Go Ye

Q: Who are these people? New friends of yours in Hamburg?

A: Oh, that’s Bryant and Anne. They’ve been in the south of Germany as missionaries with Go Ye for 30 years. They came to meet us some months back and we really like them a lot. We're all waving in the picture to everyone at Go Ye because we wanted to send them the photo and say something like "Your German missionaries send you their love."

Q: Go Ye? What’s that?

A: Oh, that’s short for Go Ye Fellowship, our missionary sending organization.

Q: Why’s it called Go Ye?

A: Well that’s from the Bible where Jesus told His disciples, “Go Ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19.

Q: Oh. Well what’s a missionary sending organization?

A: Good question! It’s an organization that sends missionaries to all different parts of the world.

Q: So you’re missionaries with Go Ye?

A: Yes!

Q: Huh. I didn’t know you guys were missionaries. Since when did you become missionaries? I thought you were a teacher and Buddy was a corporate guy.

A: Ha ha, ya, I know. Well actually, a missionary is one who is sent on a mission to the do the work of God, usually being sent to a foreign country. As you know, God has sent us here to Hamburg, so he really thought of the whole idea Himself. But to answer your question, we’ve been missionaries with Go Ye since this past January 2009.

Q: Oh. Okay. Well, what you do for them?

A: Well, we actually don’t ‘work’ for them; we are doing the work that God has called us to do in Hamburg, and they support us in the work we are doing.

Q: But don't they don’t pay you?

A: (Chuckle) No, missionaries’ sending organizations don’t usually pay their missionaries; but most missionaries are financially supported through their organizations via donations that people give to them.

Q: Okay, so if you don’t work for Go Ye, what do you do for them? Or what do they do for you?

A: Well, our part is to do what God’s called us to do here in Hamburg, and to keep them up to date with it all, and to let them know any ways in which they can help or support us. Like when we need prayer or advice on something, we contact them. Their part is to oversee what we’re doing, hold us accountable to what we’ve been called to do here, encourage us, pray for us, and they also take care of all the financial contributions for us—any funds that come to Go Ye in our names are put into our Go Ye account and it’s only for us to use.

Q: Oh. Well how’s it been going so far? Do you like working with them?

A: Oh, it’s been going great. They are wonderful--so supportive, encouraging and loving. Their headquarters are in Pasadena, so we actually met up with them when we were in Los Angeles last month.

Q: How did you get hooked up with them in the first place?

A: Well, last fall when we knew we were moving to Hamburg in February, a friend of ours told us about Go Ye. He told us to check out their website. We did, and we both agreed that it seemed perfect for us. You see, Go Ye specializes in sending out missionaries that have had their own calling from God to go and do His work in another country. A lot of missionary organizations choose where their missionaries will go, and tell them what they will do. Go Ye is different in that they support the call that God has already placed on their missionaries’ hearts, so it fit our situation perfectly.

Q: Oh. How long have they been around?

A: Since 1936. It was started by this sweet couple, Andrew and Jennie Mitchell. They’re from Los Angeles, actually. We read their biography and were very touched by their story. They had a heart to see people bring the hope of Jesus to all people in all nations, and they founded this organization, and ended up traveling all over the world as they supported the work of their missionaries. Jennie was 92 when she died, and it was while she was in Kenya doing the work of God.

Q: Hmm.

A: They were a great pair. I remember this one part of the book that caught our attention. Even though they didn’t have a ministry reaching out to women and men in prostitution, they were in Japan once and she couldn’t stand watching the American soldiers stand in lines to go into the brothels, so she and her husband went right up to them. Here, I have to read you a part from the book:

“I’m Mrs. Mitchell,” she said. “When I saw you standing here, I felt strongly that I should speak a word to you for Jesus. I know that you’re lonely, being away from home. Perhaps you’re afraid. But, don’t you think this is beneath you? Remember your wives and mothers waiting for you at home. They wouldn’t like to see you here. I’m sure if they were here, you wouldn’t be doing this. Believe me when I say that God has something better for you than this…Turn away from this.”

The men were respectful. After all, she might have been their own mother. However, they remained passively in line, ignoring her as best they could. Only one man stepped out of the line and walked away, ignoring two companions who called after him.

Q: Hmm. Sounds like kinda of what you guys are doing.

A: Ya, interesting, huh? I loved reading that. Imagine being those men in line. They must have hated hearing her talk. And I think she was in her 60s or something at that time. I thank God that she was used in that one man's life to leave the line. How awesome that he left the line. I'm sure he never forgot that.

Q: Ya. That's powerful. Well thanks for letting me know about Go Ye. Now I’ll know what it is whenever you mention it.

A: No problem. Thanks for asking!