I love the local church. They come in all different sizes, styles and shapes. We should never relegate the church to a building or even to a “place” where we go, but instead, we have to constantly remind ourselves that it is made up of people – people that Christ loves and gave Himself in sacrificial obedience to the Father.

This is why it was such a privilege to go to HMCC of Austin for their congregational retreat.

I was able to bring along with me a handful of people who are actively serving in our HMCC of Ann Arbor. There are always teaching moments during these types of trips; therefore my heart’s desire was for my crew to experience God’s heart for the local church. Sometimes when we are placed in a different context, we are able to learn new lessons and reinforce old lessons that are relevant to the things that we are pursuing for God’s glory.

It was a powerful retreat – definitely one of the more powerful ones that we have experienced in Austin. We are praying that God will continue on with the momentum, so that we can see more salvations and more people getting trained to be Kingdom workers. Every time I visit Austin, I am more convinced that there was a clear purpose for the planting of this church. We want to stay focused on the mission.

Thanks for all your prayers during the retreat. Let’s continue to keep HMCC of Austin in our prayers. God is doing some great things down in Austin and we are anticipating greater things to come in the near future.

Here are some reflections from the crew:
 
 

 
At this moment I am sitting in front of a computer at the airport hotel lounge. So many different things are running through my mind, as one of the team members, Josiah and I are still here in Chile, while the rest of the team just arrived in Detroit. To make a long story short, there was a mistake on two of our team members flight reservations – one of them just happened to be my son. After trying our best to get on the flight yesterday with the rest of the team, it was obvious that with 5 minutes left before closing the gate that there was nothing we could do. Therefore, I made the decision to stay behind.

It was humbling to see all the Chilean families, who came out to the airport to say bye to us, stick around through the whole 2 hour ordeal. As we came back out to the main area, they “welcomed” us back to Chile and saw it as a sign from God that it was destiny for us to live in Chile forever :-) In their love and care for us, they expressed how badly they felt; and they even offered to house us again.

Then I was reminded about how strongly I believe in the Sovereignty of God. Everything in life happens for a purpose and a reason. God never makes mistakes. Sometimes it is hard to say it or believe it, but after all these years of being a Christ-follower, I have come to the (hard) conclusion that God will always have His way and He does all things for His glory. We can either argue or accept God´s will. I realized that it is in these moments where our practical theology (applying what we really believe about God) comes into play. We can say that we trust in God´s Sovereignty and that He is in control of everything, but we will never really know until it is tested.

Today, after everything has settled down a bit, I am seeing things more clearly. I have been able to have a good talk with one of the members, while our experiences here are still fresh in our minds and hearts. This is something that probably would have been delayed due to our situations as soon as we arrive back in Ann Arbor. I have been able to walk through with Josiah in processing through some of his experiences as he has been journaling and reading the word. Also, in the next few hours, I will be able to spend some more time with the pastor of Pueblo de Dios and share our hearts together about the future of missions here in Chile. I will also spend some time with our translator who has a beautiful gift of music. We are dreaming together about even making an international CD with music from all over the world.

I am wondering if our “delay” back to the States is turning out to be something that God planned out perfectly for us. Even though I was looking forward to seeing Christina, Elliot and KiKi, the delay is building an even greater anticipation.
 
 
 
p.s. Christina just contacted me and mentioned that “yook gae jang” (my favorite Korean soup I like to have after my travels) will be waiting for me when I come back. Maybe all this waiting is really turning out to be worth it. I am truly thankful for everything.
 
 
 

 
This was JoJo’s and my host family who showed us Christ’s love to us
 
 
 

 
Pastor Sergio and his wife, who blessed us with their servants’ hearts
 
 
 

 
Here are some of the young people of Pueblo de Dios that we connected with
 
 
 

 
The Chilean flag was presented to the team – it was a great honor
 
 
 

 
A closing Chilean sunset over the Andes Mountains

 
This past Sunday we had a busy Lord´s Day. We started off by worshiping at the main church, Pueblo de Dios. Right from the start, we felt the presence of God as we started the service with prayer and then entered into an intense time of praise. There is something about the Latino praise and worship that always speaks to my heart.

This was a special Sunday, not only because it was the first Sunday of the new year but because they were planning on taking three specific offering – yes, I will repeat it again – three offerings! I think this is something that we can always learn from other churches. I am constantly amazed at the generosity and the sacrifical giving of God´s people; especially from people who might not have a lot of material wealth but they definitely have a lot of spiritual wealth.

To see the joy in the hearts of people as they gave their offerings, as well as to see their passion for God´s presence, it really humbled me. There is definitely a difference; and I am praying that God will put that same joy and passion in all the HMCC churches, as we seek the Lord together.

After the Sunday Celebration, the team went to their specific host families for lunch. Josiah and I went back to our host family for a Chilean barbeque. At this barbeque, I had the privilege of meeting a pastor who did a lot of ministry in southern Chile. It was great hearing some of the stories of God´s power and testimonies of God´s work in the region.

Then in the evening we ended up going to another Sunday Celebration. This church was planted about 5 months ago by our host church, Pueblo de Dios in another part of Santiago. This is a significance church plant because they are in an area where there is a lot of crime and drug abuse. During the service, we heard testimonies from people who recently came to know Christ and it was an incredible reminder about the life-transforming power of the Gospel.

In our last several days in Chile, we ministered in two orphanages on Monday and Tuesday. One of the orphanages was an all-boys orphanage. It was very sobering to hear that the boys who were in this orphanage were sexual abused and had parents who were in jail. This explained why so many of these boys were struggling with various issues. You just couldn´t help but cry out for them and praying that they would come to know the love of Jesus Christ.

We closed out our time with the Chilean host families and the whole team by blessing them with a great dinner at a favorite restaurant. It was a powerful time of sharing how we were blessed by their love and their generosity. Who would have thought that poeple from two different cultures can love one another in such an awesome way? It was definitely a testimony of God´s love. It was a great night of food, fun and fellowship. What more could we have asked for? God is truly good!
 
 
 

 
Worshiping with the members of Pueblo de Dios
 
 
 

 
I had the privilege of preaching God’s Word on Pueblo de Dios’ 1st Sunday of 2011
 
 
 

 
The team blessed the church with a musical presentation
 
 
 

 
Pastor Pete preached at another site in a different part of Santiago
 
 
 

 
Chileans definitely know how to do the BBQs – it was awesome!
 
 
 

 
This was our awesome chef. He was definitely passionate about BBQs
 
 
 

 
We gave gifts to the kids of one of the orphanage outreach
 
 
 

 
Josiah using his soccer skills to minister to some of the kids
 
 
 

 
Another outreach at a different orphanage – it was an all-boys orphanage
 
 
 

 
We blessed all our host families with a great Chilean meal

 
It is hard to believe we have only been in Chile for 5.5 days because so much has happened. I am constantly amazed at God’s grace over our church and our missions program over the years. God has always protected us and He has always provided for us in huge ways. For some reason, God is constantly opening doors for us as we step out in faith. After awhile, it is very obvious that God honors people who honor Him by exhibiting great faith in a Great God.

There are several things that have happened so far that clearly indicts the hand of God’s favor upon this trip:

We spent the New Year’s Eve enjoying each others company with a great Chilean meal, then we spent ushering in the new year with prayer. It has been good spending a few days together as a team and getting recharged for the weekend ministry. We are looking forward to ministering in the church on Sunday. Then the days following, we will be ministering in various places within Santiago.

We want to finish off strong with the time that we have left. Please continue to pray for us. Thanks for the partnership in the Gospel.
 
 
 

 
Getting ready for our outreach in Constitucion
 
 
 

 
Morning devotions before going out to minister
 
 
 

 
Pastor Sergio being interviewed with a news outlet in Constitucion
 
 
 

 
Ministering to the kids of Constitucion through various activities
 
 
 

 
The kids enjoying a time of songs and some hip Chilean moves
 
 
 

 
I don’t know how well the Chileans took to an Asian clown but it was for His glory :-)
 
 
 

 
People responding to the Gospel presentation at the Plaza in center city of Constitucion
 
 
 

 
The team doing some presentations at the Plaza outreach
 
 
 

 
Powerful time of praying for one another. Transculturalism in action.
 
 
 

 
The team took some time to share with one another at a park

 
Believe it or not, it has been hard to find internet connection. The host family that Josiah and I are staying with only has a land line (reminds me of the noise the computer would make in order to connect back in the day) because they are out near the beautiful mountains. Also, Constitucion is trying to recover from the earthquake and tsunami; therefore trying to find a good internet has been hard. But I´m still finding different ways to communicate with those of you who are praying for us.

I don´t have too much time to share what has been happening in the last 2 days, so I will share more in detail, along with pictures in the days to come.

But just as a way of overview, there are 3 things we are learning and experiencing:

We are a bit sad that we cannot usher in the new year with our family and friends back in the States; but for some reason, we are finding a great sense of joy knowing that we are at the right place at the right time in Chile. We will bring in the new year spending time together as a team… it should be interesting as we explore this great city. Thanks for praying for us.

 
The long awaited mission trip to Chile finally came and the team and I are thankful for the opportunity to be used for God’s glory. It was encouraging to see the people who came out to the send-off at the T-Center. I am constantly reminded that when a church sends a team on the mission field, they are never going alone; but rather, they have a whole community of people going with them. This is why I am such an advocate of people going on missions trips with a church, if it is possible.

The best part of this trip is being able to go with Josiah, my oldest son, who is 13 years old. Christina and I have decided that there will be several milestones for our kids before they go off to college. The first one is the famous “sex talk” with our kids when they turn double digits (10 years old). Another one is when they turn 13 years old, we want to send them with one of us on a missions trip. It is too easy to grow up in the States and become spoiled with all the blessing, both materially and spiritually. We want our kids to experience a world outside the comforts of America. As they see the various needs and opportunities of sharing God’s love, we are praying that our kids will gain a bigger heart for God, His people and the nations.

So far it has been a tremendous blessing to just hang out with Josiah. By being in a different context, we are learning a lot about one another. Also, we have been trying to help each other on this trip. He has been able to use some of the Spanish that he learned at school; and I have been fumbling through all the phrases I learned through the past missions trip to Latin America. But all in all, it has been a great joy to build up my relationship with Josiah. I am truly blessed to have a son who is growing up to learn how to love God and people, and to play a part in the process is an incredible blessing.

The team (made up of post-college people) is doing well. We are currently making the last minute preparations before we head out to Constitucion. This was the area that was affected by the earthquake and the tsunami back in February 27th of this year. We cannot wait to bring the hope of Jesus Christ. The best part of all this is that the church that we are working with are planning on starting a church in this area. They have been building relationships with the people in the community; and now the hearts of the people in Constitucion are receptive. We are not going alone to minister but we will be partnering up with a group of people from the church to share the love of Christ shoulder to shoulder. Honestly, we will be the ones learning the most from the nationals – and this is how it should be.

We can’t wait for the great testimonies that will come forth from this trip. Then we will come back to Santiago for the weekend ministries.

I will try to video blog some parts of the trip so that you can get a glimpse of what is happening here. Thanks for the partnership in the Gospel.

 

Photo on forumpakistan.com
 
 
 
The more I travel out to Asia, the more I feel mixed emotions as I head back to the States. It is just humbling to see all that God is doing in this part of the world. I wonder if the amount of hunger and the openness to the Spirit can be matched in the United States. We are living in incredible times, where God is pouring out His Spirit in the hearts of His people this region.

There is a part of me that wants to be in Asia so that I can be a part of everything that God is doing. But then, I know that for now, God is calling me to raise up and train people in the States to be equipped to make disciples of all nations. In fact, I think my role will continue to evolve in the next 5-10 years. As things are getting more global, I don’t know if I will have one specific location where I will do my entire ministry.

God is graciously opening many doors for me to touch people lives with the Gospel in different countries and cultures. Wherever there is a need and whenever God opens up a door, I want to be faithful in obeying the Great Commission.

As I reflect on this trip, I am thankful that I had the privilege to witness so many great things. There are several things that God reminded me of on this trip (again):

 
 
As we close out the 2010, the blessings of God are too many to count. Now with 2011 around the corner, I am confident that God has greater things in store for us. God continues to amaze me with His grace.

 
I have always been a firm believer in the importance of “the first” of anything. Not only it is an opportunity to make history, but it is an avenue to set a pattern for future things. HMCC of Singapore had their first retreat this weekend and I was privileged to be a part of it. I brought along with me a few of the worship team members from HMCC of Jakarta and we had a blast!

Even though our time together was very short, God used every single minute to minister to His people. It was an awesome time of serving God’s people with His Word, as well as just chilling together in good fellowship.

God constantly reminds me that He doesn’t need any of us, but when He does choose to use us then, we know that it is only by His grace we are able to do anything. God’s love for His people is clearly evident when He chooses to use fragile, weak, and imperfect people like us for His glory.

I am excited for all the things that God has in store for the church in Singapore. If what we experienced this past weekend is any indication for things to come in the future, then we better hold on because it is going to be one incredible ride!
 

 
It has been less than a week here in Indonesia, but every single day I have been thanking God for the privilege of being able to come back to my “2nd home.” After Sunday Celebration, I ended up talking with so many people. It was awesome reconnecting with familiar faces, as well as meeting new people, who started to come out to our church within the last 5 months.

The week has been filled with times alone with God and meeting up with people. I am more convinced than ever that “ministry is people and people are the ministry.” I think the members have poured more into me during our meetings than what I could offer. Not only were they generous and treated me to meals and coffees, but hearing their testimonies and all that God is doing in their lives, caused me to overflow with exuberance. We serve an Awesome and Mighty God. Can life get any better than this?
 
 
 

 
I am just feeling this overwhelming sense of gratitude. God’s grace can humble anyone. Even though it has only been about two days here in Southeast Asia, I am already experiencing God’s Faithfulness, not only to me but to His people. It just reminds me how much God loves His people.

If anything good comes out of our lives, it is because of His mercy and grace. We really do not deserve anything. Therefore, when we do experience good things, it is a good reminder that it is really all about Him.

It is hard to imagine that if I have been experiencing so much of God’s blessings within the last two days, then how much more God has in store in the days to come. It is truly amazing!
 
 

 
 

 
It’s been one whole day here in Singapore and it has been awesome so far. I can’t believe I am wearing shorts in the middle of December. People here are saying that it is the raining season and a bit colder than usual, but it feels like summer to me because before I left Ann Arbor, the temperatures were in the 30’s.

I have been enjoying my time in reconnecting with people. Later today, I will be meeting up with some of the newer members in our church. With every opportunity that the Lord is giving me, I have been able to share the vision. I can’t wait for the house church meeting today. Life is awesome, abundant, and amazing – I can’t believe I get to do this for the rest of my life!
 
 

 
I am closing out the 2010 year with a whirlwind of travel. Recently, I found myself complaining about being too “traveled-out.” In my early 30’s, traveling was so much easier but now, it is getting harder, not only because of the physical aspect, but because I will be away from the family.

It would have been easy for me to just focus on myself, but then I thought about all the different things that I would be able to experience on this trip. In Singapore, they will have their first mini-retreat and I will be doing a baby dedication in Jakarta. These are all firsts for both churches, therefore my heart was overwhelmed with thankfulness. Just one word came to mind: privilege.

I am blessed beyond measure and I am amazed at the faithfulness of God, not only to me but to all our churches. Thanks for all your prayers and support. I will keep you guys updated regularly throughout this trip so that you can “travel” with me on this journey. Love you guys!
 
 

 
My time in Lima, Peru was incredible. In fact, it was like a mini-retreat for me. I was able to recalibrate and get my spirit renewed. But most of all, I was able to reconnect with one of my spiritual mentors, Pastor Robert Barriger.

I have come to the realization that there are always a handful of people that God sovereignly places in your life. They are the divine connections that play a significant role in your journey with Christ.

I will never forget how the divine connection with Pastor Robert was made back in 1997. I went down to Peru on a vision trip after receiving a revelation that I needed to go down there. Someone introduced me to a contact, but for some reason I did not get the sense that this pastor was someone that we could work with in Peru. After meeting other pastors, I asked someone if they knew of anyone else that I could meet before I returned back to the States. One of the missionaries mentioned that it might be good for me to meet up with Pastor Robert.

Even though it was last minute, I was able to get a 30-minute appointment before their mid-week service. But due to the notorious Lima traffic, I ended up missing the appointment and came to service about an hour late. As the service was finishing up, I realized that I would only have 15 minutes to talk with Pastor Robert, since my flight was taking off that evening.

With thousands of people filing out to exit the church, I had to go against the exiting traffic and head towards the front of the sanctuary. After profusely apologizing for missing the appointment, I asked Pastor Robert if he can share his heart and vision for Peru. Then, literally in 15 minutes, he briefly shared his testimony, and then proceeded to share the vision of his church and for the nation of Peru.

It is hard to describe in words what I felt, but after he shared, I just knew that this was the man of God that we, as a church needed to work with. Then in the following year, we sent our first missions team to Latin America. Since then, it has been an incredible journey of being mentored by him, but more importantly, Pastor Robert has become a great friend.

I share this little bit of history of the divine connection because over the years I have come to understand why God placed him in my life. On my flight back to the States, I was able to spend some time in reflection and I came to several conclusions about Pastor Robert:

 
 
As Pastor Robert is ahead of us in this journey, he is definitely leaving footprints for us to follow. I am privileged and thankful that I get a close up view of the real thing.

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Heb 13:7).

“Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all” (MSG)

“Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do” (NLT).
 
 
 

Pastor Robert trying to tempt me to take a bit out of the “Apple”
 
 
 

It is awesome to see that Camino de Vida is raising up leaders for tomorrow
 
 
 

The scenery off the coast of the Pacific Ocean is beautiful
 
 
 

There is something about a fresh fish market that always makes me hungry
 
 
 

The Barriger family were taking their Christmas card picture
 
 
 

The U.S. Embassy in Lima is like a fortress
 
 
 

An incredible sunset over the Pacific Ocean – perfect for inspiration!
 
 
 

I am standing next to a giant in the faith

 
I am in transit in Atlanta and waiting for my plane to head down to Lima, Peru. It has been awhile since I have been in Latin America. A lot of our focus has been in Asia within the last 5 years; but recently God has opened a door for us in Chile.

I will be reconnecting with Pastor Robert Barriger from Camino de Vida. I am looking forward to just hanging out with him, as well as learning from his wisdom.

These are exciting times. God is moving powerfully all over the world. I believe that God is going to open up a door of opportunity for us again in Latin America. I can’t wait to share with you all that God is doing in this part of the world.