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“So what does Morning Glory DO?” The easy answer is that we educate. We teach children so they can have opportunities to better their economic status and understand God and the world He created better. But there is so much more. We could not be stewards of these great opportunities if we were only to teach some Math principles and writing skills. What good are English and Music if our students don’t know who God is or what He wants? How can a young man truly improve his situation in life if he doesn’t understand how to properly use his knowledge in service of the Lord? Surely we are charged with more. We ask you read on as we talk about excellence and it’s role in the Morning Glory Story.
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As mentioned in a previous article, though Morning Glory’s core values go hand in hand and fluidly intersect with each other, responsibility is probably at the foundation of all we teach our students. Once our students can understand that it is THEIR responsibility to achieve their goals, the next step is helping them realize the importance of excellence. The adage goes: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” We want to be clear with our students: If a you take responsibility of any task, you should complete that task with excellence.
The Biblical mandate almost goes without saying. Most know of verses like Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” (ESV) In fact, at Morning Glory, this is one of the verses we rely most on in inspiring our students to excellence. We could also point to 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Finally, although the second part is a bit morbid, we also see in Ecclesiastes 9:10, that Christ-followers are to pursue excellence. As educators, we know we follow these commands and teach the next generation to do the same.
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Again, we need to take a moment to put this concept in the proper context. Many of us can relate to people who don’t live up to their potential, or just do mediocre jobs to check off a list. (I’m sure my dad is flashing back to many moments with a very reluctant worker in his oldest son.) But Guatemala is a community-oriented culture. One of the defining characteristics of this type of culture is the idea that everyone should be equal. Unfortunately, sometimes people in community-oriented cultures don’t inspire excellence and can go so far as to discourage it. Often, people in these cultures feel embarrassed because they can’t or won’t excel at something, so it is common for them to look for way to discredit or tear down those that rise above. If everyone accomplishes the same, no one is left behind and no one “leaves the group behind.” Obviously this mentality has many effects. While there are some redeeming qualities to this mindset, at Morning Glory we feel the Biblical command takes priority and that excellence is preferred, and even commanded by God.
Practically speaking, as a result of this aspect of some community oriented cultures, many of our students are prone to hiding their intelligence and abilities for fear of being picked on by their peers. Some students won’t ask questions in class. Others who know the answer to a given question won’t say it. They don’t want to be picked on for being dumb or too smart. Some students won’t present their talents in front of a group. Our band and dance programs have been able to overcome this mentality and many of our students find an awesome place to express personal excellence in our Arts programs. But so often, other students and schools turn against our victories. In fact, some years, the annual band competition is cancelled because schools simply don’t want to compete and possibly lose to our stellar band and dance programs.
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So we fight the spiritual battle in every way possible. Our teachers and staff look for ways to praise students for their accomplishments. We have some incredible talent in so many forums! We go to speech & poetry competitions, basketball tournaments, and many other events so we can make sure our kids have a chance to honor God in their own way. We have even found a young man in 4th grade that is an incredible Ranchero music singer. (If you don’t believe me, look here). At Morning Glory, we seek out opportunities to motivate young men and women to rise above their culture, no matter the backlash, because they serve a marvelous and excellent God who has given them outstanding talents and abilities. It is our privilege and our duty to show everyone the greatness of our God in what we do.
So next year we will have a new group of students. From 4 years old to 17 year olds, we will be pushing responsibility and excellence as well as all our other core values. We will not accept mediocre or half-hearted jobs. We will empower our students to pursue excellence in front of their peers, and in private where only our God can see them. And we ask the same from our supporters. Are you supporting Morning Glory with excellence? Are you praying for us? Are you giving to help us give more opportunities to our students? Are you aware of what God is doing at Morning Glory? Are you planning a trip to fully love on our students instead of offering a vacation to your group? In the halls and classrooms of Morning Glory we will always pursue excellence. Our job is easier and more fruitful when our supporters are doing their part with excellence too. Let’s make a commitment to pursue excellence together so the world will see our light and honor God because of it.
Rob Courtney
Campus Relations
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