Comments on: Missionary Stories: The Beigerts are in Peru /blog/index.php/2009/06/11/missionary-stories-the-beigerts-are-in-peru/ News and happenings from around Gospel.com Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:17:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.4.2 By: Dr. Nelson Arriagada /blog/index.php/2009/06/11/missionary-stories-the-beigerts-are-in-peru/comment-page-1/#comment-4426 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:16:40 +0000 /blog/?p=1584#comment-4426 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

]]>