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“May we never lose our wonder

Wide eyed and mystified

May we be just like a child

Staring at the beauty of our King”

Bethel Music

Around lunchtime on Thursday, February 8th, 13 of us (ten students and 3 chaperones) were sent off from our school for a foreign exchange trip for the first time in the history of our school. For the very first time, these students would go to Canada. For the first time, many of them would fly on an airplane. Their first time seeing snow and experiencing winter weather. The first of many things.

To say that these students were excited is an understatement. Ten students were chosen to represent Manantial in Canada and to enjoy all that Canada has to offer. They were chosen as the students we thought would best represent our school and their country. They were very excited and nervous for this adventure.

THE TAKE-OFF

If you have ever been on a plane more than once, you know the drill. You sit down and you have to listen to the flight attendants safety procedures. Now, if you have flown before, this is really boring and most people don’t pay attention. However, for our students, they were laser-focused on the flight attendants. When they told us to get our pamphlet out to follow along, every one of our students took out the pamphlet and followed along like their lives depended on it. It was incredible! We scanned the isles at all the wide eyes and nervous glances as the engine roared up and we started to move. Once we were up and cruising, there was a buzz in the air of excitement and anticipation for all that lied ahead. The first of many firsts.

Because there was no direct flight into Kelowna, we arrived in Edmonton, AB at midnight where it was a deathly -22 Celcius (or -7 degrees F). Keep in mind that the average temperature in Puerto Escondido is 28 degrees Celsius (80+ degrees F). Seeing the snow, all the students wanted to go play in it (remember, its midnight and -7 degrees F). They have jackets on, but they are not thick jackets. They all last about 30 seconds and come running back inside to put on several layers of clothes.

All this to say, they hadn’t even arrived in Kelowna and they were already having so much fun!

KELOWNA, BC.

When we arrived in Kelowna the next day, the school that was hosting us (Heritage Christian School) had organized for all of the students to stay in host homes for the week. The school had planned and organized our trip the entire 10 days we were there. On the weekends, there were special activities planned. During the week, half the day would be at the school in classes and doing presentations and the other half would be out exploring different things in Kelowna.

Below is a list of the different activities the school organized for them in Kelowna:

• • International food tasting
  • Tubing at a big ski mountain
  • Ice skating
  • Hiking trails
  • Skiing and Snowboarding
  • Curling
  • Laser Tag
  • Bowling
  • Youth night at the local church
  • Going to the local mall

In addition to these things, their host families shared many things with them. Our students were also able to share about their Mexican culture by doing a traditional dance and doing presentations in classrooms. They were able to share about their culture and what was unique about Mexico, specifically, Oaxaca. They also had the opportunity to join the school’s Spanish class, play games with them, and helped them with their Spanish.

I mentioned before that these students were put into groups and placed in different host families. This was one of the best parts of the trip for a couple of reasons. First, these students got to see what everyday life was like for these Canadian families. Most of them had children around their age so they would get to hang out with them, eat with them, and do activities with them. This was probably the richest cultural experience they received. Secondly, these students were staying with Christian families who loved Jesus and loved these kids like their own. Our students got to experience the loving presence of Jesus through the hospitality and generosity of these families.

 

THE WONDER OF IT ALL

If you have ever been on a mission trip or another kind of trip with a group of people, you know what happens. You get really close to the people you are on the trip with. That is what happened to our students. They experienced all of these things for the very first time together. They shared their excitement, nervousness, and joy together throughout the trip. They are closer friends than they were before and that will not change.

From a chaperone’s standpoint, probably the greatest part of the trip for us was the wonder on their faces from their first-time experiences. From the airport to the snow, these kids were enamored by the beauty of their surroundings and experiences throughout the trip. We were reminded of God’s incredible creation and the wonder of it. Like our students were with the snow, we should be with our God.  Like the students were with every single detail of the trip, we should be in our daily lives.

God was actively working in our students lives in what they experienced. Our students did not just experience a great trip, but they experienced great gifts from a great God. Let us never lose sight of the wonder of our God and all that He is doing and will do before us.

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Daniel McDonald, GEM Missionary

“We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

Resilience. This is a word I have heard used often throughout my life. Some of my time in the service included resilience training. Dictionary.com defines resilience as “the power or ability to return to the original form, position, etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity” or “ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity, or the like; buoyancy.” It’s no wonder the military sought to invest in this type of training given the situations and stressors service members endure, particularly in times of conflict.

My life, much like everyone else’s, has provided me with much adversity. At times I have bounced back quickly; other times I fought the process. As I look at my life, I have found surrender is key. This is a bit counterintuitive for me, thus it was a long steep learning curve. It is a fight against the adage “Never Surrender.” I have gotten lots of needed practice, and I know more awaits me.

When I talk of surrender, I don’t mean surrender to man. Rather, surrender to God. Surrender of my circumstances, surrender of control, surrender of my life to God’s will. Being the control freak that I am, this is and has been a very hard lesson at times, but God knows what is best and what will serve his purposes. I only have my limited human perspective.

This surrender has taken different forms in different situations. Often, I make poor choices. These poor choices inevitably lead to negative consequences. Consequences that often were in the hands of other people to decide. This was a hard pill to swallow. It was during some of the times following the poorest decisions I’ve made that I learned to stop fighting and surrender. I made the choice, there would be consequences. BUT God knew the consequences I needed to redirect me to His path and the knowledge that He was in control. This didn’t make the road an easy one, but once I let go of my resistance the road became one I could endure. These were natural or logical consequences to something I did, so once I learned to surrender here, I could accept it.

“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:19

Later on in life, I had some health concerns, due to no fault of my own. I had a long trying season working with doctors and trying to find out what was wrong and the best course of action. This happened on multiple fronts over the course of several years. This became the thorn in my side, but I was reminded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” “For when I am weak, then I am strong” Parts of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. God would carry me through. Each time, surrender of my health grew easier and easier. God is my healer. He works through doctors, but he works miracles too. When even the doctors aren’t certain of courses of action God knows what to do and is in control.

At first, these situations were a bit harder to surrender. First, I thought there should be something I could do to “fix” my health. This, of course, is not true, for I am not God. There are things I can do to improve my health, but it is God who heals. Second, in this case, these were not consequences to something I had done. I didn’t burn my hand or do anything to cause these things. Unfortunately, the world is a fallen place and pain exists as a result. This is the consequence of mankind’s, and my, sinful nature. There doesn’t need to be another reason. Surrender of these circumstances gave me the strength to endure. God strengthened me when I felt I couldn’t go any further. My life was never as distressing as Job’s, “And he said ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” This was a lesson for me to be content in God.

These are instances in my life where I found I must surrender to endure, to be resilient, to bounce back. I have so many specific examples, examples of God’s faithfulness. I tend to be a stubborn person, and it takes a while to learn sometimes. Each instance stretches me a bit more, grows my faith and trust in God a bit more, and adjusts my perspective of myself – closer to what is true. I have found it is through surrender to God I can stand and fight, stand against popular opinion, and endure. I complete what seems impossible to me, because God is completing it through me. If I were to complete my God-sized tasks on my own, I would fail – and I often try. Then I am reminded to unclench my fists and open my hands to the loving Father who will walk through the storm with me. “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” Joshua 1:9. He brings me peace through the most trying circumstances.

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Angela Fontanelli, GEM missionary

“So, I want everyone to return to your desks. Please complete the 10 math problems on the board, and if you finish early use the dice to create 5 more. If you don’t finish before lunch, it will be for homework.”

“How many problems do we have to finish?”

“What happens if I don’t finish?”

“Can I read if I finish early?”

“Can I go to the bathroom?”

Life as a teacher is filled with joy. I truly love spending my time with children who teach me to think, to love others, and even how to just enjoy the simple things in life. And if anyone has experienced a similar situation as the one above, you are fully aware that children ask an abundant amount of questions. Some days I feel as though I spend 2 minutes giving instructions and then 10 minutes explaining what I just said. As I feel my blood starting that familiar simmering feeling, I take a deep breath and remember the Israelites.

The Israelites, God’s chosen people, are a classic example of why David refers to us as sheep. Dumb, directionless sheep. These people had just been rescued out of slavery, by watching God smite the Egyptians with 10 ferocious plagues, WALKED across the Red Sea, and been fed with Manna, when they turned from God and worshiped idols. Not just one time. Over and over again they went through this frustrating cycle of sin. In my flesh and pride, I read those Old Testament stories and wonder how could they not trust God after all He did for them. How could they question His faithfulness? How could they keep sinning after being constantly enslaved and rescued by God? Then I hear that small quiet voice.

Sarah Quigg, you are an Israelite. We are all Israelites. God shows His power. He rescues us time and time again. He pulls us out of pits and away from danger and destruction. Even when He knows we will soon need to be rescued again.

And so, as the simmer is beginning to boil I think, I am an Israelite, and I answer each question…again.

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Sarah Quigg, GEM teacher

Second graders.  They are my favorite age to teach! On the verge of independence, they can be trusted with much, yet they still need you. They’re excited to come to school. Standing at my classroom door every morning, I watch them come in the gate with a smile and once they get close enough, they take off running and greet me with a huge hug. Everything is exciting to them, from science experiments to flashcards. They always bring me flowers or lollipops and tell me they love me all day long. All the cuteness aside, they have a lot of growing to do. My class has 12 girls and 5 boys this year. As you can imagine, there is drama on a daily basis. Surprisingly, it usually involves both the boys and the girls. We got to a point last week when they needed a little bit of help from someone with a little more life experience than the person they sit next to.

I was trying to think of how I could effectively help them relate to each other in a kinder way. How can I teach them, from a biblical viewpoint, to love each other rightly? I mean, they’re saying things to each other that I would never say to a friend. They’re being sly and sneaking behind my back. They’re pushing and shoving because they don’t know how to use their words. They needed some training to get back on the right boat. After all the best ships are friendships!

I decided I was going to use some of our class time to guide them through their issue. We all sat down in a circle on the floor and I asked my them to describe God. They gave lots of beautiful responses about who our great God is. Then, I drew a picture of a friend we named ‘Jack’. I told them they could say whatever they wanted to him and they all looked at me a little confused. After about 30 seconds of silence (which is a long time for a seven-year-old), one of my little girls raised her hand. She asked just question I was waiting for “can we say something mean?”. Once I gave them permission, the comments came spewing out. With every unkind comment, we crumpled up our little friend until he was in pieces.

Afterwards, we read a verse from James that says “out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this is not right.” We talked about what this could mean and the implications that it has in our classroom. I gave my students a chance to say something kind to the person sitting next to them. We went around in the circle and each child had a turn to lift someone up. What I was most taken aback by was the struggle they had to say something nice to a friend. It was like pulling teeth. My aid and I had to help them generate a phrase to give and they did it with shy, timid voices. They were so quick to rip apart our friend Jack yet they couldn’t find a kind word to share with a friend.

This experience lit a fire me to continue teaching them how to love one another. It may sound simple but it is something we have to learn. It has been amazing to see the change in their hearts after a little bit of guidance. We all need a little bit of that along the way and I’m so thankful for these little people that I have the attention of each and every day. They grow me, challenge me, and humble me. They fill me with joy and love me fiercely. They teach me more than they’ll ever know and I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity I have to be their teacher.

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Sarah Oltra, GEM Principal and teacher

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

1 Timothy 1:15-17

The few, the proud, the Marines. I remember this commercial from the 90s when I grew up. There would be an image of a Marine in the full dress uniform. He would have the white hat and the blue duds and he was holding a shining saber. This marine would be this picture of determination, discipline, and achievement. I am very grateful for the Marines and for our military. It is profoundly right that the Marines be an institution in which its soldiers have risen above many of their peers, worked harder, proven themselves greatly and exhibited no less than the most admirable qualities. But becoming a Marine is different from becoming a Christian.

A person who becomes a Christian is one who is born again, who begins a truly vibrant spiritual life. A Christian is one who inherits eternal life. They are heirs to the Kingdom that has dominion over all other kingdoms. They are adopted by a father who is preeminent over all other officials, authorities, and governments. But they don’t rise up to this rank. No one who has ever been born again became that way because they proved themselves worthy to be counted among “the few, the proud, the Christians.” Not one single child of God was ever adopted by Him because they earned their seat at His table through sweat and determination and rigor.

Rather, a Christian is someone who has come to the realization that they deserve no place at God’s table or in His family. They have understood and acknowledged the reality that on their own merits they have no place in Heaven.

Paul says, “ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst”. Paul realized that he was spiritually and morally bankrupt before the one true Holy God of the universe. No one comes to Jesus in true faith because they realize how good they are. No one is awarded membership in Heaven because of their great effort.

On the contrary, all Christians are “shown mercy so that in them, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen”

Christians realize that their adoption into God’s family is completely and entirely owing to ANOTHER’S efforts. Jesus Christ earned their status as God’s children. It was the blood of Jesus. It was the holiness of Jesus. It was His mercy and His grace. All of Him. It was His perfect righteousness that was counted on our behalf.

Why does God do such a thing? Why does God take undeserving, dishonest, self-centered, and immoral people and give them eternal life and joy and happiness and peace and restoration in this life? The Bible tells us, it is so that “…Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” A Christian is saved so that it is Christ who is seen dressed in splendor holding a gleaming sword as the one who vanquished death. A believer is born again so that it is the mercy of Jesus that shines at the center of the story. A Christian is saved so that they can see that it is Christ who showed Himself to be above all others, to be stronger, greater, holier and to be more worthy of recognition. Christians know that their status is all owing to the efforts, character, merit and nature of another’s and not their own.

If any group should be made up of people who have earned the right to be recognized it should be the Marines and the military. But let all Christians say with Paul, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

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Jason Faircloth, Director of Mission Advancement

As our year wraps to an end, a question on many hearts is, “do I belong?” If we are honest, this is the question that we ask ourselves all the time. When you ask the question such as, “am I strong?,” “am I pretty?,” “am I funny?,” “am I smart?,” “will I succeed?,” or “do I matter?,” you are really asking, “do I belong” or ultimately, “am I loved?” In this post-modern age of skepticism, information, and virtual relationships, this question is screaming at us and we work to answer it. We try to answer it through preoccupations with sports, media, shopping, work, and diverse dining experiences.

For centuries around the world, this question was typically answered by the idea of belonging to a family or being a part of a country/nation/tribe. People had strong senses of identity that rarely shifted: “I’m a barbarian, I’m a Roman citizen, I’m a Jew, I’m an Iroquois warrior.” The world has become more and more global, and people identify less with their families, countries, races, and social belonging has become more of a loose collection of friends, media choices, virtual groups, gym classes, universities, football teams, coffee shop attendance, etc. In the US, it seems that family/nation has moved more and more to the background of our consciousness as we assess how we belong.

A year and a half ago, my family and I moved to Mexico to work at the Manantial School in Puerto Escondido. Life is so different here and belonging is not easy. The usual social channels of comfort in the US do not exist. We can’t go catch a game or go to the YMCA, attend a cooking class, go golfing, shop at the outlets, or meet at the kids play place. Because of the absence of these superficial affiliations, we have been faced with the reality of “Who are we?” “Do we really love people well?” “What is our purpose?” “Does anyone love me?” This has made for a difficult transition to international missions; however, in the midst of the challenges, we have also begun to experience the reality of a real community. As we have persevered through the challenges by the grace of God, family has increasingly become what we are experiencing. Through church planting, we have begun to experience the joy and closeness of Mexican family.

In Acts 2:42 after thousands of people were converted almost immediately as the gospel was preached in Jerusalem, it was reported that their immediate unifying activity was to “devote themselves to the apostles teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.” These four activities stand in stark contrast to the world’s view of relevancy and belonging in this new age. Our gatherings and activities are not overly polished and rehearsed yet they are filled with joy and excitement about what God is doing. This is drawing people together and growing us into a family that perseveres through challenges and celebrates our victories! We choose to belong to the church and to exalt this belonging above all other affiliations.

As a church, we all agree and believe in the teaching of the apostles that Jesus Christ is the resurrected Son of God. We all choose to gather and pray together. We also choose to unite in the Lord ’s Supper, communing around him and how he died for us. This family, or church, is what I believe will be the only genuine and lasting movement that will unite people, not out of competition, greed, or ideology, but out of love and service.

As the year closes and you either come together with your family or seek to belong in other ways, I encourage you to remember that God is calling you to prioritize the Christian church, the only lasting eternal institution. All others will fade and eventually be extinguished and all that will ultimately be left is the body of Christ. How are you trying to belong? How are you seeking love? Give your life to Jesus and His church. The true spiritual church of Jesus Christ is the place where you can trust that you will always belong.

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– Rob Moser, GEM Missionary