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New Opportunities

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

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Changes

Challenges change us. This year has displayed that to the world. 2020 has brought great uncertainty and many changes. Every person’s life on earth is vastly different than it was before the global pandemic. 

I remember exactly where I was, about 10 months ago, when I first heard about an epidemic in China over the radio. Driving an ambulance to Virginia Beach, Virginia, I would have never imagined that in a few weeks we would be in quarantine, and in a few months I would be moving to Mexico. 

When I was an undergraduate student, I met a GEM representative in passing through a career fair. I knew I wanted to teach, and I had spent enough time in Mexico to know that this was where God was calling me. 

After I graduated I began working as an EMT, but I knew that God had called me to education. At the right time, God reminded me of GEM and I connected with them over the summer. 

Making the decision to serve with GEM was challenging for me. Just as I was planning to leave, I had concerns about my health, concerns about traveling and living abroad, and was offered a high-paying job. Even the day of my departure, flight trouble delayed me by several more days. Despite these concerns, it was clear to me that God wanted me to serve with GEM. I initially thought that everything telling me not to go could be ‘a sign’. I realized instead as I later reflected, that they were a test. 

As I arrived in Puerto to work with the middle school as a science teacher, I moved into a spare bedroom with a family that is heavily involved with the school. They welcomed me into their house and family. They have been teaching me about life in Mexico, teaching me Spanish, and have also been discipling me. 

In meeting all of the teachers and school staff, I was quickly included in the community of this impactful school. We began the school year combatting typical issues with online education, but despite these challenges we have been able to continue flourishing as a school. 

In the science classes I am privileged with teaching, we have been learning about the awe-inspiring creation and how it functions. We have studied the beautiful design of biology and the incomprehensible complexity of our planet. Outside of school, I have become involved with a local church and have been spending a lot of time at beaches.

In only three months, the relationships I have made have changed my life forever. God has been teaching me, inspiring me, and reminding me of his unchanging goodness and faithfulness. Even when the world is shaken, our lives are changed, and our faith is challenged, we can rest in knowing that our God is always good and our God is faithful. Living a life inspired by this reminder serves as a witness to the world around us. 

The inclusion and incredible hospitality I have been shown by everyone at this school, this ministry, and especially with this family have displayed to me the prayer that Christ exhorted in  John 17 over all believers. 

“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me”. John 17: 20-21


– Tanner Whetzel, GEM Volunteer

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Our Journey To GEM

It is crazy to think that in less than 50 days Hannah and I will be sitting in training alongside the other missionaries of GEM! Our journey to Global Education Ministries was one that we never could’ve imagined but one that our Heavenly Father ordained from the very beginning.

Well before we knew one another, our desire for missions was growing and intensifying. For Hannah, it began in high school as she had been given the opportunity to serve on several domestic missions trips and a few international trips as well. She knew that God was growing in her a passion to live radically for Him whatever that might look like. Hannah chose to pursue teaching so she could meet a practical need while also focusing her heart on being in full-time ministry. Little did she know she was taking steps towards GEM.

For myself, it began during the summer after my Freshman year of college. I had the privilege to serve as a camp counselor at a camp in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. It was there that I listened to several missionaries share their experiences and the ways that they saw God move. After that summer I decided to start learning more and begin participating firsthand. During my Sophomore and Junior years, I was able to experience urban church planting in several different cities as well as attend a mission trip to serve the local shoe shiners of Bolivia. Little did I know I was taking steps towards GEM.

When Hannah and I began dating we had conversations about our desire to serve in ministry and more specifically in international missions. As we continued to date and near marriage, the conversations took on a more practical tone and we began to speak with different organizations about serving overseas. We didn’t know where we would go or who we would serve with but we continued to pursue the calling we knew God had placed on our lives. After our wedding in May of 2019, the conversations became more and more serious. Hannah and I decided that we would forgo “making our home” like so many newlyweds do. Instead, we felt that now more than ever the Lord was preparing for us to go and we wanted to be ready. Little did we know we were taking steps towards GEM.

In the Fall of 2019, we applied and interviewed for teaching jobs in South America. We could not be more excited as everything was so promising. To our surprise, the opportunities that we thought were promising ended suddenly and we were left not knowing what to do or where to go. We were heartbroken. We decided that after Hannah finished school we would move closer to family. Little did we know we were taking steps towards GEM.

But God had other plans.

Through a dear friend, we were connected with Global Education Ministries. We didn’t carry any expectations into our first conversation with GEM as we thought that we had already made the decision to move closer to family. We were blown away after hearing more about GEM. It was evident that they loved one another, cared for the people that they were serving, and were propelled to action by the Gospel. There was something so different about GEM and our hearts were drawn because of it. We took a while to pray about serving with GEM as we didn’t want to make a decision on a whim or jump ahead of where God might want us. God gave us great peace as we accepted the missionary positions. In February of 2020, our journey to GEM officially began!

As followers of Jesus, we are not of this world and do not live according to it (Romans 12). We live according to the Kingdom of God and the way of Jesus. We have been radically changed by the free grace that we have been shown, therefore, we cannot live as we once did. We are propelled by the Gospel to live radically for the Kingdom of God and to make the Gospel message known. It was clear from the first conversation that GEM was made up of people choosing to live in that faith. They were saturated in the Gospel both in the ways that they lived and in how they served others.

Over the last several months Hannah and I have continued to take steps towards serving in Puerto Escondido with GEM. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we were encouraged by another GEM missionary. She shared that despite the unknown that we faced, none of it was a surprise to God. We have continued to learn more about who God is as we have seen him continually provide and encourage us through others and through his word.

Our journey to GEM was one that we never could’ve imagined but one that our Heavenly Father ordained from the very beginning. In the same way that God has done far more abundantly than we could have ever asked or imagined along this journey, we are confident that he will continue to do so as we move to Mexico. See you soon, Puerto!

– James Shank, GEM Missionary

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Remembering God is Our Remedy

Something that has become strikingly clear to me in the last couple months is just how easy it is to forget who God is when we are not constantly clinging to Him. The Scriptures scream the goodness and truth about God, “in your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11)… “those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Ps. 34:10)… “your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies” (Ps. 36:5)”… “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10), etc.

It is clear that we have a Father who is good, who loves us and is determined to show us his all-sufficient love. We have a Savior who willingly suffered in our place, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11)… “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (10:18). This is just amazing news. Amazing!!! The logical response to these truths is to praise God forever and never leave his side!

However, we have a sinful nature that causes us to wander and forget. Not only do we naturally desire sin, but there is an evil one who constantly seeks to turn us against our Father. The fight against our flesh is constant and I don’t think I had realized the significance of this until recently. It is a real battle that we must take seriously. The very moment we take our eyes of Jesus, that is when sin gets a foothold and begins its course of destruction. It can look so subtle too, almost harmless… something like, ‘I can’t pray right now because I have this errand I really need to run’ or ‘I just need a few more minutes of sleep instead of reading the Word today’, or ‘why not just take one look at that thing, it won’t hurt’. Worshipping the god of self and the god of pleasure are frighteningly easy and without a constant grasping of the truth, we forget the goodness of God faster than you can say go. Satan knows we are weak and he uses temptation to turn our eyes from truth. We see this in Genesis 3:6 when it says, “so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate”. Now as much as Satan played a role Adam and Eve’s fall, Eve was responsible for choosing sin in the face of temptation.

The battle with our flesh can seem like an impossible mountain to climb. BUT, the greatest news that has brought me joy this season is that we have a victorious Savior who has already won the battle for us and is here to lift us up out of the dirt. I must remember to cling to the truth about God – that He loves me and paid the ultimate price for me even when I was dead in my trespasses… He is worth far more than any earthly treasure… he is worth more than any other relationship or pleasure I could attain, and He is a good, loving God who is here to fight with me. 

It says in James 4:7-8, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you”. In Psalm 34:18 we read, “The LORD is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit”. Hebrews 2:10 says, “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted”. Romans 6:6-7 says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin”, and finally, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” – 1 Peter 2:24. 

Wow. What an incomprehensible, beautiful hope we have! What a loving, Faithful, conquering God we serve. We must cling tightly to these TRUTHS so that we may stand firm and unshakable in the face of temptation. Remembering God is our remedy. Let us fall in love with him and be forever changed.

– Natalia Saint Clair, GEM Missionary

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My Journey to Mexico

God has led me to the country of Mexico after college, but why? Why am I going? How did He “lead me” there?

Over the past year (at least), the Lord has been ordering my steps so that I would be going to Mexico in August. It is crazy to think about how intentional God is, but I am so thankful He works in ways that I could never comprehend.
 
My story starts about a year ago when I was in South Africa with a college ministry. At that time, I believed I would have been going on staff with that ministry when I graduated in May of 2018. However, the Lord made it abundantly clear through that trip and a few months afterward that He was not calling me to go on staff with this college ministry. I went through a season where I mourned the loss of this dream. I had no idea what I would be doing after school.
 
While I was studying Elementary Education, I really did not want to teach. When the door closed to the college ministry, I could not even begin to imagine what I would do after graduation. However, in God’s kindness and love, He began to grow my love of teaching. I found a joy while I was teaching that was not experienced outside of it. I knew that God was leading me to be a teacher. I was overjoyed. My family was excited. I finally knew what I was going to do! I knew I would be teaching in the Greensboro, NC area after I graduated.
 
In addition to this, I was seriously dating a guy and had just joined a Church in the area where I was beginning to experience an incredible community. I was thrilled to finally be finishing my college career and beginning to start planting roots somewhere.
 
Oh how often I try to plan what I think my life should look like and how it should go.

Proverbs 16:9

“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.”

The guy that I was dating and I broke up at the beginning of my spring semester of senior year. My family started to fall apart, literally, and I was beginning student teaching. Needless to say, that semester was going to be a constant fight for joy and hope in the Lord. However, the Lord was so incredibly kind in what He was doing in my life.
 
Little did I know, He was setting the stage for me to get connected to Global Education Ministries (GEM).

Global Education Ministries 

They are a ministry that is based out of Wilmington, NC that believes that education is an incredible tool to get the Gospel of Jesus Christ into communities that do not have access to Him. They plant schools with teachers and staff who are passionate about making much of Jesus through their work. Their first, and largest, school is located in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. It houses almost 200 students that are in Pre-K through 9th grade.
 
So how do I fit into this?
God so graciously has called me to be a 2nd-grade teacher at Centro Educativo el Manantial for the next two years.
I get to partner with a community of people that want to make Jesus known through their work, and I have the chance to take part in it. I get to be a very small part of what God is doing throughout the world in a country that is not my own. It is a privilege to know God because of Jesus’ work on the cross, as He took the punishment I deserved so that I could be made right before a perfect and holy God. It is humbling and exciting to be joining this team.
 
If I would have had it my way, I would be doing something far different than this, but luckily, God had established my steps, not me. I will strive to faithfully walk in the way that He has called me to walk, as I seek to know more of God and make Him known.
 
God is so kind to His people.

-Rachel Hill, GEM Missionary

If you’d like to support Rachel as she serves with GEM in Mexico, you can do so HERE. You can also contact her directly to talk further about what it means to be on her support team and find out how you can be praying for her!
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Jenna’s Call to Mexico

Growing up, I have listened to many missionaries speak at my church, and throughout different church events that I attended. My eyes and heart were always filled with wonder and awe as I listened to these missionaries speak and share their love for Jesus and what they did overseas. In the depths of my heart, I prayed many times that the Lord would allow me to be a missionary overseas. I wanted to experience what these missionaries were doing, and I wanted to make an impact for Christ.

As I got older, I became very complacent in my walk with the Lord. I did not grasp the Gospel for myself, but I was trying to live a life that was striving for perfection, not satisfaction in Christ. I still dreamed of becoming a missionary, but in the back of my mind, I never thought that it would happen.

In 2014, at the age of seventeen, I went to the Word of Life Bible Institute. That year, the Lord radically changed my life, my heart, and the way that I saw the Gospel and people. The Gospel became real to me, I took hold of my relationship with Jesus as my own. As I did that, by His grace, I saw missions in a new light. After my two years at the Word of Life Bible Institute, I see missions as not just an overseas thing, but an everyday life mission. I see that wherever I am, I am a missionary. Wherever I am, I want the love and grace of Jesus to pour out of me, and that is only through His strength!

Recently, I had the privilege to go to Portugal on a two-month  missions trip. I loved every minute of it and saw the hand of Jesus through everything. It was there that I prayed for the Lord to guide me where He wants me to be next. I want to use the gifts that God has given me to honor Him, and I prayed that God would use my gifts in any way He wants. The Lord reminded me of the passion that He has given me for kids! I absolutely love kids. I think each one of them is incredible, special, and uniquely made by the Lord for His purpose and glory. I knew about Global Education Ministries, and when I looked into it more, I saw what an awesome opportunity it would be to be able to pour into little lives every day, and to show these children how special they are and what an amazing purpose Jesus has for their lives!! After praying more, and seeking what Jesus wants me to do, I have started to pursue going to Mexico, and asking the Lord to provide for everything if this is truly where He wants me to be.

So, now I am here, by the Lord’s sweet, sweet grace. It is true that He gives us the desires of our hearts. He knows my heart, my gifts, and where my passions lie. I feel so undeserving to have this opportunity to serve Him in Mexico as I have the privilege to teach and love on the children I get to see each day! I praise the Lord for all this, because all these blessings are from Him, and it’s a privilege to serve my Savior!!

Jenna Osimo, GEM Missionary

 

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Angela to Mexico

In many ways, God has been preparing me for this season in my life for many years.

In 2014, I chose to pursue a different career path. I have always loved working with children. I spent much of my life volunteering with kids and was a dedicated member of my church’s Children’s Ministry team. I chose to work in the local school district and pursue a degree in elementary education. This crossroad led to some major lifestyle changes. I went from working a well-paid job and spending extravagantly, to working a minimum wage job. Despite the hardships, I loved the job and loved my students. I knew this was right where God wanted me.

My home church has a strategic partnership with an organization in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. I had the opportunity to drive down with a team and provide support a couple of times. I loved being with the children there and experiencing a different culture. These experiences provided me with an appreciation of Mexican culture.

This past year, I finished my BS and began working on my MAT. I knew I had to find a position that would allow me to student teach in my own classroom and satisfy my university’s requirements. This meant pursuing a new position. My university had a job search available on the website. On the site, I stumbled upon the opportunity to teach in Puerto.

When I began talking with the staff, I had not yet officially applied. I gathered some information about the position and began the application process, unsure I would go any further. As I got further into the process, I spent time in prayer and sought the counsel of trusted people. There were concerns about finances, but I determined if I was called, God would provide. Confirmation came through my time spent with God. Lyrics from songs, confirmation from those closest to me, and a general assurance this was what I was supposed to do. God had been preparing me through interactions with the culture, change of career, downsizing of my lifestyle, and a desire to live more simply. I was at peace with my decision to move, knowing this was where God wanted me for this season.

Angela Fontanelli, GEM missionary

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The Davidson’s Journey to Mexico

We are just 4 down-to-earth people, who love Jesus and traveling and different cultures. We were all born in South Africa, where Bev and I were school teachers. Before having children, we also traveled to Taiwan, where we lived for a year, teaching English.

Six years ago, after completing a degree in Theology, we were looking for a new adventure. An opportunity presented itself for us to move to Tasmania, Australia, where I was the youth pastor at a local Baptist Church for 2 years. We then felt a call to start an outreach called Bridge of Life Christian Fellowship that met in the town’s indoor basketball facility. During this time, Bev was a teacher at Devonport Christian School

We have always had a heart for outreach, travel, and children; so after 3 years at “The Bridge” we felt God calling us to do something more specific. Our desire is to minister and encourage children, so we wanted to be part of something where children, who might not have had the same opportunities we had, are given the opportunity of a great Christian education and having good mentors around them. We were browsing the net for teaching posts in Australia. Our plan was to teach, earn a salary, and at the same time start an organization that would help provide a good education for children around the world. While looking, we came across an ad for teachers at GEM. Not knowing that teachers weren’t paid, we filled in the application forms and sent them away. Only after a few days did we see that it was voluntary teaching positions.  

Not owning a house or much money in the bank, we considered the fact that it would be impossible for us to do something like this. Also because we were pastoring a small outreach in a small town in Tasmania meant that there wasn’t a strong support base for us financially. But with a bit of adventure and a huge amount of faith, we decided to pursue the possibility of teaching at GEM. Our boys, who are awesome by the way, also have that travel bug. They were quite keen to move to Mexico. In fact, our youngest son, James, thought that it was essential. He was born and lived in South Africa for 5 years. Then we moved to Australia, where he lived for 5 and-a-half years. He felt it was time to move again after 5 years. John (and James) is absolutely soccer crazy. He was in the North-Tasmania soccer squad and because Mexico is a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field, there was no need to convince him to come to Mexico.

When things seem impossible in life, that’s when God shows up in our circumstances. When adding up the finances on paper, a move to Mexico was impossible. We never even had the money for the plane tickets. But we chose to pursue this door that God opened, even if, to be honest, we had our doubts at times.

We arrived in Puerto Escondido on Saturday after a 1 hour bus trip from Devonport to Launceston, a 1 hour flight from Launceston to Melbourne, a 90 minute flight from Melbourne to Sydney, a 14 hour flight from Sydney to Santiago, a 3 hour flight to Buenos Aires, a 7 hour flight to Lima, a 6 hour flight from Lima to Mexico City and a 18 hour bus trip from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido. God came through, as He always does. It doesn’t always mean that the journey is going to be easy and comfortable, but He gets us where we need to be.

So here we are: Mark, Bev, John, and James… ready for what God has for us. We are excited to be part of the team at GEM. We have also learned that it’s not always about us changing people, but about God changing us in every situation.  

– Mark Davidson, GEM missionary