We are often amazed at the unfair, tragic stories of the people around us. The idea that a sinful lifestyle will make you happy, or that it is a person’s only option, passes naturally down the family lines. It takes divine intervention to stop the chain reactions of sin, and to start a new family story. Our church in Brazil allows our neighbours a chance to observe Christian families. For example, most of our neighbours still laugh when they hear that Deanna and I go out on Tuesdays for “date night”. They associate dating as something adults do outside of a marriage relationship. As these young people get married they need extra grace to figure out how to live in a godly relationship. Healthy ways of handling conflict have not been modelled for them. Stabbing, yelling, or going silent are no longer acceptable. Their children will have it easier, and their grandchildren easier yet…as long as each generation does their part to connect the next generation to God.

“…the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. Exodus 20:5b-6 NLT

For a school report Bella and I studied her family heritage. “All my grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, and all my cousins, they are all Christians”. (36 people). Wow. Now how many others can we help to start their own Christian family heritage?

Our Mennonite Brethren Christian heritage goes back many generations. For this reason I am certain I have an easier time than many people around me. Often I think, “I’ll bet if I had been born into their family, I would be reacting exactly as they are reacting”. I am blessed in part because of the prayers and actions of people who lived long ago.

Here is Emma with my Dad and Mom, George and Margaret Bergen. 


There are great rewards as we work on our most important task in life, to do our best to pass on a Christian heritage to our children. What better way to do this than to include our families in helping other people start their own Christian heritage?

Emma has homeschooled from grades K-12, with the exception of Grade 10. High Road Academy allowed Emma to participate in the graduation ceremonies and celebrations along with all her friends she went to school with in 2011/2012. Then HCOS, the home school association with whom we have been registered these past several years, also hosted a graduation ceremony, banquet, and evening. This was an especially interesting event because this is the first time most of these grads met each other, even though they have worked together in forums and projects online for years. Emma graduated with honours, and we are very proud of her. The teachers chose Emma to give the 5 minute opening speech for this huge event. 

Emma was chosen to be the saladictorian, the student to give the opening speech and prayer.

Emma’s Uncle Darrell drove her to the graduation ceremonies. He puta chrome 400 hp chrome racing motors in the ’55 Chevy he rebuilt. “It was so much fun. When Uncle Darrell stepped on the gas pedal we all got pinned back in our seats. And every person we passed on the freeway looked over and nodded at us”.

Harold and Joan, Deanna’s parents, continue to do all they can to help us thrive in Brazil. We celebrated Harold’s 77th birthday yesterday.

Thought for the Day

Matthew 7:21

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” NIV.

Pastor Gary at the Abbotsford Vineyard gave a sermon on forgiveness today. He started by outlining some things that forgiveness is not. 

Click here for a list of 8 things that are NOT forgiveness.

I have learned the following three truths about forgiveness this year.

1. We forgive others for our own benefit. (THIS IS A GIFT I GIVE MYSELF.)

a) This is the only way that we ourselves are forgiven, that we can pursue happiness, contentment, joy, and all that God offers.

b) Remember the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in Matthew 18, we are forgiven as we forgive others.

2. We ask forgiveness from others for our own benefit. (THIS IS A GIFT I GIVE MYSELF.)

a)  This is the only way to be released from legitimate guilt.

b) We do this so our gifts to God have value. Matthew 6:14 Gifts that have no value are worthless.

3. We explain to others when they have sinned against us for their benefit. (THIS IS A GIFT I GIVE TO OTHERS.)

a) This is a selfless act of service. It is like offering an olive branch to people who have sinned against us. We are offering them a chance to ask forgiveness, to release themselves from legitimate guilt.

b) “So watch yourselves. ‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them'” (Luke 17:3, NIV). See also Matthew 18:15.

c) Explaining to others when they have sinned against us can only be done effectively when it is done in love. We cannot do this well when we are angry, or when we are still reacting poorly to what was done to us.

d) This one is for me the most difficult because:

i) I would rather forget the matter, and hope it will just go away. The problem with this is that some situations do not just go away.

ii) The other person may not realize they have sinned against me, or they may not agree that they have sinned against me. The conversation may be awkward. After courageously talking to the other person, I may see things differently. This has the potential to put the relationship back on a healing track.

iii) The other person may think they have a right to sin against me, and it may feel to me like they are standing their with their emotional arms crossed. It may feel like I am asking them to say sorry to me for my benefit, instead of the real truth that I am extending to them an olive branch so they can be freed from legitimate guilt. This has the potential to be awkward. Of course, the other person may ask genuine forgiveness, which I may have trouble to give, because of the deepness of the wound.

iv) A real danger here is that the other person may ask forgiveness without really agreeing that they did something wrong, just to make the immediate conversation go away. This is the same as lying, even though both parties may have good intentions. In this case the sin will probably be intentionally repeated, with both parties feeling they are right. Deceiving one another is not nearly as helpful as having courageous conversations until both parties feel completely understood.

v) If this goes well, this is the first step to rebuilding trust. Trust can only be rebuilt when both sides agree that trust was broken. Then both sides can start taking steps towards reconciliation.

Conclusion: We cannot control other peoples actions and reactions. Our responsibility before God is to (1) Forgive everyone completely, (2) ask forgiveness if we know someone has something against us, and (3) to let others know when they have sinned against us. 

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” Romans 12:18 NIV.



I am curious about your experiences or thoughts about this.

Sincerely,

Rick Bergen.

On June 6, 2014, Pastor Gary Stephens at the Abbotsford Vineyard Church talked about forgiveness, which included the following assumptions about what forgiveness is not.

• Forgiveness is not making excuses for what was done to you.
• Forgiveness is not pretending it never happened.
• Forgiveness is not waiting for an apology.
• Forgiveness is not pretending it doesn’t hurt.
• Forgiveness is not a one-time event.
• Forgiveness is not overlooking justice.
• Forgiveness is not trusting.
• Forgiveness is not restoration.

Posted with permission.

Rick Bergen.

Jen and Phil organized an outreach last summer to raise some toys for the children in our neighbourhood here in Marabá. They found an engineer who was travelling to another part of Brazil who was willing to bring their suitcases full of gifts. The engineer had connections with a trucking company who transported them up to Marabá for free. Here is a video and some photos of the event.

Sorting and wrapping children’s gifts.

Deanna lays out the strategy with the volunteer helpers.

It rained all morning, which was no problem for the 100 children and leaders.

Mary was quite protective of baby Jesus.

Everyone loved the morning.

Julianna soaks it all in.

Mary looks around while protectively holding baby Jesus.

Mary is pretend sleeping while the angel talks to her.

“Sai da frente!” “Get out of the way, we’re coming through!”

Antonette and Madute were great helpers. They are entering the church through the Alpha program.

Deanna organizes the gift draw.

Little Emily wanted me to sit beside her while she ate lunch. Deanna came and took our photo.

Annika spent the morning holding her friend’s babies while she helped with the event.

Mary was very pregnant while she rode the donkey to Bethlehem.

The Sunday School class did an impromptu Christmas story play. Emma and Adriana were the teachers.

Reinact the Greatest Story Ever

Mary was pregnant, and they had to travel.

Mary sat on the donkey when she got tired.

The shepherds can all were brown shirts this year, thanks to some generous donors.

All the wise men can wait over here.

The wonder of it all.

What was the kings name again, who wanted to kill baby Jesus? Let’s call him Ruan. King Ruan.

Juliana can be The Angel of the Lord who tells the shepherds the good news.

Brazil has a National Day of the Bible. Our youth took the opportunity to spend the day eating together and getting ready for a Bible Character Dress-up night at Church.

Emma and her good friend Thaís. Thaís is about 5 months pregnant.

The young people in the church dress up as Bible characters. Emma and Bella were the main costume finders.

The young people stand at the back of the church so they can dance during the worship part of the service.

This is Ivanildo’s wife, Monica, and their daughter, Bruna.

Douglas can really play the guitar! I hope he makes it through to adulthood serving God. God has big plans for him.

The boys at the back of the church.

Aline is in Grade 11.

The worship team dresses up as Bible characters.

We’ve got Ruth, and Esther, and the Bride of Christ, among many other great characters.

Another Aline. All these Aline’s have very sweet spirits. The Sunday School kids love them. They all radiate love for God. They are such nice girls, all of them. May God bless them with ALL that He has planned for them.

This is Aline who married Eliel. They are the Youth Group leaders.

Bruna

Deú is Deanna’s friend who comes over and paints her fingernails every so often.

She is a key person. There are always a group of ladies around her telling stories at her house.

Deú loves God, but experienced Him differently last week-end.

The girls started out thinking they would paint a snowman on a popsicle stick, but the project grew to where everyone could make their own manger scene.

Emma the Teacher

Emma and Bella created a manger scene craft.

Bella the Teacher.

Could you show me how to do this one part again?

Quiet Concentration

Now you carefully paint the stick.

Fun with friends.

We are ready for you to come and visit us.

Snack Time.

Vandro delivers steel around town for a job. He is not a church person. He started coming with his mother-in-law, and sometime later his wife started to come to church with him. Now they both want to be church planters in São Luiz someday. I am not sure they consider themselves Christians yet, but sometimes we don’t get the order of these things exactly right. It is the direction we are heading that counts.