Teacher shortages in Guatemala are putting pressure on Vida Schools. Salaries are going up, and we’ve seen Vida Teachers leave for opportunities offering better salaries and benefits. But every once in a while, a teacher comes the other direction. Like Teacher Wilson. Did Teacher Wilson’s story make it to your mailbox before mail stopped being delivered last week?
When Teacher Wilson decided to leave the public school system for a job at Vida Schools, his old coworkers were surprised. Public schools are known to pay better and to provide benefits such as bonuses and retirement plans. Why would anyone leave such a cushy job for less money?
“The truth is, that is one of the sacrifices, one of the hardest things in coming here,” says Teacher Wilson. “I had to say, I’m going to leave all of that behind. All of it, and say, I’m going to come and serve the Lord. But it’s not about money—it’s about being with God. That’s what matters most.”
That’s what moves our teachers; that’s what moves Teacher Wilson: “I’ve been amazed at how God has transformed the lives of my students by using me as His instrument in the school. We are impacting hearts. New generations are coming to accept the Lord. That’s what drives us.”
As a high school science teacher, Teacher Wilson particularly loves highlighting the hand of God at work: “I’m very passionate about teaching young people not just science, but also how God works through mathematics, how God works through physics and chemistry.”
Teacher Wilson speaks for himself and other Vida Teachers when he says, “those of us who have stayed here to serve, it’s because the Lord takes the little we receive and multiplies it in a supernatural way. Truly, we can see God’s mathematics at work.”
Will you be part of multiplying God’s blessing on our teachers? When you sponsor a class for $50/month, you’re contributing towards educational materials AND teachers’ salaries. So that teachers like Wilson can continue to impact hearts.
Mail strike or not, you can always see our classes waiting for sponsors on impact.sponsorsoft.ca. And you can always give securely online, by e-transfer or by calling our office at 250-434-4350.
Les has said time and time again that people are our greatest resource. It’s why growing godly leaders in Guatemala is so so important. Our children need teachers in their classrooms to love them and to guide them. When you sponsor a class in Guatemala, you become part of God’s mathematics, supplying the needs of teachers AND students.
Thank you for your love for children and families in Guatemala – and for our Vida Teachers.
(Our Fall Newsletter went in the mail last week – just before Canada Post went on strike. If you didn’t receive your copy, we’d invite you to read more about our Vida Teachers here)