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Two Years with GEM

I leave Mexico to move back to the United States in a couple weeks and I have so many emotions stirring within me. I’m in a tension of being overjoyed at the thought of getting married in 2 months and then deep sadness to say goodbye to Mexico. God has made Puerto Escondido a home and the people that fill it, family.

In moments I take to be still and reflect, God’s faithfulness overwhelms me. I could write a list and never stop over the ways that God has been faithful in the last two years here. In the relationships he has blessed me with, the way He has sustained and grown Brett and I, the way He has given me the skills, wisdom, and strength to teach on the hard days. The ways He has protected the school and given it incredible growth. He has provided the most quality people to teach at the school. I could go on. It is so humbling to reflect on the faithfulness of God because it shows you His sovereignty and proves true that all is for His glory.

When I moved to Mexico, I was excited but I was honestly asking God how I was going to love these kids well. I had been working with children the entire year before and it was a struggle to enjoy it. God had gifted me with being around children and relating to them, but I did not love it.

As I moved here, I compared myself with the o I was working with who had a real passion for teaching and a passion for children. I would have days where I had no desire to be at school. Through the struggle, I heard God whispering, “keep going.” God was doing a work and it is only now at the end of my two years teaching that I can look back and be amazed by what God has done.

God has let me enter into the cares and depths of His heart. As you seek the Lord, He transforms your heart! My expectation coming here was that I would fall in love with teaching and with children. Instead, I have fallen in love with Jesus. I have joy to wake up and go to school now because I know that I will meet Jesus there. Children are a gift from the Lord and they are made in His image. Getting to spend all of my days with them is incredible. I have not only learned most of my Spanish from these cuties, but I have learned unconditional, pure love.

And teaching them is now something I enjoy because God has opened my eyes to the opportunity and the mission. He has crushed my pride that said, “You do not have the passion and skills to be a teacher.” He has replaced that with, “My love is better than life and you get to show these children that.”

Now I do not have to strive after attaining some joy, passion, or skill because when seeking the Lord, He gives me everything I need to do whatever it is He has. He doesn’t only give us the strength, but He gives us His joy, peace, patience, all of it. I can truly say that I love teaching at Manantial because the love of Jesus has overcome.

I’m amazed. And I will carry this into this next season. I feel so comforted and secure because I know that wherever the Lord leads me, whether it’s into a job where I feel completely inadequate or into a circumstance where I do not feel fit to be in, He will meet me there and He will overcome every expectation and every fear. His love is truly better than life!

Over the last two years, in many of the seasons that have come, I have prayed that these verses would be true over my life, and God has and is faithfully making it so.

“You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63: 1-8

–Annie Hindin, GEM Missionary

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Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue

Recently I returned home for the graduation of my sister Abby (the world’s newest, and most beautiful, nurse). The trip had a double mission, for with the day’s flying by, I was running out of time to find shoes for my walk down the aisle. As usual, the time with family went too quickly, and I was left with one day to say yes to the shoes.

Now as women, and some married men, know, the search for the perfect shoe…. well, this can be quite the process. It’s an adventure that usually involves many different shops, maybe a lunch break, and in my case, much prayer, and reassuring talks from Mama. I wanted something classy and casual, lovely, and functional…basically, I had no idea what I wanted (many men are now understanding women a little bit more).

Five disappointing stores later I postponed my search and headed off to a friend’s house. We sat chatting about the wedding, school, family, all the things that come up when two friends are only together a few times a year. Right as I was about to bid my goodbye she asked if I needed anything for the wedding. “I have been searching all morning for the perfect pair of shoes.” I replied. “Oh, what color?” She casually asked as she stirred in the spaghetti sauce. “Gold.” She stopped immediately, and without saying a word went into the front closet and returned holding a pair of gold sandals. Somehow, they managed to be classy and casual…and can you believe it…lovely and functional.

Through the process of planning this wedding the only way I can describe these past few months is with the word grace. From the very beginning, I saw God’s love. I saw it in the way people volunteered to help me plan, the way my parents were so generous and excited even though it would happen in a place they had never known, even how my students hugged me and asked me to tell and retell the story of our engagement, and most recently when God (and Tracy Wu) blessed me with the PERFECT shoes.

The most amazing aspect of grace is how we can never deserve this gift. This also can be the most challenging aspect. My human instinct is to feel as though I owe something when given a gift, or I must somehow earn the grace. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

So, maybe we have a responsibility after all. When we receive grace, it should be a gift. A gift without strings attached. And then we read 1 Peter 4:10 and understand that grace given to us from God or others, this gift should be used to serve and bless others. And now I pray that you will be on the lookout for grace, even the small ways that are oftentimes overlooked in the business of the day, and be ready to deliberately find ways to give grace…even if it’s just a used pair of shoes.

– Sarah Quigg, GEM missionary

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Fighting for Attention: The Age of Instant Gratification

Intro

Everywhere we look, the world is fighting for our attention. Advertising and marketing are not in short supply and are swaying us towards the next product or the new thing. If not careful, our eyes quickly move towards receiving the approval of others and to living the most “secure” lives. I noticed this more than ever after moving to Mexico in August of 2016.

We left the security of our home, paycheck, and friends into the unknown. Two things were consistent in the midst of our transition. First, there was the constant pull of the world telling us how to live and what success looks like. Secondly, we knew that God was in control, constant, trustworthy to follow, and He was leading us to this move.

Success in the United States (and many other countries) asks the question: what will this do for me? In other words, is what I am currently doing going to benefit me? Is this move going to give us more money, more security, more happiness, and a better life and how long will it take for this to happen? Advertising through television, ads in the newspaper, articles online, and friends raving about the next big thing are constantly pulling us to do whatever to make ourselves a better lifestyle.

The other constant in this life is our God. Our God is all-satisfying, all-knowing, completely trustworthy, all-powerful, never failing, always constant, and infinitely valuable. A.W. Tozer wrote, “God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is.”

There are two constants in this life: one leads to true life while the other leads to destruction. One promises happiness and doesn’t give it while the other promises joy and delivers it. We are often too easily satisfied and the world is fighting for our attention promising what only God can deliver. 

False Hope at our Fingertips

Instant gratification can be defined as the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235088). We are all guilty of instant gratification. In many ways, it dominates our culture. For example, in the United States, when the new iPhone comes out, many are lined up at the nearest store to purchase this product. Right when it comes out, they don’t have to wait, they can go to the store and get the newest product (of course, only if you have enough money for that).

In psychological models, humans often act upon the “pleasure principle.” Pleasure is the reason why we are so quick to find the easiest thing to gratify our wants, needs and urges. Currently, everything in our culture is being created and focused on instant gratification. We are losing the patience of waiting for a product because of the changing of culture.

One research focused its studies on the habits of 6.7 million internet users and their patience in waiting for a video to load. How long were these users willing to be patient? Two seconds. After two seconds, people began to abandon the video; after five seconds 25% were gone; after 10 seconds, half were gone (Prof. Ramesh K. Sitaraman Computer Science, UMass Amherst).
With amazon prime, you now have the option to receive products in two days or less. In some cities, you can order a product and receive it the same day! In one sense, the incredible technology and advancement helps us to receive things faster and can even help us to be more productive. However, I believe there is a danger here for Christians. If we are not careful, instant gratification can seep into our desire for joy in created things rather than the creator (Romans 1). It could lead to impatience on the promises of God and a desire to abandon the promises of God for some cheaper product.

If we don’t truly believe God can satisfy all of our longings, we will cling on to things that will only lead to destruction. The danger of instant gratification is this: the pursuit of created products that may bring instant gratification, but ultimately lead to empty lives. Instant gratification is false hope at our fingertips and we must battle the constant desire for this and seek Jesus, our true and only treasure!

The Battlefield (Flesh vs Spirit)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-25

As the scripture says, we know that the desires of the flesh and the desires of the spirit are against each other. It is interesting that Paul states that the things of the flesh are evident (v.19). Our natural tendency is to follow the things of the flesh. We don’t even have to try. Our sinful nature will always desire the things of this world. However, life in the Spirit is not what we naturally desire. If we daily don’t seek to know and treasure Jesus, then we will quickly see ourselves finding pleasures with things that will not fully satisfy. As Christians, we are called to keep in step with the spirit (v.25).

Romans 8:5-6 tells us that whoever lives according to the flesh sets their minds on the things of the flesh; also, whoever lives according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. So what does it mean for us to set our minds on the things of the spirit? We set our minds on Christ! He is the fruits of the spirit. We set our minds on the spirit as we seek to find pleasure in Jesus and Him alone.

When it comes to entertainment in this world, we should consider if it enhances our relationships, joy, and satisfaction with Jesus or hinders it. Use everything this world offers to enhance your enjoyment of Jesus and His glory. If it doesn’t enhance your joy in Jesus or point to His glory, then don’t do it. 

Hearts Desire (Is it Jesus or worldly pleasures?)

So the question this brings me to ask is this: What does your heart long for? Do you long for anything that gratifies your desires or do you long for the satisfaction of knowing Jesus? Our money, time, and conversation reveal what our treasure is. Does the way you live point to Jesus as your treasure? Do you desire to know Him above all else? If not, pray and ask God to give you joy in Him and to find treasure in Him alone.

Below are a few questions that we can ask daily to remind us to set our minds on the spirit, Jesus, the treasure of our lives.

  1. What do you desire more than anything else?
  2. What do you find yourself daydreaming or fantasizing about?
  3. What lies do you subtly believe that undermine the truth of the Gospel?
  4. Are you astonished with the Gospel?
  5. Where have you made much of yourself and little of God?
  6. Is technology interrupting your communion with God?
  7. What consumes your thoughts when you have alone time?
  8. When people see how you spend money, do they conclude that God is a priceless treasure, exceedingly valuable above all worldly goods?
  9. Is your use of leisure time or devotion to a hobby or how you speak of your spouse the sort that persuades others that your heart is content with what God is for you in Christ?
  10. Does your reaction to bad news produce in you a doubt or fear, or does it inspire confidence to trust in God’s providence?

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” – C.S. Lewis

Daniel McDonald, Director of Communication

Daniel@globaleducationministries.org

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Brothers and Sisters, We Are All Missionaries!

Have you ever been on a mission trip to another country or another city? Have you ever spent a period of time praying, serving, and sharing the gospel alongside brothers and sisters somewhere else? I have had the opportunity to go on trips with four short-term teams where we were unified and served together. Together, we reoriented our week around a common purpose. Short-term trips are such a beautiful picture of the body of Christ serving Jesus together in unity.

Growing up, my understanding of a missionary was a person who commits their lives for the advancement of the Gospel in another country. In my home church, I met several missionaries like this that shared about all that God was doing in those places. As I grew older, I began to think that missionaries were the “more spiritual” ones. I thought they were the ones God has called to take the Gospel to people that have not heard of Him, and my job was only to share Jesus with those I encounter where I lived. I even began to question what I was doing with my life. Was I less committed to the advancement of the Gospel with an 8-5 job? How could God use me like He uses these missionaries?

These questions led me to seek the scriptures to understand what He has called all people to. Here, we will look at some common misconceptions of what we may have believed a missionary to be.

A Few Misconceptions

  1. Missionaries are more spiritual because of their commitment to live in another country and raise support. This is far from the truth. Every day, my wife and I are constantly being reminded of our need for Jesus and inadequacy in and of ourselves. The Bible tells us that no one is righteous, not even one.
  1. Missionaries are busy all of the time sharing the Gospel, investing in people, and serving others. Since my wife and I have moved here (Puerto Escondido, Mexico), we are finding it more difficult than ever to share the Gospel, invest in other people, and even to serve people at times. Yes, we desire to share the truth of Jesus, but the reality is that it is just as hard as before.
  1. Being a Missionary is only for the select few. God calls all of us to make disciples of all nations. It’s not “if you go” or “when you might go,” but the direct command to “go” and make disciples. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)
  1. A missionary is one who goes to another country to share the truth of Jesus with people who have not heard. God has definitely called all people to pray, give and go to all nations; however, a missionary is not primarily one who goes to another country or unreached people group.
  1. Missionaries that move to another place have the best plan and strategy to reach the lost. Most missionaries that move to another place to serve may have great resources; however, that doesn’t mean they have the best strategy to reach people. Often times, it is the natives that have the greatest impact. We also must remember that is the Holy Spirit who is empowering and giving direction to those seeking to make his name known, not strategies.

To understand what is a missionary is, we need a biblical perspective.

A Biblical Perspective

From the very beginning of the Bible, God dwelt among His people. He dwelt with Adam and Eve and even after they sinned, God set up a covenant with Moses to dwell among His people again. However, God did not only want to dwell with his people, He wanted to dwell in his people. Therefore, God sent his son Jesus to live a perfect life in the power of the Spirit. Jesus depended on His father and proclaimed the kingdom of God in the power of the Spirit. Many repented, were healed, and followed Jesus during His 3-year ministry.

Before Jesus left earth, he promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them to be witnesses of the kingdom of God all over the earth (Acts 1:8). As the Holy Spirit filled them, Peter (one of the disciples) spoke about the mighty deeds of God and 3,000 souls received the word of God and were added to the kingdom.

In the same way, we have the Spirit that was with Jesus and with the disciples. We are called in the same way to proclaim the good news of Jesus to everyone. Therefore, we are all missionaries sent by God, in the power of the Spirit, to proclaim the Gospel to all. From the life of Jesus, we see what is a missionary is. A missionary is a person who is sent by the power of Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news of Jesus with authority and boldness.

On Mission: Holy Spirit Empowerment

“Charles Spurgeon said, “Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter.” Everywhere you go, whatever you do, you are a missionary sent by Jesus to love like Jesus, overcome sin like Jesus, proclaim the Gospel like Jesus, and see people’s lives changed by the power of the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead.” – Jeff Vanderstelt

Paul perfectly describes the heart of a missionary sent by Jesus to make disciples. Acts 20:24 says, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” If you are a follower of Jesus, your primary motivation in life is to live as a disciple of Jesus who makes disciples. You are sent, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to make disciples of Jesus where you live.

How can we live as missionaries in every part of life? Like Paul did, we have to consider our lives as living sacrifices and seek to pursue Jesus and make Him known in our daily situations. Paul is the perfect example of a life empowered by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s strategy was becoming all things to all people so that some would know Christ (1 Corinthians 9:22). Being a missionary means that we strategize how to reorient our lives around the Gospel in our own context and join in God’s ongoing work.

There are many Christians that have reoriented their lives around a mission in another country. For example, we are here serving at a school so that many (children and their families) come to know Jesus and grow to become mature, multiplying disciples. However, this is not what makes us missionaries. All Christians have been sent as missionaries in their own context to reorient their lives around the Gospel and its work in their neighborhoods, workplaces, and friends. Therefore, let us prayerfully seek how God is working amongst us and embrace the call to make disciples of all nations.

danielDaniel Mcdonald graduated from Liberty University with a B.S. in Communication (2011) and a Master’s of Divinity in Evangelism and Church Planting (2014). He is serving as the Director of Communication for GEM, while his wife, Kristen, serves as the 4th-grade teacher.  Above all, they desire to make disciples by making Jesus known in Puerto and around the world.