GOCORPS UPDATE

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

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