Successful Conclusion of the 2022 Good News Mission Central and South American Ministers' Retreat

300 Central and South American ministers held a retreat at Good News Peru Church

From November 14th, the ‘2022 Central and South American Ministers’ Retreat’ was held in Lima, the capital of Peru, for 3 nights and 4 days. The main lecturer, General Director of Good News Mission, Pastor Min-Cheol Lim (Good News Busan Daeyeon Church), Central American Headquarters Pastor Jin-Sung Kim (Good News Daegu Church), Pastor Bong-Chun Lee (Good News Suseong Church), and Pastor Geon-Ha Shin (Good News East Busan Church) joined the retreat.

About 300 Korean missionaries and local ministers from 17 countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, and Uruguay, participated.

On the evening of the 14th, the meeting of ministers began with Good News Lima Church Missionary Cho Seong-joo, Peru serving as moderator. The main lecturer, Pastor Min-cheol Lim, gave the background of the meeting, saying, "Pastor Ock Soo Park arranged this Central and South American ministers' meeting so that Korean missionaries and local pastors of the Good News Mission can work together without any gap."

He continued, “Because we have been called as evangelists, there should be no gap between us through the exchange of faith. It is natural for local pastors to be grateful to the missionaries who preached the gospel, but when it comes to spiritual things, they must go beyond gratitude. Whoever God works for must be exalted, and anything that is caused by man must be discarded. We must not tolerate the flesh, and through this retreat, we want to have intensive fellowship so that our spiritual capabilities can grow.”

Bible Study with Lilia Paredes, First Lady of the President of Peru

At 3:00 pm on the 14th, Ms. Lilia Paredes, wife of Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, invited Pastor Lim Min-cheol and Pastor Seong-ju Cho to the First Lady's office and had a Bible study session.

Pastor Lim said, “The Lord is on my side, I have no fear, what can people do to me? The LORD is on my side, among those who help me, so I will see how he repays those who hate me.” While sharing the words of Psalm 118:6, 7, he conveyed God's heart, saying, "There will be many difficulties by the side of the manager of state affairs, but trust in God and go forward."

In the continuing retreat, fellowship continued about why we lose to the flesh and why we live a life of bondage without receiving strength from the Lord. The biggest problem with faith is not believing in God, and since God, our Father, does not leave us and gives generously to us, the message that was preached was to ask God for everything. After the talk, they had time to present and exchanged their hearts.

The conference was held in three languages: Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese. In the early morning, Pastor Jinseong Kim preached, in the morning and evening, Pastor Mincheol Lim preached and ministers gave their testimonies, and in the afternoon, it was sports activities and mind recreation. After the sports activity, the ministers had fellowship by group. In the group fellowship, they were divided into 11 groups, including ministers and wives from each country, and they talked about the difficult things during their ministry in more detail, and the pastor in charge of the group guided them to fellowship on that part, so that difficulties changed to hope. It became a time to free their minds from grievances and hardships that they thought were their own problems.

Testimony of Attendees

He said that everything God has given us is allowed because it is possible. In the heart Jesus gave to Pastor Ock Soo Park this time, he told us that all the workers of the Good News Mission are happy with the Word and have been perfected by faith. I am so grateful to God for allowing me to hold this ministers' retreat in Peru, and I give glory to God who has led me in all aspects to make it possible.

Pastor Seongju Cho, Good News Lima Church, Peru

Although I am a minister, when I encounter difficult circumstances, I look only at my lacking conditions and say, 'This won't work', 'It's hard', 'It's difficult' 'Why do you give me this situation that I can't afford?' There were many times when I lost my heart to that situation. However, through the message of this pastors' retreat, I came to know that God, my father, loves me as a son and only gives me things that are blessings to me, and has made it possible for me to handle it. For a long time, I disbelieved in God, the Father for me, and said, 'I can't, it's difficult'. "Yes, I'm lacking. But is Jesus lacking? The Lord made me do all the things He allowed me to do! To me, it is all blessed things!"

Pastor Taekang Kwon, Good News San Jose Church, Costa Rica

Until now, I have lived my life thinking that I cannot be free from my flesh and thoughts. I was tired of working hard to do better, and I was busy finding excuses such as 'I'm not spiritual or I lack a lot' to leave the path of ministry because of circumstances. But God has taught me that all of this is not a problem. It is because Jesus has washed away all my sins with His blood and made it possible for me to run by faith regardless of my shortcomings. God wants to allow difficulties in my life and teach me love in them. I thank God for clearly solving the doubts in me, and I want to move forward on the path of ministry by relying on Jesus.

Adán Paco Evangelist, Good News Caranavi Church, Bolivia

We heard in Romans 8 that we are not in the flesh, but in the spirit. Satan always makes me see my flesh and says that I am weak and in the flesh, but now I can no longer be in the flesh and have clearly drawn a line in my heart that I am a spiritual person. Through this retreat, I was able to confirm again that my wife and I are people in the spirit and that we have nothing to lack to do the Lord's work. I am so grateful to be able to do the gospel work together again after returning to Central and South America.

Missionary Kim Jae-won, Good News Lima Church in Peru

I heard that other things are not evil, but that not believing in God is evil. I've been living like Thomas until now. In fact, 4 months before the minister meeting, I returned to Korea because I hated missionary work. Pastor Park said, “If you follow your thoughts, you will perish. The mind of the flesh is death.” He fought with my heart while fellowshipping with me. I had a strong desire to live happily for my family rather than giving myself to the gospel. But the pastor saw me as an evangelist. While attending the Central and South America Ministers' Conference, “Preach the gospel with the belief that God is opening the way and helping you. God only gives me tests that I can handle. The most unfortunate evangelist is the evangelist who does not believe in God.” If I say Amen and believe in God who is with me in the face of everything that happens to me, then I hope that my life will be very happy.

Pastor's wife Jinsol Lee, Good News Lima Church, Peru

It is important to believe that Jesus Christ, who is far greater than all my weaknesses and difficulties, lives in me. Also, it is hopeful that I can move forward by believing and relying only on the word of God regardless of my conditions.

Ricardo Godinez Evangelist, Good News Santiago Church, Dominican Republic

I lived locked up in myself, always saying that I was a fleshly person and never experiencing God's work. However, the pastor said that our weakness is not a problem. God has called us who are weak, and he said that we just need to leave our weak selves alone and accept the wisdom and power of Jesus Christ and be strong. I am so grateful that my heart was revived with faith after hearing the Word.

Pastor Eubelchi Helbert Souza Pereira, Brazil Good News Sao Paulo Church

Before, I thought that I couldn't see God's work because I was lacking. However, through this retreat, I was able to see that my fundamental problem was that I had not believed in God who always helped me. God is our Father, and we can do all things by believing in Him. I thank God for allowing me to live a new life through faith in Jesus.

Christopher Muñoz Evangelist, Good News Santiago Church, Chile

Since my wife was diagnosed with lupus, it has been difficult for her to live a basic life. She listened to the Word and received prayers, but her situation did not improve. Peace came to her heart when she heard the words in 1 Corinthians 10:13 at this conference that God will not allow her to be tempted beyond her ability. It means that God allowed sickness for our benefit, and if He allowed it, God would be glorified through this situation. I was so happy to be with my wife, whose hopes were filled while listening to the Word, at the conference. In the love of God, I want to have more children in the future.

Tito Arenas Evangelist, Colombia Good News Bogota Church

After being dispatched to Nicaragua, I spent two months there, and no matter what I did, negative thoughts came to me. I couldn't overcome my thoughts on my own, and in the end, I had no choice but to fall into my thoughts all the time. Through this meeting, God did not give me anything beyond my ability to handle, and I was so grateful to Jesus who made me perfect forever regardless of my weakness. Thank you for the words that can overcome your thoughts.

Eunkyung Lee's wife, Nicaragua Good News Church of Nicaragua

Exchange - Group Fellowship, Sports Activities

The restaurant team created a meal menu based on cuisine from each country in Central and South America so that guests could enjoy the tastes of various countries.

They also formed teams by country and had time to play soccer and had time to socialize while walking on the beach in Lima, Peru.

It was blessed to see the ministers coming together through this week's Central and South America Ministers' Conference, and above all, they had a time to discover their evil selves who lived without hope and without greed in front of the gospel, even though they were saved and were on the path of ministry with God's grace. Because they can't do it, they have to rely on God. The conference ended with hope not from themselves, but from God.

Central and South America has the advantage of the gospel that all countries speak Spanish more than any other continent. God has gathered the hearts of the ministers before God, and it is hoped that they will receive this heart and go back to each country and spread the gospel work with power.