A Change in Direction for Employment

The initial goal of We Will Go Arts was to help people who had an immediate need of $5 or a short need. We then grew to create a class that could teach a skill. This led to the development of products through We Will Go Arts that could be sold to pay trainees and fund the program. After setting it all up, we came back to the initial question: “Why was this program created?” It was created to help an individual who needed a job and could possibly learn a skill while hearing the gospel.

With that in mind, we worked to develop We Will Go Arts into an Employment program that could be more versatile and equip more people. David Lancaster, President of We Will Go and the developer of the original Arts program has been working to transform the program into something more far reaching. “We wanted to be clear that this was not the ‘end goal’ or ‘long term job’ that our neighbors were seeking. We wanted to be the stepping stone that would help them achieve a better job, a stable future, and a professional road we could guide them to,” he states about the direction the program is moving. Starting February 15 and going through March 25, our Employment program will offer a 6 week training that will end with a job reference and a job interview for our trainee.

One of the most important aspects of the program was being able to share the gospel with those who were coming. Even if trainees weren’t Christian or were just coming to work, we still wanted to share how Christ is what motivated us to start the Employment program and how He can change lives. We didn’t just want it to be a job you clocked into; we wanted it to be a job that gives the opportunity to share the gospel as well. Moving forward, our upcoming 6 week training program will blend the practical side of training and prepping for a job with learning and hearing about Christ.

Even with our 6 week training program, there’s another crucial piece of the program that we are also working towards: finding interviews and jobs that our trainees can transition to. David says, “My goal is that the participant will get a job interview by the end of our program. We want to work to create a network of professionals willing to take a chance on those in our community. Many are just looking for that start, that first job that will give them a chance. And we want to help equip them for that while also sharing how the love of Christ can positively direct their lives.” As we move forward and continue to develop our Employment program, we would love for people in our city to partner with us and take a chance on those in our program. Offer a position to someone trying to start their lives on the right track.

Growth in Essentials

We Will Feed is continuing to focus on meeting the needs of those in our community. We have been working to consolidate our donation space so that donors can easily bring by items and we can easily distribute those donations to neighbors. This has led to the repurposing of space in our facilities and growing our shelves and racks so that we can give even more in 2021. Olivia Hamilton, Director of Volunteers and Essentials has been working tirelessly to grow this program even in the midst of crises in 2020. “In the last quarter of 2020, we saw an increase in families needing food and Essentials by 30% which means that we saw an additional 100 families within the last 4 months,” she states.

One of our greatest needs continues to be volunteers to organize the donations that continuously come through. Mondays and Wednesdays from 9-11AM, you’ll find our staff unpacking food, hanging much needed coats for winter, and setting out sturdy brown bags for our neighbors to come and receive in the following days. “That is our largest volunteer need at the moment,” says Olivia about the need for more help sorting. Even though it might not be as exciting as giving the donations away directly, this volunteer opportunity is vital in the continuation of the program as many in our community rely on the stocked shelves for their next meal.

Our goal for 2021 is not just ‘how can we meet one need’ but how can we invest in our community long term. In speaking about the numerous neighbors that come through our doors, Olivia struggled with the question of, “How can we be a long term solution for our families? Our Essentials program seeks to go past just a bag of food. We want to help people join with our Employment program, families to bring their kids to join in with our Education program, and for each person coming through our doors to receive prayer.” Our goal is not to just be a food pantry. We want to help with our neighbors in other areas of their lives and impact them with the love of Christ.

To make an impact in the lives of those who need it, volunteers in Jackson from churches, youth groups, other teams, or individuals who want to come are invited to join us. We never want to limit or turn away a family who is in need. So far even with Covid and procedures in place, we have still been able to give. We’ve actually seen one of our biggest years of giving in 2020! We are praying for more sponsorships for families, more volunteers who want to invest in the people of Jackson, and for more lives to be impacted with the love of Christ.

Counseling at Camp Hope

While our Education program won’t be focused on school work over the summer, we will have some of our students come participate in our annual Camp Hope program. For 8-weeks, kids are here from 8AM-5PM weekdays and they spend the days doing lots of activities. Just to name a few: swimming, field trips, summer reading, Bible lessons, and crafts that all match a theme for the week. Our volunteering church for that week helps us put together the lesson, songs, and activities our kids experience. Our Director of Education, Mariah Pitre has been operating Camp Hope for a few years now and has worked with churches and summer staff. “We can’t do what God is asking us to do without other believers helping,” she states referring to the large number of volunteers and staff we have that help with our operations.

With summer 2021 just around the corner, we’re looking to bring in more counselors who want to help with Camp Hope. Our summer counselors get to mentor kids (ages 5-12) from inner city, downtown Jackson. Camp Hope is a Christ centered program that offers community to staff which other camps might not offer. “What people have to bring is special and what we have to offer to our campers is also special,” Mariah states about the counselor program that people can apply to participate in.

How Camp Hope differs from other summer camps is its focus on community. Our kids come from the Jackson area and get to experience a fun filled summer right in their neighborhood. Our summer counselors get to do the same living here at We Will Go. “You also get to be in the neighborhood our kids are from getting to experience what their daily life is like,” Mariah says about the summer. Counselors are placed in charge of one group, boys or girls, and stay with that group for the whole summer. They get to spend time with all of our campers but, get to bond and learn how to lead that small group of kids. Several counselors work together in leading and become a team, working together.

Every year, we see lives transformed and people walking away having experienced the love of Christ. Speaking about the challenges we faced in the summer of 2020, Mariah shared, “To get to meet our community in a real way, we had to change what we were doing due to Covid. But, our families were even more open and we still got to impact our kids even though the needs changed.” With Camp Hope, we have the opportunities for churches and teams to bring VBS lessons, worship songs, crafts, and volunteers to make an impact in our kids lives. But, our program doesn’t just impact our kids; it also has changed the lives of volunteers as well. “We’ve had visitors give their lives to Christ here. We’ve even had visitors continue to volunteer or stay on as staff to keep helping at We Will Go. People come from different states to join in with Camp Hope. People who join in, often see the impact and want to continue coming back to see Jesus change Jackson.”

ARTS ministry …opportunities for real discipleship

We are praying and seeking the Lord’s wisdom and leading as we go into 2021 with ARTS ministry! We know making disciples was important to Jesus when He walked and taught on the earth, and we know it’s still super important to Him and to us, His servants!

Christ calls us to Himself, and then He invites us to lead others to follow Him in obedience and trust. We are called disciples when we truly love each other in this way. 

Teaching and training is a means by which disciples of Jesus are continually transformed in order to become more like Christ (read Matt. 10:24–25; Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18).

Luke 9:23–24

And Jesus said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and come after Me and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

“Come after me” means to become a disciple (Luke 14:27) and requires that a disciple: (1) deny himself (not simply denying certain things but denying personal control of one’s life); (2) take up his cross (Luke 14:27; notes on Matt. 10:38 and Mark 8:34]; make a commitment that will lead to rejection and possibly even death); and (3) follow Me (following the example and teachings of Jesus).

Our desire in ARTS ministry is to provide Godly discipleship and also real tangible practical job training. We have so many neighbors who really desire and need employment and quality job training. Last year we were able to employ and train 16 people here at WWG ARTS. We would love your prayers as we move forward in 2021 in ARTS!

Family Giving Tree

We have loved celebrating Christmas with our neighbors at We Will Learn and We Will Hoop this past month! I'm so thankful for all of you who have prayed and supported our efforts to provide gifts to all of our WWL students and WWH guys. Together we were able to give out 70 gifts as well as the opportunity for our WWL students to shop at our Family Giving Tree!

The Family Giving Tree is a new tradition here at We Will Go. It gives students the opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts for their families. This has been one of the things that our students and volunteers have looked forward to the most! The gifts ranged from candles to toy trains! For most of our kids, it was their first time to 'shop for' and wrap gifts. For some kids it was really exciting to get to shop! For some, the choices were a bit overwhelming. For some, the thought of shopping for certain family members (that they might not have the best relationship with) was quite the challenge. Overall, I was really thankful for the Family Giving Tree and the experience it brought all of us. I was really thankful for the volunteers who helped the students shop and the ones who stopped and prayed throughout the process. It is a privilege for us to have to have the opportunity to teach the kids that it is better to give than receive. The Family Giving Tree is a valuable part of this lesson.

What we have here is special. Thank you for believing and praying with us over this past year and Christmas season. Please join us as we pray into the upcoming year!

New Year, New Start!

New Years:

1 Peter 1v3

‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,’

Happy New Year to you all! As you are looking forward to this new start, one that is full of mercy, I would like to tell you about all the options available to come and live here at We Will Go! Come learn how to do Missions in your everyday life!

WWG RESIDENT (6+ months commitment)

• $750 monthly fee to WWG. Half price for children. Discount available for upfront payment.

• 10 hours of service weekly required to serve at WWG

• Weekly meeting with missionary of ministry area

• Neat, clean, professional in appearance and Godly conduct

WWG MISSIONARY (1+ year commitment)

• $550 monthly fee to WWG, Half price for children. ($300 for housing & $250 for internship) – Pay total upfront and you receive 3% off!

• 40 hours of service a week

• Weekly teachings for family night

• Weekly meeting with Director; Serves directly under leadership of WWG Director

• Deeper call to missions and more growth spiritually, emotionally, physically

• Serves as MENTOR for Engage JXN Students and WWG Residents

• More leadership and responsibilities, confident to make disciples, tasks, prayer, worship, teams

• Deeply committed to HIS heart here in Jackson and at WWG.

We also have an exciting program called Engage JXN. Each student will experience a missions practicum that is experienced through outreach, community living and daily encounters, as they live, learn and apply in our neighborhood in downtown Jackson. Each student with also take classes through Westminster Seminary!

Engage JXN

Cost: $6500

When: Aug 15th - Dec 21st 2021

Early bird registration offer until Feb 15th: $100 discount

Location: Downtown Jackson, staying at the WWG Base.

Practical: Each student will have an equal amount missional learning: from theory to practicum from Monday - Thursday and a weekend rotation of roles

Curriculum: We will be diving deep into Empowering Education, Kingdom Justice and Sustainability, Theory and Practice in Missions and Presentations, other assignments, as well as classes at Westminster Seminary!

Visitor Testimony!

We have about 5000 amazing people come and visit us yearly! This is a testimony from Tony, who came to serve with us with his wife, all the way from Australia!

When God made a way for us to travel to We Will Go Ministries, I knew that it was going to be an exciting time as well as challenging one. Hearing the stories of our friends that had been before, whetted my appetite for what could possibly happen. My prayer was to be immersed in a missionary community that had love as their motivation for all they did, regardless of any opposition, and wow did that happen.

After day two of working in the Fountain, I felt I had come to the end of myself and was saying to God “I don’t just want to get through this, I don’t want to do this absent of love, I want to love like You do. I don’t just want to do the external things right without having Your heart”. That afternoon Miss Mariah shared that if you are struggling with the behaviour and actions of the kids, just ask Jesus how He sees them, so I did, and He did. That was the turning point, seeing how Jesus saw them right now, the amazing potential that hasn’t fully been realised yet was enough. No actions or attitudes could make that image of how Jesus sees each one diminish. I was able to see them as He saw them, love them with His unconditional love and not with my conditional love. 

I always knew that God loved everyone, but being able to see how He saw people even when they were not always behaving that way was incredible. Love is the answer and love does not fail, I am a life that has been changed by love and is being filled and fuelled by love to love all my neighbours, whether in Jackson Mississippi, here in Lismore Australia or anywhere else in between.

Every part of what we got to share in was amazing, from cleaning, spending time with the neighbours, hearing from the incredible missionaries who had answered the call to go. Hearing David and Amy Lancaster share their journey, what it looked like in the beginning to what it has grown to now, what God has done and how He is leading – this was just a masterclass in discipleship.

My time at We Will Go has embedded a new sense of what serving your community looks like, and what discipleship really is. Being around people who hang around with Jesus and have His heart is just so good. Praying that Father lets me get back there one day, with all of my family.

If you would like to come and see us, and see what God can do in your heart as you serve in Downtown Jackson, please email us! visitus@wewillgo.org.

Become A We Will Learn Missionary

We Will Learn

We are looking for Missionaries and Residents for our We Will Learn Ministry! Each Missionary and Resident will live and serve Jesus with us here in Downtown, Jackson! Spreading the gospel and allowing everyone to experience the transforming power of Jesus’ love! 

We are looking for missionaries that would have vision to fill in these roles! 

Missionary

• Lead out with vision: prayer, communication, and outreaches in our community

• Lead out on preparing lesson plans for each individual student

• Lead out on preparing your whole classroom

• Ensure staffing of afternoon ministry times and events

• Keep up ministry supply orders: paper goods, curriculum, etc.

• Manage partnership and communication with Belhaven Work Study and field placement students

• Manage discipline and reward systems: points, events, suspensions

• Lead out in connections with local Counseling Centers

Team Member 

• Attend intercession times and seek God’s heart/vision for ministry

• Participate in administrative tasks and outreaches to assist coordinators (planning events, organizing gifts, etc.)

• Assist coordinator and help with function and administration of designated tasks in a timely manner

• Help Tutor the children in selected classrooms

MISSIONARY LIFE

FROM RUTH:

As you read about the birth of Jesus and the first part of His life, you see how people came together. His birth wasn't kept a secret but announced. The shepherds left everything to go and see this baby. Leaving their sheep in a vulnerable place with no shepherds, risking losing them.

The king's risk their jobs and livelihood as they went against Herod's orders and brought our saviour gifts! Gold = Gift for a King, Frankincense = Gift for a priest, Myrrh = Gift for one who died. These kings brought appropriate gifts for our saviour, who was fully God and fully man, and was about to grow up as a beautiful example for us and do the greatest act of love. Defeated death so we can live forever with Him, as we were created to do.

God never created us to be alone and fully independent. Jesus even came as a baby and showed us that! He couldn't ever had done things without help from those created to look after Him. Mary willingly gave God her 'Yes' to birth and care for the son of God! Even Simeon, who was told that he was one day going to see our Saviour, didn't see him as an adult or even as a young child. But he saw Him at 8 days old and got to hold Him. He totally submitted to this tiny baby boy, knowing who He was. As he was soft hearted and allowed the Holy Spirit to speak though him.

As you go through this Christmas season, I would love to challenge you to surround yourself with others. Seek community where you are. As God commanded us to love Him with everything in us, we get to also love our neighbours like we love ourselves. Not one person is not your neighbour, and you get to love them, as God teaches you to love.

Here in Jackson, I will be spending my Christmas day with people from all over coming together to have a big meal! The body of Christ have come together with providing the meal, as individuals and churches bring different dishes. We will play games, pray together and eat together at our 'Family table'.

You are very welcome to join us for Christmas day from 11am-1pm at 799 North Congress Street!

If you would like to come and join our team, living in community with us please do take a look at the following options! Plus, our website, where you will also find our application form!

Each option will allow every individual to learn and receive a wonderful foundation of what missions really is. Learning in community, alongside those who have years of experience in doing missions in different ways.

WWG RESIDENT (6+ months commitment)

• $750 monthly fee to WWG. Half price for children. Pay total upfront and you receive 3% off!

• 10 hours of service weekly required to serve at WWG

• Weekly meeting with missionary of ministry area

• Neat, clean, professional in appearance and Godly conduct

WWG MISSIONARY (1+ year commitment)

• $550 monthly fee to WWG, Half price for children. ($300 for housing & $250 for internship) – Pay total upfront and you receive 3% off!

• 40 hours of service a week

• Weekly teachings for family night

• Weekly meeting with Director; Serves directly under leadership of WWG Director

• Deeper call to missions and more growth spiritually, emotionally, physically

• Serves as MENTOR for Engage JXN Students and WWG Residents

• More leadership and responsibilities, confident to make disciples, tasks, prayer, worship, teams

• Deeply committed to HIS heart here in Jackson and at WWG.

We also have an exciting program called Engage JXN. Each student will experience a missions practicum that is experienced through outreach, community living and daily encounters, as they live, learn and apply in our neighborhood in downtown Jackson. Each student with also take university level classes.

Engage JXN

Cost: $6500

When: Aug 15th - Dec 21st 2021

Early bird registration offer until Feb 15th: $100 discount

Location: Downtown Jackson, staying at the WWG Base.

Practical: Each student will have an equal amount missional learning: from theory to practicum from Monday - Thursday and a weekend rotation of roles

Curriculum: We will be diving deep into Empowering Education, Kingdom Justice and Sustainability, Theory and Practice in Missions and Presentations, other assignments, as well as university level classes.

Engage JXN

Do you want to learn how to live missionally? To go deeper in the Word and your relationship with God? To live in community and serve daily with missionaries? Come and learn at We Will Go Ministries with the upcoming opportunity – Engage JXN!

Cost: $6500

When: Aug 15th - Dec 21st 2021

Early bird registration offer until Feb 15th: $100 discount

Location: Downtown Jackson, We Will Go Ministries

Application: Students will have an equal amount of service opportunities and missional learning

Curriculum: Empowering Education, Kingdom Justice and Sustainability, Theory and Practice in Missions and Presentation, University Classes

Here is a testimony from one of our amazing interns on how she has learned to live for Jesus in her everyday live! If you would like to apply today, please check out our application form at www.wewillgo.org.

Hi, my name is Kailey. I’m twenty years old and from Raceland, Louisiana. I never thought I would find myself in Jackson, Mississippi. Growing up, I hated the fact that we even had to drive through Mississippi to get to other places. However, that is exactly where I found myself just one year ago. I find that the Lord’s funny like that!

I grew up going to church and in a Christian household, always hearing about how a church isn’t a building but the people in the building. We are the church. That statement had never been more alive to me than it was when I visited We Will Go. At home we go to church on Sundays and Wednesdays and we have the occasional outreach but at We Will Go I learned that living for Jesus is more than just going to church and getting filled and having your quiet time with The Lord. While those things are important, living for Jesus is living and loving like Him. It’s constantly growing in your relationship with Him and with others. It’s learning how you can best love and serve others. It’s taking the long way home to check in on your neighbors and friends. It’s sitting and talking with a neighbor who could really use the love Jesus has. It’s encouraging a little kid who might be struggling a bit one day. It’s staying late on Thursday nights to watch a game of basketball.

These are all things I got to learn at We Will Go and I continue to learn, surrounded by the most beautiful people. The leadership at We Will Go, and the friends I’ve made, continue to encourage and teach me to live a life laid down for Jesus and others. Being at We Will Go has made Jesus more real and more tangible than ever. He is real, He is love, and He lived to serve. I live everyday wanting to be more and more like that.

A Mother’s Testimony

Having a past that affects your child’s schooling is enough to desire a fresh start! Imagine starting over as a single mother with intentions to provide a better life for my daughter and moving all that we have to downtown Jackson, only to be welcomed by a mountain of unforeseen events caused by the pandemic: loss of job, lights being cut, and schools moving to virtual learning, and more! With great humility, Still’s mother called the Red Cross to ask for help, and was given a long list of telephone numbers to call, many of which provide essential services. On that list was We Will Go Ministries. I heard Still’s mother recognize the leading of Jesus when she said, “I knew it was God when you guys where the only ones to answer the phone that day!” When she came to receive food and clothes, she realized that we also help with education!

I was excited to have Still join us for We Will Learn, although maybe a little too excited for a very hesitant 6th grader. At the time, not knowing her story, her struggles with learning, or history with teachers; all I knew was that it was mid-October and she was still working off printed educational packets because her school was out of devices. I was passionate to see her have a chance at virtual learning!

This past month we were able to see such a beautiful moment of redemption when Still’s teacher congratulated her (virtually, of course) for being the only student in her 6th grade class to correctly submit all of her assignments, and the only student to get an A on her last science test! To hear her mother filled with thanks, giving glory to Jesus is beautiful. I’m thankful that we get to be a part of God’s heart for education and redemption in this way. Thank you to all of you who have prayed, supported, and given of your time for We Will Learn this past semester! Pray with us as we move forward with a new year, consider how you can be part of redemptive stories here in Jackson!

Mariah Pitre

Giving Tuesday 2020

Dear Friend,

Many times, we find ourselves wrestling with the gap between our beliefs and our actions. This should not be a point of condemnation but a call to action. The call is simple: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind.” And, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” My parents were frustrated that their faith seemed to be limited by simply church on Sundays, so they decided to do something. The news that our family was moving to downtown Jackson was not necessarily welcomed as a twelve year-old. We Will Go was started based on the simple verse Isaiah 6:8, “HereI am, send me.” I am excited that what was once my parents’ answer to this call has become my own. What started as a Sunday service in our backyard has expanded to a ministry focused on: Education, Employment, and Essential Food.

Education.

Jackson Public School recently announced that they have moved from ‘on-site’ to ‘virtual’ learning for the fall semester. Many students are living in homes that have limited technology available. Furthermore, many do not have adults there to encourage, assist and ensure that they are completing their schoolwork. Struggling students without supervision and appropriate technology, begin to fall further behind. We Will Go is offering an after-school program each afternoon to help children complete their work in a safe environment. You can be a part of ensuring that these children are given the opportunity to succeed academically.

Employment.

Several years ago, We Will Go started a program aimed at trying to help break the cycle of unemployment for many people in our community. The issue of employment has been worsened by Covid-19. Lack of education, substance abuse, and homelessness are some of the reasons many individuals find themselves stuck in a perpetual cycle. Each week, we have members of the community come into our wood shop to learn skills and empower them to find meaningful work. Work is something that is incredibly dignifying. By sponsoring a trainee, you can help provide afresh start to individuals who find themselves trapped in this cycle.

Essential Food.

Another distinct way We Will Go is able to connect with our community is by sharing healthy food. Sharing a meal centers around social interaction or celebration for some, but for many others in our community it centers around survival. The financial and nutritional strain of having food instability in a home is something that is all too common in our community. Christ pointed out that feeding the hungry is one basic way that Christians can show the love of Christ. Each month, we provide groceries for hundreds of families in our city. You can help ensure that when children return home, they find food in their cabinet.

We Will Go is comprised of normal people looking to share Christ’s love in tangible ways. We Will Go seeks to share the gospel through aiding in Education, Employment, and Essential Food to our community. Over the last fifteenyears, we have been able to approach larger and more complex needs in Jackson. With your generosity, more children and families will feel and know that Christ is not distant, but cares about our needs.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.” Proverbs 19:17

Gratefully,

Jonathan D. Lancaster

Senior Director of Operations and Development

We Will Go Ministries

We Will Feed & Clothe

(Disclaimer: photo taken pre-pandemic)

By Olivia Hamilton

Over the past few years in We Will Feed and Clothe, we have had dozens of neighbors commit their lives to Christ, hundreds of volunteers grow in their faith, and thousands of neighbors receive prayer and encouragement in Christ. We Will Feed and Clothe is an opportunity for us to bless our neighbors with food and hygiene essentials regularly. Even more than that, it is a bigger opportunity to pray for and actively share the gospel in our community. Mark 8:36 tells us “what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” This is a cornerstone verse for our ministry, in that it reminds us each day to keep our focus more on sharing the gospel than just sharing food. Jesus challenged us in the great commission to commit our lives to go throughout our towns and cities and share the good news with those who are lost.  

A lot of times, even for those of us who work in ministry, walking up to a stranger and asking them “do you know Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior” seems like quite an intimidating task. Even though evangelism is the core of Christianity, the starting point for that can be quite blurry and daunting. My favorite part of We Will Feed and Clothe is that we create a simple, secure, and supportive environment for Christian volunteers to take a step to participate in evangelism in our city. Getting to help someone pick out groceries, talk about their lives, pray for their requests, and encourage them in the gospel is a way to actively live out the great commission. We always need volunteer help in our food ministry; from stocking shelves and making food bags, to praying for neighbors and making everyone feel safe and welcome. If you are looking for a place to start when it comes to evangelism and praying for those in need, please reach out and see how you can join with us in being a light in Jackson. 

The Kindness of Jesus at We Will Learn

By Mariah Pitre

We have seen the kindness of Jesus through those who have responded to the needs of our students at We Will Learn! As most of you know, our students are participating in virtual learning, which means an excessive amount of screen time for most students. It did not take long for us to realize that some of our students had trouble seeing! 

We were able to take 4 of our students to optometry appointments and spend the day interacting with them and their families. It was honestly a difficult experience for many of them, but beautiful to be able to carry Jesus every step of the way. One of those students became very fearful as her appointment progressed. She’s been with us for over 4 years now, and I can’t recall a time when I’ve seen this set of tears, paired with, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore, can we go home?’ 

It was powerful to kneel beside her (and the other optometry staff members) and ask the Holy Spirit to help. ‘Help’ doesn’t seem to scratch the surface when I begin to describe all that Jesus did for us that day! We walked out the room to hear a staff member say that a ‘mini miracle’ happened and that the cost of her appointment, frames and lenses were completely covered! 

With the help of some of our volunteers and Dr. Newman and people like you, our students no longer have trouble seeing their virtual assignments! I’ve been challenged to step out in faith and watch our kind Savior do what He does best! 

“The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” Psalm 145:17 

When asked what he learned after receiving his new pair of prescription lenses, one student said, “Others giving teaches me to give back to others what they might need. If you give, you can sometimes get something better.” Kaleb, age 12 

Tell Me About The “Why?”

By: Amy Lancaster

Many years ago, David was having a challenging day here at Wewillgo, and I recommended he go outside and build something. He came in later with this gorgeous wooden picture frame that he made and it was beautiful! The next weekend, some volunteers came and wanted to buy the frame! We also had lots and lots of precious neighbors coming to our house daily asking for help, money, and work. Jesus quickly spoke and showed us HIS amazing idea of ARTS here at Wewillgo. 

WWG ARTS was birthed in our back yard with discipleship and wood working, spending time together in scripture while learning practical job skills. Jesus gave us His insight into how to share His story, see lives transformed, and sell the wood products that provide jobs and training to our neighbors. Jesus has been so faithful in consistently sending many missionaries and interns to lead, teach, and make disciples through the years. 

WWG ARTS is such a beautiful practical blessing in so many ways!  We take lots of wood, old fence boards, and pine flooring and work alongside our neighbors.  Our WWG team gets to teach the glorious Gospel through practical hands on restoration. The Gospel is THE most amazing story of restoration ever told!

This week we helped one of our neighbors work on his resume and another neighbor to work on an advertising flyer for his lawn care business! So fun!  Each day that we gather in Jesus’ woodshop, we take time to pray, listen to each other, and share God’s Word. We have lots of practical talks about how the Gospel affects our daily lives and how to invite Jesus into every detail. 

So…why WWG ARTS? It’s a beautiful practical way to share the Gospel, real job training and discipleship. Sales of these gorgeous products support His ministry!  What an honor to be a part of Jesus changing lives every day!

Colossians 3:17 “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Click Here to shop WWG Arts!

Ruth’s Testimony of Thankfulness

“Say ‘Thank you’” is something the adult in your life tells you from a young age. It is something beyond being polite, but a good parent also teaches you not to take everything for granted. Being thankful is something of good character. 

Being thankful to God is something we were created to do through worship and a life set apart to Him. As we were created to reflect God, our character changes to be more grateful the closer we get to Him. This year, in all the hectic events that have happened all over the world, we have had options in how we react. I have noticed that those who have remained in knowing that God is good, have grown in Thankfulness. 

There are times that I personally stop and stare at my surroundings as I can’t help but be thankful that God has me here. This is for two reasons. Firstly, I am from the UK. As a missionary in Jackson, Mississippi, my journey to get here and stay here hasn’t been easy with all the paperwork and necessities. 

Secondly, I was ready to quit on missions. 

I was a missionary in Africa for 4 ½ years working in a children’s home and with women who worked on the streets. During this time, as I was young and had little ministry experience, I had no idea what I was doing! Jesus really came through in all of this. He gets the glory for every life that was saved, in the spiritual and the natural. He personally saved my life a few times also! However, as I didn’t know what I was doing I got hurt in many ways. I got drained and burnt out. I was fatigued physically, spiritually and mentally. 

After spending just over a year in the UK after my time in Africa, I got to come and visit We Will Go. The visit changed my plans dramatically. As I said, I was ready to quit on missions, as my thoughts were it was dumb to do that to myself again! No Thank you! 

God had other plans for me. 

God knew me better than I knew myself and in that, He knew that We Will Go is a place I would flourish and grow. 

I am so thankful that my Father in Heaven is in control. I am so thankful that I have been healed from past hurts in every way. That God has surrounded me in a beautiful family here that keeps me accountable to putting my relationship with God first. That I have great teachers and mentors here that help me do missions well!

You don’t have to leave the mission field burnt out or in disunity with other believers, like 90% of missionaries do! You get to choose unity, forgiveness and love. You get to choose God’s plan for your life. In that, I promise you will be thankful for the fruit that comes from it! You also get to choose to humble yourself and get some kind of education in how to do missions well. 

If you would like to come and learn how to do sustainable missions, we would love to invite you to apply to join our team! 

There are many options in how to do this: 

WWG RESIDENT (6+ months commitment)

• $750 monthly fee to WWG Half price for children. – Pay total upfront and you receive 3% off!

• 10 hours weekly required to serve at WWG

• One WWG Serve Saturday morning per month; Two Sunday afternoons a month

• Weekly meeting with missionary of ministry area

• Neat, clean, professional in appearance and Godly conduct

• Bring every person into the experience of the transforming power of Jesus

WWG MISSIONARY (1+ year commitment)

• $550 monthly fee to WWG, Half price for children. ($300 for housing & $250 for internship) – Pay total upfront and you receive 3% off!

• 35 hours a week; One WWG Serve Saturday monthly 8am til 1pm; Twice a month 3-5 pm on Sunday afternoons

• Weekly teachings for family night

• Weekly meeting with Director; Serves directly under leadership of WWG Director

• Deeper call to missions and more growth spiritually, emotionally, physically

• Serves as Mentor for Engage JXN Students and WWG Residents

• More leadership and responsibilities, confident to make disciples, tasks, prayer, worship, teams

• Deeply committed to HIS heart here in Jackson and at WWG.

• Bring every person into the experience of the transforming power of Jesus

We also have an exciting program called Engage JXN. Each student will experience a mission’s practicum that is experienced through outreach, community living and daily encounters, as they live, learn and apply in our neighborhood in downtown Jackson. Each student will also take a class through a local University. I can send you more information on this as we have more! 

Engage JXN

Cost: $6500 

When: Aug 15th - Dec 21st 2021

Early bird registration offer until Feb 15th: $100 discount

Location: Downtown Jackson, staying at the WWG Base

Practical: Each student will have missional learning: from theory to practicum from Monday - Thursday and a weekend rotation of roles

Curriculum: We will be diving deep into Empowering Education, Kingdom Justice and Sustainability, Theory and Practice in Missions and Presentations, other assignments, as well as a university level class.

Apply Now!

Join Our Team: We Will Feed

By: Ruth Alexander

We are looking for Missionaries and Interns for our We Will Feed Ministry! Each Missionary and Intern will live and serve Jesus with us here in Downtown, Jackson! Spreading the gospel and allowing everyone to experience the transforming power of Jesus’ love! 

Missionary

• Serve in our We Will Feed and Clothe program on Tuesdays and Thursdays 

• Complete data entry, phone calls, and bookkeeping pertaining to scheduling neighbors for appointments

• Communicate current needs to donors and volunteers

• Coordinate with volunteers to provide for and participate in Sunday meals and other ministry needs 

• Manage and maintain kitchen certification and the organization of ministry spaces

• Ensure all food pick-ups are managed and completed

• Set standard of excellence and oversee all donations being received, sorted, and stocked

• Manage administration: calls, emails, thank you notes, etc.

Resident

• Assist coordinator and complete delegated tasks in a timely manner

• Help with function and administration of designated food distribution, stocking, and meal preparation

• Help with the preparation and administration of Sunday meal

We Will Feed

By: Olivia Hamilton

We Will Feed is our food ministry that helps supplement groceries for our neighbors in need. The majority of people we serve are over the age of 50 with at least 1 small child living in their home. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the greatest need in our community is that families are struggling to keep their pantries stocked all month. People in our community have the opportunity to come once a month and receive a large bag of grocery staples, frozen meats and refrigerated essentials. We receive food from The MS Food Network, Walmart in Madison, Panera in Flowood, and individual donors. 

In addition to food, we also provide a variety of hygiene essentials. We offer travel sized soap, shampoo, lotion, dental care packs, razors, deodorant, shoes, socks, underwear, blankets, and coats during the winter months. We are constantly in need of all these items and donors are welcome to contribute monetarily or financially to this. For $50 a month, you can sponsor a family and help us continue to provide essential food and hygiene supplies for those in need.

The biggest need in We Will Feed right now is financial support and volunteers. On Monday and Wednesday mornings volunteers have the opportunity to sort our large food donations, stock shelves, and make up grocery bags for our neighbors. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings we have our We Will Feed program which is when we pass out food to our community members. This is a time to meet physical needs as well as spiritual needs, because our ultimate goal is to pray and share the gospel with as many people as possible. We are encountering a new opportunity to pour into our community spiritually and physically, and we need your help to meet that need. We want 2020 to be memorable as the year we helped more people than ever before!

Testimony from Feed & Clothe

By: Ruth Alexander

This morning I had a wonderful time at our We Will Feed/Clothe program. As we take people around to choose their hygiene items and food, we always get to chat about how they have been doing, how they heard about us if they are new and obviously, what they are going to cook with this food! We get some great recipes and ideas as we all share!

Today I took around a daughter and her mother who have never been here before. We normally take people individually, but it made sense and we all agreed to go pick the items together. After we chose the food items we got to pray together. We sat and talked about how they are from Jackson and they boasted on how close their family unit was. They went over how much our city has changed, yet when the mother and her late husband were raising their family, they agreed never to leave Jackson as it was so nice! All our faces lit up as we got excited hearing stories about Jackson and speaking with hope in Jesus as we are watching it get restored again. 

They lost their husband/father only 5 months ago. There was such a softness in the way they talked over their loss. They are all believers and they know He is in Heaven, which gave them a beautiful confidence that I enjoy seeing so much. In the middle of grief and pain, something that we have no ‘fix it’ button for we can find Hope and Beauty from Jesus. It was an amazing reminder that everything we need is in Jesus. We get to live in His peace in the hard things. 

Something I love about doing our We Will Feed/Clothe program is that God ministers to me just as much as He ministers to those who are coming for food. God has something for everyone! 

What Is Really Important?

By: David Lancaster

This week we were talking about setting goals in the shop. So many times, my goals have been focused on the short-term things of life. Last week I asked our group this question, “When you die, what do you want to be known for?” The answer to this question is what the most important thing is to you.  So many of us do not have life goals that address what is important to us, but we lie to ourselves and say we do. 

Ask yourself, am I willing to be brutally honest even if it hurts? So many times, we see people on the street who do not want to be honest about decisions they have made in their life. So many times, I can have the same problem. At times I can hear God asking me, “Why are you doing this (getting angry, doubting, saying bad things about people) – Really? If we are honest with ourselves, many of our problems come from a distant relationship with God. We are not living out the call we have in us.

A common phrase I hear with so many neighbors is, “I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do.” The translation of this is I want to satisfy my immediate want over my long-term goal. All our choices have consequences and without a focus we can lead ourselves in a wrong direction. When we do not know what is important it can be easy to make decisions that lead us nowhere. Are you choosing important or immediate?

Our friends and the people we are with can determine our life direction. I read that you can not lead yourself by yourself. All of us need people to help us in this life. It is easy to find people with the same interests, but we need friends with the same values. It has been great working with my community some believers and some not to offer direction on what is important. It has been wonderful not just to give out Jesus but to live out Jesus.

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You can help support our We Will Go Arts job training program by purchasing the beautiful products made in our wood shop!! We Will Go Arts products are beautiful products with purpose to decorate your home, and make great Christmas gifts!