Gospel.com Blog

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.

On May 28, Nepal’s government became a democratic republic after over 200 years as the world’s only Hindu monarchy. It’s an important change in the history of Nepal, but for the Christians living and ministering there it could mean an end to much of the violence perpetrated against them.

Mission Network News reports on the situation:

Through the years, Christians in Nepal have paid a heavy price — threats, beatings, ridicule and even imprisonment — for choosing to love and follow Jesus. Now much of Nepal — Christians included — is hopeful at the news of this new government.

During recent months, a Maoist leader initiated a meeting with Nepal’s major Christian leaders, expressing that the Maoists would guarantee religious freedom in Nepal and vowing not to harm Christians. The Maoists have also made verbal promises to work toward peace in the nation.

For more on Nepal click on the map above or read the wikipedia article.