GoTEN recently had the pleasure of hosting a team of visitors from a partner church in Texas, who spent a week folding into team life and serving refugees at our training center in Phoenix. This trip is part of a greater long-term goal of GoTEN’s to expand its reach beyond the Valley and invite churches from all over the country into service among UPGs living in our community. We interviewed the group leader from our visiting church, asking some questions that may provide insight into what can be gained from a short-term trip to visit our ministry.
What inspired your group to take a trip to Phoenix?
"We really wanted to work amongst unreached people groups here in the states in partnership with an organization that is already well established and acquainted with them, GoTEN fit our vision to a T! It was the perfect mix of working with UPG while not having to completely adjust to a new country and culture in the same week. We wanted to go as a stand alone trip but also as training for some of our team members who want to do the same thing in unreached countries in the future."
Were there any particularly impactful testimonies or stories that came from your trip?
"One of the guys on our team made a true best friend in only a few days. The men in our group didn’t get to participate in as many of the English classes as the women got to, purely because of the ratios of the genders of the students that were coming. But one of the evening classes we did that our men got to be a part of, Jonathan sat next to Des. They had an immediate connection in only an hour, exchanged numbers, and considered each other friends. We saw him again at the next evening class, Jonathan quickly went to sit beside him, and they talked for a very long time afterwards. He ended up coming to dinner with us the next night and we got to pick him up from his apartment, Jonathan had never made a friend so fast and especially not one that he had so very little in common with. Despite a 10 year age gap and cultural, socioeconomic, religious, language, and experiential differences, the two left calling each other brother and making plans to see each other again. It wasn’t a crazy miraculous testimony of salvation or healing, but a testimony nonetheless of the all surpassing and barrier breaking love and pursuit of the Lord that we get to walk in."
What would you say to encourage other church groups that are considering a cross-cultural mission trip, perhaps to Phoenix?
"DO IT! I can’t think of a single good reason not to and a million great reasons why you should. Our God designed languages, created different skin colors, provided every animal and plant we make all of our different foods out of, He hears worship of every tongue, and getting the opportunity to love and serve people made in His image while being in awe of His creativity is unmatched. Whether it’s Phoenix or not, refugees or not, unreached people groups or not, if you have never interacted with people from different cultures, it is something we would highly recommend. Christ loves and died for all people, some whole entire cultures have never heard that, I will forever be grateful to play a role in Him reaching them and getting to tell truth to those who don’t know it."
As experienced by our this visiting group, GoTEN’s desire is to help refugees learn English, get jobs, and experience Christian community. It’s challenging to step into a new region, perhaps one that requires extensive travel, and do this all in one week. However, when a fully functioning, established training center exists in a community that is very familiar with the organization providing outreach, immediate connections become possible. Come join us in our neighborhood, let us introduce you to our friends, and give you the opportunity to love and serve UPGs!
We are actively scheduling trips for 2026. Visit our website for more information on next steps!