Missionary Stories: The Beigerts are in Peru
Missionary stories are almost always encouraging. They’re the tales of men and women making intentional choices to challenge themselves, to stretch themselves and to honor God’s calling. Missionaries are a lot who often find life to be difficult, but often find it to be joyful. Few find themselves regretting their decisions.
I personally like reading missionary stories because they remind me that missionaries are real people who have real fears and real successes.
The Beigerts are missionaries with BCM International who were recently featured in the the Spring edition of BCM World. They’re a young couple who have been in Peru just a few short months but have hit the ground running.
Here’s an excerpt from their article, Not My Home:
Still, landing in Peru was again a shock, physically and mentally. We’d flown from Florida where it was 45 degrees Fahrenheit to arrive in Lima at almost midnight to about 80 degrees and humid. We’d left English speakers to be surrounded by thousands of people jabbering what seemed to be the world’s fastest language, Spanish. As we left the airport, I looked at my husband to see his eyes opened wide, looking more lost than I ever thought he could be. As we went to bed in our new home at 1:30 AM, we looked at each other, and said, “What in the world are we getting ourselves into?”
But now that the initial shock has worn off, we are so content to be here. Everyone here has accepted us and made us feel welcome. And we’re excited to begin our new ministry.
My favorite verses recently have been Hebrews 11:13-16 (NIV). The author is speaking of the heroes of faith who died without ever receiving in their lifetime the promises from God. They realized they were “aliens and strangers” here on earth. “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return” (vs.15). But they were longing for something better—a heavenly homeland. Verse 16 says, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Read their whole BCM international account here. You can also keep up with the Biegerts over at their regularly updated blog.
Dear brethren:
Gretings in the name of the Lord. I’m a chilean MD. and after reading the story of your arrival to the missionary field in Perú and the feelings you experienced in the first moments, I felt identified with you. Many years ago, back in 1973, my family (wife, 2 yo daughter and me) went to serve in a missionary hospital in Kenya, East Africa under IBFPFM. I remember vividly when we arrived to the mission place, in bush country, far away from Nairobi. It was night, the generator that provided light for a few hours a day had been turned off, it was hot and humid, the house assigned for us was almost empty, just a bed and a craddle and not much more. I felt lost, angry and feeling stupid for making “the worst mistake of my life”. A lot of questions coming to my mind…why am I here and not enjoying all the comfort of my home in Chile? Isn’t there a church in my country to serve the Lord? Why did I left my practice, crossing half world with my dear wife and little daughter to make them suffer in this ugly place? That night was the longest of my life, I was very tired after a long trip but I couldn’t sleep, I prayed a lot, but in the wrong way, mostly asking God explanations for what he has done to us!!!!!! But, as I should have known, our good Lord was silently with us all the time. Next morning my mood started changing, the place was beautiful,the day was sunny, missionary fellows were very kind and friendly and the food they offered to us was wonderful…besides..the work was there for me…literally dozens of patients waiting for the doctor to assist them!!!! I must confess that God used a missionary fellow to talk to me kind but firmly about my poor attitude towards the Lord’s work. I was ashamed but his words made me ask God to forgive my behavior and to give me a new sight of my rol in that place. After those first times nothing changed in the field, everything was as it was supossed to be, but the Lord changed my mind and I understood that I was not there to be a tourist but to help people to be reached for the Gospel of Salvation. I have never repented of my decission of taking part in the work of that missionary hospital in Mwingi, Kenya. We received only blessings for the time we were serving the Lord…even we had our second child there!!
I hope that my own experience may give you some support…even that I notice that you have left the first shock behind already.
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Nelson Arriagada
Santiago, Chile