This excerpt is from a sermon preached the week after returning
Several months ago, when considering whether I should be a part of the short-term missions team to Bolivia, I said to Pastor Sue, “I’m kind of worried that if I go, my heart might get so broken by the poverty and need that it might not get put back together. I might get wrecked.” Her response, blunt but exactly right, was, “oh, and God’s not big enough to handle that?”
I’m pleased to report that the opposite has happened! Instead of being wrecked by the poverty and need, I’m energized by the response of successful, Holy Spirit empowered ministry that is making significant differences in the face of poverty and need.
I’m energized that children who are forced to live in a crowded, confined, economically unstable prison environment are getting a chance at life in the name of Jesus. Our ministry, and I consider it a humble privilege to use the word “our” as we join in partnership, is breaking the cycle of poverty and hopelessness.
The Casa de la Amistad meets the need of 170 children – physical needs like food (inmates are provided 3.5 bolivianos, the equivalent of about 50 cents per day from which to meet all their needs for food); and physical needs like medical care (I was incredibly excited to learn that the Casa purchases medical insurance for each child registered in the program, which ensures they have access to the medical care they require). The ministry meets emotional needs like loving relationships with Christian adults who live normal lives, psychological needs through trained Christian counselors, and practical needs like space to do homework and help with that homework, or even as simply as being the liaison between school and home – something impossible for a parent in prison. And, of course, the ministry meets spiritual needs through teaching and modeling Christlikeness.
I’m energized at the difference that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the full Gospel of redemption of heart and soul and mind and emotion and body, can make in the lives of people. And I’ve come home with a new enthusiasm to see the Gospel make that kind of a difference in the lives of people here in Canada.
Transformed to Transform:
Last week we introduced you to Ivan, CBM staff in Bolivia with whom we spent almost all of our time. He did care for all of our practical needs, but he was far more than a translator, doctor, driver, etc… He led us spiritually. Early on, in one of our morning sessions, he expressed his deep desire that the six of us would be transformed by this experience, SO THAT our church in Canada could also be transformed. Since our relationship with the Bolivian church is a two-way partnership, whenever we introduced our church we asked that our partners would pray for us, that God would transform us and enable us to look out and minister to the people around us in the Name of Jesus. And they did, and continue, to pray that for us.
So What is it Going to Take?
As my heart “catches up” to being back in my own culture, I’m starting to ask the question, “what is it going to take” to bring that prayer to reality? What does it take to transform a church, which in turn can then transform our corner of the world??
It is a big question, to which we don't yet have all the answers. But Lord willing, we will see.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
A Conversation with Ivan Gutierrez of the Baptist Union of Bolivia
January 2007
The following is a transcription of a video message from our partner, Ivan Gutierrez, to our church
“Hello. My name is Ivan Gutierrez and we are standing here in the offices and the headquarters of the Bolivian Baptist Union. In front of you is our office. Here in Cochibamba we are enjoying the weather and I’m sorry for you guys that you are having a minus 34 degrees below zero so I hope this warm salutation will arrive in a good way to you.
Thank you for sending Laurier Heights team to Bolivia and we hope to enjoy more of our relationship in the next coming years. So, thanks for everything.
I wanted to share three things that I consider are very important to let you know about what you are doing as a church and the meaning of the decision you have taken as a church to be a partner in the STEP Program with CBM. And it’s very important to have a STEP relationship because here in Bolivia we are considering that there are lots of areas of interest and I should say that for not only for myself but also for my partners, co-partners in work in the leadership training.
The decision for you guys to be involved with Bolivia is very important for us because we want to not only do the missionary work as we’ve been doing all these years but now we want to move into another step and it means that we want to be influential not only for the local church here in Bolivia but also we want to be an influence for the church in Canada. So it’s a mutual partnership and I think it is something that will make sense not only for the church here but also for you guys because in a mutual way we learn together.
We are here to learn together and I consider that you have so many, many things to teach here but also you will learn some aspects, for example, like, I cannot speak about Laurier Heights but we can share about Bolivia. For example is our passion for missions - our passion to start new churches and in my one point of view what I see now is around the world many churches are being closed and is because we are not putting emphasis in missions. Missions does not mean you have to go only overseas and send somebody. Missions means you can start locally and go globally as you know and that’s why we believe in this partnership.
The other thing is one of the struggles that the church is confronting now is not only here but my perception and my point of view is the church has come to a level of comfort. We like to be in our own community doing the things we like to do but also I believe that we need to express our faith in different ways and Jesus was teaching us to go into the world and share what we have learned and it doesn’t mean that you will resign from the things that you like to do. You can enjoy as much you can but as long as to share the gospel is in your mind, is in your heart.
We are, in Bolivia working over 100 years with the gospel but one of the risks that we will face in the future, is the fact that we will feel more comfortable in what we do and what we believe. It will be more enclosed in our own community but not looking at the needs of the people so is another thing that I wanted to share with you, that I really believe is important to go beyond what we can do.
A time ago, a group of volunteers asked me, they told me “Ivan, what do you prefer for us to do? Do you prefer to send you such an amount of money or for us to come?” And the amount of money was good but I say, “You know guys, I rather prefer you to come here. Because there is no way to compare what you can do with the money and what you can do with your witness, with your work, with your encouragement because you will encourage not only the local church here in Bolivia but also you will encourage your own church”.
Frankly many people, or many churches are forgetting what missions means.
So I really thank God for your church, for the passion of your leaders, because they have surrendered many things and they have decided to come to Bolivia and let me tell you, and not because that I want to be a good person with all of you, but truly I saw committed Christians, faithful, with all of them they are willing to serve God and is something that we should be keeping in our hearts to serve Him not to serve ourselves or the community because we want to be good people for the opinion of our brothers and sisters.
Ultimately God will see our hearts and what I have seen is you have a great people and I believe you have a great church and please keep focus where you want to go and let the Spirit, let God to guide you to the place He wants you to be there.
So thank you. Thank you for your support. It is something that is beyond value. All the things you have done, all the things you will be doing along these years, doesn’t have a price. It’s not the fact that you could be giving $20,000 or a hundred. It doesn’t have a value so please keep thinking in this way and may God bless you all.
The following is a transcription of a video message from our partner, Ivan Gutierrez, to our church
“Hello. My name is Ivan Gutierrez and we are standing here in the offices and the headquarters of the Bolivian Baptist Union. In front of you is our office. Here in Cochibamba we are enjoying the weather and I’m sorry for you guys that you are having a minus 34 degrees below zero so I hope this warm salutation will arrive in a good way to you.
Thank you for sending Laurier Heights team to Bolivia and we hope to enjoy more of our relationship in the next coming years. So, thanks for everything.
I wanted to share three things that I consider are very important to let you know about what you are doing as a church and the meaning of the decision you have taken as a church to be a partner in the STEP Program with CBM. And it’s very important to have a STEP relationship because here in Bolivia we are considering that there are lots of areas of interest and I should say that for not only for myself but also for my partners, co-partners in work in the leadership training.
The decision for you guys to be involved with Bolivia is very important for us because we want to not only do the missionary work as we’ve been doing all these years but now we want to move into another step and it means that we want to be influential not only for the local church here in Bolivia but also we want to be an influence for the church in Canada. So it’s a mutual partnership and I think it is something that will make sense not only for the church here but also for you guys because in a mutual way we learn together.
We are here to learn together and I consider that you have so many, many things to teach here but also you will learn some aspects, for example, like, I cannot speak about Laurier Heights but we can share about Bolivia. For example is our passion for missions - our passion to start new churches and in my one point of view what I see now is around the world many churches are being closed and is because we are not putting emphasis in missions. Missions does not mean you have to go only overseas and send somebody. Missions means you can start locally and go globally as you know and that’s why we believe in this partnership.
The other thing is one of the struggles that the church is confronting now is not only here but my perception and my point of view is the church has come to a level of comfort. We like to be in our own community doing the things we like to do but also I believe that we need to express our faith in different ways and Jesus was teaching us to go into the world and share what we have learned and it doesn’t mean that you will resign from the things that you like to do. You can enjoy as much you can but as long as to share the gospel is in your mind, is in your heart.
We are, in Bolivia working over 100 years with the gospel but one of the risks that we will face in the future, is the fact that we will feel more comfortable in what we do and what we believe. It will be more enclosed in our own community but not looking at the needs of the people so is another thing that I wanted to share with you, that I really believe is important to go beyond what we can do.
A time ago, a group of volunteers asked me, they told me “Ivan, what do you prefer for us to do? Do you prefer to send you such an amount of money or for us to come?” And the amount of money was good but I say, “You know guys, I rather prefer you to come here. Because there is no way to compare what you can do with the money and what you can do with your witness, with your work, with your encouragement because you will encourage not only the local church here in Bolivia but also you will encourage your own church”.
Frankly many people, or many churches are forgetting what missions means.
So I really thank God for your church, for the passion of your leaders, because they have surrendered many things and they have decided to come to Bolivia and let me tell you, and not because that I want to be a good person with all of you, but truly I saw committed Christians, faithful, with all of them they are willing to serve God and is something that we should be keeping in our hearts to serve Him not to serve ourselves or the community because we want to be good people for the opinion of our brothers and sisters.
Ultimately God will see our hearts and what I have seen is you have a great people and I believe you have a great church and please keep focus where you want to go and let the Spirit, let God to guide you to the place He wants you to be there.
So thank you. Thank you for your support. It is something that is beyond value. All the things you have done, all the things you will be doing along these years, doesn’t have a price. It’s not the fact that you could be giving $20,000 or a hundred. It doesn’t have a value so please keep thinking in this way and may God bless you all.
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