Chileperk Blog

Perseverance is blessed by God

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:44:50 -0300

Luis Hasbun has been a Christian for a little more than 11 years. He is quickly become one of our strongest leaders. This Sunday he preached an awesome sermon about perseverance. Of all the people who could understand perseverance he has done just what God wants him to do. There have been many times in Luis’s walk that it appeared that those old habits were going to get the best of him and his family but through perseverance he is now becoming a man who God is using in the lives of others.

His sermon is the embodiment of his life. Here are the three points in his sermon and how God has helped him through perseverance.
1. Perseverance is important to succeed in life. Luis’ first job was as a salesman. He took a small route selling Nestle products and turned it into a mayor revenue generator for that company. Through hard work and integrity Luis is now the General Manager for Chilean operation of a Japanese company in new technologies in the field of blood banks, transfusions and platelets.
2. Perseverance is important to succeed in our spiritual growth. Luis over the last 10 years has gone from being a new convert to one who teaches others about Christ. He has gone from a failed marriage (before becoming a Christian) to being the spiritual leader of his wife and step son, accepting the little one as a true son. He has gone from a quiet and shy Christian to one who can preach God’s word with passion. He is someone through many years of discipleship is becoming a true man of God.
3. Perseverance is important to succeed in our service to God. Two months ago we were talking and Luis asked me what he could do to prepare himself to someday become an elder. As we talked one of the things he needed more of was to get to know the brethren. He said that inviting people into his home was one of the greatest challenges to him because he is not naturally a hospitable person. I found out last week that not only have he and his wife begun regularly to have people in their home, he is calling members on a regular basis to check on them, and seeking many of those member who because of circumstance have fallen away. It is through perseverance that Luis’ service to God is being successful.

Praise the Lord for the things he teaches us through others.

Retreating in Solitude

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:34:43 -0300

Last Sunday, I left on a three day retreat by myself with nothing but some camping gear, Bible and some meditation to guide my time. It was a fulfilling time of doing nothing like I have ever done in my life. The loneliness of being without family was replaced by God’s nearness. The dark nights were filled with the brightness of Jesus Christ. As the three days progressed I felt the weariness leaving and being renewed by my time with God.

After the experience of three days in the “wilderness” with God, I understand the importance of our being more proactive in following Jesus in all aspects of his life. Especially the aspect of Him going away spending time in prayer with the Father. I see now more clearly that we as christians have often placed more emphasis on “doing” for the Lord. We spend more time going, doing, actively trying to do what we know we need to do and have forgotten that in all Jesus’ ministry there were times that he left the “doing”; feeding the hungry, healing the sick, preaching the word, etc. and went to “be” with the Father. God enjoys when we are busy in the kingdom but there are times when he just wants to be with us. There are time when God would rather us sit in His presence than be running around doing great deeds. “Being with God” means to stop, set aside time from your busy schedule and sit in His presence. It is often hard to do because our religious culture says...
1. We are lazy Christians if we are not doing.
2. We are being pentecostal if we sit and listen for the voice of the Lord.
3. We are being catholic if we look to meditate and be silent in the Lord’s presence.
4. We are participating in the Old Law if we keep a sabbath day.
5. We are fanatical if we spend long hours in God’s presence.

But I tell you that if we would spend just a little more time searching for God in silence, sabbath rest, and solitude not only will God rejuvenate us but He will equip us for a stronger service in the Kingdom.

Mendoza Road trip A Mens Get-a-way

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 17:27:01 -0300

One Sunday about three weeks ago we were sitting around the table with some of our closest friends from church (Zalaquett, Hasbun, Rodriguez and Lerma). We began to share about our trip to Colombia and how good it was for us to have gone. From there somehow we got on the subject that almost all the wives around the table had been on women’s retreats in Cancun, Mexico and Costa Rica, while the men had not had the same opportunity. Therefore the men began to claim their right to travel and then the wives conceded that they could go to Mendoza, Argentina. Even though the men realized that the trip was not quite the same as going to a five-star hotel in the Caribbean, it was a trip. They better take advantage now because it might be a long time before it happened again.

Time Flies When you are having Fun

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 12:28:05 -0300

January 17, 2002 seems like only yesterday and almost 9 years later we are still working in Santiago, Chile. It has been a great experience that does not seem to be coming to an end anytime soon. As we think back on the things that have happened in those few years it is really amazing how God has blessed us as a family and the church as well.

When we arrived in Chile there were only 4 members of our family. Shortly after our arrival Naomi turned 3, Isaac was 1.5 with Simeon and Enoch just around the corner (born in 2003 & 2004 respectively). All our children went from babies to readers. They began school and are now being home-schooled. Naomi and Isaac are in the preteen group at church and they are starting to ask question about faith, Christ and spirituality. We are in new territory as far as child-rearing but excited about the future.

In 2000 the church began with a few young, willing missionaries. It has grown over the last 10 years to a group of 130. The work in Santiago has been slow at times because we are located among the middle upper-class social groups. They are slow and hesitant to begin studying the Bible and even more reluctant to leave behind their Catholic heritage. The slowness of the work has been no match for the power of God through marriage encounter and the church now has a tool that allows the church to evangelize entire families. The families giving their lives to Christ are bringing with them children, which comprise about 1/4 of the people in attendance on any given Sunday. In the last couple of years the church has not grown much in numbers but in spiritual maturity there has been fast paced growth. There are 20 studies going on any given week and the majority are led by Chileans. The work is growing strong with a bright future with Chilean leaders stepping up to the task ahead.

Please pray for the church as they continue to be transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Top Five things I learned about taking a Sabbatical....

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 10:54:15 -0300

1. Easier said than done... ... ... The idea of taking a sabbatical is a noble one but getting the rest one needs is another matter entirely. I found that taking leave of church work was replaced with all the “to do” list I had around the house. The first month I shifted from ministry to carpenter/painter. It has been fun to fix things around the house but not quite the unhurried activities that one expects from a sabbatical.
2. Broken arm and pulled back muscle helps get R&R... ... ... In October I went to a missionary renewal retreat. The retreat was about finding God’s rhythm in our live and learning to have quite time and sabbath moments. The retreat helped put a guideline to my sabbatical. I got to spend a lot resting, reflecting, and reading BECAUSE I fell while playing soccer (2nd day) and tore a lower back muscle and stress fractured my wrist. The recovery for the wrist was about 6 weeks but the back has taken almost three months. I learned if you really need some R&R and don’t want to be asked to to anything a torn back muscle will do the trick.
3. Staying locally for a extended sabbatical is hard... ... ... One of the things I learned about taking a sabbatical from ministry is “don’t stay, go away for a time”. When I searched out people to help plan and counsel us through this sabbatical almost without exception they asked “are you staying in Chile?”. At first I thought the question was for planning but as I progress through it, I realized that I was in for a surprise. They were concerned about staying in the same location as my ministry because experience shows it hard to rest around the people that you minister too. This has been a real challenge. In September, we officially started our sabbatical and I stepped back from participating directly in ministry. The difficulty is that 4 of my closest friends and disciples stepped up to begin taking on more responsibilities in leadership along with other ministry leaders and they lost their spiritual guides. They still had questions about interpersonal relationships, Bible, ministry and church so they would come and ask about those things making it hard to fully disconnect from the ministry. They did a great job but it was touch and go for a time until we came to the understanding that “I would listen and give advice but not help them solve their issues”. It has been good for them for me not to be as available as before and helped them see that the future of the church rests in their hands not in the missionaries’. I have learned that if I am take another sabbatical I will have a shortened sabbatical but in a place other than where I am currently working.
4. Best cure for burnout is God’s creation... ... ... During our sabbatical we have had the opportunity to do a little traveling. The first trip we took was to northern Chile. We spent a week in September camping in the Atacama desert enjoying the desert in bloom. It is a phenomena that happens about every 10 years but this year’s bloom had not been seen in 50 plus years. It was amazing to see parts of the desert that is nothing but rocks and sand be transformed into a symphony of colors, shapes, and sized all because of our God. It was a wonderful experience. And then just this month we went to Colombia (I hadn’t been back in 24 years) and experience the beauty of a tropical country. The variety of tropical fruits had the kids on cloud nine. They could play in the rain and not get cold (in Chile when rains it is cold). What a wonderful time. Seeing God greatness through the variety in His creation is a wonderful way to put things in perspective and perspective is the main thing that is lost when a person finds himself in burnout.
5. Regular “sabbath”-taking prevents the need for a sabbatical”... ... ... In the Old Testament record, God rested on the 7th day after creation and he left specific instructions for his people to keep the sabbath to remind themselves of what God had done for them. I think that we, as children of God, need to be “sabbath” keepers. Let me make myself clear...I am not advocating that we keep the sabbath as part of the old law but keep the essence of resting and remembering what God has done. As Christians in a fast paced world we find ourselves time and time again running from one activity to another. We have our children in a million extra-curricular activities, youth programs, youth groups, and time with friends. We spend a lot of time running around doing things. Then you add on top of that work, work events, family events, and church, and your have the recipe for a Christian who doesn’t have time for a relationship with Jesus Christ. Many of us find our value and security in the things we can accomplish, what we do for a living or our relationships and never realize that our value and security can only be found in God. Taking time to have “sabbath moments” in our daily life not only allows us to slow down and prevent burnout but can give us the kind of value and security that only a close relationship with Christ can provide. If we do not slow down, plan for those moments, and take advantage of them we will miss out on the intimacy that a relationship with Christ can provide. God and Christ will not force themselves into our busy schedules so we need to learn how to fill our lives with “sabbath moments” and be Christian sabbath keepers. I have learned that my life has to have sabbath moments in order to please the Lord and grow deeper in that relationship with my Savior.