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The Month of May: Hotter Than Africa

My siblings and I always joked on the hottest summer days that it felt “hotter than Africa” outside. Africa was the hottest place we could think of and what place on earth could possibly hotter than Africa? Well, after 3 years of living in Puerto Escondido, I have determined that the month of May in Mexico is indeed, hotter than Africa.

Everyone knows that Mexico is a hot place. It is a tourist destination to millions every year and is known for its beautiful beaches, consistently sunny weather and giant cruise port cities. I grew up in hot and humid North Carolina. The heat was no stranger to me before moving here. However, I had never in my life experienced Mexican heat outside of the vacation bubble, where the breeze off the ocean is strong, the pool is close by and your room is air conditioned.

The dictionary defines heat in a couple of different ways: (1) the state of a body perceived as having or generating a relatively high degree of warmth; (2) the condition or quality of being hot; and (3) the degree of hotness, temperature.   I am not sure which definition I agree with or if any of them define the type of heat I am currently drowning in as I write this.

Most of the year is bearable when it comes to the hot and humid weather. The nights cool off which lead to cooler mornings and sometimes there is a nice breeze to help you forget about how hot you are. The month of May brings a heat that is so fierce that it consumes you. All 365 days of the year here carry almost the exact same weather. I love a good change of seasons. There is no better feeling than those first cool fall days in October or flowers blooming in April with the promise of warmer weather. Puerto only permits one type of weather: 90 degrees and sunny.  Everyday. All year. In December. Sometimes, in the middle of the night.

The month of May is dreaded by many as it approaches and hated by all once it is here. The air is heavier than ever has we wait for that first rain to fall to kick off a few months of rainy afternoons that give a much-needed break from the heat. The sun hits your skin and makes you feel like you’re living in an oven. Your sweat beads down your forehead, soaks any clothing that is remotely touching your skin and cascades down your legs like a waterfall.

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12140818_3877548222503_6960120789129868737_n (1)There is not air conditioning to retreat to, the waves are typically huge this time of year, which limits your access to the water, and life goes on as usual. We have eaten out more than ever to avoid cooking over the stove and I have taken more showers than I thought humanly possible. I have been caught with my head stuck in the freezer more times than I would like to admit. My poor students sweat through their uniforms while solving multiplication problems at 9:00am and if you don’t have more than one fan pointed directly at you then you need to buy another fan. Also, who knew adults could get heat rash! I thought that heat rash was only for little kids until I moved here and it started showing up all over my body around this time of year.

I am fairly positive there is no cure for the physical pain and discomfort the month of May brings upon us here in Puerto. So, until the rain comes you will find me in front of a fan, with my head in the freezer, showering at 3am and praying those clouds will make an appearance over the mountain tops to drop the rain we have patiently been waiting for since it left us last October.

12719197_764498917020282_3022643334829680050_oSarah Hindin is from Charlotte, NC, where her wonderful family still resides. This is Sarah’s 3rd year serving with GEM in Puerto Escondido. She is an organizational wizard and her students love her more than anything! If you’d like to sponsor Sarah financially or via prayer, you can find her contact info here.

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Three Reasons I Love Serving With GEM

It’s impossible to narrow my favorite things about GEM down to only three, but I will stick to just a few for the sake of this blog post. The first thing I absolutely love about working with Global Education Ministries is the incredible people who I work with each day. Jesus has faithfully brought together a group of genuine, selfless people who are really passionate about this ministry. Each morning we spend half an hour as a group in morning devotions. We pray for each other, encourage one another, and bless each other by digging into God’s word daily. Sometimes I have to stop myself in the middle of my day and remember how privileged I am to be serving with such an amazing family of believers who have the same motivation, which is Christ. It is all by God’s grace that this is my reality.

k1k2 Another aspect of GEM that I love is that I have the opportunity to pour into my student’s spiritual lives on a daily basis. Education is an extremely important asset in today’s world and is a major priority at our school, but Global Education Ministries is also a completely gospel-centered organization. Personally, I believe a child’s faith is much more valuable than anything else in the world. The fact that we have an entire class period devoted to learning about God’s word each day is an incredible gift. In fact, integrating biblical truth into our education doesn’t stop there! If a child has a spiritual question in the middle of science class, we are able to stop, debrief and have a discussion that could change a child’s faith forever. With GEM, it isn’t just about them getting good grades or finishing a math test on time, it’s all about Jesus.

Last but not least, Global Education Ministries hasn’t just given me the chance to meet awesome teachers, but serving at our school has given me the opportunity to meet so many different individuals with different backgrounds; some who love Jesus, and some who were put in my life for the purpose of coming to know Him. GEM makes an effort to accept middle to low-income families as students at our school. This has given us the chance to partner with people who are in physical need but also with those who have never heard of the gospel. GEM doesn’t just seek to educate the rich or Christian population, but the low and the lost. This is such a beautiful thing!

Overall, I can confidently say that Jesus is using Global Education Ministries to transform the hearts of many. That is why I love it so much! As we faithfully serve with GEM, my prayer is that the world would continue to be changed bit by bit, all for the glory of the King.

– Natalia (Miss Nati)

nataliaNatalia has served with GEM for almost 2 years now as the Kinder 1 & 2 teacher. She loves music, art and bringing laughter to any situation. At the end of this school year, she will move back to Toronto, Canada to serve with the Children’s Ministry at her home church. 

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Tews to Mexico

We are very excited to join Global Education Ministries in August to begin the next phase of this journey of life that God has given us! The mission of GEM lines up exactly with the desires of our hearts! Serving and loving others to help them see the Father’s love is something we always want to be sure is the core of what we are doing!

It’s funny how we came to know about GEM. In 2014 Nate was on a flight to Haiti for a mission’s trip and sitting across the aisle was a semi-bald guy (maybe fully bald, depends on the angle and lighting…as well as the intentionality) who was reading the Bible, and as conversation was struck up he told Nate about this new school in Mexico that he and his wife started and how it was growing quickly. This guy is, of course, Casey Herring, who explained how they were fortunate to be a part of what God was doing in Puerto and how this school had been such a great tool to lead people to Jesus and to give quality education. With this great education, they were in need of more teachers so after hearing that Haley was in school for early childhood education, the seed was planted for us to come down and check the school out and what life in Puerto Escondido would look like. With that seed planted in the back of our brains, we had no idea how serious we would consider joining GEM two years later.

Tews weddingAfter we got married in July of 2015, all of our thoughts and plans for our near future were completely changed and God taught us what it means to trust Him solely. We learned that yes we make plans, but it’s The Lord who establishes our steps. After recently moving to Raleigh, NC, Nate has been working from home and was about to start a career in Real Estate while Haley was applying for teaching jobs in the public school system.

We both were praying about our next steps and what we should do but weren’t exactly sure what that was. One day recently, we talked about what we wanted to do and what we felt like God was putting in our hearts. Everything that we both described lined up together and the thought about GEM came to our minds. We lost contact with GEM and honestly couldn’t remember the name of the organization and how to get in touch with Casey but eventually did through a friend. After talking with Casey and Megan a few times and learning more about the school, the mission, and the staff we really prayed about what kind of commitment and huge life change this would be. We both had peace about it and have been excited about the opportunity!

We know this is a big change and we will miss our family and friends a lot, but we are excited to jump in with the staff and really become like a second family to each other and loving the students and their families! Though we can’t know exactly what to expect, we know our life will be centered around Jesus, the precious people in Puerto and the GEM community. We look forward to the hard times, rewarding and fun times, creepy bugs, the heat, the beach….and apparently amazing tacos!

TewsNathan and Haley Tew have been married for almost one year, and they are super excited about joining the GEM team in Puerto Escondido next fall! If you are interested in supporting them financially or with prayer, you can find their contact info here.

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My Favorite Moments at El Manantial

August of 2015 began my journey in Mexico. It was only the second time I had traveled out of the country. The first time was just one month earlier when I went to Canada for missionary training. The idea of moving to another country was a little scary, but I had no doubt that God was calling me to serve with Global Education Ministries. I have been blessed by the experiences where God has shown His work in the school and in my life.

One of my favorite moments was a conversation I had with a parent of one of my students. After our Christmas play, the mom of the student (who portrayed Gabriel) came up to me and said that she was very thankful that her son had the opportunity to be in the play. She said that it was good for him. He is one of my students who knows a good amount about the Bible but doesn’t understand how real it is and how God can change his life. This is why it was a big deal for him to play the angel who shared with Mary and Joseph about the coming of Jesus.

The sweetest moment I’ve had with a student was during our VBS week. We had a church from Oregon come down and share Jesus with our students through crafts, memory verses, Bible stories and new worship songs. After the gospel message was shared with the fifth and sixth graders, the fifth-grade teacher and I stayed around to talk with any students who had questions. One of my girls asked me how we can know God is real. I was able to share with her how God directs each of our lives. I specifically shared with her how God CEMbrought me to Puerto to teach her. I was grateful that I could openly share with her about God’s desire to be a part of her life.

Our weekly chapel time has also been a part of some precious moments for me. After lunch on Fridays, we have the unique opportunity to worship God by singing, combined with hand motions for each song. What makes that time so precious is that I can stand alongside my sixth graders and the fifth graders and do the hand motions together. I love to see the pure joy in each kid’s face that you don’t often have the opportunity to see in class.

Being a first-year teacher in a foreign country has been challenging, but each of those memories I mentioned has made me so grateful that God chose to bring me to Puerto Escondido and the Manantial School. Conversations with parents, sharing gospel truths with students, and singing praises to God with young people are all reasons why my first year living and working in Puerto has been truly special. I hope you are encouraged by hearing how God has been working in my life through our school in Mexico!

 

12311072_10153737475897037_6591797797304556083_nTracy Frohlich graduated from Erskine College, in South Carolina with a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology in 2013. She loves worshiping God through music and is excited about what the Lord will teach her through this unique opportunity in Puerto Escondido!

 

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Labor and Delivery in Mexico

Rewind a bit to February 2014. Joy and excitement filled our hearts as we saw the pregnancy test turn positive for baby number three. Our minds immediately also began spinning. Oh wow. This is real. Our baby is going to be born in Mexico. MEXICO. Can we do this? What will it be like? Will it be anything like North Carolina?

As we started thinking and processing what was ahead, the first thing we did was start praying. We had heard so many horror stories from people about crazy things they had experienced during labor in Mexico, so we knew this journey needed to begin and continue on our knees.

We prayed specifically for certain desires that we had about labor and delivery. We asked Him to take away any fears and replace them with peace, and we also prayed for constant reassurance that He is the bringer of life and He does it in His perfect way, no matter where we are living.

Fast forward 9 months. November 6, 2014. Three days after my due date. My mom had been in Puerto already for a few days helping us. My dad had flown in that night. We had just finished eating dinner together, chatting about our plans for the next day, and my parents had gone home to the house they were staying at. Two hours later, I was in labor.

The sequence of events that transpired in the next 10 hours couldn’t have looked any more different than my experience giving birth in North Carolina. Nothing was the same. Down to every detail.

Casey (my hubby) and I pile in our truck for a quick 7-minute bumpy Mexican ride from our house to the ‘hospital.’ We arrive and the ‘hospital’ door is locked (what?), so we have to bang and yell until the guard appears and opens the gate. A lady takes us back to a private room (just for the record, I’m 9 months pregnant, huge, and in LABOR) and she asks what I’m here for and starts checking my throat. My throat?! At this point, I’m starting to panic a little bit. Wait, can I really have a baby in this place? What were we thinking?

She then figures it out (thank you!), and leads us upstairs to a big open room with lots of beds. No one else was there, only me and Casey. She gives me a gown and tells me that this room is where I’ll labor. A young doctor shows up that was on call (not the one who will deliver) and starts talking casually to us, telling us to relax as much as possible.

They never hook me up to any machines. No contraction monitors. I’m timing my own contractions on my iPhone. My iPhone tells me they’re 3 minutes apart. The doctor takes a quick break, and I hear my husband start laughing as he sees the doctor sitting in the corner snacking on tacos and a coke. Only in Mexico.

I am fully dilated and ready to push. The doctor on call and Casey help me walk to a private room about 20 steps away where I will deliver. I almost cry tears of joy when I spot the small air conditioning unit in the corner of the room. Thank you, Jesus! And on cue, our real doctor walks in, as calmly as ever, and says, “Ok, es tiempo para el bebe.” And 3 pushes later, our sweet Adelyn (Adelina) Grace was born.

Everything following the birth was different as well. My recovery room had no AC, so it is about 90 degrees. They tell me I can’t open any windows because sweet baby Addie will freeze to death. Remember, I had just given birth. I tell my husband, “Open a window now!” They bring me a hospital meal – enchiladas verdes with rice and beans. They rush to get me out of the hospital as soon as possible so they can have another free room. We were only there a total of 10 hours from start to finish.

Everything was different. Nothing was the same.

Except God. God was faithful. God was there. God showed up. Just like He did with our previous 2 babies. God answered every prayer we prayed. From letting us have a safe and healthy delivery, to our doctor respecting our natural wishes, to having someone on call who spoke perfect English. Every request whispered, big and small, He answered.

Every time we reflect back on this experience of having our first little Mexicana, we wouldn’t change a thing. We were given many funny stories to share and a new experience like no other. Our sweet, healthy, baby girl. God’s perfect faithfulness and goodness put on display for all to see.

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Megan Herring founded Global Education Ministries along with her husband, Casey, in 2011. She has lived in Puerto Escondido for almost 3 years now since the foundation of GEM’s first school, “Manantial.” Meg loves cookies, adventures on the beach and being Momma for her 3 precious kiddos!

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The Walking In Between

Sometimes the most captivating parts of a story are not the mountaintops. Not the end results. Not the final product. But, simply, as Ben Rector so eloquently states it, “the walking in between.”

Right now God has given me a mountaintop. To do what I love, teach in a school filled with God’s love, in a land filled with stunning beaches and majestic mountains. I have been blessed. And not that every moment is easy or bursting with laughter, but He shows me His goodness so evidently even in the hard times.

Today I want to share a story, for words in the form of stories have always left me feeling a little more inspired. A little more ready to conquer the world for Christ. This story is not about a special moment with one of the students or watching a parent come to faith. It is merely how God can use a place of confusion and unrest to show His children the most wonderful plan of all. His.

Growing up in a Christian home and attending Christian school since the 5th grade, meant that the idea of missions was not a crazy concept. Family members were missionaries in Japan and Spain, and the real life visual of sacrificing your life for Christ was something that I strived to achieve. But, there was always a part of me that yearned for the comfortable, for the white picket fence kind of life. And now I truly realize that it’s a marvelous thing that God knows us better than we know ourselves.

Let’s go back to March 24, 2015. In my planner, for every type A teacher has one, there was a U.S. History test due online, and Jury Duty written in big bold letters. Having read every John Grisham novel, I was excited for the prospect of being involved in a thrilling courtroom experience. Listed a little below my excited bolded print was…Teacher Recruitment Fair. A required event for all seniors in the education program. God had blessed me with an amazing host teacher (thank you, Mrs. Smith if you are reading this!), and I had put all my hopes into securing a position at that elementary school. My true thoughts about the job fair…I didn’t need those awkward conversations! Obviously, God had other plans.

Short story even shorter, that morning I called the Jury Duty number, and as you can now guess, my presence was not required. A quick change from semi-professional attire to “I want to teach at your school” attire, and my best friend and I were ready to hand out some resumes. Fast forward two hours and many (actually very exciting) conversations later, we were on our way out the door. Ten feet from fresh air and lunch waiting for us at Panera Bread, an enthusiastic voice penetrated my thoughts, “Have you ever thought about teaching overseas?!” Seven simple words that changed my life.

I like to think that if I had never paused to hear about Global Education Ministries at that teacher fair, or if my jury duty hadn’t been canceled that morning, God still would have directed my path to Mexico.

Because He has a plan. A plan that is greater than we can ever ask for or imagine. A plan that may involve killing tarantulas in your bathroom, or getting in the wrong taxi and having to walk an embarrassing extra 15 minutes home. But it also involves getting sweaty hugs goodbye after a school day, and loving people you never would have had the privilege to meet.

So, the “walking in between.” Those days that seem mindless and discouraging. When you are waiting for the mountaintop and the start of an incredible adventure, remember, the first step of an adventure is often times the most important. It requires determination, patience, and an excitement for the unknown. The first step requires the adventurer to say, “Here I am, send me.”

Sarah Quigg graduated from Liberty University in 2015 with a B.S. in Special Education. She loves running and growing closer to God while exploring His creation! We are so happy to have her on the team, teaching 5th grade.

 

 

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No Place I’d Rather Be

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of a teacher is, “one whose occupation is to instruct.”

I am here to tell you that after only three days as a teacher (most moments I still cannot believe I am actually a real live teacher now), I know for a fact that this definition barely scratches the surface of what being a teacher entails.

No amount of planning, college instruction, watching teacher movies, or hearing testimony, can prepare one for the moment when the first student enters your very own classroom for the first time.

Mine just happened to be the cutest little boy…who spoke no English. My first procedure was teaching my students to answer a Question of the Day when they first entered the room. So, with a perplexed look on his face, he followed my hand motion instructions to copy the question on his paper. After that task was complete, I tried to explain what the question, “What was your favorite summer moment?” meant…using the limited Spanish words in my vocabulary. His confused smile made me switch tactics and try to explain that he could just draw a picture instead. I pointed to the painting of a tree in the classroom and mimed drawing on his paper. He smiled and nodded, proceeding to draw a tree on his paper. My next three students all spoke only Spanish, and so they too copied the unknown words on the board…and drew trees on their papers. Hey, I love nature too.  🙂

A few unforgettable moments:

~A mischievous boy tried to grab the pencil case on the girl’s desk next to him, causing it to fall and scatter across the tiled floor.  I looked at the mess, and responded with, “okay, let’s pick it up.” A boy stared at me and replied, “Miss Quigg, you have a very patient face.”

                    “Lord, help me choose patience in every moment with my students, so they might know you more.” 

~As the class was lining up for lunch I looked back to see if everyone was lining up correctly and noticed busy hands writing, “I love Miss Quigg” on the white board.

                    “Lord, help every student see your love for them through my love for them.”  

~After lunch I was at my tree position, monitoring the soccer being played. These kids could outplay most adults, the ability to move with the ball seeming to flow from their souls. The same mischievous boy, who has added much fun and challenge in the classroom, was trying to get the ball from one of his buddies. They were past the tree, which is no soccer territory, and I tried to explain using hand motions that they could not play over there. A few minutes later the ball was kicked past the tree again, and he ran to challenge the student who had arrived first. Then, as if sensing my eyes, he turned, flashed me a smile and walked back. It’s just the little victories sometimes.

“Lord, help me to focus on the good in every child.” 

~We played a get to know you game: two teams with a sheet being held between as a barrier. One person from each team sat near the sheet, and as it dropped whoever said the other person’s name faster won the point. In one particular instance, a boy said four names before guessing the correct girl’s name on the other side. By the time the name was guessed every child was laughing with such a free abandon, I wanted to live in that moment forever.

“Lord, help me show the freedom in joy that can be experienced through a relationship with you.” 

I love hearing “Miss Quigg” as it comes out sounding like, “Miss Quick,” or “Miss Queek,” or teacher, or maestra.

I love being told by a student that he told his Mom, “I can’t wait to go back to school tomorrow.”

I love being the one that my students run to when they need help.

I love having the responsibility and challenge to meet every student’s needs.

I love watching their natural and talented soccer skills after lunch.

I love sweaty hugs goodbye and Buenos Dias as they come into school.

I love knowing I am right where God wants me to be.

On Friday, I had never felt so emotionally drained, so physically exhausted (when do teachers sit down?!), and empty of all creativity. On Friday, I had never felt so overflowing with love, excited about seeing my students again, and filled with an unmistakable peace.

I know that I am young, naive about the amount of hard work and time-consuming labor that it takes to prepare each night, and lacking experience and wisdom in many situations. But, I will choose to remind myself why I am here, why these students were placed in my life, and the way God worked all things out for me to be in this place, in this moment in time, with these particular people.

Miss Quigg, 5th-grade teacher

More of Sarah’s thoughts and stories can be found at her personal blog, “How Missions Ruined My Life.”