Greetings! 

 

The staff was pleased to welcome the original first lady of GO International to a luncheon in her honor at the GO offices this week. Beverly Stevens, wife of founder Maurice Stevens, delighted the attendees with stories of the early days of GO and the many mission trips she and Maurice took through the years.

 

Maurice founded GO in 1968 as Missionary World Service and Evangelism. In those days, very few groups were taking short-term mission teams anywhere. When a friend told him he needed to go see what God was doing in Haiti and then offered to pay his way, Maurice said yes. While he was there he felt the Lord told that he needed to get people out of the pews and into world. GO was born shortly thereafter. Since that trip in 1968, GO has traveled to dozens of countries and taken more than ten thousand people on mission trips.

 

Beverly served for many years as the Editor of the bi-monthly GO newsletter, The Explorer as well as a regular columnist. She collected her favorite columns into a book Passport to Joy, Inspiration for Creative Living, published in 1992. Dr. Dennis Kinlaw, former President of Asbury University wrote the forward to the book and said,

 

"It is not everyday that one has the opportunity to see into the heart and mind and imagination of the wife of an itinerant evangelist. She is a world traveler, the mother of missionary children, and a Christian stateswoman. These chapters enlarged my world, challenged my prejudices, deepened my guilt, and encouraged my spirit."

 

We think that is a very fitting tribute to a wonderful friend of this ministry and the original First Lady of GO InterNational! Thank you Beverly for all your years of sacrifice in helping get this ministry started!

 

Thank you for reading. God's richest blessings to you!

 

Ron Houp

Sr. Vice President