  Hello Dave and Cheri, November is the heart of our mobilization season. College campuses are buzzing with energy, campus ministers are active in events and discipleship, and our mobilizers are all over the place connecting with students and collegiate leaders to help mobilize a new kind of missionary. This time of year presents so much potential and expectation, and so it's a great moment to send this update to all of you, knowing that you share our heart and excitement for the potential and plan that God has for the next generation! Here's what's been going on in the last few months: Class of 2019 Complete The two GoWeek cohorts this year were full of phenomenal young men and women. Our staff is continually blown away at the stories and lives that we get to be a part of through our efforts in recruiting, coaching and sending each Goer class. This year, 30 men and women make up the Class of 2019 Goers! They came from 20 different universities and are serving through 12 different tracks. They are a diverse group, and we ask for your prayers for them! As I send this newsletter, 6 of the Goers have launched, and 24 are in their support raising phase. Check out a recap video from GoWeek 2 to get a feel for who these Goers are! Goer Visit Jessica, GoCorps' Director of Mobilization, visited our six Berlin Goers earlier in the summer. Goer visits by our staff give us an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of our program and are an opportunity for us to be an encouragement to our Goers. Here's Jessica's recap of her visit to Berlin: "The GoCorps Goers in Berlin were so blessed by my recent visit and the looks on their faces here says it all, but I was blessed even more to be able to see the work they are doing firsthand and learn from them about their city, lives, and work for the sake of the gospel! A few highlights: Abbie - working closely with transition center for women and is receiving some great mentoring and doing research with a pediatrician at the center Alex - really investing in a smaller local community outside Berlin in Postdam and has worked closely with several local churches to use sports as a means of connecting the community Claire - mentioned she has been seeing God at work transcending cultures and is encouraged by how many ways she is given opportunities to share the gospel as a result Nic - working heavily with the refugee community in his neighborhood as well as working with his church to find a new building as they continue to grow. He is strongly considering staying in Berlin to find work as an engineer so he can stay long term Kylie - working with a new church for her, but one that the Berlin team had some previous relationships with and she is praying that she will be able to establish a consistent and reliable presence within this community One main prayer request from the team leader, Katie, is for more long term staff in Berlin, including "finishers" who can mentor more Goers as they join this team. One of the questions I asked of the two leaders is how can we share a sense of urgency to call missionaries or Goers to serve in Berlin and she said, "There are many other places in the world that are just as lost, but we are seeing change happening in Berlin and it's an exciting time to be here working for the Lord." They are grateful for the partnerships with GoCorps to bring new Goers to join their team each year and are seeing God move through this relationship." Also, one of the ministries that several of our Goers have served is fighting human trafficking. Check out this short video of the work being done in Berlin. Vision Dinners In September and October, several of our staff and alumni went to Pasadena and then Washington DC for our 2019 Vision Dinners. It is at these dinners that we are able to share the vision of GoCorps with current and potential donors. And it is through these dinners that we have fully funded our Student Debt Assistance program every year. Celebrating 10 Years In October, GoCorps celebrated our 10th birthday! It was on October 9, 2009 that 30 leaders from 10 organizations and a few churches and campuses gathered together and decided to create a whole new pathway for the next generation to find their place in God's global work. In the last 10 years, GoCorps has placed 228 Goers through 60 teams in 43 countries! Over the next six months, we'll be sharing our reflections and celebrations with you as we together celebrate this major milestone, and as we look to the next decade of mobilizing this generation. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We are so grateful to God for his blessing and provision over the last 10 years, and we are so thankful to each of you who are on the GoCorps team with us. Your prayers, your investment and your encouragement keep GoCorps going and enable a whole new audience of Christians find their place in God's global work! Together, Paul Van Der Werf Founder and Executive Director  Just a short story of what Goers are doing around the world. The following is from the team leader of a Goer who is serving in Central Asia on a farm project: "Abraham has been a tremendous gift on the farm project related to our Bible Training Center. All of our students work alongside Abraham on a daily basis. One major highlight came on Abraham's birthday. His birthday fell during a time that we had 40 Iranians from our church planting network inside their country for exegetical training. On birthdays it is customary for Iranian people to give a blessing to the person whose birthday is being celebrated. One and after stood up and gave testimony to Abraham being a man of few words and more a man of action. He has been an absolute dream for our team. Since Abraham has arrived we have baptized 41 Iranians and almost all of these men Abraham has touched in some way or anther. It has been great to watch him flourish." Some things you can definitely be praying about are: - Praise God for stories like these and many others from around the world! - Pray for GoCorps mobilizers who are back on the road, visiting colleges - Praise God, the Nelsons found a car! I would love to hear how you are doing and to hear about ways that I can be lifting you up in prayer. Mike & Jackie Nelson Olivia, Eden, & Brielle   Hello Ministry Partners,
I have decided to switch up how I update you all. Instead of me taking a few hours out of my work day to come up with a few paragraphs of content, I'm going to be sending out more frequent, but much shorter updates (along with some prayer requests). January was (and still is!) a busy month. I, along with 4 other GoCorps team members, were at the Cross Conference in Kentucky from the 2nd to the 5th. It was amazing! Email me, text me, find me sometime and ask me about it! The next weekend, the entire GoCorps staff was all together in Texas for a staff retreat (see the photo above). It was a great time to spend reflecting on 2018 and praising God for the work he accomplished through us. We also got to set some goals as a team and as individuals. And we were able to spend some time just hanging out together since we live in all corners of the US. One last note: Our car was backed into during Christmas break (with no one inside) and it was totaled. We are so thankful that no one was hurt (including the person who hit our car)! But we now are in the market to replace that car with the insurance money we received. If you or someone you know has a reasonably priced, reliable car, please let us know! Some things you can definitely be praying about are: Prayers for the 3 students who have already committed to go through GoCorps in 2019! Prayers for the 86 college students who are currently filling out GoCorps applications Prayers for the students who heard about GoCorps at Urbana Missions Conference and Cross Conference Blessings, Mike & Jackie Nelson Olivia, Eden, & Brielle
Dear Valley Christian Church,
GoWeek 1 finished three weeks ago and it was a great week together. 19 Goers and 1 new staff member all participated in our newly revamped GoCorps Face to Face Crowdfunding Training. All of our Goes spend the 12 weeks after GoWeek enlisting a team of friends and family to partner with them financially and in prayer for their two year placement. They will set-up 10 meetings each week and share a compelling presentation with their prospective partners. GoCorps staff Julia and Katy led the new and improved training and it was the best one yet! In fact, this class of Goers is off to the fastest pace ever in their number of meetings and in receiving commitments toward their fundraising goals! Here’s two observations from GoWeek 1:
What's next? For our Goers… They are 3 weeks into their summer campaign to raise up a team of people who will partner with them financially and in prayer. They have 9 more weeks to complete their funding and partnership needs. For our Staff… For the next month or so, much of our staff are focused on connecting with our supporters to give ministry updates and express our appreciation for our partners. For GoCorps… We are in the process of creating a specific effort to do much more of our recruiting in the digital landscape, putting things in place to connect our vision with students and young adults through social media channels and other online venues. Please pray for each of these next steps! For our Goers, staff and for the mission of the organization, each of these are super crucial to going after the vision God has given us! Together for God’s global work, Paul Van Der Werf Founder and Executive Director GOCORPS  Having an afternoon adventure with our Goers! Hello Valley Christian Church,
I hope that you have enjoyed a great memorial day weekend and got some extra time with your family, friends and community! GoWeek1 This week is an exciting week for the GoCorps staff team because it's GoWeek1! Yesterday, 19 Goers and 1 new GoCorps staff arrived into Minneapolis. They are coming from 14 different universities and are headed to 11 different tracks in 14 countries! All this week, we’ll be learning about fundraising, praying and playing, learning and prepping for the next two years. Please pray for a great week together! On-Site Goer Visits in Africa and Middle East - See pics below I recently had a chance to visit 10 of our Goers on the field - 3 of them in East Africa and 7 in the Middle East. They’re all recent grads, on the front lines of the global refugee crisis, interacting daily with people displaced from Yemen, Syria, Iraq and many other places. They’re teaching English, doing advocacy work and sharing the good news! It was an encouraging trip for me as I heard the reports of what they’re learning, how they’re growing and changing, and how they’ve seen God at work in the lives of those that they are building relationships with and ministering to. Some highlights:
A key reflection as I consider the Goers I got to visit: These Goers are not extraordinary people. They’re very ordinary in their backgrounds and abilities. But they are among the finest young men and women in their generation. They’ve chosen to get uncomfortable, to take a leap of faith and to work hard to love others. They’ve chosen to go beyond ordinary expectations and career path options. They’ve chosen a path less traveled, and they’re being stretched, and they’re experiencing some the best and some of the hardest that life in Christ promises us. I hope you’re encouraged as you read this update! Together, we’re helping students in this generation find their place in God’s global work. All majors to all nations, Paul Van Der Werf  GoCorps staff Mike recruiting at a recent career fair. Dear Valley Christian Church,
We’re glad that you're with us in the mission to see two years of global service become the norm for Christian young adults! Together we’re working to change the culture on campuses and in churches to go beyond a short-term mission mindset and focus! Here’s an update on what our team’s been up to in 2018 so far… Tomorrow is a big day! March 1 is our first (and main) application deadline. Since September 15, our team has been visiting campuses, setting up at conferences and career fairs, speaking and doing presentations in campus fellowship groups and classes, and doing whatever we can do to get in front of students and invite them to take the bold step of investing two years in global service after college. Please pray for the final students who are busily trying to complete their application before the March 1 midnight deadline! What else is going on:
Winter recruiting season - March 1 is not the end of recruiting… we’ll still be reaching out to students to apply for our final application deadline on June 1. Praise God for continuing to bless GoCorps by opening doors on many campuses this semester Pray that our message would reach the right students who are ready to answer the call to go Pray for the knowledge of GoCorps to continue to grow across college campuses around the USWe are thankful for your partnership in the gospel! PAUL VAN DER WERF Hello Ministry Partners, I hope this email finds you doing well and staying warm! Here in Minnesota we just had a blanketing of snow that made the commute a little interesting. So it looks like we'll be having a white Christmas! It has been an exciting Fall at GoCorps! When I joined the staff in 2015, there were 7 full-time GoCorps staff. This past fall, we had 12 full-time staff coaching, mobilizing, and preparing a new generation of young people who are following God's calling on their lives to go to the Nations to spread the Gospel! For 2018 we have nearly 100 placements available, which is the most we have been able to list! From serving as a Dairy Farm Manager in Eastern Europe, to being a Medical Specialist in Southeast Asia, to being a Refugee Ministry Worker in the US, we have exciting and diverse opportunities! Currently we have 33 completed applications and another 40 students working on them. We are praying for 50 Goers this year with our first application deadline, March 1st, quickly approaching. Since this is kind of my Christmas card, below are a couple of recent pictures of the Nelsons for your enjoyment. Olivia is in first grade and loves everything about school. Eden loves playing anything with her sisters and friends. Brielle is learning words at an amazing rate! And Jackie and I try to keep up with all three of them! As 2017 comes to an end and I "count my many blessings" please know that you are one of the many! You have played such a huge role in my ministry to reach the unreached for God's Kingdom. Thank you for your prayers and support throughout the year! Mike & Jackie Olivia, Eden, & Brielle Some things you can definitely be praying about are:
 Dear Ministry Partner,
We are thankful for your partnership with GoCorps! Your past financial support has allowed us to send out over 150 GOERs since our inception in 2009. Our goal is to make mid-term missions a new norm in our nation and to be sending 250 GOERs/year by 2023! Think of the eternal impact if thousands of young people would choose to spend 2 years of their lives using their degrees to serve Christ in nations where the Gospel has not been fully proclaimed. Here are a few reasons we are confident our unique approach will allow us to reach this goal:
Our GOERs are coming back changed forever with a heart for missions borne out of personal experience. Attached is a “2017 Year in Review” that includes one such story. I hope it encourages you, as much as it does me. As you plan your year-end giving, please consider a tax-deductible financial gift to support more GOERs! Our GOERs raise their personal support so your gift goes to recruit, coach and equip them for their assignments, to match them with established Sending Partners on-location and to cover $2500 of their student loan debt. To give, go to www.GoCorps.org/give or mail a check (payable to GoCorps) to 6736 Regent Ave N, Brooklyn Center, MN 55429. GoCorps is an accredited member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Thanks again for your vital partnership in the Gospel with us, Paul Van Der Werf Founder and Executive Director |
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