Christ (follow the Spirit’s lead, walk in humility, ask good questions and don’t spend all your time giving answers to questions other people aren’t asking, etc.). But here are a few thoughts specifically on sharing Christ with Muslims.

Build Relationships : Most Islamic cultures are very relational. Even in business meetings, participants often spend ample time discussing family and getting to know one another. Often you don’t earn the right to be heard until you’ve invested time building a relationship. But here’s the catch: building relationships doesn’t work if you only have an ulterior motive (even sharing Christ) in mind. So let your motive simply be to show them the love of Christ, and as you spend time with them the door will open to share the hope that you have. Of course, God can do what he wants and open up a door in your first conversation – so always be prepared and follow the Spirit’s lead.

Start with Agreements instead of Disagreements: It would be easy to start out a conversation talking about the differences between Christianity and Islam, but you’ll find that if you start there either (a) the conversation won’t last very long or (b) the conversation will quickly turn into a debate. Since we don’t want the conversation cut short and we’re not looking for a debate (informal debates tend to be unproductive), it may be a good idea to start by finding common ground. As a Christ follower, you actually have much more in common with a Muslim than you do with an atheist. Of course, there are huge, eternity shaping differences – but it’s often helpful to start with agreements and go from there.

Know the Hot Topics: As you get to know more Muslims and get into spiritual conversations with them, you’ll probably notice that there are several hot topics that trouble Muslims about Christianity. Usual hot topics include: (1) Jesus can’t be the Son of God (to say that God has a son is blasphemy), (2) Jesus didn’t really die on the cross (it was another guy who was made to look like Jesus), and (3) the Trinity (often thought to be Father, Mother, and Son). Since you’re almost guaranteed these topics will surface eventually, do a little study and know how to discuss them.

Pray for Dreams & Visions: It’s still the case that a very large percentage of Muslims become followers of Christ after having dreams either directly about Jesus or pointing them to someone who can tell them about Jesus. Pray that God would do this for your new Muslim friend.

Tell a Story: Many Muslim cultures are oral cultures (even if many people in the culture are literate). Many things have been handed down in Muslim culture through stories, so stories are a great way to introduce them to biblical truths. Because many Muslim cultures are based on honor/shame, a few stories that tend to be particularly effective are the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, and the woman who was bleeding (for women).

There are plenty of good books and resources that can help equip you to share Christ with Muslims (Any-3 and The Camel Method are two that are particularly helpful), but your biggest helps will always be a good foundation in God’s word and a steady reliance on the Spirit. God’s word is still able to make people wise for salvation and His Spirit is still able to open the eyes of the blind and bring death from life for the glory of God.

Hope of the World

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Stop for just a minute and think about what you value. Having trouble? Think about what drives you. Think about what you pursue. Think about what you desire. You see, in many ways, our values define us. They shape us. They show up in almost every area of our lives.

At the heart of iGo Global, you will find our Core Values. Everything that we do in training and mobilizing comes from these core values, which come straight out of Scripture. On the surface these core values help our students to engage on a mission experience. They give you the right foundation, the right perspective, and the right approach.

Below the surface, however, these values are much more important. Embracing them and making them your own will shape you into the person God wants you to be. The person that lives on mission. The person that lives to make Him famous.

Hope of the World
The Bottom Line taught us that number one on God’s agenda is to spread His glory across the Earth. But how? How does God do this? Scripturally, there is only one way. Through. His. Church. The second iGo Core Value is The Hope of the World. Here we learn that the local church IS the hope of the world. Yes, I know that Jesus is really the hope of the world. I went to Sunday School. But the truth is that God plans to bring the message of Jesus to the world through His church. And that is His only plan. Engage the church…engage the mission. Disengage…well, you figure it out. Hope comes to a lost and broken world through the local church.

Check out our other Core Values:
Bottom Line
Ancient Work
Joy of the Sower

Gateway Cities – What and Why?

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

People often wonder why we send short term teams to cities known for being major tourism destinations. One of the most unique opportunities we have at iGo Global is to partner with local missionaries who have implemented a strategy into their work referred to as reaching “Gateway Cities.”

There are numerous “closed” countries where people have very limited access to the gospel or a Bible in their native language. Many of these countries are hostile to Christianity and are located throughout North Africa and the Middle East. It can be immensely difficult for foreigners to enter these countries.

However, people that live in closed countries often travel to major westernized cities for extended work or to escape hostile environments with the hope of a better future for their families. As a result, they plant their lives in major cities that are flooded with diversity and new opportunities. These immigrants often return to visit their native countries and families or at least remain in contact.

One of the countries we send students to is Spain. According to The Joshua Project , Spain is the home of 54 different people groups, including 8 considered to be “unreached.” The term “unreached people group” means that the number of Evangelical Christians within that people group is less than 2% of its population. That is a minuscule amount of believers! Obviously, Spain is very diverse and contains thousands of individuals from people groups that have very little access to the gospel.

When we send students to places like Madrid, they are not only working among the Spanish, but dozens of people groups from the ends of the earth. When a North African Muslim living in Madrid begins believing the gospel there is a strong possibility that individual will share the truth with family back in their native “closed” country. While an American may have a very difficult time entering that individual’s native country / village, the national can often times easily re-enter their country and share the hope of Jesus with friends and family who’ve never heard His name. This is why we refer to these locations as Gateway Cities. Cities like Madrid provide an avenue, or gateway, for spreading the gospel to people groups in areas that are very difficult to reach.

What a great opportunity! Our prayer is that as the Lord opens the hearts of people in Madrid and other Gateway Cities they will return to their native lands with the gospel and the church will continue to multiply.

Bottom Line

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Bottom Line
And it all starts with The Bottom Line. The truth that everything God does is ultimately for His glory drives everything. It changes everything. It helps us to push away from man-centeredness and align our lives with God and His agenda. God is on a mission to gather worshippers from every nation, tribe, and tongue. Everything He does is ultimately toward achieving that goal.

For further study, check out Psalm 96. Look for the bottom line as you continue to read God’s Word.

Check out our other Core Values:
Ancient Work
Joy of the Sower
Hope of the World

Ancient Work

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Ancient Work
This mission that we are talking has quite a history. God’s purpose of spreading His glory among the nations is as old as history itself, which is why we call the next core value, The Ancient Work. God is at work all over the world, and He has been at work for generations and centuries, and ages. Embracing this value will lead you to understand that you don’t start anything and you don’t finish anything. This is all God’s work. He invited us to enter His work and He gives us a role. That is true on a mission trip, and it is just as true in your life back home.

Check out our other Core Values:
Bottom Line
Joy of the Sower
Hope of the World

3 Reasons to do Short-term Missions

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

There seems to be no shortage of folks who are eager to point out the possible pitfalls of mission trips. For starters, let me just say that any ministry we could engage in has possible pitfalls.

When a pastor teaches and preaches, he faces the danger of being puffed up with pride because of the platform and respect that accompanies that task. However, just because there are possible pitfalls that come with the territory of engaging a particular ministry, that does not mean that we should avoid that type of ministry all together. Nobody would suggest that we should all stop aspiring to teach, speak, and write, because of the potential it has to puff us up.

But I’ve found that many folks approach short term mission trips with fear, skepticism, or even disdain simply because of what ‘could’ happen. In response to this I’d like to highlight and remind us of three of the greatest benefits of short term mission trips.

1. They Encourage Missionaries.

I am convinced that this is one of the most significant things our teams do. You can’t possibly understand how huge this is until you’ve seen the excitement in a missionary couples’ eyes when you offered to babysit one evening while they went on a date. Even more affirming is the look on the mom’s face the day before your team leaves when she explains through watery eyes how great of a blessing it was to watch the team engage and converse with her children.

It’s easy to forget that missionaries are often starved for Christian fellowship. Even if they are on a team, it’s typically a very small group that’s likely to be void of certain age groups. The missionaries our teams work with often have pre-K and elementary kids, and never get the chance to be around high school and college students who are Christ followers. I become more convinced every year that the most significant impact our teams make is not with the lost, but with the missionaries and their families.

2. They Free up our Focus.

Regardless of the ministry focus of a trip (acts of service, prayer, evangelism, etc.), you are free to put your normal day to day obligations aside and focus intensely on that work. We often remind students who are about to return home from a trip that they can not expect themselves to keep up the same level of investment and focus that they had during the trip. Of course, we do hope that what they learned and experienced on the trip will spur them on to spend more time and energy living intentionally in their day to day lives.

I want to be careful here, because I’m not saying that our day to day obligations (jobs, school, family) are nothing more than roadblocks to our ministry involvement. Indeed, we will find opportunities to engage in spiritual conversation and honor the Lord with our diligence in those things. But if we are spending 6-10 hours per day prayer-walking and sharing the Gospel, we are likely to loose our job or flunk out of school.

3. They Train Us.

One might object and say, “Sure, it’s easy to engage in ministry all the time when your’e on a mission trip, but that’s not going to help you learn how to live intentionally in your every day life in the midst of daily obligations and responsibilities.” I’ve heard similar objections that say mission trips are nothing more than conscious cleansers. They fear we will justify our lack of effort to reach our lost neighbors because we went on a trip last summer.

But that’s like saying a college students who works for a lawn care business in the summer will not learn how to take care of his own lawn when that’s not his “job”. We all know that the opposite is true. That student will likely end the summer much more motivated and equipped to maintain his own lawn well where he lives. There are always exceptions, but what we see 95% of the time is that students who engage well on a trip come back more equipped and motivated to live missionally at home.

To check out Short-term opportunities with iGo, visit our Trips Page .

What do you think? Any reasons you want to add?

Living Missionally

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

At iGo Global over the years we have developed a MAP for our students as they return from an overseas experience. This Missional Action Plan (MAP) won’t help you find your world geography class, but it will help you continue to continue the journey to becoming someone that lives on mission day in and day out. Check it out.

Checkpoint #1 – Enlist a Mentor

Find someone you can talk with regularly who will hold you accountable and encourage you to continue the journey. You need help and you need someone to spur you on just like you needed a team leader while you were overseas. In fact you are practically looking for a team leader as you embrace a life on mission. Here are three helpful tips when it comes to finding a mentor.

1. You may not want to ask anyone.

People are busy with a capital BUSY and the thought of adding one more thing to the calendar may be a deal breaker. This is especially true for someone that you would seek as a mentor in your life. So what does this look like? Instead of a formal mentoring relationship that adds to the calendar, try telling the potential mentor that you respect them and think they could offer words of wisdom for the journey. Ask them if it would be ok for you to spend time with him from time to time as a part of his regular schedule.

Example: Your student pastor would make a great mentor, but he is already really busy. So why not ask if you could ride with him to a football game or sit next to him at the volleyball game he is attending. Run errands with him on Wednesday to help him get ready for church that night. You could also simply ask him to meet with you one week, ask him to speak into your life, and then wait a couple weeks and try to meet with him again. The less formal the approach, the more likely you are to get what you need – mentoring.

2. Pursue the right person.

You need peers to walk with you as you live on mission and live out your faith. No doubt about that. However, very rarely can a peer be your mentor. Mentors need to be at least a step or two ahead of you in life and ministry. Look for the person who is being faithful with the things that are right in front of her: job, marriage, family, church, etc. and pursue time with her. She doesn’t have to be your youth minister or your BSM director to mentor you. She just has to be ahead of you in this journey and demonstrating the ability to be faithful with small things. Then you just want to learn from her experiences as she has walked in obedience to the Word.

3. Make the most of every opportunity.

There are some elements to mentorships where you just do life, hang out, and talk about something. But keep in mind that what you want here and need here is to be mentored. So be prepared. Be ready to ask your questions when you get the opportunity and then actually listen to the answers. Take notes. And above all, be vulnerable. You will get help when you admit you need help. Share your struggles. Ask for specific prayer. The life on mission isn’t any easier now that you have spent part of your summer in Morocco. Be real. Be honest. Seek help.

Every checkpoint on the map has a potential detour. An obstacle that could prevent you from embracing a life on mission. The detour for Checkpoint #1 is reverse culture shock. Depending upon how much time you spent overseas you may encounter some levels of culture shock on the back end of your trip. That can get really intense when school starts and you see so many people falling into the same old routines, habits, and relationships. As you experience frustrations with your peers and the American way of life, it will help you to remember the Ancient Work teaching. God is at work right where you are, all around you even, just as much as He was when you were overseas. And His plan is to use you in this work. In fact, He sent you to that school at this time as His ambassador to make Him famous right there. See your classmates as people who need to know Jesus. Pray for them. And ask your mentor to help you see all of life as a mission.

What about you? What tips would you add to the list on how to find a good mentor?

Living Missionally

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Checkpoint #1 – Enlist a Mentor

1. You may not want to ask anyone.

2. Pursue the right person.

3. Make the most of every opportunity.

What about you? What tips would you add to the list on how to find a good mentor?

Support Raising Tips

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 05:00:00 GMT

If you are at the point where you are reading blogs about how to fundraise for your mission trip overseas, then I probably don’t need to convince you of the call you have from God. Likely, you have heard the command of God to make disciples of every nation, tribe, people, and language. You may have already applied and even been accepted to go.

And then the thought of raising $3500 comes. It’s a large number and it does take a lot of work to get there. I would be lying if I said this hasn’t almost scared me away a few times. However, God called you, he is sovereign, and he will provide.

But that doesn’t mean to sit back and wait for someone to write you a check. You GET to fundraise. Fundraising is a wonderful opportunity to share with everyone you know how God is moving in your life. As you raise funds for your trip, you get to share about your passion for God’s name to be made famous among all peoples. Henri Nouwen says in his book The Spirituality of Fundraising, “Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission.” It’s more than just asking for money. It’s allowing people to participate with you in the mission of God.

The following are steps you can take in fundraising that will help you share what God is doing in the world, in your life, and will help raise the necessary funds for your trip.

1. YOU NEED TO BE SENT BY YOUR CHURCH

If you do not remember anything else about fundraising, remember that you need your church to send you. Not because we say so, but because it is biblical. The church is God’s chosen instrument to complete His mission. (Check out our post on the Hope of the World .) You are a part of a church. Ask your church to come alongside you, pray for you, and to send you out.

2. Personal Sacrifices

Before asking others for support, take a look at what you can do personally to save money. This may mean no more shopping trips, asking for funds for Christmas/birthday rather than gifts, ordering water instead of soda, giving up prom and saving that money for your trip, and many more. Take a look at where you spend money and what you can give up for a few months. Personal sacrifices can be difficult to make, but knowing that this will enable you to share Jesus with people who may have never heard his name, the sacrifices become well worth it.

3. Classic Fundraisers

There are SO many fundraisers you can plan that can help you raise money as well as getting others on board with sending you. A simple google search will bring up hundreds of ideas. Check out our post on popular fundraisers for more ideas!

Remember that fundraising is such a good opportunity for you. It should not be awkward or discouraging if you truly believe in God’s sovereignty in placing you on this trip. Pray for the people that you talk with about supporting you that God would move their hearts to give and pray for you and the ones you will meet overseas.

Your supporters are investing in you – let them know that you are grateful for their gift, whether it’s prayer or a financial gift, by writing a personal thank you note or sending an update with stories and pictures from your trip. Let your supporters know how their gift was used. Henri Nouwen says

Frontline Friday: Checking in from northern Africa

Fri, 30 May 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Today’s Frontline Friday report comes from our team leader in northern Africa. This team has been on the ground a little over a week now and is just getting settled into their city. Please read through the report and spend some time praying for this team and the work they are engaging.

Things are going very well here, and I’m pumped for the summer to really get rolling.The last couple days have consisted mostly of learning different parts of the city and learning how to get around effectively. Today I hailed a taxi and told him where I wanted to go without requiring too much help. Whoop! We also learned a little about the bus and trams.

The language has been difficult, but it’s an easy way to engage with people. By just attempting the language, it feels like walls come down. It has been fun to laugh and joke with women as I butcher the phrases I’ve learned. Luckily for me they’ve all been understanding and have seemed to enjoy my efforts. These interactions have been encouraging in our first days here, but we’re excited to have deeper conversations as we start to find more English speakers. College students should be getting out of school soon, so English speakers should be much easier to come by after that.

One of my friends had a really cool conversation today while we were out. They met a guy on the street near where we are staying. The guys talked for a bit, and found out that this guy feels like he has to say he is Mus/im because he lives here, but doesn’t believe it in his heart. He said he thought there had to be something else. My friend got his phone number and they’re supposed to get coffee soon. This conversation was a direct answer to something we had been asking all day. We had been praying that walls would be broken down and that the people here wouldn’t feel like they have to be Mus/im because of cultural traditions.

Please join us in that prayer for these precious people and specifically this new friend.

Jimmy has arrived: Advice Needed

Wed, 14 May 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Good advice is hard to come by, which is probably why good advice is so valuable. That fact, however, doesn’t stop people from giving out advice. People just keep throwing it out there hoping at some point to come up with something that is actually helpful. As a result, we have timeless advice tips such as:

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. This one works great on paper, but as a parent of four I can tell you that my kids don’t carry out their conversations on paper.

Don’t cry over spilled milk . That is good too unless you just spilled the last of the milk after dominating a pack of Oreos.

If you have to borrow money, borrow it from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back. Ok, so it’s hard to find anything wrong with this one.

You will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Yeah, but I don’t want to catch flies. And if for some reason that changes, I might go all Karate Kid and use chopsticks.

Rub some dirt on it AND Walk it off . Yes, there is no shortage of medical advice out there based on a tremendous lack of medical knowledge.

Eat it…Don’t tweet it. Finally, some contemporary and relevant advice. We don’t want to see your food on the instagram. Ever.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I think that one is pretty self-explanatory.

Don’t argue with an idiot . He will just drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. That one goes under the category of advice for time management.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself. I’m taping that one to my son’s steering wheel when he starts driving.

The iGo Summer of training and mobilizing officially began Monday when Jimmy (our summer mobilization interns) arrived at our World Wide Headquarters. This is our 14th summer of training and mobilizing at iGo, and it’s our 13th summer to have interns.

With all that history, you would think that we know exactly what to say to Jimmy as they get started. In reality though, we never know what each group needs to hear. There is so much we could say, but we want to know what we should say. Our best attempt at advice for Jimmy is found below.

1. iGo Jokes are not dead horses, but you still can’t beat them. Yes, beating a dead horse is pointless… for obvious reasons . But iGo jokes live on long after what would seem to be a normal joke life span. I met Yu in Japan back in 2001, and I still love telling the story how Yu gave me that alien toy (read that one out loud to a friend right now for the full effect). If you find a good joke, especially one that qualifies as an inside joke, run with it. And don’t stop running with it all summer long.

2. Don’t get bit by the hand that feeds you. This one also could be said like this, “Speak softly for Elizabeth carries a big stick.” It is helpful to remember that Elizabeth cuts the paychecks. She also cuts the reimbursement checks and doles out the weekly lunch allowances. You want her on your side! You need her on your side! And that requires staying on her good side. Good luck with that one. Many have tried. Some have almost not failed.

3. A good name is more to be desired than great fame. As names go, Jimmy is good, but also quite common . As you try on your new moniker, it will require squeezing into some obscurity. There isn’t much notoriety that comes from rolling up T-shirts, loading the iGo trailer, stuffing envelopes, or sorting linens after Base Camp. However, God is pleased with faithfulness and service. After all, the mantra of iGo is to make Him famous. Jimmy does this in so many ways.

Dozens of students have served as iGo Jimmy in the past? What advice would you share with the 2014 edition? Maybe you haven’t been a Jimmy, but you have experienced their work and have advice of your own to share? Hit the comment button and give Jimmy some advice. We are waiting on you.

Looking Back to Look Ahead – Getting you fired up for summer

Tue, 06 May 2014 05:00:00 GMT

A completely updated, revamped, redesigned, and completely and totally awesome new iGo blog layout is coming soon. In the meantime this summer is coming quicker than a rhino can stamp out a fire . In fact, in less than a week the 2014 iGo Jimmy arrives at iGo World Wide Headquarters as iGosian Summer officially begins. So today we offer you a look back as we look ahead. Here are five blog posts from the past that are worth a read as you get ready for the summer. The categories are spread out, so find the one that fits your interest. Better yet, read them all. And don’t forget to leave a comment as you find some inspiration along the way.

#5 – Magicians, Volunteers, and iGosia. The first place to start when you are planning out your summer would be to plan to serve at a Base Camp near you. iGosia needs iGosians in order to successfully train and mobilize our teams. Take some time to read this invitation to volunteer this summer and then sign up. Your experience will be pretty magical.

#4 – Reasons to Go Part 2 (His Story > Your Story). We did a four-part blog series last year with four compelling reasons to be involved in missions. As we approach this summer, this can be a great reminder. For those of you going on trips, it is a reminder of His calling. For those of you staying home, it is a reminder that we are called to live on mission. No matter where you find yourself in the next few months, make sure you don’t waste your summer.

#3 – The iGosian Harlem Shake. This year we were just so happy to introduce the Year of the Rhino to the world. Last year? We were just strange. Even though it isn’t officially a #TBT (unless of course you are reading this on Thursday), sit back and enjoy seeing how ridiculous things can get in the iGo HQ on any given day.

#2 – Frontline Friday: Life on Mission in Madrid. One of our summer month traditions here on the iGo Blog is Frontline Friday. On Fridays we give you stories from our teams straight from the front lines of God’s kingdom’s advance. A good number of our teams this summer will spend time in Madrid. Last year’s report from Madrid JSI, J.D. Garcia will encourage you to pray for the Ancient Work of God in that city.

#1 – Monday Memories of iGosia – Basic Facts. For this post we take you in the way back machine to 2012. It is actually the last of an eight-week series remembering the greatness of iGosia. If you find yourself with some serious downtime, the whole series is worth a scan for sure. We picked this one to highlight simply because we know it has been a while since your last visit to the enchanted land of iGosia. A brief reminder of the basics will get you geared up for another iGosian summer.

What about you? How do you get ready for the summer? How do you get intentional about living on mission during the break from school? Comment below and let us know. We always enjoy hearing from past and future iGosians.

Happy to be iGosian

Fri, 02 May 2014 05:00:00 GMT

The iGosians have spoken. 2014 will forever be known as the Year of the Rhino.

Congratulations to Katy Canright for being the first one to correctly guess this year’s mascot. Several of you correctly guessed the rhino. Katy was first.

This proclamation makes us very happy. We hope you will be happy as well. After all, it is Friday. But just in case you need a little bit extra to take you to your happy place, we offer you this. And well…at least we are good at training and mobilizing students.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/93524597[/vimeo]

Introducing Jimmy 2014!

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 05:00:00 GMT

Jimmy goes with iGo summer like peanut butter and jelly. Like Scooby and Shaggy. Like shawarma and hummus. Like Frodo and Sam . Yes, Jimmy. This is the name we give our summer interns at iGo Global. Everyone needs a friend named Jimmy.

We are pleased to be able to introduce this year’s Jimmy to you. Always behind the scenes and never getting enough credit, Jimmy is a picture of servant leadership at iGo. Jimmy comes to help iGo mobilize and train hundreds of students every summer. They count T-shirts, they stuff envelopes, they organize Base Camp materials, they wash rancid iGosian costumes, they print iGo currency, they set up backdrops, and they load/unload the trailer at least 187 times in 11 weeks.

So before Jimmy disappears into the warehouse at iGo World Wide Headquarters (located in the Republic of Texas), or gets lost in the 10 acre wood behind Webster Conference Center in Kansas, we thought you should at least meet them and get to know them a little.

Rebecca Horsley from Marshall, TX

School: University of Texas at Austin – Major: Youth and Community Studies

Favorite food- Chocolate chip pancakes

Personal Trivia: I can solve a Rubik’s Cube

People Might Not Know: One Tree Hill is my favorite TV show

Favorite Musician: Seryn is my favorite band—hands down. I may have seen them in concert five times!

Tis the season…to apply to Jimmy, that is! (by iGo staffer Sarah Arnett)

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 06:00:00 GMT

I’ll keep it short because I know you’ve got a semester’s worth of Spanish to memorize before your 10 o’clock class… so here are the “hechos”…that’s Spanish for “facts.”

Who : Jimmy is a group of college aged students that are interested in the sending process of missions. Jimmy is involved in all aspects of mobilization; they experience deep community with one another and do life together day in and day out. Jimmy comes from all walks of life and no two jimmy are alike.

What : Jimmy is iGo Global’s in-office internship. Jimmy joins our staff for a little over two months during the summer and lend a much needed helping hand in almost everything iGo does to “Make Him Famous.”

Where : Jimmy can be found in Wylie, Texas for most of the summer at our Worldwide Headquarters. When they’re not there, they are recruiting at camps across Texas and Oklahoma, training at Base Camps, or playing hackysack at a park somewhere.

When: Jimmy begins May 12th and ends July 25th with an epic send off from a forever family of staff. There’s also a retreat April 11-13th that you’ll attend to meet, bond, and hug it out with fellow new Jimmy.

Why: When you’re a Jimmy, you are a part of an intentional mentoring process that challenges and equips both spiritually and personally. You not only get to work on sending teams to least-reached people groups and see what it means to live missionally “at home,” but you also become surrounded by like minded peers that become family to you as you all strive to follow God in your own lives.

How: Download the application, fill it out, and get it back to us by January 8th…it’s as simple as that.

So as you’re cramming for finals, skipping out on your last class to sell your books back, and buying a Christmas present for your little brother take a moment to consider joining our team in 2014 as a Jimmy, because let’s face it, everyone should be a friend named Jimmy.

3 Reasons to do Short-term Missions

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 05:00:00 GMT

There seems to be no shortage of folks who are eager to point out the possible pitfalls of mission trips. For starters, let me just say that any ministry we could engage in has possible pitfalls.

They Encourage Missionaries. I am convinced that this is one of the most significant things our teams do. You can’t possibly understand how huge this is until you’ve seen the excitement in a missionary couples’ eyes when you offered to babysit one evening while they went on a date. Even more affirming is the look on the mom’s face the day before your team leaves when she explains through watery eyes how great of a blessing it was to watch the team engage and converse with her children.

They Free up our Focus. Regardless of the ministry focus of a trip (acts of service, prayer, evangelism, etc.), you are free to put your normal day to day obligations aside and focus intensely on that work. We often remind students who are about to return home from a trip that they can not expect themselves to keep up the same level of investment and focus that they had during the trip. Of course, we do hope that what they learned and experienced on the trip will spur them on to spend more time and energy living intentionally in their day to day lives.

They Train Us . One might object and say, “Sure, it’s easy to engage in ministry all the time when your’e on a mission trip, but that’s not going to help you learn how to live intentionally in your every day life in the midst of daily obligations and responsibilities.” I’ve heard similar objections that say mission trips are nothing more than conscious cleansers. They fear we will justify our lack of effort to reach our lost neighbors because we went on a trip last summer.

To check out Short-term opportunities with iGo, visit our Trips Page.

What do you think? Any reasons you want to add?

Frontline Friday: Great Reminder for All of Us

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 05:00:00 GMT

A good reminder for everyone. Thanks to Kaitlyn McNeal for sharing these thoughts with us from the front lines.

One of the best parts of this experience was just sharing life with everyone there; both the team and the friends we made. This summer was a great reminder that M work is not just a short-term trip and not just for certain people; it’s a lifestyle that all believers are called to live.

Father has also shown me more of my great need for Him. I am constantly and completely dependent on Him, and that will never change. Nothing that happened during the summer was because of the strength of the people there, but because of the great God we serve.

Something specific Father has taught me is that I’m often far too comfortable with where I am instead of fighting to grow deeper and be stretched in new ways. I remember looking out my apartment window and watching the people who were running errands or children who were playing soccer, and thinking about the many people I’d met who were far too content with keeping to themselves and living reserved, happy lives. But empty happiness doesn’t bring about changed lives or hunger for the Word. So for myself and those around me I pray for hearts that are seeking for something more than what empty happiness brings. Because when there’s seeking, there’s finding

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” –Matthew 7:7-8

JSI: Learn to Lead by Leading

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 05:00:00 GMT

So we no longer call anyone interns, even though we still have interns. Following? Good.

Jimmy is our iGo Mobilization Internship. Jimmy stays here all summer and helps us train and mobilize. This post is not about them so I will move on now.

What I’m trying to say is this whole JSI thing is pretty cool.

Former JSI’s: Help me out. Hit the comment button and let someone know how being a JSI impacted your life. Your testimony might be just someone needs in order to take that next step.

Where were you and where are you going?

Wed, 11 Sep 2013 05:00:00 GMT

“Someone flew an airplane into the World Trade Center.” Chances are you remember exactly where you were when you heard those words.

I had just cleared customs in China.

JR and I flew out on Monday, September 10, 2001 to meet some workers and set up a trip for the following summer. Two months prior to that day we had flown to Japan for our first ever iGo student trip, and now we were excited to add a college trip to the options for 2002.

And then everything changed. We had no idea at the time. In fact, we were so jet-lagged from the flight and the 13 hour time change that we couldn’t even stay awake to watch the coverage of the attacks. We went to bed and woke up the next morning ready to plan for the future. We didn’t know how much the future had been altered.

A week later we arrived back at Chicago O’Hare Airport and were stunned at the silence and the emptiness. We came back to a country that was still in shock. That was the first time I began to really wonder what this meant for the future of iGo.

Here we were trying to get a new organization off the ground with the purpose of helping a generation of students engage the world’s least reached peoples. Our plan was to send them to “closed” countries. We wanted to make an impact in the darkest of places.

Who would be willing to go with us after this?

Looking back 12 years later I am honestly amazed at the answer . It didn’t come quickly or easily. Year two recruiting was definitely more challenging than year one. There was a collective country-wide circling of the wagons. For a season, America holed up in our corner of the world and asked everyone to leave us alone.

For a season.

And then a generation responded. In 2003, a struggling to make this work organization trained and mobilized 60 students. In 2004, 110. By the time we finished the summer of 2012 we were beyond 3000 a nd counting.

This wasn’t about iGo. We weren’t and aren’t that smart or strategic. It was about God and His work in this generation. Students who were willing to obey the Great Commission no matter what. Parents who didn’t just allow their children to go. They encouraged. They supported. They sent. All we did at iGo is find ourselves right in the middle of a generation of students who were compelled to go simply because they could and they realized that if they could…they should. They became an Acts 20:22-24 generation.

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” -Acts 20:22-24

And that generation paved the way for this next generation. Students continue to go. Youth group mission trips are now almost a given at any church. God’s work continues in every nation, tribe, and tongue and He continues to send out willing and obedient teenagers to make Him famous.

So on this day of national reflection, we should remember.

Remember that tragic day. Remember the heroes of that day. Remember the victims. Remember where you were that day. We should never forget those things.

But, we also need to remember the Ancient Work. Remember that God still desires all nations, all tribes, all peoples to worship Him. The task isn’t finished. And He allows us (commands us actually) to be part of it.

As you remember, reflect on your response. Where will you make Him famous today? Where will you make Him famous next summer? Where will you make Him famous this year?

Where were you and where are you going?

Terrific Theological Tuesday – The Importance of Doctrine

Tue, 10 Sep 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Doctrine. How does this word make you feel? Be honest. Did anyone cringe? Why? Maybe it has something to do with how it sounds like doctor, and shot needles at an early age gave most of us a healthy distrust of those MD’s in the white coats.

Perhaps there is more to your reaction than just the sound. The word has gotten a pretty bad rap . For many of us it just sounds boring and, even worse, non-applicable to life. Give me a good old how-to talk or maybe some steps to unprecedented success. I’ll be glad to accept some lists of things I need to do. I’ll take those in heaping blogpost spoonfuls. But doctrine? Not sure I really want any of that. They say that medicine is bubble gum flavor, but I sure wouldn’t keep chewing gum like that.

So to make this go down as smoothly as possible , please accept this blatant and unashamed compromise in the form of a list of three things you need to know about doctrine.

1. We need it. Without sound doctrine, we will get off course quickly and we will stay off until we are smack dab in the middle of ridiculous. Doctrine is the truth about God (who He is, His character, what He has done) and the teaching that He has given us. Our belief, knowledge, and understanding about God informs everything. And when I say everything, I actually mean everything.

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:16

2. Doctrine is practical. The idea may bring to your mind thoughts of lengthy lectures, confusing colloquies, or whopping words, but the truth is that when you embrace doctrine and begin to understand it you find that doctrine shows up in all of life. Your worship, your life on mission, your worldview, your relationships, your future, etc. Sound doctrine is the foundation for a life lived for the glory of God, which as you know is the bottom line.

3. You already embraced it. Speaking of the bottom line…Remember those core values we teach at iGo? Doctrine. Bottom Line, Ancient Work, Joy of the Sower, and Hope of the World are all doctrinal truths straight from the pages of Scripture. We love doctrine at iGo. We love teaching doctrine, we love seeing you embrace it, and we love seeing it impact your life.

When you come to Base Camp and when you come to The iGo Conference, you can expect to receive some doctrine. We aren’t doing our job if you don’t. But why stop there? This morning a friend told me about an idea for discussing theology with high school students on Tuesdays, and it gave me an idea for this here blog. So from time to time on Tuesdays we plan to serve up some doctrine to chew on. With a side of cucumbers and tomatoes of course.

But we need your help . Are there any doctrines that you would like for us to tackle? Need help understanding propitiation? Want to go deeper in your study of the gospel? Hit that comment button and let us know. Your question/comment might give us our first topic for the next Tuesdays are for Theology .

Frontline Friday – The Joy of the Sower (Madrid)

Fri, 30 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

It is always good to see our first time students (those students that are serving for one week in Western Europe) embrace the core values. First timer Jasmine Castille shares about the Joy of the Sower during her time in Madrid.

I was prayer walking around an area of the city called Fuen Labrada with Lauren, a girl in my trek. We started out by asking Father to guide us on His path and to speak through us. After a while, Lauren needed to use the bathroom. A young lady at a fruit stand let us use hers a few days before, so we decided to go back there.

Shortly after we walked in, our JSI (JD) walked in behind us. We were focused on plowing at the moment, but JD encouraged us to engage in the work of sowing by starting a conversation with the lady from the fruit stand. He translated for us and Father helped the conversation move smoothly.

We started out talking about her life, then moved on to her beliefs. She told us that she believes no one really knows if they will go to heaven when they die. We asked her if that scared her, and she immediately said yes. I knew then that it was time to share the good news, so we asked her if we could share what we believed.

Lauren and I were worried at first that we would offend her, so JD asked if we could still be friends. She looked at us and said, “Si! Amigas!” After that, we were able to share the great news with her. She understood everything we said. We told her that we believed we are going to heaven to spend eternity with Father when we die, her face dropped. It shocked her that we were able to have confidence in Jesus to know where we would be going after this life.

She agreed to let us come back the next day to talk more. We came back to find out that her stand was closed on Sundays. At first I felt depressed that I would never see her again, but then I remembered to stay thankful and humble because Father allowed us to plant a seed in her life. That was my first opportunity to sow. What strikes me as amazing is that I put so little effort into it. Father took control, put me aside, and worked through me. The Joy of the Sower is so real.

What about you? How have you experienced the Joy of the Sower?

3 Approaches to Church Engagement – Checkpoint #4 on the MAP

Fri, 30 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

At iGo Global over the years we have developed a MAP for our students as they return from an overseas experience. This Missional Action Plan (MAP) won’t help you find your iGosian History class, but it will help you continue to continue the journey to becoming someone who lives on mission day in and day out. Check it out.

Checkpoint #4 – Engage the Body

As you learned at Base Camp, the local church is God’s chosen instrument to bring His message of hope to the world. When you are engaging your church, you are engaging God’s mission. And there is no alternative Biblically. If you disengage from the church, you have disengaged from the mission. It really is that simple.

So how do you engage your church at this stage of your life, especially after your overseas experience? Here are 3 approaches to consider .

1. Go in low while aiming high. You are not returning home from the mission field in order to fix all the things that may or may not be wrong with your church. You are not the hero your church is longing for. Your first approach is to look for ways you can serve. Yes, go in low like a servant. Ask your student pastor how you can serve the people of your church. And be careful not to roll your eyes as if what he suggests is beneath a missionary of your caliber. Remember – Jesus said that true greatness is found in serving others, putting others first, meeting the needs of others before you meet your own. So as you go low, you are really aiming high. You are aiming for true greatness.

2. Here today. Here tomorrow. Let’s face it. People are not committed to much of anything anymore. Our maybe means no way, and our yes usually means if I can’t come up with a good excuse I might. Church engagement is caught up in this cultural mindset. Don’t decide on Sunday morning whether or not you should show up. Make a permanent calendar appointment at your church on Sunday morning and see if that might even begin to affect your choice of curfew and bedtime on Saturday. Homework assigned on Tuesday and not due until Thursday? Don’t push that off till Wednesday night so you are forced to miss time with the youth group. Make your presence with God’s people at your church a real, old-school, genuine priority.

3. Lookout for the evidences of grace. I know, I know. Your church has a lot of problems, right? And now that you have seen the world and been in God’s work you are having a hard time. So what. Yep, I said it. So what. God still loves your church more than you can imagine. And here is a news flash for you: God is at work in and through your church. Even if you don’t like the music. Even if your SS teacher reads the lesson. Even if your pastor chases rabbits. Even if your youth minister just left. Even if all your friends go to a cooler church. So stop and look around. Anyone can see the faults and weaknesses. Will you choose to look past those and see the evidence of God’s grace working and transforming His people into the image of His Son? Chances are that evidence is all around you.

The last detour on the MAP corresponds with this last Checkpoint. If you find yourself struggling (especially with point 3 above) it is time to revisit the core values . Apply those same core values that helped you understand the work overseas to your church. Embrace the bottom line and engage your church as a servant for God’s glory and God’s glory alone. Remember that God has an Ancient Work going right on schedule and look for ways to join it. Sow seeds and trust any and all results/changes/revivals to God. And remember that we are talking about the Hope of the World.

What about you? What are ways as a student you have fully engaged the local church?

Student ministers, help us out. How do you want your students to engage? Anything to add to the list?

Other posts about the MAP:
Intro
Checkpoint #1
Checkpoint #2
Checkpoint #3

Checkpoint #3 on the MAP – 4 Things You need to Be

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

At iGo Global over the years we have developed a MAP for our students as they return from an overseas experience. This Missional Action Plan (MAP) won’t help you find your music appreciation class, but it will help you continue to continue the journey to becoming someone who lives on mission day in and day out. Check it out.

Checkpoint #3 – Stay on Mission

1. Be a prayer walker. Have you gathered some friends and walked around your school campus praying for God to move and show you where He is working? That’s what you did before anything else on the field, right? Do you walk to school? Prayer walk to school, then. Do you drive? Prayer drive, but keep those eyes open! Ride a bus or a bike or a hovercraft? You get the point. To read a more detailed reminder about praying, check out Making Him Famous…On Your Campus Part 1.

2. Be an ambassador. Paul says we are Christ’s ambassadors in 2 Corinthians 5. The reality of that truth is God has already placed you where He wants you to represent Him…your campus. But let’s get more specific. Why do you have English when you have English? Why do you play that sport? Why are you in that club? The easy answers are that’s how your schedule worked out, you have an ability and passion for that sport, or maybe you are simply interested in that club. However, if you understand that you are His ambassador, the answers have new depth. God arranged your schedule. He gave you that ability. That passion. That interest. Why? So he could place you as His ambassador to the students that sit near you. That are on your team. That share your interests. God sees your campus as his field ready for harvest and He already has His workers strategically in position.

3. Be accountable. The Christian life and especially the life on mission is not meant to be a solo activity. This is crucial to understand. If you aren’t walking with some like-minded friends to live on mission, you are stacking the odds against you. Don’t know another like-minded believer? Then you and your mentor (See 3 Steps to Finding a Mentor) need to spend some time working on that. Living on mission takes place in the context of Biblical community. Pursue that even if it means pulling some others alongside you and investing in them first.

What about you? How do you stay on mission on campus? Got any cool stories of God at work back home?

Read more about the MAP:
Intro
Checkpoint #1
Checkpoint #2
Checkpoint #4

Checkpoint #2 on the MAP: Share Your Story

Wed, 28 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

At iGo Global over the years we have developed a MAP for our students as they return from an overseas experience. This Missional Action Plan (MAP) won’t help you find your home economics class, but it will help you continue to continue the journey to becoming someone that lives on mission day in and day out. Check it out.

Checkpoint #2 – Share Your Story

1. You know the hero, and the hero is not you. As you returned to your family, your community, and your church we hope you were greeted with signs and streamers at the airport, hometown parades in your honor, and a good old-fashioned Sunday night potluck dinner at church with peach cobbler made by the Dorcas class. As that happens, tread lightly. It is really easy to shift your focus off the real hero of the story and make this about you. So as you get opportunities to tell your story, make this about what God did. Talk about how you saw God work, how God taught you, how your view of God expanded, and how your life is different now as a result of getting to be a part of God’s story among the nations.

2. Shout it from the rooftops. Figuratively speaking of course. Please don’t literally start shouting your story at people from your roof. What we mean is don’t miss any opportunity. If you still haven’t sent a newsletter to your support/prayer partners then do that this weekend before your schedule gets the best of you. Ask your student pastor where the best place would be to tell your story. For some this might be in big church, for others this might be to the youth group or a couple of the Sunday School classes. Be proactive. And yes, pictures on your Facebook profile can help you share your story. Post those pics, but read point #4 below before you do.

3. Begin with the end in mind. What is your goal for telling your story? Ultimately it should be to give God all the glory. Beyond that let us suggest you tell your story in order to enlist others. Who do you know at your college or in your youth group that would be great on an iGo trip next summer? Share your story with them. God has even used some of our students to get their youth group involved in missions. iGo does Group Treks as well. It can be a temptation to hold tightly your identity as the missions guy/gal. Instead, focus on encouraging your friends to join you on the journey.

Remember, every checkpoint comes with a detour that could get you way off course. The detour here is the reality that your story may not be as exciting to others as it is to you. Even some of your closest friends simply may not get what you did or why it is such a big deal. Keep in mind that you might have acted the same way before this experience and show them some grace. Aware of this potential detour, keep this fourth thing in mind:

4. Short, Sweet, and Image-driven . You could probably talk for hours about all the things that happened on your trip. You might have 145 pictures to go with it. Whatever you do, please don’t put on a six-pocket missionary shirt and roll a slide projector to the front of your youth group room. When you have the chance to tell your story, keep it simple. Focus on the one story you want to share. Highlight 1-2 things you saw God do. Show them a handful of your most meaningful pictures. And stop. If you get no questions, you are done. If they want more, they will ask.

What about you? Share your successes when it comes to sharing your story. How did you share and how did it go?

Check out our other posts in this series:
Intro
Checkpoint #1
Checkpoint #3
Checkpoint #4

The M.A.P. Checkpoint #1 – Three Steps to Finding a Mentor

Tue, 27 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

At iGo Global over the years we have developed a MAP for our students as they return from an overseas experience. This Missional Action Plan (MAP) won’t help you find your world geography class, but it will help you continue to continue the journey to becoming someone that lives on mission day in and day out. Check it out.

Checkpoint #1 – Enlist a Mentor

1. You may not want to ask anyone. People are busy with a capital BUSY and the thought of adding one more thing to the calendar may be a deal breaker. This is especially true for someone that you would seek as a mentor in your life. So what does this look like? Instead of a formal mentoring relationship that adds to the calendar, try telling the potential mentor that you respect them and think they could offer words of wisdom for the journey. Ask them if it would be ok for you to spend time with him from time to time as a part of his regular schedule.

2. Pursue the right person . You need peers to walk with you as you live on mission and live out your faith. No doubt about that. However, very rarely can a peer be your mentor. Mentors need to be at least a step or two ahead of you in life and ministry. Look for the person who is being faithful with the things that are right in front of her: job, marriage, family, church, etc. and pursue time with her. She doesn’t have to be your youth minister or your BSM director to mentor you. She just has to be ahead of you in this journey and demonstrating the ability to be faithful with small things. Then you just want to learn from her experiences as she has walked in obedience to the Word.

3. Make the most of every opportunity. There are some elements to mentorships where you just do life, hang out, and talk about something . But keep in mind that what you want here and need here is to be mentored. So be prepared. Be ready to ask your questions when you get the opportunity and then actually listen to the answers. Take notes. And above all, be vulnerable. You will get help when you admit you need help. Share your struggles. Ask for specific prayer. The life on mission isn’t any easier now that you have spent part of your summer in Morocco. Be real. Be honest. Seek help.

What about you? What tips would you add to the list on how to find a good mentor?

Read more about the MAP:
Intro
Checkpoint #2
Checkpoint #3
Checkpoint #4

Back to School MAP Part 1: Four Checkpoints for Missional Living

Mon, 26 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

In case you haven’t seen the book of faces, just about everyone in the human race seems to have started school this week. So this post is for all of you students that put on some new clothes, stuffed ridiculous amounts of supplies into a backpack, packed a marginally nutritious lunch , and arrived on time this morning ready to connect with friends, tell stories from the summer, hang out in the hallways, and maybe even learn something.

Some of you attending some of the larger universities in our land may actually be in need of a map of the campus as you navigate your class schedule. For most of you, a map is not going to be necessary. Or is it?

At iGo Global over the years we have developed a MAP for our students as they return from an overseas experience. This Missional Action Plan (MAP) won’t help you find your trigonometry class, but it will help you continue to continue the journey to becoming someone that lives on mission day in and day out. Check it out.

If you could actually see the MAP up close and with readable font right now, you would see that this MAP has four basic checkpoints for you on your journey. These four checkpoints are:

With each checkpoint there are some detours lurking that could get you sidetracked and way off course. Over the next four days we will talk about each checkpoint, how to avoid those detours, and what it looks like to live out this year on mission on your campus.

We are praying with you that God will use you on your school campus this summer. We are praying that you will see His ancient work all around you and know just where to He wants you to enter.

What about you? What are some of your prayers for this school year?

Read Checkpoint 1 >>>

Frontline Friday: Sharing the Gospel and Life with New Friends

Fri, 23 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Our students are encouraged to write up and send us stories of how they saw God at work during their summer trip. As you read this story from one of our Middle East team members, would you join us in praying for the work throughout that part of the world, and specifically for the young lady in the story?

My two teammates and I had just finished up our day of prayer walking and prayer journaling near the university and were heading back home when a sweet Arab girl approached us. She spoke English and immediately asked where we were from and what we were doing. She wasn’t shy at all and invited us to go inside the university. We were so excited and happily accepted.

We went inside and sat down and got to to know one another. Her name was Halla, she was 21 years old, and she was attending the university to get an English degree. That first day we got to begin a sweet journey of sharing Christ with Halla. We continued to met up with her. We laughed and told stories and just did life together as we truly became friends. We were able to share the gospel every time we met up.

One day when we went to see Halla she introduced us to her two American friends Claire and Elizabeth. They were our age and were spending 2 months here to learn Arabic and more about the culture. It became obvious that Claire and Elizabeth were not there just to learn the language. We shared a common purpose for our time in this country. Along with these two girls we were able to again share the gospel with Halla.

She was so shocked to learn how we can pray anywhere and anytime. She told us that it was frustrating how she must cleanse before prayer. God opened a door that day for us to pray over Halla and show her how Jesus cleansed us because there was nothing we could do that could cover our shame.

Claire and Elizabeth continued to pour into Halla that summer as so did we. As our summer drew to an end we again met up. The two girls left that day and had seen Halla one last time and gave her a English bible. She showed us proudly and proclaimed how beautiful it was. I couldn’t contain my excitement. We showed her where to start in the Bible and told her more about it.

The day we left we brought Halla another Bible. This one was in Arabic. She was SO excited because she could really understand it. She told us she’s been reading her English one already. As we sat and talked, another Arab girl approached and took the Bible from Halla. She sat down and began to read it. As she read she asked questions like “How could God have a son?” We answered her by showing her scripture that she could read.

As she left she told Halla she wanted a Bible and asked her to get her one. That day Halla got her a bible. We asked why she wanted one. Halla said casually “she wants to see if she believes it. Me too.”

This summer I got to see God begin to draw a sweet young Muslim girl to Himself. I can honestly say that I love Halla and I pray and hope one day she will fully accept the good news of Christ. God is doing sweet sweet things in the Middle East. All for His glory.

The Ancient Work on Your Campus

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I know I’m not telling you something you don’t know when I say that school is back. You have either started or you are frantically trying to suck the summer marrow out of these last few dwindling days. This isn’t breaking news from iGo, this is more like iGo rubbing it in. Sorry.

That was a risk we had to take in order to make sure you know that God is sending you to your school campus this year to make Him famous. Just like He sent you to Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, or some other place that I am not allowed to call by name on this here blog.

God’s Ancient Work is going on right there on your campus, and He is ready for you to join it. Last year about this time we ran a 5 part series here on our blog (Cucumbers and Tomatoes) to help you make Him famous on your campus. This would be a great time to read those again or for the first time. Here they are linked for your viewing ease and enjoyment.

Making Him Famous on your campus Part 1

Making Him Famous on your campus Part 2

Making Him Famous on your campus Part 3

Making Him Famous on your campus Part 4

Making Him Famous on your campus Part 5

What about you? Hit the comment button and let us know how you plan/hope to make Him famous this year.

An Irish Folk Band and Hope of the World. Think about it.

Wed, 21 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Most of you know that at iGo we teach four core values coming at you straight out of Scripture. Those core values, when embraced, lead us to a life on mission.

One of those core values is Hope of the World . It emphasizes the Scriptural truth that God’s plan to bring hope to the world is through His church. The local church is the hope of the world.

Take some time to meditate on that truth today. Let it sink in and let it inform the way you approach your youth group gathering this evening. To help you reflect, I thought I would make sure you know about the song below from The Rend Collective Experiment. This folk band from Ireland seems to have a pretty good grip on this whole hope of the world idea. Check out the third verse of their song, “Build Your Kingdom Here: ”

Unleash Your kingdom’s power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope
On Earth

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdJXKqVgtg[/youtube]

Frontline Friday: On the Flip Side

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Every summer iGo employs mobilization interns (Jimmy is what we call them) to assist us in the complex tasks of training, mobilizing, recruiting that take place throughout the summer months. These college students get to learn first hand what it looks like to be on this side sending out teams. This summer we had six mobilization interns, one design intern, and one media intern. Cody Hale (media intern) shares about his experience.

In April, I had never even heard of iGo Global. Come May, I had been sucked into the wonderful world of Jimmy. How that came to be is a little complicated and unnecessary to explain in detail, but I will say that the plans I had for the summer fell apart at the last minute and, in God’s awesome provision, an old friend informed me of the Media Jimmy position. I applied with very limited knowledge of missions, what I would be doing, or what iGo even was. New and unknown things have never scared me before, and applying for this position was propelled primarily by a “sure, why not?” sort of inclination. Two weeks later, there I was.

As someone who has had the privilege of traveling quite extensively in the last few years, I was really excited to be a part of an organization that sends people all over the world. I love sharing my passion of travel and adventure with others, so this seemed like a good fit from the start. What I had not considered was how truly rewarding the mobilization process would be.

Many, including myself, often do not consider those who send when discussing missions. The focus is almost always placed primarily on those who are going, at least from what I have experienced. There is nothing wrong with that; those who go are a vital and imperative part of fulfilling the Great Work that God has called us to do. What I soon learned, though, is just how essential the mobilization process is, too. There is a reciprocal relationship that exists between those sending and those being sent, in that one could not be done without the other, and I have a new level of appreciation for the entire missions process after experiencing it from both angles.

As the Media Jimmy, I was able to use the skills I have learned and studied over the years to create both informative and entertaining videos for those at Base Camp, as well as public audiences. Like my previous internships, this summer with iGo has been an excellent learning experience that has allowed me to strengthen those skillsets. This was my third internship, and while each one has centered primarily on video production, the subject matter could not be more varied between each. Through these vastly different settings, I have learned that it really does not matter what the content is that I am shooting or editing but simply the process itself that I enjoy.

Working at iGo has differed greatly, however, in that there is an inherent joy in the staff here that can only come from the Lord. I have been blessed with really awesome jobs in the past and have had the opportunity to work with a lot of great people, including Christians, but working for an organization whose bottom-line goal is to give glory to God and share Him with the nations has helped me grow in ways that go far beyond anything I could ever learn with a camera or sitting at a computer. Being surrounded daily by real people who have similar struggles and are pursuing Christ creates spiritual growth and accountability in a way that nothing else can. This aspect is without a doubt the most redeeming thing I will take with me once this summer is over. Being an iGo Jimmy resulted in a real tipping point in my faith, and it has helped me form habits that I hope will stay with me forever.

Looking back on the summer is extremely bittersweet. It has gone by so fast and been so full of memorable times with lots of people I can now call best friends. I have known the seven other Jimmies for only a few short months, but it feels like years. Thanks to iGo Global, I have an entirely new understanding and appreciation for the mobilization and training of those who are willing to be sent, and I would not trade this summer for anything.

Frontline Friday: Life on Mission – Madrid

Fri, 09 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

As we moved into the other seasons, Father did amazing amazing things. He provided many opportunities for us to sow the story and also just to have amazing relationships started. After a few days of eating at a Romanian kebab place we went to a Moroccan restaurant to have Couscous. After we finished eating that day I felt like I should go talk to the young guy working. Come to find out his Family owns the restaurant and they are very devout Muslim.

After sitting for about 2 hours and many mint teas later, we had started a great friendship. I didn’t get to share the whole Story with him, but I did get to share a new arabic phrase I learned which translates to Jesus is the Messiah. They politely disagreed but still welcomed me back.

The next day was even more amazing. We decided to go into a Hiper Fruteria (Super Fruitstore). When we walked in a few of the girls from my trek were also in there, and they really wanted to talk to the young lady working the counter, but she didn’t speak English. I started translating.. Before this encounter I had never been able to share the entire Story in Spanish. But with Fathers blessing my Spanish just started flowing. We were able to talk with this lady for about 45 minutes and share the Good News with her. Praise Father! Please continue to pr for Has.

Later we went to eat at a restaurant and enjoyed a great meal of rabbit and potatoes. I started talking to a Arabic guy and we sat for about an hour and a half. These guys began talking to me like I was one of them and treated me as a friend. I now understand what Paul means when he said I shared my life with you. I know some seeds were planted and Father is there to make them grow. Please join with me in praying for M, Ad, and Al.

There was some challenges this week and many things I had to grow in, but I got to see Father guide me and help me when I didn’t know what to do. I also got to see my students grow. Pray for all of them as they will be stepping back into their lives back at home.

Make Him Famous!!!!!

Frontline Friday: Summer 2013 is in the books

Fri, 02 Aug 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Our 13th summer of training and mobilizing is officially in the books. All of our summer teams have returned home after some amazing times overseas making Him famous. This summer we placed teams in 7 overseas locations along with our first ever stateside team that served in Denver.

Even though all our teams have returned home, God’s Ancient Work continues on all over the planet. We get to stay involved in that work through our prayers.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38

God is the Lord of the harvest. He is in control of every single facet of the harvest: plowing, sowing, reaping, vintaging. And he allows us to be involved as workers in the field.

As Lord of the harvest, God says to us that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. His harvest schedule is right on time, but our task on this side of the work is to continue to pray that more workers will enter into the fields. With that in mind, here are a few Frontline Friday prayer bullets.

Pray for the workers that are in the fields. iGo partners with career M’s in every location. Pray that Father will grant them favor as they follow up with all the contacts our teams made this summer and continue the work.

Pray for the next group of workers to enter the fields. As our summer overseas ends so does our main “recruiting” season. Pray for students to follow through in obedience by applying to go next summer and continue to work. Talk to your friends and encourage them to go.

Pray about how God might want to use you as the answer to the prayer from Matthew 9. Maybe you need to apply to be a JSI. Maybe you need to check out our Xtreme Journey opportunities. There are plenty of ways for you to continue to engage the harvest among unreached peoples.

The harvest is plentiful. Let’s make sure the workers are too.

Make Him Famous.

Frontline Friday – Paris, Zumba, and Dreams

Fri, 26 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Our JSI’s (Overseas Interns) in Paris have had found a variety of ways to connect with people in the neighborhood near their apartment. Jessica shares an amazing story about a lady she met while attending a Zumba class. God continues to work in amazing ways among people from North Africa and the Middle East in Western Europe. Many times he uses dreams to draw these people to Himself. This story is a great reminder that this is all God’s work and He allows us to join in.

I’ve been going to a Zumba class, led by one of the workers in our city, where several women from North Africa and the Middle East come to exercise and meet new friends. After class one day, one of the ladies named “M” shared her testimony with us.

Before she moved to Paris, she was raised in North Africa where she grew up in the Mslm faith. When she moved to Paris, she began to question parts of her beliefs. When she sought answers from her local mosque about it, they became very angry with her and told her she was possessed. They couldn’t give her any help with the issues and problems she was finding in their “book,” and instead told her she needed to just continue reading and keep praying the way she had been taught.

During this time, Father came to her in dreams where she would see a peaceful pasture with sheep. During these dreams she would feel great joy and peace. At this time, she decided to abandon the Muslim faith and pray the way she wanted to- the way she felt best to communicate to God.

She had another dream, but this time she saw Jesus in the dream. He came to her and said, “You’re the one I’ve been looking for!” She immediately felt an overwhelming sense of joy and peace! She woke up believing in Jesus and began praying to Him and reading the Word. As she finished her story, she was overwhelmed with excitement and we both began to cry. “M” was so thankful and so filled with joy of what Father had done in her life; she couldn’t help but tell her story of how he had saved her.

Frontline Friday – Wrapping things up in Northern Africa

Fri, 12 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Our team in Northern Africa is wrapping things up. Please read through the following update from the team leader and pray specifically through the requests at the bottom. Make Him Famous.

I have sent a couple emails, but our internet is very sketchy and most of our emails don’t make it through. I have concluded that the internet here is equal to the Bermuda Triangle. A lot of things get sent through it, but it is just by luck that they make it through.
I wanted to send a quick update about how Father has been moving in this place in the past couple weeks. We have had the great honor to share the good news multiple times to those that we have come in contact with. The hearts of the people here are very hard and not very receptive to the good news. That is not going to stop us though. Even though the work is tough and we do not see fruit of our labor, we rest in the Sovereignty of father and how he gives growth to the seeds of the good news that we sow. Whether we do not have a conversation and pr walk all day, or have a couple hour conversation about father and have no response to the news, we rejoice in knowing that father is calling every tribe, nation, and tongue for his great name. His plan is greater than ours and we rest in the shadow of his wings.

We had the incredible blessing to serve an orphanage this past week. We partnered up with some others in this area and were able to serve the children. We took them to the beach and played soccer, volleyball, picked up trash, and gave them the opportunity to surf. It was so great to serve those children in that way. Whether it be through encouraging them not to give up while trying to surf or getting embarrassed by a 7 year old who is a soccer prodigy (I may have exaggerated a little and it may be that I am just terrible at soccer), it was simply awesome to see the children smile and for a moment escape the worries and weight of the world and just be children.

Reasons to Go Part 4 (Obedience > Safety)

Thu, 11 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Applications for our 2014 summer trips are already starting to arrive at the iGo Global World Wide Headquarters. Students at Super Summer in Texas and Kansas along with students at Falls Creek have stepped up and the process has begun.

What about you? It could be that you are still trying to decide if one of next summer’s trips is for you. Maybe you are still having conversations with your parents. Whatever the case, we want to help. So this week we will spend time on our blog giving you some Reasons to Go. Tune in daily and join the conversation.

The world we live in is not safe. Try as we might to protect and guard and insulate we simply can’t come up with a guarantee of safety. Such a thing does not exist.

Even so, we strive for it. We make choices as if there is nothing more important than our comfort and our safety. 9/11 happened a few months after our first iGo team served overseas. And everyone took a step backwards. Suddenly we were more aware than ever before that the world wasn’t safe, so we decided that going overseas was pretty much out of the question.

Which doesn’t make much sense. If there are no safe places, then why wouldn’t we embrace risk? If I can’t guarantee my safety when I stay at home , then why not consider getting on a plane and joining the mission of God?

Here’s an even bigger question: What if God values obedience more than He does my safety and comfort? What if God really does want us to continue the mission no matter what the world situation looks like?

“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,” Acts 20:22

Paul said this about his plans to head to Jerusalem. He goes on to say that the Holy Spirit has told him that he would endure hardships and imprisonment there. But he is going anyway. Why? He is constrained. He has chosen to be obedient no matter what. If you and I are going to fully engage the mission of God to rescue and redeem people from every nation, tribe, and tongue we are going to have to embrace this truth. We are going to have to embrace some risk. We are going to have to value obedience more than our personal comfort.

God is calling a generation to make Him famous. It might be difficult. It might not work out. It might be dangerous. But He is still calling.

Please don’t get me wrong. We aren’t here to take risks just so we can say we took risks. We aren’t looking for the most dangerous and hostile places on the planet where we can send students. At iGo we do everything we can to ensure the safety of our teams knowing that there are no guarantees. We aren’t called to be reckless.

What we are talking about is obedience. And obedience to God’s command to declare His glory to the nations will always have some risk involved. There will always be a “not knowing what will happen” element to the journey. And that kind of obedience will always be greater than our comfort. No matter what.

Are you willing to leave your comfort zone to join in God’s amazing work among the nations? What is holding you back? What questions do you have?

Reasons to Go Part 3 (Lifestyle > Trip)

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Millions of people do short-term mission trips every year, so they obviously have popularity . Even so, the reviews can be mixed. One of the biggest issues we see with short-term missions is that they can feed the mindset that missions is all about taking trips. There seems to be a tendency to see missions as something we do or or an activity in which we can participate.

The Bible sees it differently. Jesus tells His disciples that the Holy Spirit is going to empower them and they will BE His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Paul reminds us that as a result of our right relationship with God, we are now therefore His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Missions is not just an activity to engage in from time to time. Missions is a lifestyle. And short-term missions, when done well, promote that truth rather than contradict it.

The Apostle Paul was the original short-term missionary. He was constantly on the move, visiting new cities, planting new churches, and then returning to report to his sending church. There is no doubt, however, that he saw all of life as mission. He wasn’t just on mission when he was on a trip. He was on mission because Jesus had rescued him from sin and death and he wanted everyone to know.

Going on a short-term mission trip can help you see what living on mission looks like. For a week or more you are in the Word, praying, asking God to move, and seeing God move. Then it hits you. You could do this anywhere and everywhere. Not only could you, but you should.

This is what God calls us to as believers. We are fishers of men . We are ambassadors. We represent Him everywhere He places us. Sometimes that is on a short-term trip and sometimes that is in our algebra class. We are called to live our life with a clear understanding that all of life is mission.

This idea is at the core of our training at iGo Global. We don’t just want our teams to have great mission trips. We want the reality of the “on mission” life to invade their DNA and transform their worldview. Looking for a reason to go? Come and see what living on mission looks like in Europe, Asia, or the Middle East, and then integrate what you experienced into life back home. Come and let us train you and mobilize you. Not just for a great summer trip, but for a life of making Him famous.

So far this week we have given you three reasons to go. Got any others? Why do you think we should go?

Reasons to Go Part 2 (His Story > your story)

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Significance. Webster defines it simply as “the quality of being important.” We all want significance. Deep down. We want to do something that matters, something that will last. We crave to make our lives count .

The problem isn’t the desire. The problem is in where we look. In our quest for significance we make all of life about us. We search for OUR fulfillment, OUR happiness, OUR victory, OUR purpose, etc. The idea is that if we focus on ourselves enough we can achieve significance. So we work and pray and dream and strive to be superstars. We want the story to be about us, and we want to be the protagonist.

But it simply doesn’t work. Making the story about us never really leads to fulfillment. We may achieve some sense of significance, but the truth is it won’t last and it will always leave us longing for more.

We weren’t made for that. Yes, we are wired with the desire for significance. But true significance is found only when we lay down the starring role in our own story to embrace whatever role God has for us in His epic story. If you stop and think about it, this makes sense. God is the author of the most amazing story. In fact, every other story is just a shadow of His. And the author is also the hero. The story is all about Him. Therefore, if we give ourselves to His story we get to be part of ultimate significance .

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:35

In many ways, this is what missions is all about. It is about laying down your life story to play the role God has given you in His story. And the role He gives us is to make Him famous.

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3

Joining God’s story means making much of Him and helping others (friends, neighbors, nations) see the greatness of God. So we go. We raise money. We get on airplanes. We cross cultures. We endure whatever is necessary to be part of His story. We live on mission.

Why should you go? For this reason. Any role that God gives you in His Epic Story will be infinitely more significant than living out the starring role in your own story. Embrace His Story. Make Him Famous.

Mascot Monday

Mon, 08 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

We have had a pretty good run already this summer with the Day of the Mascot. A good number of students showed up at Super Summer ready to represent their favorite iGosian mascot. There have been owl, moose, and elephant sightings along with quite a few ducks. We even saw at least one goat and either an octopus or a squid (hard to tell on that one sometimes).

This year is the year of the duck, of course. So enjoy this little video today for Mascot Monday. This one reminded us of a at least 2 of this year’s Jimmy crop. But it really reminded us the most of our very own Danielle Cody. Enjoy.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSr3dRXlM5w[/youtube]

Reasons to Go – Part 1: (Command > Calling)

Mon, 08 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Reasons to Go – Part 1 (Command > Calling)

Calling is quite a buzz word when it comes to mission involvement. So many students find themselves struggling to discern whether or not God has called them to go. Maybe you have a friend who felt called to go last summer. The pressure mounts as you realize that you have to get this one right. What if God called you and you missed it? What if God wasn’t calling you, but you went anyway? It is so hard to know.

Or is it? The Bible tells us that we (those of us who follow Christ) are all called to be on mission. Jesus told us that we will be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). He commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). We have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We are commanded to declare His glory among the nations (Psalm 96:3).

The only call to struggle with when it comes to missions is whether or not you are called to become a vocational missionary, which is something you probably don’t need to be worrying about right now anyway. For everything else, it isn’t a matter of calling. We are already called and enlisted into the mission. Let me say it as clearly as possible.

All believers are called to join the mission.

This truth eliminates a huge hurdle we consistently see students trip over . When you understand that you have been commanded by Jesus to live on mission, the questions become so much easier. You now simply need to discern when, where, and how long.

At iGo, we take those questions and make them as easy as possible to answer. Through our partnerships, you already have a location and date. Based upon your experience level , we can determine how long you should go.

We would love to be part of your training and mobilization. Please let us know how we can help you take the next step as you embrace your calling and obey His commandment.

What about you? What are your reasons for going?

Frontline Friday – Update from Northern Africa

Fri, 05 Jul 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Updates from this team have been hard to come by simply because they have little access to the internet. Even when they do find it, several updates have disappeared after sending instead of actually being sent. The team, however, is doing well and God is blessing their efforts. Here is a brief update from their team leader.

The long-term workers here have really welcomed us. We have been able to meet many of the workers here and they have gladly opened up their homes and lives to us. They trained us and oriented well to the country and the work here, and our time with them has been rich. We will be actually heading to another town next week to work with some others for a couple days. It has been good.

We have not only got to see how Father is working in this town, but all over the country. We have been given the opportunity to share with many people and get to pray for the town. Our apartment overlooks most of the town, so that has been a great reminder to uplift the people. We were also given the great opportunity to have a language tutor come in and give us lessons for 2 hours every MWF. After finishing our 12 lessons, you could say we are pretty much fluent now. And by fluent I mean we can order breakfast, greet people, survive a market, order coffee, and talk to a taxi driver. That is fluent, right?

Please continue to pray for this team and all of our teams currently serving in the Middle East, France, Spain, East Asia, Central Asia, and Colorado. Close to 200 iGo students spent their Independence Day in a foreign land making Him famous.

Frontline Friday – Updates from the ME

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

iGo currently has several teams serving in the ME. One college guy is there for six months. Another team has been there since mid May, and another team just recently arrived. Here are updates from each team. Please join the work by praying for these teams.

Plowing the Soil

We have been going out in the morning and pr walking around our neighborhood, “plowing” the soil and preparing for seeds to be sown. This week I have begun to realize that pr is not part of the work; it IS the work. This neighborhood, especially at the top of the hill where we live, has never had believers working in it. This soil is hard, but beginning to soften in places, which is really encouraging to see! Father is at work here, and we are beginning to see that he is moving, and that all we have to do is ask! The parable of the sower in Matt 13:3-9, 18-23 is a great representation of the soils I am talking about. We are asking father to soften the soils of people’s hearts, so that the seed of the good news, when planted, will spring up and bear fruit.

The Ancient Work

The last few weeks have been spent being invited into homes and meeting new friends. It’s been so exciting to see Father open doors. We’ve been able to see Father’s ancient work on display as we walk the streets of the neighborhoods we live among. Father has always been at work here and we are able to step into the work and partner with those who have come before us and those who will come after us all for the sake of his name and glory. We have been reminded of the partnership with those who have gone before us the past few weeks. Reflecting upon how many girls have come and spent time here whether it be for a summer or a longer period of time pr walking the same streets and we are getting to see some fruit of their labor. We have been getting invited into homes and that is not what has been typically seen in the past in this area.

A specific example of this is when we were in a home hanging out with a girl our age who speaks English (we’ll call her R), and she asks us if we had a friend that used to live here. She described her to us and we realized she was describing a girl who was with the team here for a longer period of time. After we confirmed we knew her, R told us that she used to see her walking the streets below her house. As I thought about that, I knew the girl R saw would daily be pr-ing for the people in these neighborhoods and I know she was pr-ing for future workers to be invited into homes and have opportunities to share the story. She was apart of plowing the ground and we get to step into the softened soil and help plow more and hopefully sow the seed of the Gspl.

The M Life

A typical day in the Middle East begins with personal time in the Word. After this the teams come together (we are neighbors) for community time in the Word and other teaching. We have just finished a week of Seasons, a study of the different phases of the harvest and the work we are doing. After eating lunch together, the teams go separate ways for the day. In the afternoon my team attends language lessons and pr walks around the neighborhood.

One thing the team has been reminded of is how likely it is that these people may not have ever had someone pr to the Father for them specifically. Even as conversation with friends may be slow because of language barriers, I am encouraged to know that I have been brought to a position where I can look someone in the eye and labor in pr for them to know the Father.

I am looking forward to getting to meet with friends again because this morning we learned about Storying, telling a story from the Word (without having the Book in front of us) in a way that is accurate to the text and allows the listener to understand even if they have never heard of Father. Because this is an oral culture the people here love listening to and telling stories, so as stories are told, the people are very engaged in the conversation.

So much of what we have been learning in the past week are things that will be easy to reproduce when we return to the States and wherever we may find ourselves in the future. This is one of the reasons that what we are doing for this month is more than just a trip. It is a lifestyle.

Frontline Friday – Do the Work of Praying

Fri, 21 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Information from the field isn’t always easy to come by. Especially from the front lines of God’s Kingdom advancing. One of our teams is in an extremely remote Central Asian village with no access to the internet. Our other teams are engaged daily in the work overseas with little free time to connect back home.

Most of our teams in difficult locations (even some in Europe) make their social media sites inactive for the summer out of protection for our M partners. We constantly challenge our students to fully engage the work they are joining, and in many cases this means disconnecting from home as much as possible.

But the prayer needs are still the same. Whether or not we have a great story to share with you, we need you to pray for all of our teams and all of our students. Pray for the work in each location. Pray for the M families we serve alongside. Ask God to use these students to advance His Kingdom.

And please remember to pray for us as we train and mobilize. Three Base Camps are behind us this summer with two still to go. Our next Base Camp is at Falls Creek starting on June 29. This will be our largest Base Camp this summer. Pray that the training we provide will be done with excellence and received by our teams eagerly.

Thanks for standing in the gap with us as our teams make Him famous among some of the least reached peoples in the world.

Frontline Friday: Plowing in the Middle East

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 05:00:00 GMT

We made it! We’ve been in the ME for about a week now. Father has been so good in all of our travels so far. Even the ones that took a little longer than expected. This past week we have been digging in the Word as a community with the team on the field. We have been learning about the work Father has called us to this summer and how our short team trip fits into the ongoing work of the workers who live here.

We have been going through a week of teaching called seasons where we see how J describes the work of the harvest. The work is described in 4 stages: plowing, sowing, reaping, and vintaging. We spend alot of time talking through plowing. Very simply, plowing is PR. We look at plowing as getting the soil ready for the seed of the Gspl. Those of you that know much about farming, you must plow the ground before you can sow seed. In the same way before you sow seeds of the Gspl you must plow.

So everyday on the field we plow a lot. We plow before we even try to sow. PR is the work. It’s not a stepping stone to the work-it is the work. That is a reminder I need daily. For the seed to be received well, the farmer must plow which may take time-a lot of time. And sometimes it may feel like we’re plowing concrete. But the farmer plows in hopes of the reaping of the harvest. And that is the hope we hold onto.

Join us in plowing the ground here in the ME. This is why it is so essential that our team is sent by the Body. The Body can walk alongside of us and plow too in hopes that one day the Boss of the harvest will reap abundantly. Father has been faithful as we PR walk around the community. We have been invited into a few homes and have made friendships already with some girls our age. Thank Father and continue to PR for us to make relationships with those who are interested in the Story.

Frontline Friday – The Village People of Central Asia

Fri, 31 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Our Xtreme Journey teams (mostly college students) began their summer journey on May 18. The following update is from our team leader in Central Asia. This is her second summer to lead a team to this remote village location.

We are leaving for the village in the morning, so I wanted to send out a quick update before I’m away from internet access for an unknown amount of time. We’ve had a wonderful few days of training, so I feel way more “prepared” than I did last year. Prepared is in quotations because I don’t think you can ever really be prepared for anything in this country. I’m sure it will be another summer full of crazy experiences, lots of learning, and a ton of Russian. There has already been a ton of Russian. I still do not understand it. Since I don’t really have much to update you on yet, because we’ve been training since we got here, I’ll give some specific pr points for the next couple months.

– Joy. That our team will fight for it and recognize that it comes not from our circumstances or personal success/failure but from the Father, who is unchanging.

– Unity. We will be in very close quarters in an environment that demands humility. Ask that we would function as a healthy extension of the body, that we would speak nothing but love to one another, and that the people we live alongside would know we are his children by the way we love each other.

– The people. Ask that Father would soften hearts and call these people to himself in his perfect timing, and that they would respond in obedience. The work here has been going on for a very long time, and we are getting to see some exciting movements of the father. Ask that these would continue and that father would be praised and glorified among this people.

– Health. If there’s anything that will sap your energy and will to work, it’s being sick. Ask that our team would be as healthy as father wants us to be, and that even if we are not that we would still be lights and that we would depend on him and work through it with joy.

– For me personally, pr against pride and control. These manifest themselves in so many ways in my life, and I learned last year that the village is the perfect environment for them to pop up in the most unhelpful places. I hate to be the one who doesn’t know the answers, I hate doing things I’m not good at, and I hate being weak. All of these things come back to my desire for control, which stems from pride that I can even have control in the first place. It’s really dumb. I obviously can’t do this on my own, so I’m earnestly asking you to come alongside me and ask that father would protect me from this desire to replace him with myself. I’m so grateful that he’s working on me and showing me grace despite my stupidity, but I need all the pr I can get.

Frontline Friday: The Adventures of S&K

Fri, 17 May 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Frontline Friday is back and ready for an amazing summer as we keep you updated on how to pray for the work all over the world. We kick off the return with an update from S&K. These two young ladies are part of a brand new initiative at iGo. They agreed to join our team fresh out of college for a 2 year commitment. They spend most of the year in our office helping us recruit and prepare our teams. Then they spend their summer leading alongside our M partners in gateway cities in Europe. S&K left a little over a week ago to spend a week in a Middle Eastern city with our central partnership team getting ready for their leadership role this summer. The following is an update from that week.

It’s been quite a few years since K and I have been sent to a country for only one week. We have spent months thinking ahead to the summer unsure of what to expect as we adjust to our new roles. Now, here we are in the Middle East. The purpose of spending time in this country before we head to walk alongside our beloved JSI’s in Europe was to learn more about our roles for the summer regarding administrative tasks and understand more about the people we are engaging. We were not sure what this week would look like considering the short amount of time allotted. All I can say is that any expectation we had has been exceeded in ways beyond what we could have imagined.

As soon as we stepped off the plane, we were greeted by two friends living in this city we have had the privilege to know over the last few years. It was only a matter of hours before we were mingling with the team here, as well as some of the closest friends they have made. Immediately, we felt at home and a part of the team. This team is uniquely gifted, cherishes one another, and spurs one another on in their walks. K and I even had the special opportunity to take part in a spontaneous team road trip (never thought I’d get to blast Hanson songs in the Middle East-thanks D!), and as I write this we have just returned from a local wedding! We have been able to pr with and for this team, listen to them talk through situations, and cast vision for this city where they serve.

I write all this to convey how humbled we are to be here, and to share the reminder we have been given of ancient work. Through strategizing for the summer for our students, my mind has been flooded with truth of this core value. As a result of our time here, we have been able to hear conversations among the field team that show their awareness of Father’s greater plan. Stories have been told of workers coming in and out of neighboring countries, joyfully knowing the work is not dependent on their own skills but on the Spirit. The vision for this city and the work here extends far beyond this team, or their human capabilities, and the workers are passionately consumed with finding more ways to engage the ends of the earth.

K and I are thankful for our sweet, memorable time with a wonderful group of new friends we already feel are like a second family. But more importantly, we are thankful for brothers and sisters chasing hard after obedience to Father, recognizing their need for full dependency on Him. K and I have been here for such a short amount of time compared to the other locations we will be in this summer, and look forward to partnering in the future with this team in continued pr. Father is at work here, and He will continue to be long after we are gone, just like He will be in Europe long after we return to the States at the end of this summer.

Meet Jimmy!

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

At the iGo Global World Wide Headquarters located in Wylie which is in the Republic of Texas, we welcome summer interns each year to help us train and mobilize our teams. We call these interns Jimmy. Why? Well, it is a known fact that everyone wants a friend named Jimmy. It is also much easier to get one of them to do something if you call them all by the same name.

That being said, we want to introduce you to Jimmy 2013. They won’t arrive at HQ until May 13, but we wanted our fan base to begin to get to know them now. As with every group, this year’s crop is quite interesting on the surface. Time will tell how they come together, make memories, and develop inside jokes over the course of the summer months. But until then…Here’s Jimmy!

Bonnie Bailey – Mobilization Intern – Bonnie is one of our two Kansas Strong Jimmy participants this year. Bonnie’s first iGo trip was to Tokyo back in 2010 with the KS/NE Super Summer team. She is currently studying elementary education at Kansas State University (home of the Wildcats – purple and white, etc.). In her free time, Bonnie likes to kick things. She has earned a green belt in Taekwondo, which means she can kick you in an environmentally friendly way . All that kicking will definitely come in handy with her degree.

Allie Dysart – Mobilization Intern – Another Kansas Jimmy is Allie. Every year we have at least one Jimmy that hasn’t been overseas with iGo, and this year Allie joined that list. She is currently studying elementary education at Emporia State University, which we think is in Kansas near a chain-link fence or maybe a wheat field. Allie secretly wishes she was a fitness model on an instructional fitness video. Not the instructor, just one of the cheerful and fired up demonstrators alongside Richard Simmons. Speaking of fired up, we are no longer worried about her fitting in down here in Texas after we learned of her dominance in the Blazing Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Martyne Chanslor – Mobilization Intern – From the land known for being close to Texas and just below Kansas, Martyne joins the Jimmy crew this summer. Martyne is proud to study English at Northeastern State University, one of Oklahoma’s directionally accurate universities. She served overseas with iGo in Central Asia during the summer of 2011. While we don’t typically ask our applicants about their ethnic background, On a Jimmy questionnaire, Martyne let us know that she was an Irish dancer . At this point, we are simply taking her word on that one.

Greg Gaskey – Mobilization Intern – Greg is the first Jimmy on the list from The Republic, although he doesn’t eat gravy on his CFC. He hails from Wichita Falls. Greg served with iGo in 2011 in Europe and 2012 in the Middle East before choosing to apply as a Jimmy this summer. He is currently a student at Rice University in Houston where he is studying to be a chemical engineer. Greg plays the cello and is the youngest of five children. Word on the street is that he picked Rice University because their mascot is the Owls. 2011 was the Year of the Owl in iGosia.

Matthew King – Mobilization Intern – Matthew’s Jimmy acceptance brought a first to iGo. He and his sister (Brittney “Shorts” King) are the first siblings to serve as iGo Jimmy. Matthew is from Arlington, Texas but he now resides in the “prettiest town that I’ve ever seen” where he is studying business finance at Hardin Simmons University. Matthew served in Tokyo and again in Paris with iGo in 2010 and 2012. He played the violin for 5 years, but there is no evidence of him playing the fiddle.

Cameron Lohman – Mobilization Intern – From Oklahoma, Cameron grew up on a farm and learned at an early age to hate country music. He is currently studying health and exercise science with most of the football team at Oklahoma University. With iGo, Cameron served a while back for a week in Wales and then most of last summer in Paris as a JSI. Look for Cameron to possibly show off his saxophone skills this summer at a Base Camp near you. Cameron is also a member in good standing with the Harry Potter fan club. I think they are called Potterclaw or Ravenmore or something strange like that. Don’t ask me, ask Jami Lee.

Jeff Smith – Communications Intern – As our token Aggie, Jeff is another newbie to the world of iGo. But he is well-versed in the world of missions, having served overseas multiple times. Jeff’s field of study down in Aggieland is Environmental Design and he will be spending his summer working closely with iGo Director of Communications, Emily Martin doing everything he can to keep iGo looking good. Jeff’s hometown is VanAlstyne, Texas and he prefers his glitter either in the cage or on a leash. No loose glitter for him.

Mystery Jimmy – Media Intern – We would love to introduce you to this summer’s media Jimmy, but he/she hasn’t shown up yet. If you know someone who enjoys working with video production/sound production and things of that nature, please send them our way. They get to learn under one of the best in Rowdy Rodgers, and make some amazing iGo videos along the way. For more info or to apply, please visit this page on our website .

Be on the lookout for the iGo Jimmy this summer. Make sure you get their autograph.

iGo Team Leaders Leave No Duck Behind

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Travelling overseas is intense. At times it can be crazy. Things can come against you that threaten to separate you from your team.

Never fear. No matter how much the cross-cultural tempest tosses you about, an iGo team leader will be there to gather you up and get you headed back in the right direction.

Our iGo Team Leader retreat is this weekend. We will be training our team leaders and our JSI’s over the course of the weekend. Getting them ready to guide you through the process from point A to point B, no matter what may come your way.

Just like this:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEBLt6Kd9EY[/youtube]

Frontline Friday: Why I Went Back

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Submitted by Carrie Miller

When I applied to go back to East Asia, I had a few friends ask why I was going back. They would say, “Why do you want to go there again? You have already been there. You should go other places to see more of the world.” My reply would be “The Father has given me a heart and passion for the nation and his people there.” God allowed me to return to East Asia, but we were told that we might be going to a different city. However, in the end we were put in the exact same city as last year!

When we arrived at English camp, ten of the same students that were at camp last year came again this year! Two of the translators from last year were also there. Those friendships continued right where they left off a year ago, in part because I kept in touch with most of them through email.

Last summer, two of the girls on our team built a great friendship with one of the translators named Jully (pronounced Julie). These girls loved Jully and poured into her day after day. They were given a few opportunities to share with her, but most of all, they loved her and built a strong friendship with her.

When Jully first saw me this summer, she embraced me. She definitely remembered me, and we were so excited to see one another. Jully started to ask me questions right from the beginning. She remembered that I was a believer, and she was curious to know more.

One of the guys on the team, Sam and I were able to have a conversation with Jully at McDonald’s for about 45 minutes one day. She had many questions. She asked when, where, and why we became believers. She asked if our parents were believers and if we had friends to encourage us and help us get closer to God. She wanted to know what a relationship with Christ looks like.

Some of her questions were pretty deep. Jully had heard about Jesus before, but she did not know what it meant to have a relationship with him. We had an incredible conversation with Jully. She and I were able to talk some more in the week. Almost every person on our team was able to share with Jully because of her hunger and thirst to know more about our Father!

At the end of the week, Jully asked if she could have a Bible, and we were able to get her one. The conversations I was able to have with Jully regarding the gospel were the best ones I have ever had with an individual. They were totally Spirit-led. I pray that the Lord continues to work in the life of Jully, and we get to continue to share with her. This story is such a great example of the Father’s faithfulness and ancient work when we, his children, are obedient, and I’m so thankful I went back to East Asia again.

To Be or Not to Be…iGosian

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

To be or not to be. That is absolutely not the question. You should be iGosian. This summer. At a Base Camp near you. The real question is which Base Camp or how many Base Camps you can make. We need volunteers, and you should be one. Still not sure? Consider these 5 reasons to be a Base Camp Volunteer this summer.

#5 – Fun to talk iGosian, Okay? – Talking in an accent is always cool . You don’t even have to be good at it. The secret to the iGosian accent is that it is linguistically messy. In the course of one conversation iGosian accents have traces of Arab, Asian, Spanish, and Indian accents all mixed together. You already love to use fake accents. You enjoy faking a strong northern accent like you hear from your friends from Oklahoma or another northern state. British accents are always fun to try, or maybe it is Australian. Who can tell? So come on over to iGosia and make up one that is uniquely yours. Throw in some baffling catch phrases such as, “Don’t be a rude,” and you are ready to go.

#4 – The Old Switcheroo – They annoy you all the time, right? With their skateboard theatrics at the shopping center and the car-frame rattling bass that drowns out your favorite soft rock station at a red light, students are simply a hassle to deal with. And I don’t even want to talk about dealing with groups of them at the mall. Ugh. Now is your chance to intimidate them right back. Of course, these are iGo students and they aren’t necessarily the ones that are messing up your order at Arby’s. But they are still students and they represent their kind. So join us at Base Camp. Part of the job description for our volunteers is to give our students a hard time. And don’t try to tell me that isn’t going to fulfill a fantasy .

#3 – Dress Up Time – When is the last time you got to play dress up without repercussions? Well, that’s too long. iGosians dress up and we dress up well. The best part is you don’t even have to bring your own dress ups. We have spent the last 13 years gathering ridiculous clothing and outfits from across the globe and one or two thrift stores. We even clean them once a year. Bright colors, especially orange, are all the rage these days. iGosian clothes bring the brightness. The only question is what combination will you bring to this year’s iGosian runway ?

#2 – No Skills Required – In fact, the lack of skill in your given iGosian assignment is most often a necessity. iGosian Airlines is currently looking for a fresh group of recruits to mishandle and misplace checked bags. They also have positions open for incompetent ticket agents. iGosian Customs and Immigration is in need of agents that typify the surly and uncaring attitude that has become the standard in their industry . Laziness would be value added. Feel the need for a little deception? We have a role for you selling the wrong bus ticket to iGosian. Of course, those who buy that ticket end up with an extremely relaxing tour of iGosia, so it turns out to be a Romans 8:28 kind of endeavor. Join us this summer and let us help you become inept and completely unhelpful to our visitors.

#1 – making Him famous – Yes, of course. The number 1 reason for you to BE iGosian this summer is to make Him famous. iGo Global is training and mobilizing a generation to make Him famous. And we need the most amazing volunteers to make that happen. Every believer has a role to play in the global mission of God. Can’t go this summer? Struggling to find the resources to give to someone who is going? Here is your chance to train and mobilize. We need volunteers at three Base Camps in Texas, one at Falls Creeek, and one way up in Kansas.

For more info, please visit our Base Camp page on the website. You can also email Crystal at crystal(AT)igoglobal(DOT)org.

Frontline Friday: Joyful sowing and thoughts from the edge

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Received this update yesterday from one of our partners in one of the tough places. Please pray for her and her team as they serve.

So it’s hard to know where to begin an update, but I feel like I should start with a big, “WELCOME!!!” because in the culture here you are always greeted with this. So, WELCOME…

I don’t know how these Friday stories Shu does usually go, so I’m just going to write. Please know that the things I’m writing about are my personal experiences. These are things I have seen and heard and understood during my time in the particular city I live in. Know that the things I’ve experienced cannot be generalized for the whole country, much less the entire region.

Over the past couple of months, I have been increasingly aware of the lostness that is so real here. As my relationships are growing deeper, I am learning more and more, specifically about the generation of people here that are my age. As an outsider looking in at the culture norms, I realize I was naïve to many things. Outwardly, most people dress conservatively and act the part. However, the more I get to know people, the more I see that my generation is very different from the ones before. Again, outwardly they will say all the right things and act the part. What I am learning, though, as I get to know them is that for many people, these things are just things they do because they have to. It’s not because they believe or desire to; the culture pressures them to.

There are many girls who hate the hijab (head covering), but they wear it anyway. There are guys who will pr five times a day but drink at night. I even heard this week of a girl here who is an atheist. I wish I could convey to you the depth of how unbelievable that idea is for this part of the world. This generation is not simply accepting the things they have grown up hearing. They are thinking for themselves. Some of them are even taking big risks culturally in order to experience new things and hear new ideas. The answers they are finding, from what I see, are as empty and deceitful as those found in their religion.

Also during this past month, there was a three week period where family members of my close friends passed away. So for three weeks in a row, my weeks started with funerals. In fact this was the fourth week, and honestly at the beginning of the week my stomach was queasy sometimes wondering who’s family member would be next. There are few things I know that are darker than sitting in a room filled with people, fully aware that they do not know the Son. Sitting, knowing the one in the grave didn’t know Him either.

So, these are a few of the thoughts of a girl wandering around in the M.E. I give you all these seemingly random details to give you a glimpse into His ancient work that I see here. To me it seems that one of the ways He is working in my generation is by opening their minds to challenge the things that previous generations have always simply taken to be true. I believe He is also working specifically within my circle of friends to force us to ask questions about life and death and truth that maybe we are often afraid to ask.

So my requests are simple. Please pr for open doors and boldness to be honest and real with my friends as our relationships/conversations go deeper. And please ask that as this generation searches for answers, love, satisfaction, joy, and peace that they would find it in the Son.

I’m not sure what you think, but as I read over this update I think it sounds kind of dry and ordinary. All I can say is that perhaps this is the joy of the sower. I don’t see a lot of fruit right now; but I’m still going out to the fields each day believing He is bringing the harvest. So, thanks for listening and pring.

What do you highlight? What do you sing?

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

The Bottom Line is that God does everything, yes everything ultimately for His glory. No doubt we benefit greatly from His work. There is, in fact, a top line blessing for God’s people. But the bottom line reminds us that it is never ultimately about us. He has no plans for us to be a dead end street for his blessing. Instead He blesses us so that through us He can bless others.

Fully embracing the bottom line will lead to many changes in your life. One of the small, practical, but still significant changes it brings is your approach to the Bible. Top line focused believers gravitate towards top line verses. When we forget and/or ignore the bottom line, we tend to have Bibles full of underlined and highlighted top line verses. We want to know what the Bible says to me, about me, for me, etc.

Make no mistake. Underlining and highlighting these kinds of verses isn’t wrong. God has much to say in His Word to us, about us, and for us. The mistake is made when we neglect the bottom line in our quest for top line blessings. Instead, we must seek to approach our time in the Scriptures looking for the bottom line. This is, after all, ultimate. So we probably don’t want to miss it.

As you study the Scriptures this week, search out the bottom line. Trust me, it won’t take long to find. As you find them, feel free to share them with us all right here on the blog.

And while you are thinking about it (now that you are), worship songs can be similar. There are lots of different worship songs and many of them are amazing. Have you ever taken time to think about which worship songs are bottom line focused and which ones are top line? Once again, singing top line worship songs isn’t wrong. But we do need a steady diet of bottom line songs as well. Do you have any favorites?

Joel Warren has led worship at many an iGo Base Camp and a couple team leader retreats. His latest CD, part of the Awaken Movement is called Kingdom Rise. This is a good place to go if you need some new bottom line songs to add to your bottom line playlist. Joel and the rest of the Awaken guys are bottom line thinkers who are passionate about the church embracing worship as a lifestyle. Good stuff that I’m sure you will enjoy.

You can get it from this site called iTunes. Here is a link to take you right there .

Your turn. What are your favorite bottom line songs? What about bottom line verses you found? Share them with us all.

Frontline Friday: The Joy of the Sower

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Submitted by Andrew Branham

It started with a prayer, then a simple hello, and then the gospel. My encounter with a 24 year old man from Morocco changed my life forever…

The first two days our trek was at our site, I was the only one who didn’t have a conversation. All I had done for two days was prayer walk around this park, and now I was praying that I wouldn’t get discouraged. On the third day, Nathaniel (one of the JSI’s) and I prayer walked around the park about three times. He pointed out a man that was laying on the grass reading something, and said he felt Father was leading us to talk to him.

After praying for the Father to guide us, I walked up to the man and said hello. Thankfully he spoke a little English. I learned that the man, H, was a North African who had been living in Paris for about two years. As we were talking I told him why I was in Paris, and later into the conversation I began to share the gospel with him. At first he was a little confused, but he asked some good questions. The conversation continued with some small talk, and then out of nowhere he said, “Tell me more about this Jesus.”

I was stunned! This 24-year-old man had never heard the name Jesus until I told him, and he just asked me to tell him more! So I told him more about Jesus—from his birth to his death. H told me how he believes in Allah but isn’t a true Muslim because he doesn’t observe the 5 pillars of Islam. The only reason he is a Muslim is because he was raised that way. H asked if I could come back and talk to him more about Jesus, and of course I said yes.

The next day, as we left for the park all I could think about was getting to speak with H again. The night before, one of our adult chaperones gave me an Arabic Bible to give to H. I gladly accepted it, but didn’t think that he would actually take a Bible. As we began to prayer walk around the park, we saw H again in the same place. I went over to talk to him and gave him the Bible. He immediately started reading it!

H and I started reading together passages out of John. He was starting to understand that God had a Son that he sent to die for us, but he struggled to embrace the truth. We continued to read the Word together, but H said he would never change from being Muslim. Then it was like the Holy Spirit suddenly moved inside him because he turned to me and said, “Maybe one day I could change just a little.” My heart felt like it was going to explode! H was actually giving it thought, asking questions, reading the Word, and willing to talk about it. I talked to H the whole day, and he took home the Bible I gave him. Praise Father!

Our last day there, I found out that the overseas worker was going to come with me to meet H. The night before, all the guys and myself got together to pray for H. We asked that Father would send him a sign other than myself to show H that the gospel is true. We arrived at the park and there was no sign of H anywhere. I was a little discouraged, but I kept praying that Father would send him one last time so he could meet the M. After a couple of hours, H showed up and we found him in his usual spot—this time reading his Bible! We went to talk to him, and the M (who knew a little Arabic) was able to speak to him in his native language.

H was still asking questions and giving it serious thought. He told us that the day I gave him the Bible he met a man while he was walking home. The man noticed the Bible in his hand, and asked him if he believed it. H explained to him that he had just received the Bible from a friend and didn’t really understand it. The man replied, “What you’re holding is the TRUTH.” He was a fellow believer. What a specific answer to prayer! We were astonished. Father is clearly working in this man’s heart. As the day came to an end, it was time for me to say my final goodbye to H. As I hugged him and said goodbye, he thanked me for talking to him and said I was the first person he had talked to in over a year. I began to cry as my heart broke for this man all over again. I knew I would never be the same.

That’s the story that completely wrecked my life. H was just an ordinary person fleeing from his home country and seeking a new beginning. It started with a simple “hello,” and now this man has the Holy Bible in his possession. The first day I met H, he didn’t even know the name Jesus Christ. Now, praise God, he is reading the scriptures. God is stirring this man’s heart. So I sit here thinking of my good friend across the ocean, constantly lifting him up in prayer. It may take weeks, months, maybe even years before H believes. However, the seed planted in H has been watered and is beginning to sprout. Praise Father for His work in H, and praise Him for the blessing of being part of it.

What are You reading this spring break?

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Our training at iGo Global is focused on a giving our students what is essential for their overseas trip, but also what will help them see all of life as mission. As a result of this focus, we spend our time on cross-cultural intelligence, theology of missions (core values), knowing/sharing the gospel, and of course the iGosian way of life.

And even if you are like Rachel Bender Partridge and have been overseas with iGo more times than any of us can remember , the truth is that there is so much more to learn. If you feel like that, then this post is definitely for you. Here are a couple of resources that can help you continue the journey toward on mission living.

Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper – This one is the essential book to read for theology of missions. If you only read one book on missions ever, you need to make sure it is this one. If you already read your one book on missions and it wasn’t this one, then you may have to revisit your life goals.

“Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” That is how the book begins and it continues to establish a clear Biblical mandate for and explanation of missions. Chapter 2 will very easily revolutionize your prayer life, and Piper is just getting started. You want more core value type learning? This is where you need to go.

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever – This is another great resource, especially as you seek to live on mission back home. Gospel means good news, which is fitting since it is the best news in the history of the world. There is nothing more important for us to do on Earth than to share the Gospel with others.

And as you do this, it is essential that you get the gospel right. The good news won’t be good news if we don’t understand it or can’t communicate it. Dever starts here and moves on to help us effectively share the gospel with others. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially those of you that found it easy to share with people overseas, but not nearly as easy back home. This can be a great reminder of some important truths. I also recommend this book to anyone who knows a lost person.

Can you say Spring Break reading list? Check these out and let us know what you think. What other books/resources have you found to be helpful in cultivating your passion for missions and your willingness to live on mission back home?

Frontline Friday: Preach the gospel always. If necessary use Arabic.

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 06:00:00 GMT

The following story is from Karis. She and her husband Thomas spent 6 months in the Middle East on an iGo Global Go Year.

My friend and I have language class from 8-12 every day, with a 10-minute break every 50 minutes. Language is fun, and fulfilling when we get to use what we remember, but can be mind numbing and overwhelming at times. My friend and I were struggling a bit the third hour of class trying to stay awake and focus. We both had been rather frustrated that most of the words we had been learning have to do with animals and food- not too helpful when it comes to having deeper, truth-based conversations.

As we were learning words for different kinds of makeup, we got into a conversation with our teacher about the Muslim faith and what things are forbidden. She began to explain the many “do’s and don’ts,” and how each Muslim chooses if they’re going to follow or not.

She drew a staircase and explained that the people who do all the right things- cover their heads, wear modest clothing, pray, fast, give to the poor, don’t wear makeup, etc., are the closest to God. As people leave more of the rules out, they are on a lower step, farther from him. She said that on the top step people have hearts that are white and without sin, but that as people make bad choices and are farther down the staircase, there are more and more black spots. She then said that everyone tries the best they can, and when they die, God looks at their heart and how white or black it is and decides where they go.

I then was able to explain (in Arabic of course, as English is strictly forbidden in class) the difference between that and what we believe. I told her that every heart starts completely black, and that it’s only when we believe in Jesus Christ that our hearts are turned completely white, and are acceptable to the Father. I told her that we can’t work hard enough to turn our own hearts white- the Father only sees our heart as white when Jesus’ white heart covers ours up. I also explained that we do good things not to make our hearts white but because our hearts are already changed to white because of Him.

I then asked her if she knew where she would go when she dies. She said no, no one can know, that it is up to God. It is up to him, I told her, but He has said that if anyone believes and follows Jesus Christ, they can know for sure that they will go to heaven; their black hearts have been paid for completely. I then explained the peace I have knowing for sure that I will go to heaven when I die because my sin has been paid for.

It was a completely natural, Spirit-led conversation that came up because Father had ordained it and not because I forced it. Later we went back to our lesson, but my prayer is that our teacher will truly consider her lack of peace and her striving to be good enough to gain a perfect God’s favor. Please lift her up, and ask for more opportunities to share truth with her.

“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord : though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” –Isaiah 1:18

A Brief History of iGo

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

One of my tasks at the banquet was to give the vision talk. This is where I basically summarize the past, present, and future of iGo. After thinking it through I realized that putting the history of iGo into a concise summary was going to be tricky. Fortunately, i nspiration hit me and it turned out a little something like this. Keep in mind that the live version of this was a slide show, but hopefully you will still “get the picture.”

A Brief History of iGo (Written by Shu, Narrated by Shu, Illustrated by the World Wide Web)

When iGo began, I was actually living in Indiana.

I’m not from Indiana. I’m from the Republic of Texas…of course.

My buddy JR Vassar and I had been in conversation for quite a while about the possibility of starting a student mission organization.

So we decided to stop talking, team up, and get it started (that was 13 years ago).

Our first student team, in the summer of 2001, is still in many ways LEGENDARY.

The team was made up of 13 people.

We flew out of DFW on Friday, the 13th.

And the flight to Japan was 13 hours long.

But in the end, we hit the jackpot. Our airplane was a Boeing 777.

At the end of 2001, JR made an exit from iGo staff and ended up as a church planter in what is basically an unreached state.

And then a cowboy arrived.

Yep, a real cowboy. Brad Cardwell came on board at the end of 2002.

With the help of our then interns Ky Martin and Aaron Clayton , we started every day the same way. Someone would ask me, “Shu, what are we doing today?” And I would say, “Same thing we do every day. We’re taking over the world.”

So we worked and we worked and we worked. And soon, God began to let us grow.

And then, the whole thing began to really take off.

Of course, there were bumps in the road along the way. In 2003 the SARS epidemic hit Asia, where we were planning to send all our teams.

God worked that out by opening up some other doors. Our East Asia team ended up in a closed country in Europe. We aren’t allowed to tell you which one.

And our team headed to Taiwan ended up working in Cologne.

No, not that kind of Cologne. The city in Germany. That detour began a whole new gateway city strategy that we still embrace today.

We even had a team that left Base Camp headed to London,

but they came home with some strange souvenir photos.

But enough about our problems. God worked all of them out and we don’t have time to discuss them here.

Numbers don’t tell the whole story, but they are important.

Since we started, over 3000 students and adults have been trained and mobilized. Which is probably about the same number of people that cross the street at Shibuya every time the light turns red.

Along the way, God has added to our staff the right people at just the right time. I like to think of our staff as a championship team.

But in reality, we function more like a big awkward family.

Looking back, sometimes I wonder how in the world this group of people became so successful.

And that is the history of iGo.

Shukran, Gracias, and Merci!

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:3-5

We truly have so much to be thankful for here at iGo and we want to take some time today to count some of the blessings today and name them one by one.

Our banquet Saturday night was another amazing evening of celebration and vision casting. We had over 350 people join us at South Fork Ranch in Parker, Texas this year.

A successful banquet doesn’t happen by itself. Many people contributed to make that night a great one. It would mean a great deal to us if you would take some time, read through the thank you list below, and check out some of these great companies that helped us so much.

Banquet Sponsors

These people and companies enabled us to put this banquet together by helping offset much of the cost of the night itself. With sponsorships the money we raise at the banquet itself can go directly to training and mobilizing. A huge win for all.

Platinum Level

Baker Brothers Plumbing – Yes, those same guys you hear about on ESPNradio stepped up and supported iGo big time. Check them out for all your plumbing needs.

Stonebridge Veterinary Hospitals of Rockwall and Rowlett – Kurt and Danielle Avery are huge supporters of iGo. They actually pay our office rent every month! On top of that they run a couple of outstanding veterinarian practices. Check them out if you need some good people to take care of your dog. They might even take care of your cat, if you are one of those cat lovers .

Gold Level

Mr. Restore – We are big fans of Mr. Restore, but we hope you never need their services. They specialize in getting your life back to normal after a fire, flood, or any other kind of damage. Store their name and number away in case you have that need someday. They will take good care of you.

HealthPlus – Morris Beene runs this counseling practice out of Greenville, Texas and Morris is a LPC ready and able to help. And who doesn’t need some counseling, really? Morris and Kendra Beene are big time partners with iGo. Morris serves on our board and they contribute to our work. In addition, Morris is the guy who made all those amazing pens that were so popular at our silent auction this year.

Westbrooks, Dugger, and Westbrooks – David Dugger is a financial planner and partner with the WDW firm. David and Shannon Dugger have been partners with iGo for years, and David serves on our board as well. We are so thankful for the support and expertise of WDW. Check them out for all your financial planning needs.

Silver Level

Jeff and Shanna Humphrey – These friends of iGo are long time supporters. Their banquet gift the past few years makes everyone at the banquet happy. They pay for the coffee mugs that serve as going home gifts for all our banquet attendees. Thanks Humphreys!

Anonymous – We have a couple of banquet sponsors that refused to allow us to recognize them in any way. We have decided, after much deliberation , to honor this request. We are so thankful for their sponsorship and we wish we could tell you all about them. I will only say this: if you need a great dentist or a great orthodontist send us a message via twitter, facebook, or email and we will point you in the right direction.

In addition to our sponsors we introduced a silent auction to the iGo Banquet this year. Here are the people and companies that donated to make our first silent auction a success.

Morris Beene – the maker of all those super cool pens.

Drakestone Designs – Etsy shop owners and iGo staff members Ky and Emily Martin makes some great home decor items.

Mr. Restore – cool golf package donated as well as the date night gift card package.

Discount Wheel and Tire (Greenville) Owner Jeff Willingham can take care of your car and truck needs when it comes to tires, alignment, oil changes, and all kinds of other mechanic work.

Cupcake Farms – iGo staff member Crystal Schibler makes the best cupcakes around. Go to her for cupcakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes, and such as.

Rachel Ledbetter Photography – Need to replace an awkward family photo?

Lone Star Turf Solutions – Live in the Greenville/Rockwall area? Using them will make your yard look so good your neighbors might break commandment number 10.

Michael Fisher Dentistry – The Zoom Teeth Whitening was a great addition to the auction.

On top of all this we had over 30 table hosts who invited friends to come and hear about iGo Global. We are so thankful for these who champion iGo buy making sure the room is full that night.

Frontline Friday – Milking cows to make Him famous?

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Our team spent the summer in a remote village in Central Asia. A worker family is currently building a home there, and is planning to move and live among this people who generally have a very negative view of Americans. Our team was able to spend the summer praying over this location, as well as trying to help break down cultural barriers in preparation for this family to make this village their home.

This summer I think I experienced one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but not in the way you would expect. Yes, it was hard to adjust to squatty potties and different food and headscarves. We had our share of interesting experiences: cooking meals, making tea, doing laundry by hand, harvesting eggs, milking a cow, collecting chicks, taking care of kids, showering in cold water, mending holes in people’s clothes, planning English lessons, playing sports, and learning how to make Russian food from Russian women without being able to speak Russian.

But the hardest thing about this summer was the level of complete trust I had to place in the Father for every little thing. We spent a month living with people in a culture we didn’t understand who spoke a language we didn’t speak. In the midst of this situation, we tried to build relationships and love people with just our actions and prayer. I’ve always struggled in my prayer life. In fact, if you asked me what my weakest area of spiritual discipline is, I’d probably say prayer. It was hard being in an environment where the only thing I could do was pray. The knowledge that I couldn’t even talk to someone was a huge area of pride that I struggled to surrender. I didn’t have the language to share the gospel, so I had to completely depend on the power of prayer and trust that, in his time, Father would bring those prayers to fruition.

There were times when I became discouraged by the fact that I was living amongst a people who had never heard the gospel, while I was stuck in the kitchen washing dishes or in a school teaching the months of the year. However, God taught me so much about how those acts of service and the prayers we were able to pray are the foundation of the work He is doing and will continue to do in that village. We had the unbelievable privilege of praying over streets and houses that have never been prayed over before, of begging God to reveal himself to people who don’t even know He exists.

It was so good to be able to encourage each other as a team that there is power in prayer, and that like James 5:16 says, “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Father taught me so much over that month about how He is sovereign, and that nothing I do determines whether someone comes to know him or not. Nothing I say will ever convince someone to accept Christ, so it doesn’t matter if I’m able to speak the language or not. Any favor I have with people is because the Father has given it. Any relationship I’m able to build is because of his grace, not my people skills. As hard as that was, and is, to truly accept, there is so much freedom in knowing that my only task is to be obedient, have joy in the work that I am allowed to be a part of, and trust that it is God who produces the fruit.

Jerusalem – The Original Gateway City

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

I never thought of it this way before, but Jerusalem was the original gateway city. And God seems to love using gateway cities to reach the nations.

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” –Acts 2:5-11

Jesus told His followers they would be witnesses in Jerusalem and everywhere else. Why did He want them to start in Jerusalem? It wasn’t their hometown (although we like to try to make it mean that for our personal peace of mind ). Maybe He said start in Jerusalem simply because that is where they were standing when He said it. So He was essentially saying they needed to start now. There is definitely truth in that idea. We don’t have to wait to make Him famous. You don’t just make Him famous when you are on a summer trip somewhere. We are called to make Him famous everywhere, and that includes the everywhere you will be today. Your school, that store, your job, at practice, eating out. Everywhere.

But this passage in Acts 2 makes me think that starting in Jerusalem had some strategic elements as well. The plan all along had been for the message of Jesus to go global. The salvation He provided was and is for all nations (cross reference: The Bible front to back). And here they were in Jerusalem, where the nations had gathered. People from all over the world had come there to live and to visit. And as the disciples began to “declare His glory among the nations” Jerusalem was the perfect place to begin. People from all these nations were able to hear the good news. Many of them might have taken that news back to their countries. Sharing in gateway cities is an incredibly strategic way to make Him famous.

Our gateway city strategy at iGo is still developing, but we see the same thing these disciples saw in Acts 2. In Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, London, Cardiff, etc. our teams have encountered and engaged people from all over the world. Our teams serving in these gateway cities routinely get to share the gospel with people from northern Africa, the Middle East, all over Asia, and all parts in between. Some of those people take that good news back to their homeland.

And sometimes our students decide to do that themselves. As students serve for the first time in these gateway cities they encounter unreached peoples. They see the need for the gospel to be proclaimed among these peoples and they recognize the amazing opportunity they have to go to those difficult places. Many iGo students have served one week in a gateway city followed my whole summers, semesters, and longer in these “ends of the earth” type places. This also is part of our strategy and we are so thankful to be able to train and mobilize a generation ready to make Him famous no matter where He leads.

As we move forward, we recognize that God has opened up gateway cities right here in our “backyard.” Dallas has become a major landing point for immigrants and refugees. Doors have opened in Denver. Fort Worth is another gateway option. Last week I had lunch with a church planter with overwhelming facts about the gateway in Vancouver. We desire to declare His glory among the nations, and we recognize that the nations have come to us. Join with us as we ask God to open up doors for iGo in these newer gateway cities, and pray that we will be able to partner with more churches as He does.

Frontline Friday – making Him famous at 30,000 feet

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

We were at the airport about to head to Paris. We were given our seat assignments and I realized I would not be sitting by anyone from our team. I was so upset and angry and I began dreading the flight. I didn’t want to sit by a stranger.

We boarded the plane, I found my seat, got settled in, and the young French man in the seat next to me immediately began talking. He talked about everything under the sun. I learned about about his life, why he was traveling, about his home and about just about everything about him.

And my attitude towards him was so selfish. All I cared about was my comfort so I could enjoy the plane ride. Then, while he was talking, God began to work on my heart. My attitude began to change. God reminded me why I was on that plane in the first place, and pointed out that my talkative neighbor most likely had no idea how much God loves him. He also pointed out that I had about 10 hours to tell him all about Father.

So after Ulysses (his actual name) and I talked for awhile about our lives in general, I asked him if he believed in anything. He said the only thing he believed in was himself.

I told him I believed in God. At first he thought that meant I went to church sometimes and received forgiveness from the Pope. He thought it was just about religion. So I started talking to him about the relationship I have with God through Jesus. In the midst of explaining what Christ did to make his glory known in the world and save us from the death and judgment we deserve, I pulled out my Bible to show him some verses I had highlighted in Romans.

Ulysses was shocked. He didn’t know anyone my age that cared enough about God to read the Bible or talk to Him. He thought it was just something people said they believed in because they were scared of dying. I was able to share so much about God’s love and the relationship He offers us, and God’s character. It ended up being absolute blessing to sit by Ulysses, and I was so blessed Father chose to use me even when I wasn’t open and ready to share the gospel at first.

Frontline Friday – We didn’t take Jesus to Paris.

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:00:00 GMT

My experience overseas this summer is one that I will always remember. Not because I was in a really cool place eating amazingly good food or because I got to take some awesome pictures with my new friends. This journey will be remembered because Father provided me the funds to go overseas and step into the Ancient Work that has been going on for centuries. This summer I was blessed with the opportunity to join Father’s Work in Paris, France with iGo Global.

While I was overseas, my team and I were given the opportunity to learn more about Father, to worship, and to pray. We also had the privilege of engaging with people of various nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Father allowed us to have conversations with these people, to share His Story, and to connect them with the M’s who live in the areas that we were working in.

There are so many memorable moments that occurred during my time overseas. So many incredible things took place and I would share them all if I could, but I would like to share one particular story with you. While overseas, the trek group I was a part of was on a Metro Hopping Team. My trek group wasn’t at just one or two sites every day. We spent our time at five to six different locations.

While we were prayer walking around one of the parks our hearts continued to break for the people that we saw. As our time was coming to an end at this particular park, Deborah and I sat in the grass and began to pray over a conversation that one of our guys was having. We began praying for our teammate Sam and asking Father to give him an opportunity to share the Story.

After his conversation had ended, our trek group met back up. When Sam shared what happened, I was in awe of how Father works. L, the man that Sam got to speak with was from North Africa. He told Sam that he wanted to meet more Americans because the French refused to trust or accept his people. L also told Sam that he had met an American two years ago, who shared the Story with Him.

When I heard that, I was reminded of Ancient Work, one of the iGo Core Values. It was a reminder to me that we don’t start anything. In John 4:38 it states, “I have sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” Long before we ever got to Paris, someone else was there, and someone else did the hard work. Father has been working in L’s life long before we ever arrived.

A few days after Sam spoke to L, another trek group from iGo shared during Celebration that they had met him as well. This was yet another reminder to me about Ancient Work. We didn’t start anything. And we didn’t finish anything. However, we were all able to find joy in this because we were all a part of Father’s work.

This whole experience was a reminder to me of the importance of prayer. Everything about this one situation revolved around the foundation of prayer. Long before we arrived in Paris, someone prayed for this area and the people that would be living or working there. While Sam was talking to L, Deborah and I were praying over their conversation, and specifically praying that L would one day see Christ as Savior. When the other iGo group shared that they had also met L, we prayed during Celebration that Father would continue to bring people into His life that would share the love of Christ with Him.

Prayer was the foundation of all that we did while we were overseas. If no one does the hard work of plowing, no one will be able to sow or reap. It goes back to what the verse in John says. We have reaped the benefits of other people’s labor. Other people have prayed, where we were able to reap. Later on others will reap, where we have plowed. We are all a part of His work though, and we can all find joy in that.
Father has used this experience with iGo to continue putting a passion in my heart for growing in my walk with Christ, to share the Story with people in my local community, and with those who are thousands of miles away from where I call home. I am excited to see the opportunities that Father will place in my life during this upcoming semester at college, and I am looking forward to wherever He leads me in the future.

Frontline Fridays – How Father used Tom and “Jerry”

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

The story of how my teammate Tommy and I became friends with R is one of those stories that reminds me that God uses all sorts of means to lead you to where He wants you to be. It started with Tommy and I prayer walking one afternoon, praying that God would bring us someone with whom we would be able to build a relationship and get to share the gospel.

Instead, God brought us two junior-high-aged kids. We began to talk with them and about 5 minutes into the most intense game of charades I’ve ever been apart of, two more kids joined our group. Then two more. And then three more. It quickly became a conversational flurry of hand motions, broken English and laughter. As usual, most of the laughter was at the expense of Tommy and I.

As I was explaining to the group how to properly pronounce my name for the fifth time (we settled on Jerry), Tommy was handed a cell phone with someone on the other line. Apparently the kids had called an older friend who they knew spoke more English than they did. The guy on the phone introduced himself, in rough English, and asked some basic questions about who we were. He then asked Tommy if we knew God. “Yeah, we know Him,” Tommy answered. The guy must have been pleased with this answer because he then asked us to meet him for coffee the following day.

We arrived at the café the next day and quickly realized that although he had inquired about God, he wasn’t very interested in talking about him. As the coffee date was winding down he received a cal. He told us not to leave yet and that a friend of his wanted to meet us.

Five minutes later, R walked in. We did not know it at that moment, but God was directly answering our prayer from the day before. We proceeded to spend the next three hours talking and sharing the gospel with R, helping him in satisfying his self proclaimed quest to “find absolute truth wherever I can.” By the end of the summer, R was 100 pages into reading the bible.

Although R is not yet a believer, and although I had to leave him at the end of this summer, I trust that Father used me in R’s life where needed and that Father will continue to draw R to himself. I hope in Christ for the day when the beautiful friendship Father brought us with R becomes a relationship between three partakers of His grace and mercy.

Disciple Now iGo shirts? Yes we do.

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

Last weekend marked the unofficial kick-off to National Disciple Now Season. Although there are still plenty of renegade churches holding DNow weekends in the fall, it seems that almost every church out there puts it on the calendar sometime between mid-January and early March. This reminds me that we at iGo Global have prepared a public service announcement for this year’s NDNS (National Disciple Now Season). Feel free to read this in your church house on the Sunday prior to your DNow.

A Public Service Announcement from your friends at iGo Global

We want to remind all residents to prepare for the upcoming Disciple Now by making plans to stay off the roads on the weekend, especially in small towns. The smaller the town the bigger the competition when it comes to the annual DNow Scavenger Hunt. You do not want to be on the roads, sidewalks, or in a nearby ditch when a sleep-deprived volunteer youth worker driving a Yukon XL loaded with sugar-hyped 8th grade girls screaming go faster comes down the street frantically searching for a mailman they can sing the Star Spangled Banner to for 50 points. Stay inside. Also, if you need snack food items from the store, you will need to plan ahead. Same goes for pizza orders. Thank you. And now back to your regularly scheduled blog post.

Disciple Now weekends are amazing times to press the pause button on the craziness of life and dig down deeper into God’s Word. At iGo, we love DNow weekends. We have been involved in speaking at many of them, and we have even helped connect churches with some of our college alums that can serve as small group leaders. But just recently, we received a unique request. It was so interesting and so helpful, we decided to share it with you. The email below is from Jamie Naramore, Minister to Students at FBC Harlingen, Texas . He wrote:

“We are looking at different shirt ideas for our Disciple Now weekend, but rather than having our own shirts made and the profits going to a printing company, we are wanting to purchase shirts with a different purpose and that actually goes towards something missional. So, instead of getting our name and event and message plastered all over our shirts, we want to order shirts through someone like iGo who can benefit from our purchase for the sake of His name. That being said, I need about 150 shirts in random sizes between $5-15 each. Do you have any t-shirts in stock that could meet that quantity before January 15th? And if so, how would I go about making such a large order? I particularly like the “elephant” shirt and the “declare his name” shirt.”

What an amazing idea! Students who go to DNow get Tshirts (I think this is in some rulebook about DNow weekends from the 1980’s). Jamie just decided to bless iGo by ordering our shirts instead of creating his own this year. It is what we like to call a win/win/win. iGo wins in that it raised some money for our ministry. Jamie wins in that he doesn’t have to put together his own shirt and spend time getting it done. The students win in that they get a really cool DNow Tshirt that helps support missions.

So this is our way of throwing this out there to you. As a student minister reading this, would you like to borrow this idea yourself? We can make it happen. As a student reading this, would you consider sharing this idea with your student minister as a way to help make the planning process of DNow easier than ever? We aren’t in the T-shirt business, but we can definitely help your group get some great looking T-shirts, and your DNow T-shirt budget money will go straight towards training and mobilizing . Let us know if you would like to talk about this in detail.

Frontline Fridays – An unexpected visitor with a Jesus search engine

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:00:00 GMT

On Fridays we present stories from the front lines of God’s kingdom advance. As you read them, be encouraged. God’s Ancient Work continues on across the globe. Also, be challenged. Stay engaged in the mission of God. Right here where you are and stay engaged globally as well. Have a story you want to share? Send it to us at elephant AT igoglobal DOT org. Maybe we will feature your story one of these Fridays.

South Asia update by Brooke B. (A story from this past summer)

Early one morning during our final week in the city, I looked up to see an unexpected visitor- our friend S. A friendship between a team member and S was established last summer, and I was introduced to S within the first week of being in LP. The first day I met S he shared with me, “I once had a Jesus search engine.” (Translation: he had researched Jesus on the Internet.) Through other conversations that first day, it was clear Father was at work in S’s life.

For several weeks, S hung out with our team and bits and pieces of The Story were shared. S continued telling us he thought Jesus was very interesting and might be true, but he was unable to believe because his family was Animist and worshiped the spirits of ancestors.

Almost a whole month went by without seeing or speaking to S, so I was excited to talk to him when I saw him one morning. The excitement only multiplied when he shared with me, “I have decided to believe in the Jesus!” S told me how he and his brother went to the local church where they heard a house built on Jesus was on solid ground, but a house built on Animism was on sand. After talking to the pastor, S’s entire family believed in Jesus! The exact barrier S had said was preventing him from believing had been removed! A few days later, S invited our team to visit his home. While inside the one room thatched roof home, S pointed to an empty place on the shelf, “We had things for the spirits there before, but when we believed in the Jesus, we threw them away.”

The local church in Southeast Asia is growing and thriving despite persecution. My heart is filled with joy knowing that S and his entire family will be encouraged and discipled not by Ms or other Westerners, but by the local church. Their questions can be answered in their own language, and they have a Bible in their own tribal tongue. Seeing locals reaching locals was a prayer that I repeated throughout the summer. As I saw the fruit of it in S’s life, I developed a new prayer- that S would rise up to the task of reaching the people of his country.

iGosia Population Update

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The People’s Republic of iGosia is proud to report a recent increase in population, which also seems to be leading to a growth trend.

Congrats are in order to Texas Super Summer Global coordinator Jami Lee Gainey and her husband Nick (of Nick Gainey Band fame) on the addition to their family of a wonderful baby boy named Beau. Beau Alan Gainey was born on September 23. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces and stretched out to 20 1/2 inches tall.

Not to be outdone, Scott and Rachel Partridge (these guys aren’t on iGo staff, but they met through serving on iGo teams*. Joseph Salim Partridge was born a day later on September 24. Joseph entered the world at 5 pounds, 15 ounces and 19 1/2 inches tall. Congrats to the Partridge Family as well.

It is always good thing to add to the iGosian population. And the trend will continue . Stay tuned.

*iGo Global does not encourage or allow iGo team members to pursue dating relationships while serving on the field. To our knowledge, Scott and Rachel did nothing to violate iGo’s dating policy during their time on a team in Northern Africa, despite rumors, grapevine whisperings, and tagged pictures on Facebook. Whatever happens after the trip, however, is completely out of our hands…and somewhat encouraged. iGosian Wedding Bells ring pretty consistently these days.

making Him famous…on your campus part 5

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

School is back! Even here in the Republic of Texas school is officially rolling (we held on to summer as long as we could). What now? You spent your summer, or part of your summer, or part of a past summer making Him famous overseas. So how do you continue that on mission lifestyle back home?

This week will feature a short series of blog posts to instruct, encourage, and equip you to do just that. You are on mission. There is an ancient work of God on your campus ready for you to join. Live to make Him famous.

Unashamed

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” –Romans 1:16

Paul’s declaration in Romans 1:16 is pure greatness. As you head to class day in and day out this year, we pray that you will be able to say with Paul that you are truly unashamed of the gospel.

But what does that mean exactly? I think sometimes we get this a little bit confused. We all know what shame feels like. We know what it is like to be embarrassed and to feel like everyone else knows something we don’t. We get accustomed to this feeling very well during that period of our life we call middle school. But embarrassing and shameful situations teach us. We learn not to say the wrong thing, or show up in the wrong kind of clothes, or to do something that will make us look ridiculous (well, most of us learn that). We learn to make great efforts to keep ourselves in the best light possible so that there is no reason to be ashamed.

Paul is not saying that at all. He is not saying that he has learned to follow Christ while simultaneously avoiding shame and embarrassment. Take a look at Paul’s personal track record he lists in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28 . Paul lived a life of shame. Just about everybody thought he was crazy, and most of them were out to get him. He constantly endured shame.

Speaking of enduring shame, Paul had a pretty good example for that. The writer of Hebrews says this about Jesus:

“looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” –Hebrews 12:2

Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame. He didn’t avoid shame. In fact, he experienced as much or more shame than anyone. He was mocked, ridiculed, spit on, beaten, whipped, punched, falsely accused, lied about, and finally put to death hanging on a wooden cross for all to see. Shame. But Jesus despised the shame. He didn’t let it dominate Him. He went to the cross in spite of the shame that would come with it. And He did that b/c He knew that on the other side was glory. He would be glorified and raised and in that glorification would rescue, restore, and redeem the world. So he endured the shame of the cross.

And you might have to endure some shame too. Taking a stand and living on mission on your campus may be greeted with shame. Your professor may think you are crazy. Some of those you called friends will be so no longer. And this is probably only the beginning. More and more you will experience shame as a Christ follower in our culture. You will get the Chick Fil-A treatment. You will be shamed not just for believing in Jesus, but you will experience shame for believing there is a right and a wrong. You will be marginalized, ridiculed, discredited, laughed at, called names, and accused of being intolerant and hateful.

And the challenge in all that is to be unashamed. Just like Paul. He was shamed at every single turn, but he lived unashamed. He didn’t care about the shame he experienced. He refused to give in and back down because of the power of the gospel. He knew the other side and he knew the gospel was the only message that could save the world. So he was unashamed.

So in light of the gospel, because of Jesus, and with the challenge from Paul, be unashamed this school year. Go deeper in your understanding of the gospel and allow the Spirit to produce boldness in you to make you unashamed of this message. Make. Him. Famous. Even if it brings you shame.

And just in case you need a little extra motivation , we’ll send you out with motivation from the greatness that is Trip Lee .

“Look, all I need is 1:16
To brag on my King, Romans 1:16
We brag about Him daily ’cause He runs this thing
Can I do it? (yessir yessir) can I do it? (yessir yessir)”

Through the power of the gospel and because of the power of the gospel…be unashamed.

making Him famous…on your campus part 4

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Core Values

At Base Camp you learned the iGo Core Values: Bottom Line, Ancient Work, Joy of the Sower, and Hope of the World. As we taught them, we added that embracing these core values will not just make your overseas experience more effective. They will also help you begin to live on mission. So let me remind you of the core values today and point you in the direction of applying them at home and on your campus.

The Bottom Line

The foundational core value we call the bottom line is that God’s glory is ultimate. Everything that God does, and subsequently everything that we experience is ultimately designed to bring God glory. This is God’s first and foremost goal: to be glorified in all the earth. The bottom line reminds us that this is not about us. And this stands for anything and everything. Replace this with whatever you want. Your mission trip? Not about you. Your present situation? Not about you. Your struggles and afflictions? Not about you. Your class schedule? Not. About. You. So embrace the bottom line on your campus. Listen for God’s voice and walk in obedience. Trust Him to use you in whatever way He wants to bring Himself glory. Sit at a different lunch table. Take some risks . Invite someone to church. Take a stand for something no matter what it costs. For His glory and for His fame.

Ancient Work

You joined God’s ancient work overseas, and as your perspective has changed you can now see that God also has an ancient work here in your hometown, at your school, and right there on your cul-de-sac. The truth behind the ancient work is that we don’t start anything, we don’t finish anything, but God allows us to join His ancient work. Where has God been working on your campus? How can you join in that work? And as you embrace this truth, you begin to be able to trust Him with this work. Making Him famous in your school? Not up to you. God is going to do that, but He sure would like to use you in the process. Join Him.

Joy of the Sower

So on day one this week we challenged you to pray. On day two we asked you to change your perspective, and on day three we encouraged you to serve. As you pray, God uses your prayers to plow the soil. As you serve you continue this process, maybe even planting some seeds. And as God begins to open up doors for you to share truth of the gospel, you are sowing seeds of the gospel into the lives of your friends classmates. So rejoice! Get together with your LTG and celebrate a little. God doesn’t need any of us to accomplish His work, but he just used you to plant a seed of the gospel into the life of another student. Allow the joy in that to really sink in. This work He is allowing you to do will not be easy. You may not see any results. But you can rejoice knowing that God helped you be faithful with His work.

Hope of the World

This core value is the truth that the local church is the hope of the world. Of course, we know Jesus is the true hope of the world, but His plan (His only plan by the way) is to make His hope known through His church. What that means for you as a campus missionary is that you represent His church (your church) on that campus. It also means that if you are disconnected from His church (your church), then you are no longer connected to His mission. He uses churches to reach the world, even your high school. Especially your university.

We here at iGo love groups like FCA, campus Bible clubs, BSM, Fighting Porcupines for Christ , or whatever other way you connect the gospel with students on your campus. But please, please remember that those things aren’t the church. Those things can be so helpful and so much good can be done there, but the best campus ministries are simply extensions of the church, not replacements for it. So as you sow seeds, make sure you are inviting your friends to join you at church. And make sure you are well connected to your church as well. This is how you bring hope to your campus.

We are praying for all you iGosians out there making Him famous on your campus. Embrace the core values and let us know how it’s going.

making Him famous…on your campus part 3

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

So far this week we have focused on praying and changing your perspective so that you see yourself on mission on your campus. You are prayer walking those halls and fully embracing your ambassador status. So what now? How do you begin to now make Him famous in that circle of influence?

“And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” –Mark 10:42-45

There is a tendency to think that the first thing you need to do is to carry the biggest bible in your house , display it prominently on your desk even if it inhibits your working environment, and remind people around you that they are indeed sinners headed due South upon their untimely death. We are kidding of course, but the truth is that most of us don’t know where to start when it comes to making Him famous with our peers. And just about the only thing we think about doing is “preaching” to people the message of salvation.

I honestly do hope that you will have many gospel conversations with your friends this year. As you pray, ask Him to give you those conversations. But in the meantime, let me suggest something a little different as you get started.

Serve.

One of the things we taught you overseas was to listen to the Spirit as you walk the walk of obedience. There is a really good chance that your next step of obedience as His ambassador to your campus is to see where and how He wants you to serve others. Ask God to show you ways that you can serve your classmates. Jesus’ words about leadership and influence of others in the above passage highlight the need for us to approach the world as servant leaders. His death served as the ultimate example of servant leadership, while also freeing us from our pursuits of our self interests. Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that you start off your homeroom class today by filling up a bucket with soapy water and removing the TOMS off your classmates so you can be like Jesus.

But you can approach this year as a servant leader. As you talk to your friends on mission with you, ask those kind of questions. What can your youth group do this year to serve the student body at your school? How can you serve the band while they are sweating in the heat practicing that routine that everyone comes to the football games to see? How can you serve the teachers? How can you meet the needs of other students? How can you come to the aid of students at your school who are in need?

You know they’re there, right? All around you. Students in need. Some of them have labels. Some of them just don’t have any friends. Some of them are crying out for someone to show them real love by the way that they dress.

So serve them. Meet the needs. Preach the gospel and see how God uses that to open up those doorways to meaningful conversations. Get creative. Share your ideas and get others involved.

And PLEASE share those ideas with us. We want to know about your walk of obedience as a servant leader on your campus.

And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. –Luke 9:1-6

making Him famous…on your campus part 2

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Perspective

It is hard to miss the mission field when you are overseas. Just about everything you experience, see, and smell sends a signal to your brain reminding you that you “aren’t in Kansas anymore.” (Kansas students, feel free to ignore the quotation marks in that phrase…or not.) The truth is that being overseas gives you a different perspective on your environment. You see people and you think about their need for Jesus. You pass by a park and you wonder if those children playing will ever hear His story. You catch a radio tower in the distance and find yourself praying for the Gospel to be carried over those airwaves to that nation. You walk into a village in remote South Asia and immediately notice a good place to have a church service. Every conversation, every meeting, every train ride, every appointment could turn divine at any moment so you watch and you pray.

Your school campus is your mission field. The problem is you usually don’t see it that way. The familiarity breeds complacency. These are the same people you see every day, the same PB&J you eat 5 days a week, the same teachers and coaches that were there last year. And so you lose perspective.

Time to change. See your campus and your involvement there through God’s eyes.

“that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” –2 Corinthians 5:19-20

God has placed you as His ambassador on that campus. You just need to embrace that role, and that starts with a change in your perspective. Why do you have English class when you have English class? Yes, I know your schedule just worked out that way due to your electives and all kinds of other factors. But I believe God placed you in that English class at that time b/c He wants you to represent Him there. Why do you play the sport you play? Why do you play in the band? Why are you in that club ? Why are you into drama (which is really a whole different question, but we probably won’t deal with that)? Yes, I know you are good at it, have a passion for it, or developed an interest for that activity along the way. God gave you that talent, that passion, that interest so He could place you in a circle of influence where you could be His ambassador.

Do you see it? It truly is all in your perspective. Pray today. Pray this week. Pray this school year. Ask God to give you the eyes to see your campus the way He sees it–as your mission field this fall and this spring. And as you pray, be ready. You never know when He will make a classroom chat, hallway meeting, locker room conversation a divine appointment. Be ready for Him to use you to make Him famous.

making Him famous…on your campus Part 1

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 05:00:00 GMT

First things first: In keeping with the start of school theme, we offer you a multiple choice question.

Q: Chances are you found yourself doing this way more than you expected while overseas.

A. Taking picture after picture of scenery and other really cool stuff so that you could bring them all home and build the most amazingly awesome scrapbook/photobook of all time.

B. Trying desperately to get directions to or at least find out where a good place to eat American food might be, but unfortunately finding that “all these foreigners” don’t speak enough English to tell you.

C. Praying. You prayed with your team, you prayed alone, you prayerwalked who knows how many miles. And all that time you found out that in praying there was more joy and fulfillment than you ever expected.

D. Asking your team leader when you would be able to exchange your money. Then asking again when you could exchange more money since you already spent your first batch on coke bottles to take home b/c they look so different than coke bottles back in Oklahoma.

If you answered C, you are correct. Side note school fact: Studies have shown that C is the correct answer on multiple choice tests about 28% of the time, slightly better than equal 25% distribution. So, if you are forced to guess…go with C. You have a little better than 1 in 4 chance of guessing right. iGo is looking out for you.

Speaking of guessing, you probably guessed at some point that prayer truly is an integral part of mission work. And if you spent time with any of the M’s overseas, you saw that their lives and their work are anchored in prayer. First time iGo students are typically amazed that they spend so much time praying. They are even more amazed that they loved it.

So what does this have to do with making Him famous on your campus? Prayer is crucial to your ability to join God’s work at your school. You prayerwalked around parks, neighborhoods, businesses, and all kinds of other places overseas where you wanted to see God work. Have you prayerwalked around your school campus? Get some friends together from church and meet up there tonight. Yes, tonight. Prayer walk around the campus. But don’t let it end there. The Bible instructs us to pray without ceasing. Maybe you could pray as you walk from English to Science. Schedule times to meet together with your friends and just pray for God to be famous at your school. Keep on praying. And as you pray, remember a few things:

1. Pray Scripture. As we pray we want to pray for the things God wants us to pray for, and praying verses and passages of Scripture is the best way to do that.

2. Pray Bottom Line prayers. Pray for God’s glory to unfold. Pray for Him to be made known. Pray for His will to be accomplished. Remember it is all about Him, so pray bottom line prayers.

3. Keep watch . God works when we pray. He answers our prayers. Watch for the ways that He begins to do that and be ready to join His work.

Finally, I would love to point you to a couple of resources to help you in your prayer life. The first one is A Praying Life by Paul Miller. This is an outstanding book on prayer that will challenge you as well as encourage you. Another one to check out is The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. Great thoughts on prayer that can help you as you grow.

Let us know how it goes. Write a comment on this post telling us about your prayer walk or your prayer strategy. Or leave it on our Facebook page. Let us know how we can pray for you as you make Him famous this year on campus.

Kansas/Nebraska

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Pilgrimage ( pil -gr uh -mij) (noun) a journey, especially a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion

Annually a group of iGosians make an early June pilgrimage to Webster Conference Center, which is just outside Salina, Kansas.

( Side Note – The exact whereabouts of WCC in relation to Salina have been in question among iGosians for years. Legend at one time passed down from Aaron Clayton to K/N Coordinator Sarah was that the camp is far away from civilization, much like the rest of Kansas. As a result it was generally believed that arriving at the WCC pretty much cut you off from the rest of the known world, or at least places to eat and shop. Attempts were made in 2011 to put this legend to rest by actually showing K/N Coordinator Sarah that Salina is much closer than the legend-makers would have her believe. We shall soon see if the new information prevails.)

This Kansas pilgrimage is slowly becoming a true rite of passage for iGosians. Therefore, we offer you this checklist of Must-See/Must-Do items as you plan your own journey.

1. The Crossing . Passengers in the caravan must fight the urge to slumber during the early stages of the trip. It won’t be long before you cross a river that is “ all crazy and red ” (Crystal Meeker, circa 2009). This crossing marks two significant events. First, it marks the leaving behind of the Great Republic of Texas. The highway quality deteriorates almost immediately along with everything else. iGosian Pilgrims must brace themselves for this depressing reality. Second, it marks the passing by of one of the more famous towns in all of iGosia – Say it with me please, Thaaaaaaaaaaaackerville!

2. Getting there is most of the fun . Some weaker iGosians have slept through much of the trip, however this is not advised. Fuel management issues , smoked almonds, Mat Kearney on repeat, surly and uncaring Braum’s employees, van vs. iGosian near-misses, extreme inner-vehicle heat waves , and a Kansas landscape filled with chain link fences make this an adventure to remember.

3. T-Mac. T-Mac is the man for Kansas and Nebraska or wherever he might be found. Your Base Camp Bravo experience will never be complete without shaking this man’s hand and gleaning his wisdom over a cup of coffee or perhaps a cold cut deli bar.

4. The WCC . Webster Conference Center has a checklist of its own. First, make sure you take some rock-star photos using your reflection in the giant windows. Next, look for snakes, which do not look at all like badgers. Despite what Ky may say, do not pick them up. Number C, look out for some of iGosia’s largest mosquitoes. Fourth, try to hug Phil, Keeper of the Cafeteria. Very few have tried this feat. None have been successful. And finally, step lightly around WCC Director Bill when he joins the iGosian Security team. He will be exercising his right to bear arms in full view. After that, feel free to talk to him. He is a great guy, but he will most likely still be armed.

5. Don’t rush off . These students from Kansas and Nebraska may be small in number, but they continually produce quality teams and future leaders. Get to know them. Spend as much time as you can with them. Besides, if you leave too soon, you will never forget the look of despair on Sarah’s face as you drive away.

Many others have made this pilgrimage over the years. What other Must See/Must Do items need to be added to this list? Hit the comment button and let us know.

Base Camp Alpha…A Review

Fri, 25 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Although last week concluded the infamous Monday Memories series, the summer has officially begun with this year’s first Base Camp. Base Camp Alpha arrived with some new, exciting, expected and unexpected (as always) circumstances and events.

The most significant change centered on a new location for Base Camp. As mentioned in an earlier post, we recently said farewell to Camp Lake Lavon. Instead, Texas Women’s University in Denton hosted Base Camp Alpha this year. Although both staff and Jimmy were initially perplexed at the high-rise building that housed all iGosians , the fully functioning air-conditioning expedited the adjustment. Led by our Base Camp Coordinators, Rowdy and Danielle, the day began with an orientation of the new campus, followed by some time spent in prayer for students and parents on their way.

Donned with new badge s and attire, the iGo staff and Jimmy welcomed 23 students, who began Base Camp following a time of commissioning by their parents . Most of these students will spend the majority of the summer overseas in their various locations, with trips lasting approximately 10 weeks. This year’s group of participants included both alumni and first-timers serving in the regions of North Africa, the Middle East, Western Europe and Southeast Asia.

As usual, each of these four teams was required to enter in and survive the mysterious land of iGosia, where the volunteers (often alumni students and adults) are eager to hassle, help, and harrass them. Alpha’s group did not disappoint, complete as always with annoyed immigration workers, the intense chief of security and a misguided bus driver or two. Following a delicious culture meal served with iGosia’s finest dining, the students split up and made their way to a simulation of Underground Church, where they studied 2 Corinthians 4 and learned about the suffering that followers of Christ are called to endure.

Alpha Day Two brought with sunrise a spontaneous passport check that had to be seen to be believed. That being the case, I am still not sure all the team members believe it happened since most of them had yet to open their eyes. However, all eyes were wide open for the traditional morning exercises along with a healthy breakfast of cucumbers and tomatoes, of course.

Following the official iGosian celebration, students rested momentarily before digging into the Word through teaching and training. Brad, Shu and Rowdy knocked out the teaching of the Core Values, while tribe leaders Sarah and Jami Lee covered other topics in a smaller, discussion-based setting. Brad reminded students that they “aren’t called to be the hero or the MVP this summer, but are called to be a part of a team” through focusing on HGPF (humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance), the characteristics mentioned in Ephesians 4.

Teaching sessions focused on Evangelism and Cross Cultural Training included a lot of good activities that involved students naturally sharing their story while focusing on The Story, culture games that challenged the students, as well as team building games where students sought to “find the dollar” before trying to discover the “one way in, one way out” while blindfolded.

Sunday and Monday evenings were set aside for worship through song (led by Jeff and Jourdan Johnson ) and the Word (taught by Brad). Brad’s first message brought the students to 1 Timothy 4:11-16, focusing on the need to be reminded repeatedly of the Gospel. Hearing the Gospel helps us remember how bankrupt we are, which is a liberating reminder. Brad continued in 1 Timothy 1 the last night, challenging us to stay in the FOSmosphere (Foremost of Sinners). As believers, we should never seek merely to progress in sin management. Sanctification, instead, reflects maturity in an understanding of the Gospel.

Pray for these four teams of 23 students that left Tuesday to serve in North Africa, the Middle East, Western Europe and Southeast Asia. If you participated in Alpha Base Camp, take the time to share some of your highlights from this weekend in iGosia.

Jimmy Week 2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Jimmy arrived on Monday. iGosian summer is here. For those of you just getting to know iGosian culture, Jimmy is the title given to the iGo Global summer interns. Why this title? Simple. Everyone needs a friend named Jimmy. These students spend their summer helping us train and mobilize. In the big picture of mission work, mobilization is a strategic part of the calling. Without those who train and mobilize, we wouldn’t have anyone that could go.

As a result, iGo Jimmy get to come alongside our staff to help us with this part of the mission process. It is truly a working internship. These students spend long hours at the office, at Base Camps, on the recruiting trail, and at Costco.

And along the way we invest in them as leaders. It is not just work. We want to see them grow and develop as well. They meet outside of office hours with a couple that are shepherding them spiritually throughout the summer. We pour into them as they pour into all the iGo students.

Which reminds me that we started the Jimmy program long before we had enough work to justify having interns. We wanted to intentionally teach students about the necessity of mobilization in the process. We also wanted to develop leaders. The Jimmy strategy helps us do exactly that.

So pray for Jimmy this summer. They aren’t the ones that are getting on planes and flying to places you find hard to pronounce and spell. They are the behind the scenes servant leaders that help make it all possible. They struggle a little every time another team gets on a bus and heads to the airport. They are tempted to question the validity of their calling when they take a break from stuffing parent folders to run to the airport and witness another team arriving back home. Pray that they will understand and embrace the calling to mobilize (at least for a summer). And pray that they will learn, grow, and develop through every experience. And please pray that they will find true joy in the journey.

Check out a few candid shots of their first week on our Facebook page .

Monday Memories of iGosia – Basic Facts

Mon, 14 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

And so we have arrived at Week 8 of our countdown to the summer by looking back at all the great things about iGosia. This is the last week as tourist season officially begins in iGosia this coming weekend. We so excited! So this week, as we remember the greatness that is iGosia, we also want to focus on important aspects as you prepare for your next visit.

Basic Facts

Official Name – People’s Republic of iGosia

Climate – The climate is officially ridiculously hot during the tourist season (mid-May through the end of July). Occasionally the earlier parts of the tourist season can have a lot of rain. In those cases, you will need to stay on the porch.

Population – iGosia was recently recognized as the third fastest growing fictional country of all time. Several times a year new citizens are welcomed and celebrated into the One Tribe that iGosians claim to be. The population passed the 3000 mark in the summer of 2011 and continues to add several hundred annually.

Monetary Unit – iGo. The exchange rate for the iGo is easily the most volatile exchange rate of any nation’s currency. Typically, the iGo is worth more than the US Dollar. How much more is subject to the decision of the currency exchange vendors of the day. It sounds crazy, but it just works .

Language – iGosian. This language has no written form. Most iGosians have learned English over the years, but the iGosian accent consistently causes difficulty for tourists as they first arrive.

Economic Summary – #1 on the list when it comes to sustaining the economy of iGosia is Tourism. As a result, most iGosians are employed in either the tourist, travel, or security industry, although competition for jobs is non-existent due to cultural standards. You basically just have to volunteer for a job first and it is yours. Many have suggested that this lack of job competition has led to the problems with the iGosian Airways baggage handling department; however, no studies have confirmed these suggestions, and none have been conducted. #2 is Agriculture. iGosians grow cucumbers and tomatoes and serve them at practically every meal. A very small percentage of farmers grow rice. About 8% of the iGosian population is unemployed. Most of them resort to begging or in some cases thievery.

National Symbol – iGosia chooses a different national symbol each year. 2012 has been designated as the Year of the Elephant . Past national symbols include the armadillo, penguin, goat, giraffe, octopus (squid), moose, and owl for obvious reasons .

Government – iGosia is currently considered a mock Republic and they are ruled by a president and vice president. Not elected to office, both the president and VP took control in the early days of iGosia’s history and took their offices before anyone else could claim them. There is no end in sight for the rule and reign of these men, but fortunately for the people of iGosia, the President and VP are benevolent dictators.

Royalty – Interestingly, iGosians insist that there is an iGosian line of royalty despite the complete lack of historical documents to back up these claims. Legend has it that the royal line is traced through a specific group of young college students known simply as Jimmy. Not even the ancient iGosian rhapsodoi had lore regarding this Jimmy. Even so, annually a new royal group are depicted on the face of iGo currency. Jimmy remains one of the great mysteries of iGosia, which is both how it should be and how it is.

And speaking of pseudo-royalty, the 2012 version of Jimmy arrived at the World Wide Headquarters of iGo Global today to begin their summer journey. All the signs are pointing to the opening of iGosian tourist season. Do you have your reservations secured? Some of you do, but some of you are still waiting to sign up as an iGosian for the summer. We need these wonderful volunteers at each Base Camp. If you can join us and show us your best iGosian accent at one of our three base camps in Denton or in Oklahoma or in Kansas, please let us know. You can find more info and sign up on our website. We hope to see you soon.

Monday Memories of iGosia – iGosians

Mon, 07 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The People

No doubt many of your memories of iGosia are specific to the experiences we have covered: Customs, Market, Games, Food, and your lost luggage. But a visit to iGosia is much more than just an experience with a new culture. The people of iGosia leave marks on our lives like fresh dry erase markers on cheap whiteboards. iGosians never really fade away.

In the early years of this country, just about every tourist remembered “Ernie Smith.” Ernie typified the desire of iGosians to relate to their visitors by embracing part of the American culture. Can you blame him for not quite getting HOF running back, Emmitt Smith’s name correct? At least he had the correct jersey.

And who could ever hope to forget The Whistler? Donning a sombrero picked up on the iGosian black market, he commanded the attention of iGosian tourists as he led them to the tour bus and helped them buy their breakfast. I Da Lou where he came from or where he went, but his impact on iGosia lives on.

The people of iGosia also stand out with their fashion. There are a couple popular sayings in iGosia: 1. “Don’t be a rude…get on the boat”. 2. “There is a lot of rain..stay on the porch.” Neither of these speak to fashion, but the general rule in iGosia is that anything goes. This is why you will see such bright colors clashing together, more variety in hats than at the Kentucky Derby , men wearing skirts with tuxedo t-shirts, and the occasional uncool yet somehow attractive V-neck.

Many tourists to iGosia try to ignore the fact that poverty is an issue in this country. Despite the amazing tour bus experiences, the food, and the scenery, many iGosians live with very little. Forced to beg for food and money for the baby, these iGosians in many ways seem omnipresent. Sadly, many of them are children. Some are happy and innocent, but occasionally some of these beautiful children, hardened by their lifestyles, turn surly and uncaring.

And this flashback to iGosia wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that occasionally even the amazing people of iGosia can go too far. Memorable? Yes definitely. Like the smell of vomit cleaning powder in an elementary school hallway, these memories unfortunately stay with you.

What about you? Which people of iGosia have left a permanent stamp upon your brain for good or bad? Tell us about it after you enjoy this stroll down iGosian Memory Lane.

Monday Memories of iGosia – iGosian Airways

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Commitment to Excellence . Exceeding Expecctations. Setting the Standard. Raising the Bar . Leave No Bag Behind.

At one time, all of the above were adopted as the official company slogan of iGosian Airways. Which should remind you that no customer-service business starts out with the goal of being lousy. It just happens over time as corners are cut, employee morale drops, and apathy takes over .

And that is where we find iGosian Airlines. Many complaints have been filed , negative reviews posted, and grievances aired on the twittersphere regarding the lack of customer service of iGosian Airways, specifically in the baggage handling department.

It is such a sad story, especially for the disgruntled. overworked, and underpaid employees. One employee, who wanted to be called Jimmy in order to protect his identity, said the following, “I get it. People want their bags when they arrive. But this ain’t easy, ya know? These groups arrive all at once, and the bags just keep piling up. You end up with a room full of luggage, and it gets overwhelming. What we do is typically just shut the door and try to take a good break. Can we help it if sometimes, or well maybe all the time, we forget to go back and deliver those bags? To be honest, a lot of times we forget which room we left them in. So sue us.”

Which is exactly what some iGosian visitors have threatened to do. Sue the company. However, iGosian Airways is strictly an iGosian company, only doing business in iGosia, and only providing service to iGosia. This makes it very difficult to pursue legal action .

And that only heightens the frustration. One might think that the people of iGosia would step in and intervene worried that this baggage handling incompetency would lead to a decline in tourism. However, iGosians seem to celebrate the failings of iGA. When a young Christina (Stone) Walker learned that her luggage had been lost, she was stunned. In disbelief she asked, “Seriously, where is my luggage?” And the iGosians, out of sheer concern for their reputation, turned that into a T-shirt.

This isn’t to say there haven’t been any bright spots along the way. One whole group of visitors to iGosia somehow located their own luggage one desperate night after iGA had exhausted all their possibilities. Unfortunately, this has never happened again.

And in typical iGosian custom, the executives of iGosian Airways have embraced their futility. After starting with such noble aspirations, they have finally settled on a new and timeless company slogan. In fact, you can find this moxie-filled motto on T-shirts at iGosian gift shops all over the island.

iGosian Airways. Losing Luggage Since 1998.

Sometimes it is best just to be accurate. Got a story? Complaint? Grievance? Hit that comment button and let us know. We promise to make sure your suggestions find their way to a trash can in the office of the iGA President.

Monday Memories of iGosia – Security!

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

As you might guess, the #1 industry in iGosia is tourism, followed of course by agriculture (cucumbers and tomatoes), and services (iGosian Airways). With tourism bringing the republic so much income, you could expect that iGosians would love tourists. And they do. Nothing brings out smiles, songs, cheers, and random hugs like a fresh group of tourists arriving in iGosia.

But that doesn’t meant they will let just anyone in, either. Yes, iGosians love tourists, but one of the safeguards of this love is the security screening process by the iGosian Customs Unit (ICU). Over 3000 tourists have visited iGosia in the last 12 years alone, and it is likely that every single one of them would describe ICU with some if not all of these words.

Intimidating

ICU does not play games. Fail to take this seriously, and you may find yourself on the outside desperately trying to get in. It doesn’t take long to determine that the iGosians approach entry to their country with as much gravity, determination, and intensity as this guy does his job. Everything in the ICU area lends to this atmosphere; whether it be the inconsistent lighting, the desultory air-conditioning, or the palpable seriousness in the building. You do not want to say the wrong thing, cross over the line, move too fast, or move too slow. The intimidation factor eliminates many problems at the very beginning, thus further enhancing healthy relationships between iGosians and the tourists.

Methodical

It has been said before that time seems to stand still when you are in the line for customs in iGosia. ICU agents have been known to take a break just when things get busiest, which can be maddening to some visitors. One tourist, wishing to remain anonymous, said, “I was next in line at one point after finally locating and filling out the correct immigration form. Instead of calling for the next person, the lady just announced she was closed. She then turned to the lady next to her and started talking about a movie she wanted to see. No one came to help me. I had to find another line and start over. Who does that?” ICU does that. And while you may not want to believe it, Nathaniel , there is a method to all of the madness.

Confusing

iGosians have made a ton of concessions over the years in order to accommodate the number of tourists that visit each year. Some of their historic customs and traditions have been set aside in their efforts to be more hospitable. But they haven’t given up everything yet. They still expect visitors to learn their systems, eat their food, and observe some fundamental traditions. And ICU is no exception. Tourism is significant, but the majority of travelers through iGosia are iGosians returning home. They know what forms are necessary and where to stand. This is what you might call a High-Context culture. iGosians have a tremendous amount of history together. They know how things work and need very little written instructions. It may be confusing, but it will only help you learn as you proceed.

Spontaneously Joyful

After you are released from the ICU having filled out the proper paperwork and checking your luggage with iGosian Airways, you then get to experience a true iGosian welcoming party. iGosian vendors, greeters, children , beggars, etc. are all waiting just outside to welcome you to the beautiful land of iGosia. You can expect random hugs, songs, dances, and the occasional pickpocket. iGosians are known for their helpfulness, so you can always find someone willing to help you get a bus ticket, carry your bags, or assist you on your tour of iGosia. Just know that iGosians want to help even if they don’t know how. It is their culture.

So there you have it. Do any other words come to mind when you think of your experience with the iGosians Customs Unit? Any memories you want to share of mistakes made? How about that welcoming party? Please hit that comment button and let us know. You may even tell us something we didn’t know ourselves.

Monday Memories of iGosia – Farewell to Lavon

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

As a great theologian once said, “It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday.” From time to time iGosians have been forced to say goodbye to a Base Camp location. DBU had an uneventful run. So did the LaQuinta next to Lake Pointe Church. However, our tenure at Camp Lake Lavon (AKA Lake Lavon Baptist Camp) has been our longest run yet. We finished up our last scheduled event there yesterday as this year’s Leader Retreat came to a close. That’s right, iGosians. We will not be at Camp Lake Lavon this summer. As you absorb this shocking news, we offer you this Farewell to Lavon .

So long Camp Lake Lavon. We will miss you. We will miss your unique ability to simulate third world country living conditions complete with dilapidated buildings, faulty plumbing, and the need for mosquito nets in the hotel rooms. We will miss the exclusive smell you possess. After being away for months at a time, there is nothing that can compare to walking in to the chapel and breathing in deeply. If only we could bottle this and sell it as Musk de Lavonia, we could give a whole new meaning to the words, “Eau de Toilette.”

Hasta la vista Conference Center, used for adults only and the occasional non-stop quincieanera for “obvious reasons.” What will we do without your perfect temperature in the foyer while the main auditorium maintains at 85 throughout the summer? So many lives were ruined and T-shirts were sold in this building despite the carpet, baseboard molding, and overflowing toilets. And goodbye Cafe. Your foundation was meant to be a skate park, or at least an illustration for Ky’s sermon from Matthew 7 . And we will of course miss the food. Your culture meals were perfectly iGosian. The rest of your meals were great too, and a constant clue that your favorite color was yellow.

The memories we made with you are never ending. Our very own Jay Roberts first caught the eye of his future wife Erin by building a bonfire down by the shore. Speaking of burning, iGosian hallways will always echo with the words of an iGosian girl, “Um….our dorm is on fire?!?” It turns out that was not on the official Base Camp agenda even though wannabe arsonist AC was in charge. And who could forget the attack by Fart Sherman on the defenseless air conditioner in The Cottage? The air conditioner, to it’s credit, attempted to soil itself during the attack to discourage the assailant. Well played for sure.

We will never forget our beloved golf carts or the reaction by the CLL director when Justin Cofield did a donut in Old Red in front of the CLL office. His laughter led us to drive those carts (Old Red, The Limo, and Greenie) as if they could not be broken. I’m pretty sure it was Old Red that caused Ky to throw up that one iGosian summer night. We would apologize for how Jimmy drove the carts over the years, but we know it doesn’t matter, so we won’t.

We will surely miss staff swim nights, spider crickets, the roar of the lions, the fox with the rat, wasps, weed beds, and the looks of exultation on the faces of shuttle bus drivers when they actually arrived at the camp for airport departures. We don’t know what we will do without the handle-less “new” refrigerator in Hunt, skating in the Cave, the never ending heat, Cephas and the rest of his RV-living family, paneled walls, and the omni-present Skip (who knew a good thing when he found it in 82 and never left).

So for now, we move on to greener pastures. Well, maybe not greener pastures but at least ones that use weed eaters. Farewell Camp Lake Lavon. We are thankful for the memories.

Please hit that comment button and share with us your favorite memories from Camp Lake Lavon. We know we forgot to mention a bunch.

Leadership Lessons for Lunch (Part 5)

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Leaders develop Leaders by Shu

The iGo Team Leader retreat begins later today in iGosia (aka Camp Lake Lavon). Tomorrow this year’s crop of JSI’s show up to begin their training as well. It is always a special time of year for us as we get to really invest in leaders. At the core of iGo, we have a passion for developing leaders. Leadership is often defined as influence, and we want to do whatever we can to equip the next generation of influencers. This is part of the reason why our staff rarely leads teams. It is also why we strategically place 30+ students each summer as interns overseas through our JSI program. We want to see leaders develop.

And we get to see that time and time again. Students who first showed up for an iGo trip as confused and lost in iGosia as anyone (one of the best we know showed up at the wrong base camp the first time around) are now leading, serving, and influencing in all kinds of roles. Some iGo alums are church planters. Some are overseas. Some are accountants, office managers, teachers, salesmen, and even marine biologists. And so many of them were given their first real opportunity to lead, along with on the ground training, through iGo. It is humbling and just plain cool to see God use us like that.

That reminds me of the best leader I ever got to learn from. Joel Bratcher (now the BSM director in Aggieland) was one of the leaders that really invested in me. He saw leadership potential in me when very few people did. I don’t even think I did at the time. As a sophomore in college, Joel began to invest in me by pushing me into leadership roles. He recommended experiences that would stretch me and challenge me. And then he let me lead. Probably against his better judgment, but he did. He was always there to evaluate, encourage, and speak wisdom into my ideas, but he let me learn as I led. He let me make mistakes, and I learned even more through them.

As a leader, I want to be like Joel in so many ways. Do you? It doesn’t matter if you don’t know Joel. It doesn’t even matter if you don’t like Aggies. Do you look for leadership potential in others? It may not always be obvious, but the best leaders I know are able to find it in others. Do you push others into experiences and challenges that will stretch them? Do you step back and allow developing leaders to lead? In many ways, this is what the best leaders do. They spend much of their time developing other leaders. What are the things you are currently doing to help develop other leaders around you? Feel free to hit the comment button and share it with us all.

Leadership Lessons for Lunch (Part 4)

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Power of Communication by James Rodgers (Rowdy)

Our digital world is filled with constant tweets, updates, blogs, television, ipods, and more. Pockets protect our hand held computers that keep track of our schedules, email, texts, and the occasional angry bird while also serving as our telephone device. We live in a digital communication world where our fingers have learned to be our voice.

As you prepare to lead this summer, it’s important to remember why communication is a key aspect of leadership. Sure, there will be times when sending a text or email will suffice, but when it comes to vision casting, details, discipline and so many other areas, the tone of your voice needs to be heard. As a father, I’ve learned to use different tones to communicate directly with my kids. They know, by the sound of my voice, if I’m serious, joking, angry or upset. Your team needs to hear your voice and as a leader, you need to be ready to communicate effectively.

When the times comes to communicate the vision for your team, let them hear your passion. When talking through details and plans, make sure they know you are serious. As you discipline, make sure they hear love and forgiveness. And remember, don’t get so wrapped up in all of your own details that you forget to encourage your team when they do well.

Leadership Lessons for Lunch (Part 3)

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Footholds for Leadership by Brad Cardwell

Paul gave a young church leader named Timothy some great advice and caution in 1 Timothy 4:16. You are probably familiar with verse 12 “Let no one despise you for your youth…” but I think the most potent advice from Paul comes in verse 16…”Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

“Keep a close watch on yourself…”

Paul wouldn’t have told Timothy to keep a close watch on himself if he didn’t think that Timothy had the potential to be HIS OWN WORST ENEMY! Throughout Scripture we see this phrase, “Guard your heart” or “watch yourself”. You can’t trust your feelings or your emotions. You CAN’T trust YOU. And the Bible tells us that the only way to guard your heart is with Scripture and with the people of God – the church and the details and particulars of the Gospel.

Let others hold you accountable, whether they are one of your team members or someone at your church. Ask other Godly voices in your life questions like: “Do you think I am walking humbly with God?” (Micah 6:8), “Am I thinking and seeking the kingdom before my own wants and desires?” (Matt. 6:33), “Do I seek justice for those around me that are oppressed?” (James 1:27), “Do you ever hear Scripture out of my mouth and do I seem to have an appetite for the Word and for others to know truth?” (1 Timothy 4:13).

“…and on the teaching.”

If you don’t “keep a close watch” on what you’ve been taught, you will forget it and drift from it, guaranteed. Scripture provides us with many Gospel particulars. Details. Specifics. Principles. Otherwise known as doctrines. These “particulars” help us hang on to the story of the Gospel like a foothold helps a rock climber. The more footholds, the more secure the journey. Just because you sat through the teaching times without falling asleep (well, at least most of you), doesn’t mean that it’s a part of your life. Pay attention to what you’ve been taught and work hard to understand it. Don’t be afraid of the word doctrine. Don’t be afraid to learn and discuss the particulars of the Gospel story. While they may seem insignificant and academic at times, they are what help us “hang on” in this journey of faith.

“… you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

Keeping a close watch on yourself and what you’ve been taught, not only grows your faith in God and His Gospel, but it impacts those around you. The more you pay attention to Gospel teaching and work hard to understand, the better equipped you will be AND those that follow, or listen, to you. Be careful to watch yourself. Be careful to remember what you’ve learned and cling to the particulars of the Gospel. The promise in this passage is that others will be kept in the Gospel when we, as leaders, are paying attention to our own walk and the doctrines of what we teach. A good leader is not just concerned about his own faith, his own doctrine, or just being right. A good leader is concerned about how his own walk and his own doctrine secures the faith of those that follow.

Leadership Lessons for Lunch (Part 2)

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

This week, leading up the iGo Leader Retreat, we are inviting you to join us for lunch. We will serve up the cucumbers, tomatoes, and a brief leadership lesson each day at 12:00. And as a bonus, we are offering Two for Tuesday today. First you will hear from iGo Staff member Crystal Meeker. Crystal coordinates all of our JSI’s (international internships). She also oversees our Go Year students who serve 6 months to a year. The bonus post is from a guest. He is one of our workers from overseas, and we asked him to share some leadership wisdom with you as well. Enjoy your lunch!

The Journey to Leading Well by Crystal (aka Pistol)

As I prepare for the iGo leadership retreat, I keep thinking about the steps one takes on the journey to leading well. One common factor rose to the top–in order to lead well one must be faithful with small things. When I say small things, I’m not implying that they are insignificant, just that they are things we already know we should to be doing (Micah 6:8). For example, are we diligently studying the word, serving our local church, loving our families, working hard at school/jobs, etc? It is WORK to stay faithful with things that are not glamorous, fun or recognized. One of the men at my church spends every week vacuuming the carpets on the weekend, caring for the space the Lord has given us to meet together. People rarely compliment the carpet looking clean, but everyone definitely notices if some ground up goldfish crackers were missed from Tuesday night Awana. Could you imagine what the carpet would look like if he didn’t serve each week? Yikes! Because of this man’s faithfulness each week, people are not distracted by crumbs and bugs and are able to focus on scripture and impacting families with the gospel.

Whether you find yourself with an exciting leadership role or a not so exciting one, be faithful with each step that has been given to you. For some of us, being faithful with the seemingly menial is a catalyst the Lord uses to give more leadership opportunities (Luke 16:10-13). The Lord is working all things for His glory. As we strive to be obedient with serving may we always remember that Christ is our aim, not an important leadership position.

“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

Bonus: Two for Tuesday

Learning to Delegate by The Mysterious Racer D

A wise man once told me that when you lead a team, it’s important to delegate authority but not responsibility. Having seen the benefits of this principle over the years (and having failed numerous times by not following it), I’d like to pass this wisdom on to you.

Delegating authority means empowering those on your team to make decisions and use their gifts to accomplish the task at hand. It doesn’t mean giving up your authority as leader, but letting go of the need to be “the man” who holds power too closely and micromanages the team. There are many issues that can be delegated to others on the team. Give the members of your team space to give input, to use their gifts and even to fail as they learn and grow.

While delegating authority is good, delegating responsibility is not. Regardless of how much you’ve empowered others, you bear ultimate responsibility for your team. The consequences for every decision that is made on the team lands at your feet. If the team isn’t going in the right direction, you don’t shift the blame to someone on the team (even if you know they’re a slacker), you put it on yourself – and commit to learning how to better lead your team. If someone else has a problem with the performance of someone on your team, they first come to you, and you handle it. You’re the one tasked with having hard conversations with those you lead.

So as you lead, keep in mind to delegate authority but not responsibility.

Leadership Lessons for Lunch (The Big Intro and Such As)

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

This is Leader Retreat week at iGo. On Thursday evening and Friday morning we will spend time strengthening partnerships as some of our M friends visit iGosia. On Friday evening and Saturday morning we get to invest in the team leaders that have agreed to serve this summer. The retreat ends with Saturday evening and Sunday morning spent with the 2012 JSI’s as they prepare for their overseas leadership internship. 2012 Jimmy will also make their debut this weekend.

In many ways, this weekend is the harbinger for the summer. It plunges us into full summer preparation mode by calling, “The Tourists are Coming! The Tourists are Coming!” Too bad we missed the whole 1 if by land, 2 if by sea thing.

But before they arrive, we must be ready to lead them. Will you join us in praying that Father will get us ready? Maybe you could set aside a few minutes each day during your lunch hour to pray for iGo, the M’s, the team leaders, JSI’s and Jimmy? At Noon (Central iGosian time) each day this week we will post a Leadership Lesson for Lunch . Read it, share it with your friends, comment on it, and pray.

These Leadership Lessons are geared towards team leaders and JSI’s. However, you will quickly see that the lessons can be applied to almost any leadership setting. No matter your level of influence, we are sure you will find some help along the way this week.

So, it’s official. We have a lunch appointment every day this week. Let’s meet here and enjoy the Leadership Lessons with a healthy side of iGosian cucumbers and tomatoes. The first one will go live today at 12:00. See you then.

Leadership Lessons for Lunch (Part 1)

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Shocking

If someone were to ask you, “What kind of a leader was Jesus?” how would you respond? You might point out that He was powerful (even the winds and the seas obeyed him). Certainly he had the magnetism that accompanies great leaders (he gathered crowds of over 500 people). He displayed great authority and wisdom in his teaching, to the point that many were amazed by him. But, perhaps the main dividing line between Jesus and other leaders (aside from his deity) is the servant-like attitude he carried. It is shocking that someone esteemed so highly would stoop so low.

Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” And he modeled it. In fact, he set the bar so high that no matter how low we stoop to serve those we are leading, we will never travel downwards as far as Jesus did. Consider the last supper when the Creator stoops down to wash dirty, created feet. You can not overdo servanthood in your leadership. What type of foot washing (the dirty, boring, unimpressive work that by all worldly standards is ‘beneath you’ as a leader) can you do to serve those you are leading this summer? Do that work, and you will be great in the eyes of The Lord, Even if that makes you look less in the eyes of men.

–Ky Martin

Monday Memories of iGosia (Part 2)

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Last week we kicked off a new blog series leading up to Alpha Base Camp called Monday Memories of iGosia. Each Monday until the first Base Camp we will share a memory of the enchanted land of iGosia. Who knows? Maybe this series will build so much excitement that there will be lines of students this summer waiting to get in to iGosia. We may need to prepare for more tours.

One of the great aspects of a visit to iGosia is the mystery of this island. Or is it an island? See? Mystery. Every summer students arrive in iGosia knowing very little of the task that awaits them. The tributes, I mean students, receive teaching and training in the midst of grueling challenges, unexpected obstacles, strange foods, sleep deprivation, and uncomfortable circumstances. All of this takes place in an arena that is almost completely foreign to these students. The iGo Games are thrilling. On occasion students have wondered if iGosia was just some sort of strange hallucination; however, we can assure you there are no Tracker Jackets in iGosia…yet. The closest thing we have to mutated insects would be the notorious “Spider Crickets of Lavon.”

Speaking of the games of iGosia, there have been so many great ones over the years. Do you have a favorite? Was it Find the Dollar, or One Way In and One Way Out? Maybe you are old school enough to remember the Magic Carpet? Back before we had any good ideas we did crazy stuff like make teams eat sardines to finish a challenge. We even passed out Harry Potter jellybeans with flavors such as grass, dirt, vomit, and spagetti once or twice. Talk about Hunger Games.

One thing has always been true. The good people of iGosia love their games. And even in their games the iGosian motto runs true: Everything in iGosia happens for a reason. Hit the comment button, stroll down memory lane, and let us know about your favorite iGo game and the lesson learned.

Monday Memories of iGosia

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 05:00:00 GMT

As the days get longer and warmer, memories of iGosian summers past call to us demanding that we lose focus, at least for a few seconds, and remember that great land that so many love to visit. Therefore, Cucumbers and Tomatoes is proud to introduce our new Monday Memories of iGosia series. Each Monday leading up to the summer we will greet you with thoughts, images, facts, and even new things to expect in iGosian tourism season 2012. Students who subscribe to our RSS feed, Twitter account, or just refresh the Cucumbers and Tomatoes page incessantly will find their fix on Monday mornings. After a moment to reflect and maybe even post a comment or two, they will be able to focus again on diagraming sentences, chemistry labs, math equations, and world history. You are so welcome, teachers.

So thanks for joining us for the first edition ever of Monday Memories of iGosia. Facts: iGosia is officially known as The People’s Republic of iGosia. The official language is iGosian, however there is no written form. With tourism being such a big part of the iGosian economy, most of the people have learned to speak English, however many visitors to iGosia find it difficult to understand with the iGosian accent. You will also hear some words spoken in the native iGosian tongue in stressful situations, if such situations somehow arise.

Many tourists leave iGosia with vivid memories of specific iGosians that impacted their lives. This is the iGosian way. Perhaps this summer, you will be impacted by an encounter with a native iGosian such as the infamous “money for my baby” lady from last summer. There’s something to hope for as we close the first edition of Monday Memories of iGosia. See you next week.

So your parents told you “No.”

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 05:00:00 GMT

If this is where you find yourself right now recognize two things. The first is that God is sovereign. It did not catch Him by surprise that your parents told you that you cannot go overseas next summer. The second is that there is nothing new under the sun. So take comfort in knowing that you are not the first student whose parents told them that they could not go overseas. There is the temptation to think, “Well, Jesus’ command in the Great Commission is far more important than what my parents have to say.”

But I would caution you against thinking this way. In fact, I would tell you that it is dangerous for to you think this way; it is wrong for you to think this way. God has placed your parents in authority over you. And God commands us throughout His Word to obey and humbly submit to our parents and to those He has placed in authority over us.

So does that mean you’re just supposed to forget about the whole thing and just not go? Or that you heard wrong and maybe God didn’t actually tell you that you were supposed to go? These are not questions that I can answer for you. So for now, what are you supposed to do? Seek God. Seek Him in prayer, through His Word, and with His people. And submit to your parents. I would challenge you also, to not forget the power of God. Pray for your parents. And then pray for them some more. Pray that if this truly is His will, that He would open their hearts and allow you to go and pray that He would help you to joyfully submit to them.

It may end up that your parents don’t change their mind. That’s okay. God doesn’t need you. And He will honor your obedience to your parents. Maybe you can go the next year. It also might end up the way that it did for me. Over the course of a few months God opened my parent’s hearts. They allowed me first to send in an application and then a few months after that they allowed me to get on the plane. And I was more convinced than ever that this was His working, and not my own.

What if God had your parents tell you no, so that you would seek Him more? That you would depend on Him more? That you would trust Him more? And that you would praise Him more as you see Him move?

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Crystal’s Reflections on Leader Retreat

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 05:00:00 GMT

I turned my radio off, put my phone on silent and pointed my Honda down the road that would lead to my house some 45 minutes later. I hoped to process a bit of what the Lord did throughout the Leader Retreat weekend, even though I knew my brain had already stopped thinking clearly and was anticipating sleep rather than sorting out the weekend. I pushed forward anyway. By the time I reached my house, there was only one conclusion I had come to: my heart is deceitful but God is faithful. He is faithful to complete the work He began in me. But it’s not even about the work He’s doing in me, or the iGo staff, or the M’s, or any of the students who participated in the retreat. The good fruit we see is a by-product of what it’s really all about: His faithfulness to bring about His Glory to the nations. This is what stood out to me throughout the weekend from start to finish, weaved throughout every person God used to teach, correct, encourage and lead.

I was reminded of this truth when our staff met on Friday morning with the M’s & partners to spur one another on in the task set before us. I was kicked in the gut as AC shared on Friday night with the Team Leaders from 2 Chronicles, “even though we resolve to set our hearts to seek the Lord, God gives the victory, the salvation is His and He gets the glory for it.” Saturday morning, I was reminded how God displays his glory through a once cocky, punk kid turned Team Leader how the Lord worked through his Team Leader years before to show him humility. Jami Lee brought the whole idea home when she shared, “You will multiply yourself when you acknowledge God can do it better than you can.” Brad pushed it further with Philippians 2:5-11, commenting, “The reason Jesus took on our nasty skin was so that God would be glorified.” All of this happened in just the Team Leader portion of the weekend!

Then, the JSI’s arrived Saturday afternoon. (Sidebar: There is a distinct difference between the way excitement is expressed from the Team Leaders and the JSIs upon arrival. Neither one is wrong or right, just different. Team Leaders walk in calm, say their hellos, give high fives and get down to business. JSIs arrive FULL ON, talking 800 miles an hour, doing cheers, jumping up and down about their new t-shirts and never wanting the weekend to end. I love it all.) God used a JSI drawing out the core value on Ancient Work from creation to Christ’s return to show that God has been working since the beginning to bring about His Glory. I had the privilege of challenging the JSIs with the how to’s of the JSI role and saw God’s handiwork again when I realized that 75% of them were stepping up to the leadership ladder because God had used their JSI in the previous years to encourage them. Ky preached from Matthew and Mark that, “greatness is found in the mundane and ordinary,” charging us to “excel in our serving others rather than trying to increase our own positions.”

Sunday morning, God used Shu to speak God’s Sovereignty seen in Habbakuk saying, “God is reigning and ruling. He’s in control. Is that enough for you to press on even if everything is falling apart?” Rowdy brought the idea full circle for me from 2 Timothy 3: “You don’t have to rely on some manual iGo puts out that has steps A-Z in it. We have scripture and it’s sufficient.”

These are just a few highlights that stood out to me. We heard from the M’s and former JSI’s about being and making disciples; we worshipped through song with great leaders; we held small group discussions; we had lots of laughs getting to know one another better; we gave many hugs and high fives; and I believe we brought much Glory to God. He is it. The story we’re sharing is about Him, His plan, His sacrifice, His kingdom. He is the only one worthy of being made famous. What were your thoughts from the weekend?

Update on Japan from an M in Tokyo

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Gary F, an M in Japan shared this recently in a Facebook post:

CONTAMINATED AIR, FOOD & WATER, AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING

Is God REALLY in control? Does He truly rule over the land, the sea, the mountains and their movements? Can we trust in Him (not in our faith in Him but in the Person of God Himself!) when things are chaotic and so out of control in “real life”? Is faith in a higher power just a “pipe dream”?

Many, many sincere and good people lose their faith in God and their trust in “religion” in times of trouble. That is not a judgment but a statement of fact. Believe me, I have been close to it myself some days. I think that is a part of the human condition, isn’t it?

So, what do we do with the most recent news coming down from Tokyo? It is very clear that radiation levels are higher than normal in many parts of the Kanto region wherein the city is nested. Some readings show very high amounts of radiation, others much lower. But, regardless, the fact is that the readings are not normal. What about water? It has been confirmed by numerous sources that tap water is giving evidence of both iodine ( I-131) as well as cesium, both radioactive substances that should not be found in water under any circumstance. The government is saying that these levels are not “immediate health hazards” but what about the long term? Just yesterday, it was confirmed that radioactive readings were found in food products such as spinach, milk and other food in areas as southward as Chiba-prefecture which is latitudinally on the same plane as Tokyo. Finally, just this morning, it was revealed that an opening was discovered on the OUTSIDE of a building that houses a cooling pool at one of the reactors. There is a suspicion, yet to be confirmed, that the pool may have leaked radioactive water into the ocean. But there has been no recent update on that yet.

Let’s put these two realities together. Radioactivity in the food and water chain. Believing that God is sovereign and in control of everything, even nature. Can we put these two together? On the one hand, as a human being and as a parent, yes, I am concerned. As a follower of Jesus, living here, I have to believe God.

This morning, I read the first chapter of the book by John Piper and Justin Taylor called “Suffering and the Sovereignty of God.” In that chapter, John Piper says that this should be our prayer in the midst of suffering, “that God would stand forth and reassert his Creator-rights in our lives, and show to us his crucified and risen Son who has all authority in heaven and on earth, and waken in us the strongest faith in the supremacy of Christ, and the deepest comforts in suffering, and the sweetest fellowship with Jesus that we have ever known.” AMEN!

Piper then goes on the detail 10 relevant points. Each begins with the phrase,

“Let Us Celebrate That God is Sovereign”

1. Over Satan’s Delegated World Rule

2. Over Satan’s Angels (Demons, Evil Spirits)

3. Over Satan’s Hand in Persecution

4. Over Satan’s Life-Taking Power

5. Over Satan’s Hand in Natural Disasters

6. Over Satan’s Sickness-Causing Power

7. Over Satan’s Use of Animals and Plants

8. Over Satan’s Temptations to Sin

9. Over Satan’s Mind-Blinding Power

10. Over Satan’s Spiritual Bondage

Now, for those of you not familiar with the Bible or Christianity, this list might seem a little ridiculous. After all, aren’t Satan and demons a figment of our imagination? Or, you might be thinking so, Gary, the way you’re framing this list are you saying that some of this is happening intentionally? And others might be thinking, so, is this a battle of good versus evil? And who’s winning?

Glad you asked!

To the first question I would say, the greatest and most successful deception of Satan is to make us believe that he does not exist. If not for the teaching of Scripture we would know very little but the Bible is clear that the Satan or the devil is very real. More later when I do a separate note on how Piper develops some of these themes. To the second question, is what’s happening up in Tohoku not an accident, that is, did something cause it? Well, let me take this out of Christianity for a second. The governor of Tokyo made the mistake of calling the earthquake/tsunami that. He said that because of Japan’s egoism this horrific disaster was a “Ten-batsu”, literally, punishment from heaven or “divine retribution” as some news agencies have translated it. In other words, Shintaro Ishihara, a Japanese non-Christian man, said that there was “something behind this”, that it didn’t happen by accident. More on this later, too. To the last question, is this a battle between Satan and God, of good versus evil? Actually, the question should be framed, is this an EQUAL battle between Satan/evil and God/good (to put it in plain terms)? The answer here would be, no. Nothing happens without God’s permission. Satan is under God’s sovereign control even should God allow Satan to cause havoc upon humankind (see Job, chapters one & two). Again, this statement opens up a whole new can of “why” questions or even “how” ones. Again, I can’t answer that here but want to try to address what Piper says on a few of these things.

Let me just quote him and close now. I’ll come back to this later. I need to go out pretty soon.

Signs of “in-breaking of the kingdom of God.” Piper uses this phrase in relation to the impact of Christ healing people. But I think this concept has deep meaning when it is applied to radioactive foods, earthquake relief and human suffering in general. Even in the midst of disaster and tragedy God “breaks in.” He sometimes does it unilaterally on his own but many times He does it through people. For the aforementioned serious issues we’re dealing with here, I am trusting Him for “the in-breaking of His kingdom.”

“God, not Satan, is the final ruler of wind — and the waves.” Here, Piper was referring to the story in the gospels where Jesus literally made the wind and seas stop raging during a storm (see Mark 4:39). But I am applying this to the wind carrying radioactive particles or the water and the waves tainting the water supply. Yes, it is true that things are already beginning to happen here. But, once more, is our faith and what the Bible says about God’s control over nature irrelevant in this circumstance? Or, should we just trust in science to solve it or in our own intuition as we seek to flee from disaster (see my note on Calvin’s viewpoint on this)?

I want you to know that I am not treating this lightly and am not saying that this is all solved. But does my faith relate to any of this or do I just put it to the side and rely on reason, science, the government or other “experts”? It is a measure of all of the above, I think, but I don’t want faith to take a backseat while we trust in “man” and his abilities also (see Zech 4:6).

Finally, do we believe God more than Satan in the midst of this? Because Satan has the power not simply to mislead people but to deceive and “blind” them to all that is true and good. Piper quotes from 2 Corinthians 4:4, and 4:6, to show us “God’s blindness-removing power over against Satan’s blinding power” because this blinding power “is the most deadly weapon in the arsenal of Satan. If he succeeds with a person, the suffering will be endless.” I want to believe God more than Satan, more than even the circumstances I see around me. I choose Christ even as I carefully evaluate the present danger.

God is the king of the universe, creator of nature itself. God is in charge, Satan or “chance” is not. We are often blinded in our disbelief and must allow “the veil to be lifted” from our eyes so that our suffering is not self-fulfilling and endless.

Above all, as we walk with God and trust Him, even against insurmountable odds like the food and water supply we can rejoice in Him, and Him alone, for His glory.

Let Us Celebrate That God is Sovereign.” God is good, God is great. Let us thank Him.

Mustard seeds aren’t sexy

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

A mustard seed starts as something very small, the smallest of all seeds. But it eventually becomes something huge. Palestinian mustard plants can grow up to 12 feet tall. The illustration Jesus is making is clear: Things seemingly small and insignificant are often quite the opposite. But in what way does that describe the Kingdom?

To a first century Jew expecting a Messiah to come and overthrow Rome, the life of Jesus would seem very small and insignificant. He was convicted by the authorities of the religion he claimed to uphold. He was crucified by the nation that the Messiah was expected to conquer. And the followings he amassed were always either small, unreliable, or both. Given the expectation of what the Messiah would do, it would seem that Jesus accomplished very little through His life and death.

God seems to love irony. The life and death of this seemingly insignificant person from Nazareth was the biggest, most significant thing ever to happen in the history of humanity. “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (Mark 12:10). The end result of this seemingly insignificant man is a Kingdom (the church) far greater and influential than any political country or kingdom.

And it doesn’t stop with Jesus. This principle of God accomplishing his work through the seemingly insignificant is true of not only the beginning of His Kingdom but of it’s expansion, too. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:27, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.”

I see this intersecting my every-day life in two ways:
1. It reminds me that we bring nothing to the table: Have you ever had the thought, “I really wish ____ would come to faith because that person is SO extraverted and influential. He would make a huge impact on the Kingdom.”? As if God needs important or influential people to accomplish His purposes.

Do we really think that God NEEDS celebrities and extraverts to expand His Kingdom? God launched this whole Christian movement with a Nazarene and 12 fickle, uneducated knuckleheads who fled the scene when things got dangerous. His options were truly endless, and yet that is how He chose to do it. Similarly, God is using the small, seemingly insignificant people like you and I (as part of His church) to advance His Kingdom. He doesn’t need celebrities to make it happen.

2. The ordinary is significant: Just like God chose 12 ordinary uneducated men as his means, He has chosen me to lead my family, serve His church and share His gospel. That may mean that I need to spend less time dreaming about the “big things” that I could accomplish and focus more on the ordinary.

I remember as a high school student always looking for the next spiritual benchmark. I longed for that camp, or that trip, or that mentor that would take my faith to the next level. I treated those things as if they were the apex of spirituality. Ironically, the apex is the ordinary: Sitting with God’s people (church) under the preached word; Shepherding my wife by reading Scripture together; Taking the Lord’s Supper. Those things aren’t sexy, but neither are mustard seeds. These seemingly small things deserve my full attention. They are the means God has appointed for the expansion of His Kingdom in my life and around the world.

Jami’s Trip to Paris

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Yes, those monuments are all there, all a part of the city. But the suburbs of Paris are what caught my attention a lot more than the locations that attract tourists.

My idea, incredibly misconstrued, of what France entailed, was radically shifted and enlightened during the four days during Spring break that I walked and prayed with the M’s through these suburbs. In the district where we were, there are people from every country in the world except for three countries. It’s truly where the nations gather.

Walking through the market place, I found myself surrounded by North Africans from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt. Most of the North Africans don’t have jobs, except for the occasional man who maintains a janitorial position cleaning up after the markets end. The few Muslim women that I saw were almost completely covered, some showing on their eyes, a few more leaving their faces uncovered. I met South African women, with dark skin and painted faces, clothed in the bright colors of their traditional African dress. Occasionally I’d pass a Hindi woman, identified by the red dot on her forehead.

On Friday afternoon, at a few minutes past one o-clock, I saw four hundred men fill the streets of a particular suburb to listen to an imam teach and then corporately and simultaneously lift their voices and bend their backs to pray to a false God.

That’s the Paris I saw. That’s what I witnessed.

But I also met a handful of Egyptian Christ-followers who were clearly unveiled to the gospel, glowing from the reflection of Christ in their lives. I saw these families sharing the gospel in the varying Arabic dialects with some of their own people on the streets of these suburbs.

God’s work is ancient and existent in these suburbs of Paris, France. And I’m excited that some of our students are being allowed the opportunity to join God at work there and pray through the streets where people have heard about Jesus, but don’t know the truth about him.

Please join us in praying for God’s fame to continue to spread, especially in Paris, France.

Listen to Shu’s Message

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

In November we hosted the first ever iGo Conference, and our theme was The Body. The Bride. The Church. (We are finalizing conference info for 2011 right now, which will be released soon.) We spent a couple of days talking about what it means to love and serve the local church.

Shu opened the conference with a challenge to love your church. He pointed us to God’s undying love for his church, even when it is unhealthy or dysfunctional. He closed that session by giving us 5 practical ways to love our church:

Fundraising Encouragement

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Raising thousands of dollars can seem like a task you aren’t equipped for, but this is something you can do with God’s help. One valuable thing to remember with fundraising is that it’s all about relationships and sharing an opportunity (not a need). Needs don’t motivate. Opportunities do! Share the opportunity for people to join you in what God is going to do this summer.

As it is with almost anything, we seem to always look for the easiest way to do things. When it comes to fundraising, sending out fundraising letters is the easy way. Let’s be honest, we’d all love for every dollar to be raised from one fundraising letter, but that rarely, rarely happens. And in fundraising, the easy way is not the most effective way.

The reality is that you can and will likely raise some money using the fundraising letter method. But, I can guarantee you the most effective way to raise money is to actually meet in person with people who know you and love you. You will have so much more success when you share your calling and your passion about this summer and invite others to join you. When others see your passion, when they hear how you have answered the call to go, and when they are given an opportunity to get involved, the majority of people will .

One other encouragement I want to share with you is to ask specifically what you want people to give . People want to meet your expectations, so ask them to give a specific amount. The number you ask for may be different for each person/family you meet with, simply because people have the ability to give more or less than others. Evaluate each person/family you meet with and adjust the amount you ask for based on what you believe is their giving potential. You might ask for $50, $100, or $500. Whatever you do, ask specifically.

So again, as you are fundraising remember these two important things: 1) Offer the opportunity for people to join/partner with you in what God has called you to do this summer, and share the opportunity in face-to-face visits; 2) As you share the opportunity, ask for a specific amount you want each person to give.

These are just two strategies among so many, but the one thing that should probably go without saying is that you must pray. Ask God to move in the hearts and minds of those you contact. Seek Him continually, trust Him, that He’s faithful to provide for what He’s called you to, and then watch Him use your efforts to supply what’s required.

Let us know how your fundraising is going!

Pray for the People of Laos

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Capital: Vientiane

Population: 6,436,093

Peoples:

Religion:
Persecution of Christians was extremely harsh between 1975-1978. Although restrictions eased afterward, churches and Christians are still watched and targeted. Buddhism has gained much of its old influence, but is heavily mixed with animism.

How can you pray?

1. Most people in Laos remained unreached, and the gospel has not easily crossed ethnic barriers. Buddhism and tribal religions are often blended together. There are an average of 5,000 temples and only 250 church buildings. Pray for the gospel to shine throughout Laos.

2. The suffering church has recognized that persecution is one factor in its growth saying that it keeps them praying and relying on God. Social pressure and the prevention of new church buildings are the opposition’s primary strategies of attack. Pray for perseverance and grace for those who must endure, and also for those who are singled out by persecutors. Pray for an increased openness to evangelism, church planting and building. Pray for believers and for a continued boldness in sharing the gospel. Pray for the discipleship; that believers would grow strong in their faith and not fall away.

3. Pray for leaders for the churches. Over 90% of all trained leaders left Laos in 1975, and most congregations do not have a trained pastor.

4. Pray for unreached people groups:

The Lao – This is the nation’s most prominent people and there has been major growth among the Lao (more than 40,000 Christians), and they are key in bringing the gospel to the rest of Laos. Anti-Christian bias in both government and society, and pressure to conform to the passive nature of the Laos culture are major obstacles to faith.

The Tai tribes – They are the most unevangelized and have almost no resources in their dialects (over 15 dialects).

The northern peoples – Many have responded to the gospel in China and Thailand but political conditions have never allowed missionary work; pray that this will change.

The information provided is from the book Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation. You can go to the Operation World website to order your own copy here http://www.operationworld.org/

Book of the Month

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 06:00:00 GMT

If you were to look at my bookshelf, you would see several of my old favorites, new favorites, and honestly, several books that I’ve never even touched. I used to do it often- buy books, begin reading them, and quickly put them away because I couldn’t quite get into them. It is sometimes a few months or a few years later before I ever give those books another look.

One morning after spending time in Proverbs and being really convicted of idleness, laziness, and lack of discipline, I wandered over to my bookshelf. After looking through several books I had read before, I found one of those that I had never really gotten into- “Discipline: The Glad Surrender” by Elisabeth Elliot . The title seemed pretty fitting for what the Lord had been convicting me of, so I have spent the last few weeks reading it.

Reflecting on Tokyo Number Five

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:00:00 GMT

This was my fifth time in Tokyo…

My fifth time in a place where I’m familiar with the train systems and chopsticks;

My fifth time walking amongst the people I’ve come to love, small and polite, yet hopeless in so many ways;

My fifth time praying amongst busily-trodden streets, observing and attempting to emulate the cultural norms of cleanliness and silence;

And my fourth time revisiting where such a large part of my heart is and probably will remain forever.

But I’m learning that God’s changing my heart. Rather, he’s broadening it.

This year’s Texas Super Summer Global trip was incredible. As usual, my role varied from any role I’ve been in the previous four times I’ve served in Tokyo. From one week student to intern, to intern leader, to assistant coordinator, to head coordinator…God consistently teaches and stretches me, pushing me out of my comfort zone, and reminding me of my depravity, and his Holiness…and how I should glory not in my own pitiful status, but in the sufficiency of His scriptures, the beauty of His gospel, and the hope that only comes from Christ.

And this summer, like the previous ones, I was reminded that he doesn’t need me for this work…but he chooses to allow me to join him in what he’s doing.

Amazing. Humbling.

Our team of 123 individuals – made up of high school and college students, as well as adults, was incredible. Incredible. Never have I experienced a one-week team more understanding and joyful in the truths of scripture.

My prayer became that each of us would grow in a deeper understanding of bottom line truth: God, give us all a passion and desire for your glory. Make us jealous for your fame and glory among the nations.

And through the actions and words of our team, it was evident that God answered that prayer, for his glory.

Here are a few quotes from our team throughout the week:

“I was to the point where I was asking, ‘God, why are you making me weaker? I know the road is hard, but I also know it’s not about me. No matter how much I’m breaking, I know you will be exalted.’”

“No matter the darkness, God’s name is going to be exalted, and we can’t stop that.”

“I just want to encourage you to keep praying because it works and God wants us to keep crying out his name.”

“Ancient work is coming.”

Two of the core values we teach include Ancient Work and Joy of the Sower. We teach that God’s work is ancient – he’s been wherever we’re going to serve long before we arrive, and he’ll continue his work there long after we leave. Evidence of this is all throughout scripture, and we specifically teach it from Acts 8 and 10. Understanding this truth and living it out allowed the students to experience joy in their ministry – joy in prayerwalking, joy in meeting people, joy in sharing the gospel, and joy in simply being allowed to join God’s work in Tokyo, Japan. Joy of the Sower is something we teach from John 4. We impress upon the students that there is joy in sowing as much as there is joy in reaping, sometimes more in the former. Understanding that it is God who saves someone, not us, the students were joyful in simply being a part of the process of people coming to recognize and acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior. Grasping these two core values together showed the team’s grasp of the bottom line – of being about God’s glory rather than anything else. They were okay with not being the one with the fabulous story at the end of the day. They were okay with not being the one with the fabulous story, period. Grasping bottom line truth leaves no room for pride or selfishness…and that’s what I saw in this year’s Texas Super Summer Global team.

This was my first time to walk from beginning to end with a group of students…through the recruiting at camps, to reading their applications and learning about their struggles and strengths, to fighting through the fundraising process, to packing and losing their luggage at base camp. It was incredible to be reminded that these trips are the ones where our leaders originate…these trips are sometimes the beginning of God ruining the lives of students who will forever strive to live a bottom line life, wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. As Shu said during his teaching at base camp, this truth is so much bigger than our team.

It’s so much bigger than our trip.

It’s so much bigger than Tokyo.

It’s so much bigger than me and my passion for the Japanese people.

It’s about HIM and HIS glory and desire for his name.

And even though I’ve heard this truth and attempted, however feebly, to pursue it for the past five years of my life, this year brought a deeper understanding of it which challenges me and sparks within me a deeper joy than before.

I loved watching these students, seeing them be ruined for God’s purposes instead of their own, observing them grasp truths and struggle through application of those truths, and having them unknowingly challenge and humble me in the process.

And so for the first time ever, I’ve felt like God’s stretched my passion for his glory in Tokyo beyond the borders of that island, and outwards towards being jealous for his name everywhere.

For the first time I’m okay with never returning to Tokyo, if that is God’s will.

Because it’s not about Tokyo.

It’s not about the Japanese people.

It’s not about me.

It’s about God’s fame being spread everywhere.

And I’d love to do what I do anywhere on the face of the earth. Walking with these students and learning from them and growing with them is incredible. Wherever God allows me to do this, I’ll be joyful and obedient.

Because, like so many of our students proclaimed in Tokyo, God doesn’t need me anywhere. He allows me to join him specifically in places where he’s already at work. Why not have joy in that?

So my passion remains for Tokyo, but it stretches out far beyond the regions of Yokohama and Chiba and Saitama.

And I’ll love going with students wherever God allows us to join him.

Not my preference, but His glory.

So, like I end the majority of my tweets, so I end this entry:

I love my job.

People Group of the Month

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 06:00:00 GMT

Each month we are going to start highlighting a different country, people groups within the country, and some things you can be praying for specifically for the people of that nation. This month we are going to share some information on the country of Morocco.

MOROCCO

Religion:

Sunni Islam is the state religion. The existence of Christians and Jews is tolerated, but the government does not accept the existence of an indigenous Moroccan Church. Authorities carefully monitor all known Christian activity, even though it is legal both to talk about Christ and to invite friends home to discussion. Local believers are often harassed by police, while some have even been imprisoned.

How can you pray?

1. Pray that this nation may become open for the good news. Pride in Morocco’s past as a centre of Islamic civilization and learning, and deeply rooted prejudice against Christianity remain barriers to the acceptance of the gospel. Only a small percentage of the population has been clearly presented with the gospel.

2. Pray for peace throughout the nation, for the countries leaders; that policies and planning might establish justice, fairness, and openness.

3. Pray for the church. There is a strong growing network of indigenous Christians throughout the country, pray that this network extends. Pray against divisions in the church, that there would be fellowship and unity among believers. For strength and perseverance for believers under pressure from family, police, or religious authorities. For the discipleship of believers which can be difficult in the context of persecution, isolation and fear. Pray that believers might increasingly engage with scripture, focus on Christ and understand their faith. Pray for the lack of scripture and teaching materials needed to develop and train leaders.

4. Pray for specific unreached minority people groups: The Maghreb Jews – today only a few thousand of these people remain in Morocco, and there is no known outreach among them. The nomadic desert tribes – have little contact with the gospel. Rural Moroccan Arabs – although they are part of a majority people group they are particularly unreached and isolated from the gospel.

5. Moroccans have started to migrate in large numbers due to unemployment, many illegally and dangerously. There are significant numbers of Moroccans in Europe: in France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Britain. Pray specifically for missionaries who are seeking to reach Moroccans in these countries.

Jami Lee & Chassidy’s Story

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Prior to the summer of 2004, Chassidy Rogers and Jami Lee Gainey were typical high school junior girls, both from smaller towns, each with their own dreams and aspirations. Chassidy wanted to be a teacher, and Jami Lee was interested in being either a veterinarian or a nurse. The two girls’ paths crossed in June of 2004 at Super Summer, where the theme for the summer was “Around the World.” They had no way of knowing then that that week would be the catalyst for changing the trajectory of each of their lives.

A year later they found themselves immersed in iGosian culture together: kissing raw fish, bartering for powdered donuts, and sharing bowls of ramen noodles.

It was then that God began to open their eyes to truths in scripture that they’d never before seen. It was the first of many times they’d hear teaching on the core values and begin their individual journeys of plumbing the depths of scripture in relation to God’s desire for his glory.

The training and teaching that was impressed upon the girls at base camp came to life during their first trip to Tokyo, Japan. This was their first exposure tangibly seeing people who were worshipping idols “made of silver and gold…that have ears, but do not hear, eyes but do not see” (Psalm 115:4-5). They learned and put into practice how to share the gospel through building relationships in a way that encouraged and prepared them to continue living missionally after returning home to the States.

The next summer involved each girl attempting to incorporate what they’d learned through different ministry avenues that did not involve iGo. Despite this momentary straying from the Lord in 2006, they quickly repented in sackcloth and ashes and served again with iGo in 2007.

The summers of 2007 and 2008 looked differently for both Chassidy and Jami Lee, but God continued to challenge and refine them through spending their summers sharing with least-reached people groups around the world.

Neither Chassidy nor Jami Lee would’ve predicted how God would change their lives from their own plans to aligning more with his desire for his name and renown. By the end of the summer in 2008, both Chassidy and Jami Lee felt called to be a part of God’s kingdom work by joining the iGo staff. Both girls joined the iGo team in 2009 after graduating from college. Both became trip coordinators, sending Super Summer students to unreached people groups.

Both girls feel blessed to be a part of the family at iGo. Not only was it life-changing to become part of the larger iGo family for the first time in 2005, but also it’s been incredible joining the tighter-knit group of staff members the girls get to work alongside day in and day out. Both Chassidy and Jami Lee consider the iGo team as instrumental in encouraging and modeling what it looks like to live a gospel-centered life. Despite flying footballs and endless Youtube quoting, the staff at iGo challenge each other to live a bottom line lifestyle through being committed to the local church, pursuing Biblical community, and trusting the sufficiency of scripture. Whether praying for each other, serving cucumbers and tomatoes together, or teaching the core values alongside one another, the iGo staff strives to remain focused on God’s glory as the ultimate purpose for all they do. These are just two of the staff members who have been changed by what God is doing through iGo.

So thankful for our M partners

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT

At iGo we are so blessed to work with amazing M’s on the field. We love being a part of what God is doing through their ministry. It is so exciting to hear how God is moving among their specific people groups and drawing people to himself. Our M partners are so faithful to pour into our students while they are on the field – demonstrating to them what it looks like to live missionally. They show our students how to cross cultural barriers in order to share the truth of Jesus and plant churches. We love being able to serve alongside these friends who have given their lives to spreading the gospel among the unreached people groups of the world. What a huge encouragement they are to us as well! Several of our M friends sent us the following messages after their summer teams arrived back in the states:

How humbling it is to be in partnership with these incredible men and women. It is truly a blessing to serve alongside them – shining as lights in some of the darkest places in the world while training up the next generation to live on mission. Join us in praying for these Ms and their difficult work on the field. May God continue to use them to Make Him Famous!

Stop worrying. Start praying. With thanksgiving.

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 06:00:00 GMT

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

I have always loved Paul’s teaching on prayer in Philippians 4. His command to not be anxious is so challenging. After all, Paul is telling me not to worry about things in my life while accessorizing his wardrobe with chains. No, not the Mr. T kind – the “you didn’t think you were going anywhere did you?” kind.

So Paul tells us not to be anxious. Stop worrying. Maybe he had some kind of premonition that worry and stress are unhealthy and lead to all kinds of disorders, diseases, and dis-function. But that wasn’t the main reason. The main reason is that our worry and anxiety tell a story about our lack of trust in God. “I don’t think he is concerned, I don’t think he is involved, I think this is up to me, and/or I definitely don’t think He is working this out for the good.” These are the heart proclamations of those that worry.

So Paul says don’t worry, and then he gives an alternative. Pray. Instead of getting all worked up about stuff, present your requests to God. What a great plan with an even better reward.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

But just this week I noticed a little something extra in the formula. Thanksgiving. Paul added that in there to remind us it isn’t about the formula. It isn’t about the do’s and the don’ts. It’s about the gospel. It always is for Paul, and it always should be for us. The gospel is the only reason God hears our prayers.

The Bible says that God doesn’t hear the prayers of sinners. Without Jesus, our prayers are like those legendary trees that fall in the woods with no one around, thus failing to actually make a sound. Through the cross, Jesus gave us His righteousness, and now God sees us through Jesus and listens to us. Be thankful.

We don’t need to worry since God actually will listen to our prayers and He truly is concerned and involved in our lives. So be thankful. Be thankful that you can pray. Be thankful that you can give him requests. Be thankful that He listens. Be thankful for Jesus. Because without Jesus, none of that happens.

I can also be thankful when I pray knowing that this is so much bigger than me. These little issues that I deal with, when I give them to God as requests, He takes them and brings about His glory. John 14:13 says that God answers prayers so that He can bring glory to Himself. I pray instead of worry about stuff, and God’s trustworthiness and sufficiency are put on display. I pray instead of worry about stuff and God gets all the credit when He answers those prayers. I pray instead of worry about stuff and I become more and more thankful for Him.

Stop worrying. Start praying. With thanksgiving.

Less than a week away…looking back at 2009!

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Hgpf. No, not a typo. This is a word. At one time, it was just an acronym, but somewhere along the way it seems these four letters took on a meaning all their own. Humble, gentle, patient, and forbearing. These are the words that Hgpf represents. Embracing them helps develop a team mentality. Brad came up with the super catchy acronym back in the day, but I still think he just threw it out there after trying for hours to come up with something catchy using thesaurus.com. Either way, team building is a huge part of the iGo experience. It always has been.

We place students on teams with other students and send them to make Him famous among unreached people groups. In many cases, these teams will spend inordinate amounts of time together as they serve alongside each other day after day while experiencing the challenges of culture shock, spiritual warfare, and fatigue. Their ability to function as a unified team is so important. Jesus said that when we are unified, we show the world that Jesus is the Son of God and that He loves them (John 17:23). Wow. Team unity is tied (like everything else) to the bottom line. When our teams function together and demonstrate Hgpf with each other, they bring glory to Jesus. And so we teach it, pray for it, and try to demonstrate it no matter how ridiculous it sounds when we say it. Bring the Hgpf.

As this countdown nears the end, I have realized how much I have enjoyed looking back at these ten years. We have journeyed with some great students, and those great students have formed great teams. 2009 was no different. But thinking about all our teams has made me think about the core of the iGo team.

I had absolutely no idea ten years ago that God was going to give me a team to lead at iGo. When you start something from scratch there are too many doubts about the future to think about asking anyone else to get in a boat that may or may not be sinking.

There is no way iGo would be celebrating ten years if it weren’t for the team that serves here. It is the team around me that makes this happen, but they aren’t my team. They are His. I still haven’t recruited a staff member. I have never asked for resumes. No ads on monster.com. But He has faithfully led people to our team to play a specific role, many times before I knew we needed that role played. Some of them came and served for a time and then moved on, but their contribution was vital. This truly is a team effort.

You probably know this, but I want to make sure. Our staff raises their own support to work here. God calls them to join us, and then he provides through support raising. Some of them sacrifice on a daily basis because they believe so much in the ministry and vision of iGo. I am humbled, amazed, and blessed to get to lead a group of people like that. They do their jobs with excellence not because of a paycheck and definitely not for the benefits (free T-shirts?). They serve because of their calling, passion, and commitment. Thanks team!

So here is my challenge (to whomever might be reading along).

2009 was another great year. There are some good pictures on Facebook already from that summer. Make a comment on them. Tag someone. Start a conversation. Join the celebration. We are less than a week away from the 10 Year Celebration Banquet.

To attend the banquet this Saturday, October 23, register here: 2010 iGo Global Celebration Banquet

Almost there… 2008

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 05:00:00 GMT

For all eight of you that have been following along with all these countdown articles, you know that in 2007 things really began to click. We learned so much over the first six summers, and everything seemed to come together almost perfectly in that one summer. We felt like we had finally figured this thing out.

Consider the following quote:

“If you’re in a bad situation, don’t worry it’ll change. If you’re in a good situation, don’t worry it’ll change.” ~John A. Simone, Sr.

Yes, after seeing this thing turn almost into a finely tuned machine in 2007, almost everything changed in 2008. Change started in Germany, and as a result, our time ended in Germany. The infamous Jeff received a new and much better position with the IMB. Unfortunately for us, this meant he would no longer be living in Germany. Instead he would be in a little region of the world known as the Middle East. Yes, that Middle East.

Suddenly, the one M on the planet we knew who was crazy enough to take hundreds of students at a time, pour himself into interns while entrusting them with the bulk of the daily leadership of those hundreds of students was now moving literally between “Iraq and a hard place.” You figure it out.

We knew that we would no longer be sending him large teams of entry level students. First, we didn’t want to take entry level students into the Middle East, and second we didn’t figure hundreds of parents would be too cool with the idea either.

So change we did. Our first student team ever (2001) served in Japan, and we had been sending teams to Japan every summer since. Our main contact in Tokyo was Buddy, and coincidentally (read sarcasm in the tone there) Buddy had just been given a new role as volunteer coordinator for the Tokyo team. Buddy’s vision was to have as many short-term teams as possible in Tokyo in 2008.

It was our great privilege to introduce Buddy to 189 of our BFF’s from Texas Super Summer. No, the number is not mistyped. We basically invaded Tokyo in 2008 with a team of 189 students and adults from Texas Super Summer. In addition to that, we had established a partnership with the Kansas Nebraska Baptist Convention and were able to send that team of 30+ students to Tokyo as well.

The GO Students partnership from Oklahoma combined with our new partnership with the Missouri Baptist Convention decided to go a different route than Tokyo. Instead we decided to keep that partnership in Western Europe and move it to a different city and country.

God opened up doors for us at just the right time in Wales and England to begin sending these students from Oklahoma and Missouri to the United Kingdom.

NOTE: Our focus from day one at iGo has been to point students towards Great Commission completion work. This means that we want to send students to places where they can work with unreached and least reached peoples. When a lot of people hear that we send students to places like London, they tend to think of it as a tour group disguised as a mission trip. However, the truth is we are strategically engaging the world’s great cities where peoples from all nations have gathered. We can bring entry level students into these places in significant numbers and engage unreached people groups in “parent-approved” settings. And if you still have doubts, come and spend a week on the ground in London with our teams. Most of them don’t even see the main tourist attractions, choosing to spend their one free day with new friends they have met throughout the week.

God changed pretty much everything in 2008. And we never missed a beat. Of course, that isn’t because we were such good planners. It is because when He changed everything, He had already set in motion His plan to continue this work. Once again, we found ourselves riding along marvelling at His timing, His provision, and His faithfulness to the ministry He had given us.

We also had Xtreme Journey teams serving in super tough and challenging places. Places that are the modern day equivalent of the ends of the earth. We rotated our JSI’s over to Tokyo and the UK to help lead the teams. 2008 was a great year, and in many ways a new beginning for iGo. We started to see that change truly was going to be a part of our culture. In fact, just this summer, due to circumstances once again beyond our control, our partnership with Tokyo has come to an end. And almost as soon as it did, God had opened up new doors for us in Paris and Amsterdam. As we enter the next 10 years of ministry, we will do so with new locations and new partnerships once again. Change is inevitable, and change can definitely be good.

Counting Down to Our 10 Year Anniversary: 2007

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The great “Hannibal” Smith from The A-team is famous for saying, “I love it when a plan comes together.” This was his closing line of each episode right after everything worked out, but hardly ever according to his plan.

2007 felt a little like that. The common thread throughout all these countdown articles is God’s faithfulness and guidance. This ministry has always been His vision, His plan, and His work. He led us to every idea, and many times he seemed to just drop things in our lap. The way He orchestrated events and circumstances to get us further down the road left us humbled and encouraged. His plans always came together, often at the expense of ours.

So when we say that in 2007 things really began to click, you know where to give the credit.

That little JSI idea from 2004 was rolling by the time 2007 came around. High school and college students were interning with M’s in Germany and Japan. These students spent their summer months leading one week and other short term teams on the field. They invested in people from their host cultures while our M partners invested in them through intense discipleship. It was cool to glance at this on the surface and see that we were allowing these students to become M’s. They were doing everything that M’s do, right alongside the career M’s. Even cooler was to look closer and see that we were doing something even bigger. We were helping these students develop an on mission life.

We also saw a clear strategy develop around this time for helping students intensify their engagement. Students could at that time serve with iGo for a week on an entry level team or for most of the summer as a JSI or college Xtreme Journey team member. That, however, wasn’t enough for a couple of young ladies. Chelsea and Amy approached us and asked if we would send them to East Asia for 14 months. Without really knowing how to do that (and Chelsea and Amy can verify that fact), we said yes. Those two young ladies paved the way in so many areas. We now send students to the middle east for 6 months or a year. We learned from them that we needed to provide clear steps for our students to see what is next in their journey towards missional living. As we get to walk with students over the course of a few years and multiple levels of trips, we can truly help them become on mission Christ followers. Thanks Amy and Chelsea for being such great guinea pigs (that sounds better than lab rats).

I remember writing in my journal back in 2001 how much I wanted hundreds of students to serve overseas with us all over the planet. I also remember not knowing how in the world that would ever happen. I didn’t have a plan, just a vision. Seven summers later we were able to train and send 500 students overseas. Some of them served a week, some served the whole summer, and three served longer than six months. Yep, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Stay tuned for the final few articles in this countdown series. There is more to that 2001 journal entry that I need to share, more of God’s fulfillment of the vision He gave us from the very beginning, and of course more pictures to post on Facebook.

[If you got this far, you should post a comment to Shu, letting him know you’re reading these. He needs some motivation to continue these updates!]

Counting Down to our 10 Year Anniversary – 2006

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Very shortly after we started iGo (back then, iWitness) our friend James Lankford asked us to drive up to Oklahoma for a meeting. In that meeting James simply asked us if we could handle about 200 Oklahoma students that had indicated they wanted to serve on an international mission trip.

We said no. Or maybe it was an emphatic no way. At that time, we had not taken a team of students anywhere. We felt like just a couple of guys with a good idea, but with no real idea if we could make that idea happen. We really wanted to say yes, but we knew deep down that we just weren’t ready for that kind of bandwidth. We asked James to give us a couple of years to get this thing going, and we would get back in touch.

And then we drove back to Texas (AKA The Republic) and poured all of our time and energy into barely mobilizing a team of 13 to Japan. ( See the 2001 story for more details ).

Fast forward to the spring of 2005. We were preparing for our biggest summer ever. Texas Super Summer Global had, to say the least, taken off. We were poised to send over 200 students that summer, and we felt like we had a partnership model now that might work elsewhere.

Meanwhile, up in Oklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains, James and the BGCO had been working diligently to mobilize students from Falls Creek. With over 40,000 students attending Falls Creek every summer, they still weren’t having any success with their GO Students initiative. In fact, in 2005 they would send less than 10 students overseas through GO Students.

It was time for another meeting. James and I met for three hours that day at InterUrban Restaurant in Ardmore, OK (someday maybe they will put a random historical marker in front of that place). With James’ desire to see Oklahoma students go global to make Him famous and our new model, we formed an official partnership. iGo Global would now be the student missions facilitator for the BGCO through Falls Creek.

Keep in mind that what we were doing with Texas Super Summer was just a model. Going into 2005, it hadn’t even been a successful model, other than we had 100 students and adults signed up and ready to go. With Oklahoma, we didn’t know what to expect. There were enough differences in the camp, partnership, etc. to make us wonder if we would have anywhere near the same level of success.

We didn’t have to wonder for long. When 2006 rolled around, we ended up sending 194 Oklahoma students and adults overseas. The response was so amazing that we had to scramble to create two weeks instead of one for GO Students. From a total of 13 in 2001 to over 400 in 2006!

Of course, now that we look back we can see this thing unfold so clearly. God’s timing was so perfect. We truly weren’t ready in that first year, but I doubt Oklahoma was ready then either. Without their struggle to do it themselves for a few years, they might not have ever been to the point where they would jump in with both feet. God took some time to get us ready and then he set in motion a groundswell from every corner of Oklahoma and all the parts in between.

Yes, 2006 was intense. It was crazy and demanding and fulfilling and challenging and stretching. But it was so much fun. So much joy came when everything came together like that. We had college teams serving in some of the hardest places on the planet to penetrate with the gospel. We had interns in Germany and Japan helping the M’s to get ready for and lead other teams coming in. We had a great group of Jimmy interns back in the office helping us to mobilize. And God was building our staff, our vision, our ministry, and our impact.

Side Notes: (Because every time I write one of these recaps somebody tells me what I forgot)

2005: First year we had a mascot in iGosia. The first one was an armadillo. In 2006, we went to the penguin. Can you name all the others?

Staff: God had to build our staff while he was growing our ministry as well. Ky and Aaron finally got out of college and joined the team officially shortly after Natalie in the 04/05 year. Crystal Meeker joined us in 2005 as well. Lori Flowers had come with us for a few years to help us get organized, but she left to move to Atlanta with her husband. In 2006, Elizabeth Junell heard the call (either from God or from us for help) and she took over as adminstrative and business manager. The exact dates and such have gotten away from me but Kent Jones made a shift to iGo staff instead of GO Foundation staff as his primary job somewhere in there as well.

Jimmy : It seems like in 2005 or maybe 2006 we started calling our office interns Jimmy. Brad decided that everyone needed a friend named Jimmy, and it was easier to give them all the same name. So we did.

And the countdown to our 10th Anniversary Celebration continues!

Click here to register for the celebration.

Click here to see our Facebook page and see pictures from our 2006 teams.

Looking Back – 2005

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The connection between iGo Global and Texas Super Summer has always been a good one. Most of our current staff were involved in Super Summer at some point in their lives. For me, personally, Super Summer was the event God used to change the trajectory of my life as a teenager from Angleton, Texas (Home of the Wildcats! Purple and White! Fight! Fight! Fight!)

And when we started iGo, we naturally turned to Super Summer for recruiting. After all, students who are ready for Super Summer are likely candidates to follow God to the ends of the earth.

Every year we would show up at Super Summer with some information. They would graciously give us some time on stage to call students to be involved, and we would do our best to encourage students to apply for one of our amazing trips all over the globe. That was pretty much it as far as our marketing and recruiting strategy. One year we added a cool element by making a phone call to Ky while he served in East Asia (yes, we called him. Skype wasn’t around yet). That idea was indeed fruitful. For several years, I ran into students whose story was that God called them the night we called Ky.

Fruitful in those days, however, meant a handful of students would respond, apply, and then follow through by participating on a team. But everything was about to change. I wish I could tell you how brilliant we were. I wish I could tell you that we had all the scientific data behind us when we made our next strategic decision (we discovered the scientific data a few years later). The truth is we wanted this thing to grow, and we were willing to try anything.

At a lunch meeting one afternoon with Leighton Flowers (aka the King of Texas Super Summer), we threw out the idea of putting together one Texas Super Summer mission team for the summer of 2005. Instead of recruiting for all of our trips, we would show up at each session of Super Summer with a different story to tell. This new story would be that all Texas Super Summer students (as many as applied and were accepted) would go together to Cologne, Germany all together in 2005. There at that lunch table Super Summer Global was born.

Scientific data (like I said we found this years later) supports the theory that given too many good choices, most people find it difficult to choose. Many don’t choose at all. What we did with SS Global was simply take the choice off the table. Students no longer needed to decide where God might be calling them to go. They only had to decide if they should go. I will never forget being at the first cloudburst and hearing Leighton stand up and announce the plan, throwing out the vision that every Super Summer student was called to go at some point. Why not now? We had moved this thing from a commercial to a calling; from network to partnership, from a plan to a movement.

And God unleashed those students. In the summer of 2005, 100 students and adults served on the first ever Super Summer Global team in Cologne. Crosspointe Fellowship from Greenville, Texas joined forces with SSG to make the final number of that group 113, which meant that in one week we sent more people than our largest summer in our history. Our second wave of interns (JSI’s) led the SSG team on the ground after spending most of their summer in Cologne. Natalie (Townley) Stary left her position with Texas Super Summer to join our staff to coordinate our Super Summer partnership, further evidence that God was providing for iGo as Brad would say, seldom early, but never late.

In addition to that small army from our new partnership, we mobilized several other teams of students to other countries as God continued to grant us favor with missionaries and students willing to go. The foundation He had laid over the first four years was solid, and He was ready to build. And as we quickly saw, He knows a thing or two about building. 2005 was just the beginning.

Check out the iGo Global facebook fan page for pictures of the 2005 teams. You can also click these links: Big Red and Japan

10 Years of Making Him Famous – 2004

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:00:00 GMT

We are counting down to our 10th Anniversary Celebration banquet by looking each week at one of the 10 years. And since we are doing them all in order, this week we are looking at 2004. Unfortunately, 2004 was pretty boring. There, I said it. Criticize if you want, but you were all thinking it (unless of course 2004 was your year to go: in that case, well, sorry).

Just look at the timeline and you can see what I mean. In 2001 we started this whole thing from nothing and turned it into a tiny bit more than nothing, but at least we started. In 2002 we were dealing with the new world created by 9/11. In 2003 God threw SARS into Asia to make things really crazy. And next week we will talk about a new little partnership thing we unveiled in 2005 called Super Summer Global.

And right in the middle of all that fun was 2004, just sitting there looking at us with that cute and innocent look I get from my youngest daughter, usually after she has taken away a sibling’s toy. Interesting.

So maybe this calls for some closer inspection. In the summer of 2004, things started clicking. We broke into triple digits by sending 110 students that summer. We partnered with several churches to send youth groups on mission in a thing we called Group Treks. Asia opened back up and we sent a college team into East Asia (aka Big Red) to work with a new partner. Teams went back into Japan (including our first and last 8th grade team members). We added another new location in Central Asia (one of the countries with -stan at the end), and we sent out a small team of high school and college students to Germany in what turned out to be our first overseas intern team.

Our new friend, JRS (connected to him by SARS) in Cologne wanted to have a group of students interning with him for the summer that he could train to lead the other teams (Group Treks) that were coming in for a week at a time. We had a small number of pioneer-minded students ready and willing to spend more than 2 weeks overseas, so we put it together. Thus, the JSI strategy was born.

Every summer now students serve as JSI’s all over the world. (Note: In 2004 we called these students interns. We also called the students serving in our office interns. It got a little confusing. We ended up calling the overseas interns JSI’s. Don’t ask me what that stands for. And we now call our stateside interns Jimmy. That’s right, We don’t call anyone interns anymore, but at least it’s not confusing.) These students spend from 6-8 weeks overseas. Working closely with our M partners, they experience intense discipleship, lead our short term teams in their cities, and learn how to lead. Many of these JSI’s every summer are high school students, who can be seen leading other high school students and even adults through public transportation in foreign cities in order to engage unreached peoples. It is one of my favorite things to observe. The book, Do Hard Things was written by a couple of teenagers challenging their generation to raise the bar and do things far beyond the expectations placed on them by others. Our JSI’s do hard things every summer.

All that began with that first group of interns back in 2004. Thanks Allison, Bama, Crista, Heather, Heidi, Jennifer, Jordan, and Lindsey.

Ok, ok. You got me. 2004 was actually quite impressive. God removed all the distractions that summer so He could work on the foundation. It’s a good thing he did, too. 2005 and a small army from Texas Super Summer were on the way.

Check out a selection of photos from 2004 on the iGo Global Facebook page.

A Look Back: Summer 2002

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

The most important thing to know about the year 2002 is that it came after 2001. Well, specifically 9/11/2001. How do you grow a ministry that takes high school and college students on airplanes overseas after that happens? Um…you don’t. Out of the 10 years of teaching, training, and sending year two was probably the toughest for many reasons.

If you read last week’s countdown article, you know that God used our first year and especially our first summer team to confirm everything we had dreamed about, prayed for, and hoped in as we started iGo. But in the following year, it seemed like much of that was put to the test. And the end result? We didn’t grow our ministry in 2002.

God did. You have to look a little deeper to see growth, but it was there. You could see a shadow of growth in our numbers. We went from 13 in the summer of 2001 to 19 in the summer of 2002. Like I said, just a shadow. However, sitting here 10 years later I can see his hand guiding us so clearly through the uncertainty. I can see how he led us step by step to put things into place that set us up for the numerical growth around the corner.

In 2002, we sent out two teams, which meant we would not send a staff member with our teams. The groundwork for recruiting and training team leaders was put in place that second summer. Now, this is an integral part of our strategy. Seeing students lead our teams a few years after their first overseas experience with us brings our team a great deal of joy.

We invited four students to intern with us that second summer (Ky Martin, Russell Leatherman, Kelly Kleinkort, and Lauren Gross). We didn’t need interns. We didn’t have any space for interns (For our office, we shared space with Lake Pointe Church members who were unemployed and searching for work. To this day I am not sure if LPC was trying to give me a hint or not). Even so, starting an intentional internship helped us realize we would always be about developing students and raising up leaders. I doubt those first four student interns learned much if anything, but I sure did.

Marc Morrow and Kelly Kleinkort led our first team into East Asia that summer. This team of college students was able to teach English, take language classes, and be involved in all kinds of work that Father had prepared for them.

I guess the strangest part of 2002 for me was not being overseas with our teams, but God was using that to grow me as well. I needed to see what my role would be in the future, which helped me to communicate to future staff as well. We are teachers, we are trainers, and we are senders. Many times that means we don’t get to go. I stayed behind that summer, but 19 students went overseas and made Him famous among unreached peoples. That seemed like growth to me, but little did I know what God had planned for 2003.

iGo Global – Ten Years of making Him famous

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

This is the first in a 10 part series counting down the weeks till our 10th Anniversary Celebration Banquet. For info on attending the banquet or hosting a table to introduce friends to iGo, email us at banquet@igoglobal.org.

Where We Began:

We left on Friday the 13th of July in 2001. There were 13 of us and the flight to Tokyo was 13 hours long. But we weren’t the least bit nervous about any of that. Our flight was on a 777 aircraft. And thus, iGo Global began.

This was the first student team sent by iGo, and God used this trip for so much. He used our team to impact the work in Sapporo, Japan. We assisted the missionaries there in the early stages of planting a house church in their neighborhood. We planted many seeds of the gospel, we prayed big prayers for God to move among those people, and we encouraged the few believers we were able to connect with.

God also used this trip to take us all deeper in our relationship with Him. We got a taste of His passion for His glory when we saw people bow down and worship statues in the temples. We saw a glimpse of His heart for the nations and His purpose for all peoples as we prayed for and shared with the Japanese. And we clearly understood that living on mission is not an option for believers as we realized missions could not be contained in a two week trip.

In addition, I look back and see how God used this trip to confirm everything we were doing with iGo. Up until we landed in Japan, iGo was just an idea, and we weren’t even sure it was a good one. But there, in Japan with a group of high school students for two weeks, God solidified so much of this calling. I knew it was never going to be about how many students we could send, but I wanted more and more students to walk this walk and see these sights. I came home knowing that I could give my life to this, and pretty sure I was supposed to do exactly that.

I am even more sure of that today. Ten years later I am completely amazed at what God has done through iGo Global. In preparing to celebrate ten years, I am more convinced than ever that this is His story, not ours. He is doing this. He is bringing the students. He is leading us as we train them. He is impacting His world with our teams. He is accomplishing His purposes and we somehow found ourselves in a front row seat.

That first team in 2001 is where it all started, and that team still impacts where we are today. In fact, one of those students from that team joined our staff a few years later. Ky Martin now gives leadership to our partnership trips and oversees directly our Oklahoma GO Students partnership. Others from that team are impacting His kingdom in various ways as they seek to live on mission. I could not have asked for a better start, and for that I am thankful.

To check out more pics from the 2001 team, visit Lance’s facebook album: http://tinyurl.com/27ac4nc . There are some great pics of Ky and Shu!

Ky shares about his experience overseas

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:00:00 GMT

It was 9 years long ago that I went on my first overseas trip with iGo Global (then known as iWitness Ministries). I can still look back and point to that trip as a major spiritual landmark in my life. Since then, there has been an ever increasing desire in me to see other students experience and learn those same life-altering, plan-ruining truths.

Now that I have been on staff for a while and now that iGo has grown so much, I do not get as much direct interaction with individual students. Because of this, I sometimes wonder if what happened to me is still happening to them. It seems that with most things in life, when quantity increases, quality decreases. When I went as a student our team consisted of 13 people, and we were the only team. iGo now sends around 500 students each summer.

It’s easy to see the spiritual growth in our leaders and in those who have been with us multiple times. What about the student whose involvement with iGo is limited to a one-week trip to the UK?

While I was in London this year, I decided to sit in on one of the share times that a team was having at the end of the week. What I saw was very encouraging.

I listened to this group of 8 to 10 students (part of a team of 70) share what they had learned throughout the week. Many of them had that “Where do I even begin?” look on their faces.

One girl spoke of our first core value: The Bottom Line (God’s desire for His glory among all nations). She explained how the things she underlines in her Bible are different now. She used to just underline verses that dealt with how God would bless His people. Now she’s underlining verses about His heart for His glory and fame among all nations on earth.

Everyone nodded in agreement as she spoke. It was obvious that the way they read their Bibles had been altered as well. Another girl shared about learning the joy of sharing her faith. She explained how awesome it was to experience the joy of sharing with someone, even if they didn’t convert, knowing that God is sovereign and did not need her to finish his work in that person’s life.

The more they shared, the more obvious it was to me that every single one of those students had been impacted in a big way. They had been changed by their experience overseas, and also by the Base Camp teachings. Those teachings had given them a scriptural understanding and basis for their experiences on the field. It was so refreshing to me as I got to sit back and listen to them share. I just kept thinking, “Wow, they’re getting it. God is still using this teaching to alter the lives of students. My time is well spent here at iGo.”

A Word from the President

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Her tweet reminded me of those days when I was the one that greeted all our teams at the airport. Other schedule demands and responsibilities keep me away from that scene most of the time. We usually send Jimmy, and I confess I am a little jealous. I know that anytime someone has been away from home, especially far away, there is something great about the airport greeting. But the scene at Terminal D that develops when iGo Global students arrive home after giving part or all of their summer to make Him famous is truly special on another level. Watching the parents as they walk through so many emotions is worth the trip. They know their child just did something unbelievably significant. They sense that things will never be the same now. Most of them are fully aware that their children just did something they would never have done. And the tears and the hugs and the stories and the shouts and the full on celebrations are all so intense.

Thanks to all of you out there who keep up with iGo Global for one reason or another. You support us, you pray for us, you volunteer, and some of you have been with us before. I hope you will continue this journey with us as we continue to teach, train, and send students to make Him famous. In fact, there are some very specific ways that we invite you to do that:

10th Anniversary Celebration Banquet

iSend Project

Crystal’s iGosian Cupcakes!

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

As many of you know, I bake cupcakes in almost any flavor you can imagine, however when I’m in iGosia it is rare to find an oven. Just because you may not find an oven in iGosia doesn’t mean you can’t have cupcakes! For your eating enjoyment please follow the recipe below for a taste of an authentic iGosia treat.

Ingredients: (Makes 1 dozen)
2 large Cucumbers
12 large Tomatoes
2 large tub sour cream
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Wash all vegetables.
2. Hollow out tomatoes so they look like this:

3. Dice the cucumbers in small pieces, about this big:

4. Stuff tomatoes with cucumbers.
5. Top with sour cream.
6. Garnish with a piece of tomato & cucumber.
7. Invite friends over to share.
8. Eat. Enjoy.

The Trinity and Christian World View

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Having a Christian World View means that we make sense of the world through the lens of Scripture. More specifically, we make sense of creation by first understanding the Creator. We should be careful to always begin with God and understand how creation reflects Him. If we do this backwards (start with creation and THEN move towards God to explain Him) we are in danger of skewing Him to make Him fit in our world and in effect, creating an idol. So what does it mean to make sense of the world through the lens of Scripture?

One good example of this is relationships – almost all relationships stem from the Trinity. We have societies because God is a society.

In the Trinity we receive the foundation for relationships like:

1. Parents and children (Exodus 20:12)

2. Church members and church leaders (Hebrews 13:17)

3. Government authorities and citizens (Romans 13:1)

4. Husbands and wives (Ephesians 5:24)

Because of our fallen state, it is difficult to imagine any kind of authoritative relationship that is absent of bitterness, frustration, and animosity. Those things exist in our earthly relationships not because authority is bad, but because we are bad. However, the concepts of authority and equality are grounded in the Trinity.

These two words cannot co-exist in some cultures. Some believe that difference in role implies difference in value, importance, and worth as well. As Christians, however, we believe that authority and equality often exist simultaneously in the same relationship. We should not brush past this or take it for granted.

We find these two qualities existing simultaneously in the Trinity. The Father has authority over the Son. John 6:38 says, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” See also John 3:16, John 12:49. In this relationship, the Son willingly and joyfully submits to the Father. They are equally God, equally important, equally valuable – but there is authority in the midst of their equality.

In all of the relationship examples listed above we see both authority (one is to submit to the other) along with equality (one does not exceed the other in worth, value, or importance). This is just one of many examples of how creation reflects the Creator.

Our explanation of things around us should be different than that of the world. Are you making sense of earthly realities by looking at heavenly truths?

Everything Moves in Response to Him

Thu, 13 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Malachi is a great book. Very underrated, often overlooked, and God has used it to challenge some things in my life in profound ways. It’s sort of a dialogue between God and his people through his prophet, Malachi.

The book starts with one of the most controversial topics in scripture: Election. It talks about God choosing Jacob (or Israel) and rejecting Esau. While there are definitely election themes present, the point of this section is not whether some are elect or not, but rather that God loves Israel passionately.

Verses 4-5 say that even if Edom builds itself up, God will destroy it, and the people will see this and say, “The Lord is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.” The point here is that God is not only over his own people, Israel. He is over absolutely everything. He is the King, and nothing is outside of his control and influence.

To put it another way, absolutely everything moves in response to the Lord. Whether they claim to be his or not, everything moves in response to him. Everything.

When the Israelites left Egypt, finally released from slavery, Exodus 12:35-36 says, “The Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord gave the people such favor in the Egyptians’ sight that they gave them what they requested. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.”

There was no battle. There was no looting or stealing. There was God, acting on behalf of his people, turning the hearts of the Egyptians, people who had set themselves against Him, causing them to give freely to the Israelites. Israel didn’t have to do anything to coerce this. And God did not crush them in order to take it. He moved their hearts and caused them to willingly participate in their own plundering…because everything moves in response to Him.

As we send hundreds of students all over the planet each summer we, and they, face some difficult questions about the work and the harvest. It can be overwhelming to think about whether we will see people come to faith and what happens to those we meet after we leave. But understanding that everything moves in response to Him frees us. We don’t bring in the harvest. People and things do not move in response to us. But they do move in response to the one who created them and has access to their hearts. He brings in the harvest.

While we don’t have the power to change people, situations, or nations, God does. As we go this summer, and every other day or our lives, we live in this unique relationship and task where God has asked us only to sow seeds faithfully, pray with endurance, and watch him for the results. He will handle the harvest. Everything moves in response to Him.

Can’t Say Maybe – Meet Rowdy

Mon, 10 May 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I still remember back in my elementary school days when I didn’t want anyone to know my nickname. The reason was mainly because I didn’t know anyone else in the world with the name “Rowdy!” Everyone in my family called me by that name, but I insisted that everyone at school call me by my first name. It’s a funny thing as you look back on it. Not only was the name “different,” but in so many ways it wasn’t my true personality – at least to those that didn’t know the real me. My family would tell you the name fit, but even at an early age, I was pretty reserved around people that I didn’t know too well.

Fast forward a few years to today and I find myself in a new office around mostly people that I’m just now getting to know. They all call me “Rowdy” and I’m fine with that. As a matter of fact, I even introduce myself as Rowdy to new people here in Dallas. It’s sorta weird for me as I’ve grown up introducing myself as James. When it comes down to it, I’ll answer to either one.

Back in the day (the 90’s), when I was trying to figure out a “cool” email address to use, I thought I’d use “Rowdy!” The email provider at the time had already assigned that name to someone, so I had to come up with something clever…

In 1998, I attended the Passion Conference in Austin, Texas. At that conference, God did a unique work in my heart that ultimately has brought me to work here at iGo today. At Passion, I was introduced to the “theme” verse, Isaiah 26:8. I remember Louie Giglio saying that it wasn’t just a “theme,” but more like a “life” verse for the Passion Conferences. As a reminder of how God was working in my life at the time, I took on the 268 as a life verse as well and thus, I solved my email dilemma! So from that point on, it’s been “rowdy268” for my email address and more importantly, my life.

A couple of days ago, I was reading about how Francis Chan was leaving his church to follow God’s call on his life. Francis shared that he wasn’t exactly sure what God was calling him to next, he just new it was his time to go. He made this statement, “I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t go…” That reminded me of how God led me to work here at iGo. During one of the teaching sessions at Passion, Louie taught on Isaiah 26:8 and made this statement “What other word do you put before the word “Lord” except “Yes?” Over the years, that word sank deep into my bones and I spent many years not only teaching that to students, but trying to model that for them as well. Then it happened. God called. I had been telling students all this time “When God calls, if He is Lord, then the answer has to be YES.” You can’t say “No” to God and him still be LORD. You can’t even say “Maybe” and him still be LORD. The only response when God confronts you and asks something of you is YES!

When God called I had many fears, but down deep, I knew that when God calls, He provides. In those first few weeks, I wrestled with how I would respond to this new journey. At the end of the day, it was important for my students to see me lead with integrity. How could I continue to lead them if I said “No” or even “Maybe?” I even found myself thinking I could say “No” as none of the students even knew that I was going through this struggle. That would have been the easy way. Saying “YES” to God would be hard…it meant change, submission, and raising our own support. I probably could have said “No” and gone on like nothing ever happened…but in reality, I would have lost my ability to lead the students. As believers , we are expected to not only speak the truth, but also, live the truth! I would have also failed to allow God to have the glory in providing for us in the call, and to me, that was a much bigger issue. So my answer was a simple, “YES”, and looking back, I see students who are saying “YES,” not because of me, but because they want God to get the glory too.

What about you? When God calls you to be a part of something, what is your answer?

What I miss about Tokyo

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 05:00:00 GMT

I constantly find myself daydreaming about Tokyo. I suppose after spending an extended period of time anywhere, a piece of your heart remains. Quite often I imagine I’m standing on a platform, waiting for a train to arrive, or sitting down to eat sukiyaki, dipping thin strips of pork into a layer of boiling water and tasting the freshly-cooked, tasty meat.

So I’ve come up with this list (which could be exhaustive in my mind): the things I miss about Tokyo. It does not include ALL of the things I miss, but touches on several of the main ones. Those iGosians who’ve spent time in Tokyo hopefully will connect with some of these things. For those of you who’ve never been to Tokyo, or maybe are planning to go in the future, my second list may prove more helpful (see below). Hope you enjoy!

Top 20ish Things I Miss Most About Tokyo (in no particular order):

1. Walking on the left side of the road/staircase.
2. The many smells on the side of the street, especially yakisoba.
3. The brilliant invention of unlimited hot water in the shower.
4. Bowing.
5. Always being greeted when walking into a store.
6. The challenge of trying to survive Shibuya crossing without touching anyone.
7. Rush-hour train rides and thirteen complete strangers touching you simultaneously.
8. The neatness and cleanliness of the streets, people, and culture.
9. Rain (and thus slightly cooler weather) during the summer months.
10. Onsens
11. Taking ALL shoes off at the door.
12. Sitting on the floor.
13. Chopsticks.
14. The way most Japanese are so shy about their English, when in all actuality they’re pretty fluent.
15. Escalators everywhere.
16. Sorting trash.
17. Pink toilet paper.
18. The Elvis dancers, drummers, bagpipe players, skateboarding bulldog, and so much more that can be found in Yoyogi park any given Sunday.
19. Heated toilet seats.
20. Umbrella plastic bags to keep people from tracking water into businesses.
21. The 4am sunrises (yes, I’m an early-bird).
22. Morning jogs through Yoyogi park.
23. Karaoke nights out.
24. Umbrella wars.

And now for those of you who’ve never been, but may be planning to go…

The Top 5 Things one is tempted to do while in Tokyo, and which are usually highly unadvisable:

5. Making no attempt to read the Trashcan labels, and discarding your garbage into whichever one is nearest.
4. Laughing out loud and pointing out to the Japanese all of their Engrish mistakes.
3. Dousing all your food in soy sauce.
2. Increasing the volume of your speech so as to make the Japanese better understand your English.
1. Yelling “Somebody’s touching me!” during rush hour while on a crowded train.

The Cost of Forgiveness

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:00:00 GMT

I’ve been reading a lot of Tim Keller lately. So, admittedly, most of these thoughts are his, not mine. He made some amazing observations about the story of Namaan (2 Kings 5:1-14).

Namaan is a commander of the army of Syria (an enemy of Israel). He is portrayed as a man of honor and power, but he also had leprosy. He hears of a great prophet in Samaria (Elisha). So he goes to this other country (Israel) and brings a great treasure to offer in exchange for his healing.

When Elisha tells Namaan to go wash in the Jordan river, he is enraged. He brought a small fortune and came prepared to do “some great thing” in order to purchase the healing of his leprosy, but was told to “just wash” and it was too simple. He walked away from Elisha with bitterness and anger.

Like Naaman, we understand that there is usually some cost associated with healing. And the greater the disease (typically) the greater the cost of healing. Now think about that in terms of our sin. We profess to believe in justification by faith alone. We all know that we cannot buy our healing and forgiveness from God. We know that our only hope is that God has “caused us to be born again” (1 Pet. 1:3).

But I think deep down, like Namaan, we have a hard time really embracing this. The command he received, “just wash”, seemed to be too simple. Our command to “just believe” seems too easy as well. We hesitate to approach God in prayer after we have fallen into sin. Rather than embracing, enjoying, and loving God for His forgiveness, we often spend our time making resolution to do things “For Christ” in hopes to make it up to Him or pay Him back.

Naaman’s healing was free. It cost him nothing. However, it did cost somebody something. We learn in the beginning of chapter 5 that Namaan and his army raided a city in Israel, and that he carried off a “little girl” as a slave. It is likely that this raid resulted in the death of the little girl’s parents.

We would expect this servant girl to harbor hatred and bitterness toward Namaan. We would expect her to react to his leprosy by saying in her heart: “You’re dang right you have leprosy. You deserve nothing less for warring against God’s chosen people and dragging me off as your slave.” But she doesn’t. In fact, she is the reason he makes the trip to Israel and finds Elisha. We see her in verse 3 wishing and hoping that he will be healed. She longs for healing for the one who plundered her hometown and drug her away as a slave. That’s crazy!

Namaan’s healing didn’t cost him everything. But it costs this servant everything. Her suffering and willingness to forgive him led to his healing. Sound familiar? The innocent one suffers, and the guilty party is healed and forgiven. The innocent absorbs a high cost and the guilty one is cleansed (at no cost to himself).

It’s easy to read that story and overlook the servant girl’s suffering. Naaman DID NOT have to do “some great thing” in order to be healed. But the servant girl DID have to do “some great thing” and suffered some great costs in order for Namaan to be saved from his decaying flesh.

Likewise, the reason we often find it difficult to accept forgiveness that is made available to us, is that we forget that it was not completely free. We can truly embrace and accept forgiveness that costs us nothing only when we gaze upon the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 who paid the full ransom price for our sins.

We have to remind ourselves and preach to ourselves that “when Christ offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.” Keeping this truth in front of our eyes will keep us from falling into what John Piper calls the “debtors ethic” where we try to “make up” for our sins by working for Christ, as if the cross were insufficient.

Missional??

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:00:00 GMT

What does it mean to be missional? Is there a difference between mission-minded, missional, and missiological. I’ve heard varied definitions of all three, but have no more clarity on what it means to be on mission. When we talk to iGosians about being on mission at home, how does that relate to doing missions overseas? Is one greater or more necessary than the other? These are all questions people are asking, and unfortunately as the word “missional” has become a buzz word, it has been attached to things that are actually not missional or missions.

Ed Stetzer has some good insight into this issue of what it means to really live on mission and do missions. Check out his blog by clicking the link below and comment here with your thoughts about being missional and doing missions.

Click here to read Ed Stetzer’s Blog

Leslie’s Story

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:00:00 GMT

Thursday Ami and I had coffee-mochas, but we didn’t drink them until we left the coffee shop because we were drinking in the living water – and that water was so refreshing, satisfying, quenching, delicious, and life-giving. The first question Ami asked me was the difference between the Father and the Son. After answering her question we started reading in John. Before we could do that though, she needed to know who John was. Then, as we started reading she needed to know that the John we were reading about in the first chapter was not the same John writing. We went verse by verse from the first chapter through the middle of chapter 3. Sometimes there were questions of English, other times questions of the Book, and many times both. It was one of the best hours of my life. You should’ve seen the look on her face when we read that Jesus turned the water to wine! I thought to myself, “WE’RE ONLY ON CHAPTER 2! WAIT’LL SHE READS THE REST!!!” Oh and when we read how much He loves us in 3:16, I wish you could’ve seen the tears fill her eyes! When we read it she pointed to the word, “whoever.” She didn’t know what it meant. She knows now. Anyone. Any person. Everyone. Every person who believes…

Only the Father knows the condition of her heart and He is the only one causing the seed in her heart to grow. Whether or not she believes yet, I do not know…but I do know it won’t be long! Pray for Ami, we will read again this next week. Pray that He would draw her to His Book before then, that waiting until the start of the semester would be too long – that she would be thirsty now. Pray against the lies the enemy will try to throw her way to choke that seed. And pray for her to know Him. And thank Him for His deep love for us – that He will bring a girl all the way from Japan to podunk Stillwater, OK for this purpose!!! Oh He Is So MIGHTY To Save!

I can’t wait to read with Ami again. It is all so new to her and it is all miraculous and awesome and exciting and wonderful and mind-blowing and earth-shattering! Reading with her convicts me as I see the excitement in her eyes! How often I just read over those miracles without thinking about them! Father, forgive me! I am so thrilled to read with her again because I see it coming alive for her, which causes it to come alive for me once again as well. I will say that it is exhausting reading with Ami, but it is joyful exhaustion. It’s like football, (I’ve never really played football but I imagine it’s like football, haha.) During the game the players are having a blast pouring out all of their energy to win. But afterwards those boys need a shower, nap, and carbs. Reading with her propelled me into the Book myself. I had to be filled again. Are you allowing Him to fill you? If not I challenge you to let Him fill you. And if you are, are you turning that cup upside down, pouring yourself out? If so, I challenge you also to let Him fill you more, that your life may be a constant overflow – that as quickly as He is filling your cup it is overflowing into those around you.

And pray for all the Amis living in Japan. There are millions. Just as Ami had no knowledge before we met, they too have NO KNOWLEDGE! There are millions of people dying daily around this world – not people that rejected this hope, but people that never knew that this hope exists!

Isaiah 44:19 “ No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, ‘I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!'”

I pray that just as Isaiah had a revelation of God (ch.6), and his natural response to the Father’s love was to say, “Send Me!” that this would be our response as well. Ask Him what this means for you and your family and your life. John tells us to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” Maybe giving towards those that are going and lifting up those who are going is what He has for you (I believe He has this for all of us). Maybe He wants you to GO. Ask the Lord of the Harvest to raise up many workers for His field. For the fields are ripe for harvest, it is the workers that are few.

Happy iGosian New Year!

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:00:00 GMT

As you enter into Twenty Ten, let me give you a quick and simple challenge as you continue on your journey to missional living.

Reflect. Find a quiet place today and remember what He has done in your life in 2009. Get out your journal and allow His faithfulness and His work to encourage you.

Get a plan. Call them resolutions, goals, or commitments. I think it was John Maxwell who said if you fail to plan then you can plan to fail. As you enter the new year, what are your goals? What do you want your life to look like a year from now? How will you get there? Here are some essential elements for your plan:

Read the Word. Do you have a plan for reading the Bible this year? There are all kinds of resources readily available to us. Do some research and pick a plan that works for you. Here are some sites and posts related to planning your devotional life this year:

*The plan Pastor John Piper recommends – http://ow.ly/RbAk
*A post from iGo co-founder JR Vassar (now leading a church in NYC) – http://post.ly/GS3u
*LifeChurch.tv has some great resources – http://youversion.com
*The Life Journal is another good plan – http://lifejournal.cc

Pray, Give, or Go. You need a plan to do your part this year in God’s Global Mission. Some of you are going this year. Some of you have gone in the past. Not everyone can go every year, unless of course you are Rachel B, Allen D, or Leslie C. For the rest of us, we need to plan to stay engaged. Here are two links to help you stay engaged and do your part:

The Joshua Project – The Joshua Project will help you pray for unreached peoples every day. You can even follow them on Twitter.
iSend Project – Maybe you haven’t heard of the iSend Project. What a great way for an iGosian alum to join us in 2010. Join this month and receive a free book.

Eat lots of Cucumbers and Tomatoes (especially for breakfast). Not only is this healthier than your pop tarts, it will remind you of the teaching and training and just plain fun times you had at Base Camp. Seriously, consider this. Eat some cucumbers and tomatoes for breakfast one day a week. Yes, you can have something else with them. On that day, set aside some time to pray for the nations. Pray for the people you met overseas. Pray for the M’s that live and serve there. Pray for the teams going out this summer. Pray for us at iGo Global. And let us know how we can pray for you. Happy New Year!

–The Republic of iGosia

What are you reading?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:00:00 GMT

“You will be the same person next year except for the books you read and the people you meet.” I’m not sure who said that, and I’m not sure I completely agree with the statement, but I have to admit the quote does have some truth to it. I like what Shu has said, “Readers are leaders and leaders are readers.” It’s hard to argue with the truth of that statement.

I’m not a guy who really loves reading. For the most part, I have to intentionally make myself read. Over the last several years, the practice and discipline of reading has become much easier and something I enjoy more and more. I want to be a guy who is constantly learning, and one great way to learn is to read. So, I do my best to read at least one book a month.

When I look back at my life thus far, I have had my fair share of regrets, especially regarding risks I didn’t take, times when I played it too safe. Yet, I was challenged as I read this book, that as a believer, God hasn’t called me to live a safe, comfortable, risk-free life. His desire is that I be a risk taker for Him, to not always look for the comfortable and easy way, but to trust Him and step out in faith and obedience when He calls.

The decision for us to adopt was one I wrestled with for a long time. But as I continued to go to the Word, realizing that it is God’s primary way of speaking to us, I asked for wisdom. As I prayed and sought what God desired for us, I could not get away from the prompting and voice of the Spirit nudging us to step out in faith, to trust Him. So, although we are uncertain of what God has in store for our family, we move forward with confidence and assurance that He has called us to adopt, specifically from an “unreached” people. No matter what may come our way, whether it be joy, pain, or some combination of the two, we are excited about what God has in store. We are determined as a family to walk in obedience to Father, living our lives with no regrets.

As I mentioned, God’s primary way of speaking to us is His word, and that should always be the first and last place we go when we need wisdom. But, I’m so thankful for authors and books God also uses to challenge, stir, and inspire me. He used “Wild Goose Chase” in my life, and I expect He will use others as I take the time to read and learn from other authors. So….what are you currently reading? How has God used what you have read to impact your life?

Kent’s currently reading: “Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership” by Tony Morgan

Next on Kent’s reading list: “Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters” by Tim Keller

Prayer

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

By Jami Lee Gainey

Romans 12:12 reads, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

Many of you have heard Kent teach from Psalm 139 concerning God’s sovereignty. I agree with Kent that even though I don’t fully understand the sovereignty of God, He works when people are faithful in calling out to him – he works on those prayers, and they are powerful.

You iGosians know how we stress during training time that prayer is not “just something we do when there’s nothing else to do”; it’s what we should be doing first and foremost. It’s the groundbreaking work to any type of ministry we do. Before seeds can be sown, the ground needs to be plowed and broken up with prayer.

I saw this truth come to fruit in my life in a new, joyous way this past summer. This past June, my father was diagnosed with cancer and told he had less than six months to live.

Soon after learning of Daddy’s diagnosis, my husband, Nick, and I went to Silver Cliff with our youth group, where we prayed together each morning concerning Daddy. We prayed, as Jeremiah 31:12 says, that others would see us as “radiant over the goodness of the Lord” – and be drawn to God because of that. We prayed specifically for my aunt and uncle. I learned a week later that this was a prayer that Daddy and Momma were also praying.

Approximately two weeks after his diagnosis, my father spoke at his home church on a Wednesday night. Instead of talking about himself and his present suffering, Daddy challenged his church family to be intentional about praying for and witnessing to friends and family members who were not living as Christ would have them live (obviously my aunt and uncle were on our minds). He told them – “Don’t wait until you have six months left before you feel the urgency…start now. Persevere, and don’t ever give up praying.”

On the morning of August 10, 2009, Daddy went to heaven. As they carried his body out of the house, my Aunt stepped outside with my grandmother, and told her these words: “I’ve found Jesus.” Two weeks later, my Aunt and Uncle came in front of my parents’ church – my uncle to declare a new commitment he was making to Christ, and my aunt to share her new decision as Christ being the Lord of her life. God answered a prayer that some had been praying for over 35 years.

As Beth Moore taught in her last simulcast, beneath the desires of our heart, is the heart of our desires; and, only when destiny or God’s glory is at stake, will God make us patiently wait instead of answering our prayers concerning the desires of our heart. The desire of my heart was that God would heal my father, and allow him to live for much longer than he did. However, God knew that His Glory was at stake – and that His Glory was truly the heart of my desires. So he answered according to that, and now I know I will not only see my Daddy in heaven, but also my aunt and uncle, and who knows how many others because of testimonies of the Hope that God provides for us.

So as Romans 12:12 says, Rejoice in the hope we have, be patient during tribulation – when you are waiting for God to answer the desires of your heart – and be constant in prayer, knowing that God will answer understanding the heart of our desires, and in accordance with what brings Him the most glory.

Thoughts from Sally Waller

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Sally served as a Jimmy (office intern) with us this past summer and below is a story about iGo she wrote for one of her classes this semester. There is exactly one Sonic, one Subway, and one little hole-in-the-wall Mexican food restaurant (named La Flor) in Lavon, Texas- a town that serves more as a…

The Gospel According to Noah

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:00:00 GMT

I, along with other iGo staff members, have been learning a lot lately about finding Jesus in the Old Testament. Special thanks to author Tim Keller for pointing us in the right direction. I taught this lesson a few weeks ago at church using Noah.

The 6th chapter of Genesis tells the story of God resolving to destroy the Earth with a flood because the earth was “corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence” (Gen. 6:11). However, God chooses by His mercy to save Noah and his family from the destruction.

The flood is obviously an act of judgement and a demonstration of holy wrath from a righteous God who “will by no means clear the guilty” (Numbers 14:18b). Noah was spared from God’s wrath why? Because he “was a Righteous man, blameless in his generation” (Gen. 6:9).

Noah of course was not free from sin, since “all have sinned…” (Rom. 3:23). However, there seemed to have been a very real, very practical holiness in which Noah walked. And because of that, he found favor in God’s eyes, and was spared. So in this story, the righteous one (Noah) is saved while the unrighteous (everyone else) were destroyed by the flood of God’s wrath for their sin.

Peter found a connection between the waters of the flood and the waters of baptism. “God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. Baptism which corresponds to this, now saves you not as removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 3:20-21).

So what is the connection between the flood and baptism? I think we find it a few verses up in 1 Pet. 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.” When the flood came upon Noah, the unrighteous were destroyed and the righteous one was saved. However, when Jesus came, the unrighteous (us) were saved and the Righteous One (Jesus) suffered under the flood of God’s wrath.

This is Amazing! Jesus is the new and better Noah who, though Righteous, suffered under the flood of God’s wrath and spared the unrighteous.

Not only that, but after suffering under God’s wrath, Jesus rose. That is why we get baptized. Jesus, through suffering under the flood of God’s wrath and being resurrected, made a way for us to be cleansed and have a new life. “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4).

The flood waters served two purposes: Wrath (The flood was God’s wrath carried out against the unrighteous) and Cleansing (The flood was God’s way of cleansing the earth). Similarly, the baptismal waters represent the wrath of God (which Jesus suffered under on our behalf) and cleansing (our old life was washed clean because of Jesus’ death, and through His resurrection, we have new life.)

Welcome to Cucumbers & Tomatoes!

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Has it happened yet? Now that you have been back in school for a couple weeks it is bound to happen. Maybe even when you least expect it. It might take place when you are in chemistry lab wondering why your teacher assigned you these yahoos as lab partners. Or it could kick in during trigonometry as you daydream about the good old days when letters never found their way into math problems. It could even sneak up on you during English as you ponder why Shakespeare didn’t know how to write in English very well. What language did he speak anyway?

And then it hits you. A longing for all things iGosia rushes over you like people trying to get into a Tokyo train at rush hour. You find yourself wishing that as you exit class into the hallway, 25 screaming iGosians would be waiting to convince you that you need a purple bus ticket. At breakfast you wish your brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts could have a side of cucumbers. And actually solving a calculus problem reminds you constantly of the Bottom Line. Face it. You miss iGosia. You miss the market, customs, food, and the teaching. We know. We’ve just been waiting for you to admit it.

So this blog is for you…the true iGosians. It is a place for you to connect with the mysterious and wonderful land of iGosia. It is a place for you to be remember the teachings, the core values, the ridiculousness, and to hear from our staff. Check it out. Check it often. Tell your iGosian friends. The place to be on the world wide web is here. Cucumbers and Tomatoes.

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