June 9th, 2021
I have always loved music, children, people, and Jesus most of all. But this past year God has given me the new opportunity to combine all those things and become a missionary for Global Education Ministries (GEM).
Over the summer, I was thinking about my career opportunities as a musician in Canada and praying that God would give me wisdom on how I can best serve Him and use the gifts and talents he has given me. Then I heard about GEM, and started looking into it more, and quickly became confident that this was something that God was calling me to do for His Glory. When I heard from the other missionaries at GEM, all that God had been doing through this ministry, I longed to join them in Mexico and be apart of this mission. I believe that being a missionary for GEM, teaching the gospel through music, is the best way that I can fulfill my purpose and use my gifts for God’s glory. I am so excited for all that God will do in my heart, and through this ministry as I go to Mexico to share the gospel through gospel-saturated education, gospel-centered discipline, gospel-motivated relationships and gospel-life example.
In the months of preparation, God has already been working on my heart to trust Him completely, and remember to live a gospel-motivated life everyday. As I have learned about GEM’s core values and told more people about them, they have served as encouragements to share the gospel in the things I do and say here in Canada, before I go and do it in Mexico. As I have been fundraising, and asking for support from friends and family, God has used this experience to encourage my heart, and to remind me to trust Him fully. I can not do this alone, or by my own strength. It is only by Grace, through faith that I am able to be saved and be a missionary, and also to trust in Jesus as I go. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
I believe that every follower of Christ must continually come back to this core part of the gospel, that we are saved by grace, through faith, and recognize that this is a precious gift from God, and then go share it with others. The great works that God has prepared in advance for us to do, are ultimately to share the gospel. Jesus says to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” and that we can have confidence, faith and peace in this command because He says that, “behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
The past few months, I have been learning Spanish by taking Spanish classes at school, learning about how to incorporate the Gospel in every part of my teaching, and how to teach music in the most God-honouring way. I know that the next few years will only be possible if I continue to trust in the Lord as I move away from home, and go into this new environment with His strength and guidance for how to share the gospel and reach these families in the best way that I can. I am excited to move to Mexico for the next 2 years but ultimately this mission is about telling people about Jesus, and building the Kingdom of God so that more people may share in this Living Hope and have salvation by grace, through faith.
I am writing this blog to share the things that God has been teaching me as a reminder for myself, and an encouragement to you! I also hope to share prayer requests from GEM, from myself and to hear from you, wherever you are! The mission of GEM is to build the Kingdom of God by spreading the gospel through education, planting these Gospel-Saturated Schools, equipping local leaders, and building the local church. I pray that this blog and community of believers will encourage us all to live gospel-motivated lives and that we can encourage one another, wherever we are in the world to pursue Christ, share the truth with others, and reflect His character in all we do and say.
– Lorissa Van Gurp, GEM Missionary
