Episode 192
The Fahringer family is on their way to Chile! In this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast, Geoffrey Fahringer takes precious time out of his day to tell us more about the country of Chile, the spiritual needs there, and his family’s desire to minister to the people there. Chile is a long, narrow, beautiful strip of land in South America spanning from the base of Peru all the way down to the tip of the continent, and jumping the ocean to claim certain parts of Antartica. The people groups are diverse, but the need is the same: a saving faith and growing relationship with the Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. Geoffrey Fahringer would have never in a million years seen himself as a missionary because he was far along the path of military service and law enforcement. But after the Lord saved him, it became increasingly clear that God had plans for his family in that beautiful country. Geoffrey and his family surrendered, and today we get to hear all about what God has been doing to bring a gospel witness to the people there. Don’t miss this next installment of the On the Mission Field series right here on the Removing Barriers podcast.
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Note: This is an automated transcription. It is not perfect but for most part adequate.
But in this city, you know, besides all the cult and everything else, there’s no. Preaching church. So you call this pastor up north and said, hey, we could be fed by you. You live stream, everybody live stream since coven. But the Bible says we’re supposed to assemble with like minded believers and there’s no like minded believers and their pastor said well pray pray for. To send someone. Well, that was the week of our missions conference when God gave me a. I couldn’t explain.
[Jay]
Thank you for tuning into the Removing Barriers podcast. I’m Jay and I’m MCG. And we’re attempting to remove barriers, so we can all have a clear view of the cross.
[MCG]
This is episode 192 of Removing Barriers podcast, and this is the 19th in the series of on the mission field, and in this episode, we’ll be going on the mission field with missionary Geoffrey Fahringer to Chile. Geoffrey, it is indeed a pleasure and welcome to the Removing Barriers podcast.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Thank you. It’s great to be here with you guys.
[MCG]
Great. Thank you for placing us in your busy schedule.
[Jay]
Hi, this is Jay. MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net and subscribing to receive all things, removing barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics on consider donating at removingbarriers.net/donate. Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.
[MCG]
All right, Geoffrey, let’s jump into it. Tell us about yourself, your family, your calling, whatever you feel comfortable sharing with the Internet world.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Absolutely. Well, I can tell you that starting with me and my testimony, I grew up in upstate New York. It’s outside of Syracuse. I didn’t grow up in a Christian.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
My family was not saved, did not go to church. But I consider themselves Catholic. We’re not practicing. My dad was a police officer and my dad was my hero that he wanted to be when I grew up was the police. I was like my dad. My dad retired when I was a junior in high school and he moved our family to Naples, FL and that.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
All my family is now is in and around Naples. My dad stayed on with the Sheriff’s Office down there for 30 years, retiring on the 50th anniversary when he was sworn in. So my dad is a pretty amazing guy and he’s my hero.
[MCG]
Wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Truly. But he’s lost, and that’s a that’s a challenge, and it’s a big part of my testimony because of my dad being my hero and being lost. I went a long time without seeing a need for church, for God or anything. I end up going to the University of Florida to get my degree. Wanted to be a microbiology teacher and that’s what I was pursuing. I went on September 11, 2001, the. Terrorist attack happened and I didn’t feel like I was doing what I should. So three days later I dropped out of UF, enlisted in the US Army, end up being stationed in a unit in Florida and the following year sent back where I could actually continue PUR. Degree. I met my wife and my senior year. Was from a good Christian. She is a Florida girl down in the Central Florida area, but her testimony is a little bit different in that although she went to a great church and had a great salvation testimony, she suffered with a very abusive youth pastor, and her words would be she didn’t run. From God, she ran away from God.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Which worked out for me because that’s what led her to UF instead of PCC or, you know, a school she probably should have. In.
[MCG]
Right.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
We got married and I went on active duty. I was selected for flight school and we spent the next year at Fort Rucker, AL. Learning to fly helicopters. Got sent back to Florida again for a unit there and when I wasn’t doing the army stuff, I got on with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which is Orlando, FL, and I had my dream job and I was kind of doing both. Deployed the first time I deployed, I was in Iraq for 15 months during the surge.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And while I was there, a Blackhawk helicopter was shot down. Another one, and it was all over the news and my wife couldn’t get in touch with me. Now I was close to her that. That happened on north side of Baghdad and I was on the South side. We didn’t know it was going to it’s war. Didn’t know what’s happening, but she’s at home with CNN and Fox News in their reporting it.
[MCG]
And they all decorate.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And yes, yeah. So but she could get in touch with me. And she was very upset. Her parents called their pastor of the church. They were. And instead of just putting around a prayer list or something, he came to her house and he stayed with her until she got in touch with me. So God used that in her life to give her that little kick cake, you know? Not doing. You’re supposed to be doing, right? So I came back my first. My wife says we’re going to church now and I didn’t have a. I didn’t have a problem with church. I didn’t have a problem with church people. Just had no understanding. It wasn’t something that was important. Necessary. But if my wife wanted to go, was. She’s gonna. I spent a couple. Won’t say we were regular, but I took her. But you know, finally started listening and in 2010 I took that pastor for a ride along in Orlando on a Saturday night. And we spent about 14 hours out in about four O clock in the morning.
[MCG]
Oh wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And he had a blast. But I got to ask him the questions that I needed to ask. And I already mentioned my biggest hang up was my dad. My dad is good enough to get to heaven, you know, that’s the thing.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Couldn’t grasp that and understand that. But of course you know when you read through the Bible, you. Nobody’s gonna write.
[Jay]
Right.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So in having that time with him the next morning, this would be May 30th, 2010. I came forward. Mean it was a no brainer. I knew I needed to get saved. Knew that I wasn’t good. And there, you know, I could not get myself to heaven and I needed a savior. I got baptized a few weeks later. Wait. So I had no time for spiritual growth. I was gone for another year. I came back and started getting plugged into church more and really started. Know you get saved and all of a sudden it’s. You want to read the Bible, you know, and it starts. Just alive, you.
[Jay]
Sure, sure. Yep.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And then it was really neat because my first tour, my in laws, gave me a Bible and I took it with me, you know, and kind of like, you know, put it in the, you know, the hood of your car or. Or something to.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
That’s really all it was, and I started reading it again first. Was not saved and I live.
[Jay]
Probably.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
About 20 miles from Babylon for a year. We used to fly up and down. We flew through Babylon almost every other mission doing stuff and.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
You can. The ruins that are there and my headquarters was in southern Iraq and Ur where Abraham was from.
[Jay]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Mean just to arena, and of course that’s all.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And then I got to like know that what’s that book? Let typical or something you know and I’m like, yeah, I’m.
[MCG]
OK.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I didn’t touch again, but you know, I get saved and I’m reading it and I find out my church has a Bible Institute and. Was free and I’m like I can learn more about. Absolutely. My career to Sheriff’s Office was continuing and I got out of the military at that point after my last. They wanted me to deploy again in less than a year and I said no, I haven’t, you know, kidnapped a year of my daughter’s life from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2. And like I’m done. But I was a special victim unit detective. Next in line for homicide. Everything I. I mean it since I was a kid. But you know that faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of God. A real thing.
[MCG]
Ye.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And I felt the tap my shoulder to go in a full time ministry and that was. I knew God was wrong because I’m not a pastor. I mean, I know me better than he does. So, you know I said.
[Jay]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Don’t think so. And I spent about a year. Resisting this a very clear calling, my wife knew people to church knew, but I just you know, I want to do what I wanted to do and for about a year, every door closed in my face. I mean, it was just absolutely incredible. And there was a finally a. I remember the call that I was working on and everything a child victim was really bad and I was coming back through the 408. The highway that cuts our Lando in half. I was crying. Had. Pull over. Turn the lights on my car. But turn all my lights on. Just crying, I said. Lord, I submit. I notice what you want me to do. I’ll do it. And I within like 20 minutes, things start turning around. It’s just so incredible. So I ended up retiring early from the sheriff’s. The pursuit full time ministry that caused a problem with my dad.
[MCG]
Oh wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Ately thought I was stabbing in the back, walking away from, you know, not that it was a family business, but, you know, for my dad, I mean. Being a professional law enforcement, I mean that was his whole identity. And so fortunately that relationship was renewed and it’s been better since much better than was before. But I got out of my church and I came on as the associate pastor of young families and outreach, and I loved it. You know, I thought law enforcement was my career, but, you know, to be in the middle of. Fantastic congregation. I’ve always been kind of like an evangelist at. Anyway, so they have that outreach portion. And pastors, you know, the senior pastor.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Yeah, you want to go do some kind of crazy event and set up. Go do. You know it was. I had the opportunity at that point to travel and teach at Bible institutes around the world. I got to go to India several times. Developing friends in these countries, of course, would like what’s happened. You know, it’s like they’re next. It’s like so friends all over the world now, just loving ministry and never would have left. But in 2022, during our missions conference, which is the third week of March every year at the end of the week, I felt this calling. This burden for the people of South Chile, I really understand it, but I knew it was something that I wouldn’t put there and I was pretty sure the devil wouldn’t give me a burden for souls. I figured I had to come from the Lord so that Sunday night at the end of the missions conference, I took my wife aside, and if we put the kids to bed and I told her I said, hey, I think we’re being called in a mission field. And my wife said. Too, I said. Really. And I said, well, I know this is going to be out of the blue, but I feel like we’re being called to South Philly. And my wife said, well, the Lord’s been telling me all week. I need to learn Spanish. And I said OK. And I did, the pastor says. Let’s pray about this. That was Sunday night. Monday, Tuesday, our oldest daughter, she was 13 at the time. She comes to us and she says, hey, I think we’re supposed to go to South America. And I said, Lord, I hear you. I dropped to my. We submitted right there my testimony a little bit long, but that’s what I explained that earlier, calling and putting out. Will never go through that again. It was so. What the Lord wanted us to do. We stayed on staff, my home church. The end of 2022, my mentor and the founding pastor. Years was retiring. He was actually announcing his retirement the following week, so he said we’re gonna stay on staff. Senior. I mean, it’s my church is made still my church, my congregation. We want to make sure everything’s good. But we started, you know, pursuing now, what is it to be a missionary? Looked at mission boards and I called, you know, a lot of missionary friends. Does this. And we selected for our Mission Board Baptist missions to forgotten peoples. It’s a fant. Board it’s like family and it’s very, very, very.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Biblical and how they handle it. I mean right from showing up day one going. We are not your authority. Your pastures, your authority. But we’re here to help you in whatever we can. Always appreciated that. They. It’s been fantastic. But one of the things that we struggle with at that point was our testimony. Because as you travel and you go to churches and you’re starting to tell people that, yeah, we’re a missionary family, we’re being called to Chile. Well, people start asking questions, and usually the questions were have you ever been there? Or do you know anybody there? And we had never been there, didn’t know. I mean, I could find it on a map.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Was about. No friends there and a lot of people started questioning that. Are you sure you’re called to Chile became? And I’ll be honest, it became very hard for my wife and I because we didn’t understand and I went to my mentor, who is retiring. And I told him this and he got upset. I’ll never forget his orbs, just like he said. Did William Carey go on a high school field trip before he got called to India? I’m like. And he said, you know, you’ve been to Andy. There a need there. I mean, there’s. So do you feel called there? Said no, he said. Is there a need in Haiti? There’s a big need in Haiti, said. If you’ll call there. I said no, he said. Stick your call. We didn’t really understand why and what we started telling people that, you know, you probably shouldn’t lie as a pastor or missionary, but it just got weird and people. That’s why we just said, well, we went to a Chili’s restaurant. Waitress was lost. And somebody’s got to reach for.
[Jay]
People you know.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Everyone would kind of laugh and we would just kind of move on without saying anything else.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So we’re supposed. Start full time deputation in January of 2020. And right as we’re getting ready to step out, even though we even have anything booked for that first month, the new senior. My church’s mother passed away, so I stayed on for another month while he was taking care of that, and she lived in a different state and there was a lot he went through.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And then in February, we did our survey. We were very blessed in our survey trip. I had met over the previous year, a senior past. In Santiago. I’ll tell you a little bit about chili too. Chili is a great. It’s very, very long. The population, they go back and forth to the population in the census right now they’re saying about 20 million people. As the population of the country, but 7 million live in Santiago.
[Jay]
Mm. Well.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So I mean, more than 1/3 of the population live in the capital city is to the northern part. It’s beautiful. Very tropical. More grapes, more wines and stuff comes from there than Napa Valley, California.
[MCG]
Wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So it’s a very, very beautiful area. Yeah. And a lot of missionaries that go to Chile, they go to Santiago, and that makes sense to me. Mean. I don’t think we could have enough missionaries in New York or la. And it’s very much the massive study, very modern city. We didn’t feel called there and I’d met this senior pastor. From Santiago, who founded the Big cemetery down there and whatnot, and I explained to him, I said I feel called the South Philly. Said I can look at a. You’ve got like 1 highway that runs up North and South and it kind of stops in this area here. And then there’s just like nothing for another 1000 miles except for glaciers and stuff. You down to the bottom, he. Yeah, that area down there is Patagonia that. That’s kind of what we consider S Chile. End of the highway.
[Jay]
Mm.
[MCG]
OK.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I said OK and he told me. Come down with your wife in February and I will take you to every church and more importantly to every city in that area that does not have a church that doesn’t have a pastors and. Missionary he. We’ll go to every. We’ll find out where God wants you to go.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And he. It was such a blessing and he planned out the itinerary and we had to fly to some of these places because of the distance. And he called me back the month before. Getting ready to. And he mentioned that he had learned of a couple in the city of Punta Arenas that have been praying for a pastor. And he said that wasn’t one of the cities we discussed. You want to add it to the. And I said, yeah, if it’s in South Chile, sure. Well, we did. I mean, when we got down there on our survey trip, my wife. I we visited all these. We went to the cities where we did all these things, but when we got to the city of Punta.
[Jay]
We’ve.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Felt home and then we end up having dinner. We invite over to dinner for this family, this Christian. They’ve been praying and his name is Elvis and he gave us his testimony while we were drinking tea. And Elvis is a military intelligence. Naval intelligence off with a Chilean military, not with the US.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And he was stationed up north and in the fall of 2021, the Chilean governments that were transferring you, his family moved to the city of Punta Arena. Last week of February 2022. And they spent two weeks trying to find a church. There’s no church there. The Catholic Church is down there and I’m sure you got question what country I can talk about. You know, the population and the religion stuff. But in this city, you know, besides all the cult and. Else there’s no Bible preaching church. So you call this pastor up north and said, hey, we could be fed by. You live stream, everybody live stream since coven. But the Bible says we’re supposed to assemble with like minded believers and there’s no like minded believers. And their pastor said, well, pray, pray for God to send someone. Well, that was the week of our missions conference when God gave me a burden that I couldn’t explain.
[MCG]
Oh wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So I was really challenging to sit there and Wi-Fi were tearing up while he’s telling us. And I said, well, brother Elvis, let me tell. What happened to my family from Florida the week that you prayed for this? Fantastic person. We had the opportunity last year in 2024 to take our children down for a week. Wanted them to see where we were. We sold our house at the end of 2023 because we weren’t there anymore and we realized that we’re living in hotel rooms and we can stay with my in laws for. Do we need a house?
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And what? Made off, we took our kids down there for a week. They could see where we were. Moving because they were having questions after a year on the road and sat there having some anxiety. Are you taking us? So they got to go down. Cna fell in love with it. And brother Elvis was still. And he was looking for houses for us. And he found 1-3 blocks from the military base. And I don’t know if that house will be there now when we go down there, but it showed us that there is places that we can afford that are big enough. Plan a church in cuz our first. House church until we get enough, a storefront or something. To move into and you know for Brother Elvis, I told him in the beginning. I said you realize that this is going to take, you know, two years or what not. Mean I had even started deputation yet. I mean, this was literally 2 years ago. And he said, yeah, I know I could be transferred out by then, but somebody else could be transferred in and just fantastic family.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And they’re still down there since then, another missionary has moved down there. Who was in a northern part of the country. He got a house church going, and he just moved into a storefront. I’ve met him and I’m just so happy. What God’s doing in that? I’m going to have somebody else down there like minded, independent, you know, Baptist, Pastor, missionary. But without him knowing me or me knowing him, his first church plant is in the north side of the city. We always knew our first church plant was going to be in the South side because that’s where the military is and. Going to hit the military hard.
[MCG]
Man.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So there’s no. Petitioner, or anything, it’s just great to have you know somebody else step from God down there. The city itself and I mentioned the size of Chile. Punta Arenas is a city of about 145,000 people. Pretty close to Gainesville, FL. Our Savannah, GA or Waco, TX, you know these are good sized cities. It is the city at the. Of the world. The city really came about in the 1800s when used to have to sail around the Panama. Canal and they traced a lot of it to the gold rush in California because that’s how people were going back and forth in the East Coast to the West Coast. So it’s the poor at the bottom of the world now. Of course, at a Panama Canal, you know, people have to sail around. So now the port and stuff down there is more for if you go to Antarctica, you’d come here and do the research. Down there, a lot of tourism. If you do an Antar. This is where the cruise ship goes and where they dock and if you want to go into the mountains of Patagonia, you would fly in there and go from there. No roads to get there from that top portion that 1000 miles, it is nothing but Patagonia. Mountains. Glaciers. So you can only get there by boat or plane. You could. Eventually, if you went over to Argentina, came down the east side, you could take a ferry and eventually get there, but it would take four or five days. Would ever do that. So it’s very isolated down there as a city and as a big city. Technically, it’s not the southernmost city in the world. Wanted to have. So they planted a city on the bottom of a Tierra del Fuego and Tierra del Fuego is the island on the other side of the treaty, Magellan. We’re on one side and tiero fuego’s on the other.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So it’s about 52 miles South, but it’s only about 10,000 people versus massive port city a lot. And then the weather it is. It’s a stepping point for Antarctica, so it’s only about 800 miles from Antarctica. So they deal with. Pretty severe. The summertime highs is summertime down there right now in the summertime. Highs are in the 50s, fifty, 556, but in the winter it gets to around 0 or 31°F if you will, and it stays there because this is where the Atlantic and PAC. Coming together so the OCE. Ans moderate the weather.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
There. So it’s a very, very unique climate. Also, because of its proximity to the South Pole, you have issues where in the winter time, their winter time they get about 5 hours of daylight. The summertime you get about 19. Of daylight. So it’s a. I think that’s more of a challenge really than the weather in the winter time because of the mental illness that goes up in suicide and a lot of alcohol use, they don’t have a big drug. Down there because you can only get there by boat or plane, so everything.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So there’s not much of a drug problem, but alcohol course legal. So there’s a lot of alcohol abuse. So those are some of the dark things that will face down there where they’re just not really being, you know, a true gospel light shining on these people and the level of sin that’s available in that city, you know, large military population. Because it’s a very strategic place at the bottom of the world, Chilean military but large military population. So that brings in some of the stuff that you see even around military base strip clubs and things like that.
[Jay]
Sure.
[MCG]
Yeah. So. No, I was gonna ask. Just a sort of curiosity because you said something pretty important there when you said. That your wife, you know, she said she didn’t. God, she leave God’s people and you know I’ve been safe for a little bit and I’ve seen a lot of people who have maybe left churches or whatever case may be because of God’s people being ungodly. Put it that way. So of course, she’s not on here to answer this. So I ask you now that she has come, you know, fully around how does she deal with that because. People sometimes can push God people away.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Correct. Well, first of all, I think some of God’s people could be the hardest to deal with.
[MCG]
Yep.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Because you know, if I go out and I love going out and talking to people, I love going on the street, I think we should evangelize every homeless person we meet because they’re a captive audience. Mean you walk up to homes, don’t go anywhere, you know. And yeah, you should probably give them 10 bucks or a blanket or something. But you give them. 1st and they’re going to listen. But you know, if that person started cussing or swearing, I would expect that, you know, would a lost person, we expect lost people to act like lost people. But with religious people and you know, we can use these terms pretty loosely to, you know, religious people. I think it’s a lot easier to let our guard down and then be more hurt because, you know, at the end of the day, people are people, you know from.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Past your standpoint, missionary standpoint. Tend to live in a bubble.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
My experiences, my kids. Sometimes they expect, you know, walk into a church and they’re like, oh, those are missionary kids. Going to be the most well behaved people here. Well, my kids are. But there are still kids. My 8 year old still.
[Jay]
Sure. Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Years old, you. So sometimes we have these. You know, I think stereotypes that we put on it and again with religious people, I think is these, let our guard down and then of course, you know, your friends know you the best your spouse. He’s the best your spouse knows how to push your buttons like nobody. Your friends know how to push your ****, so I think that makes it hard.
[MCG]
Right.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
You know, I think we’re not followers of a pastor. We don’t. You know the deacons. I mean, all of them are you. Paul. Hey, I’m acting like Christ. You act like me. There’s no excuse, not. To be good, but in the end of day. Are people. You know, it was the religious people of his time that crucified Jesus, you know. And when you look at a lot of the warnings in the New Testament, when you start really getting into Paul’s writing to Timothy Peter’s writing, you know, John going into revelation, how?
[MCG]
Right.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Of that is about, you know, the false teachers and the false prophets. Well, we talked about those things which you have to understand. If it’s a false teacher or a false prophet, where is that person? In the church, their false in the it’s church people, it’s church. People are going to betray us in the end and turn us over to the government, because that’s what it says.
[MCG]
Right.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Know false prophets and false teach in the church. Where you find them. It is hard. I know pastors that have been hurt for people that have gone through an issue and you know, and this is for a lot of pastors. They’ll have a family go through. It could be a death, something serious. You know, pouring their heart and soul into him and then a year later, that family just ups and leaves. Never says why never, you know, says hey, we’re up just.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Else you know and that. I mean, that’s devastating to a pastor and a pastor’s. You know, poured so much into them and then to leave like that. I think it is hard, but at the end of the day, we’re not called to follow people. We’re called to follow Jesus, you know, and we can let our guard down. And I think we should. Your guard. But there’s always going to be that danger there of when you do. Slip in her.
[Jay]
I’d like to hear more about your mission field as well, because you talked about going to, is it Punta Arenas? Is that right? OK.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Yes. Now if you’re saying in Spanish, he was Spanish when the words good. And I’m only saying this because I’m in language school right now. So I’m smart. My Spanish right. But when you have a word that ends in A and the next word starts with a, they put it together as one word.
[Jay]
Supuntar Innas, Punta Arenas, OK.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
We would say. Lena Arenas but in Spanish, they say punctarina, but it means. Sandy Point in English, it’s sandy point.
[Jay]
I was looking at just doing some cursory checking online and it does say that the name means Sandy Point, but it’s also an area like you called it Patagonia. This is an area that’s not developed. The history there. Mean there’s all kinds of history. In fact, when the Spaniards came to colonize what we know today as Chile, they didn’t go down as far as Patagonia and the indigenous peoples. People are there, and of course you had Spaniard influence. Of course they were trying to. Would imagine if they’re trying to conquer the entire area. I’m sure they tried to. Just couldn’t get there and at one point it was a penal colony. You’ve got the port. There’s a military presence there. It seems like all of these different people, groups and all of the history. Three behind all of these people groups is converging in this one area. That going to make things difficult for. When you go down. What do you expect to encounter with all of that history? With what you know, you being on deputation right now, how is that going to affect your ministry when you get down there?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Well, actually there’s some history that you may not have seen in your research that will affect us more than anything. But let me check the blocks off the Mapuche course. You know Ward with the Mayans and whatnot, and they’re all until the Spaniards came in and they all kind of joined forces.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
The Mayans were wiped out the map. Towards the southern portion of Chile, not the Patagonia. We’re. You know, only halfway down the country, but this other portion, they’re still there. The Chilean government previously had a plan of basically. We are 1 government, we are one. You’re Chilean. You’re not Mapuche, and your culture is. This is about 50 years ago. I want to say in 80s and whatnot and they really did a disservice to try and wipe out, not the Mapuche, but their culture.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Jay]
Oh no.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And say no, we’re all Chilean now, it does.
[Jay]
That never goes well.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And unfortunately, the side effect that it is the majority of Mapuche. You know, live in slums of Santiago and subservient roles and jobs and stuff like that.
[Jay]
Oh wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
That’s kind of where they ended up. There is still capital for them. I say all southern Chile, but we’re not talking about the 1000 miles at the bottom of Patagonia, OK? We actually looked at that area because there is one church plant and a missionary in the next city over. And they ride horseback to get to church or my kids like that’d be so cool. I’m like that’d be. Like one Sunday. OK. And then good old quick, but that is there now down in the bottom is different down in the bottom. The national tribe that you would have seen the indigenous people were the Celcombe tribe, and they now we’re going back about 100 years.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Or so the government at the time gave out hunting permits to wipe this tribe out because they wanted all the land.
[MCG]
Oh wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I’m talking down at my point down at the very.
[Jay]
Right. OK.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Until. I don’t know why it’s not anymore, but that was the whole capital of Chile and that was like their major export because there’s so much shepherding now. They don’t grow anything. It’s too cold.
[Jay]
Too cold to grow? Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
It snows 12 months a year down there, but the sheep the flock, do you think of llamas? All that stuff is a big deal and. Into the land. So according to the chain government, that tribe is completely gone. Does not exist. They have a website and there’s around 50 people left in the world that claim a heritage to that tribe and only four are left in Chile.
[Jay]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So it’s very, very sad, but. The people down there have grabbed ahold of their culture and locked onto it like it’s their own. They celebrate it and for indigenous tribes, even unlike the Mayans and the Mapuches and whatnot. A British missionary 100 years ago got in with his tribe to evangelize them and went through the rite of passage that a. Teenager, 1516 year old boy would go through and became a member of the tribe and has pictures of everything and wrote a book about it. So very clearly documented why they painted their face this color. They did this dance. I mean, you see that in a lot of other cultures. So they have the original pictures and what they were like. So they’ve really taken that, but it’s more of a tourist thing to get on there.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Yeah, we’re all this and that. Really, the tribe is gone. It’s very, very sad. All of the tribes in the Mapuche, there’s a few other smaller indigenous tribes you wouldn’t see on the web. Search, probably. What’s? Is they all speak Spanish? Unlike going to maybe Australia or something? So I got to get in that tribe and I got to learn their language between the Spaniards coming in and Chilean government. That is the language. So if we had to go and I don’t think down.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
We are at the bottom. I don’t believe there’s any mapucci down there. Up on the top in. Patagonia. OK. But if we had somebody come in or there’s another? Somebody. It would all be Spanish, which is a huge advantage for us. So now here’s the thing that you wouldn’t see and this will affect us more than that because that is. Almost like a pop culture thing for them down there. Tribe. They’re wiped out. They’re gone. So they’ve taken that, you know, pictures and all the stores and the dolls and everything. It’s really become and again, if you do an Antarctic cruise, your Princess cruise, whatever they pull up to the port and you come and walk around to say you’re in Antarctica, it’s great. I mean, they have that tourism aspect and everybody loves seeing the tribes and they didn’t wear clothes and I mean.
[Jay]
Begin mAh.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Crazy stuff. But here’s what you wouldn’t. And this is what I truly believe will affect us more than anything else and is highly unusual for South America. But a guy named Charles Darwin. He did his research. There he was in the Galapagos Islands and whatnot. When he was down South during his. His research this was the port. So that city was home based for Darwin down there. So they worship Darwin in this city. They have not only a ship, they have a model.
[MCG]
Oh wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
A1 to one replica of the. Beagle and you can go on it and go into his laboratory. Can go into his. You can see the ship that he did all his research on. They have a college, Darwin’s colleges down there in the city. They named restaurants after. I mean, they almost worship Darwin, which brings in that humanistic atheist element that is kind of unusual for South America because, I mean, they’re not saved in a lot of places. Catholic and stuff, but they still had that religious influence and you know, we got to share the truth with them.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
It’s like, no, you know, Jesus, let me tell you the real Jesus is because of the influence of Darwin. And that really militant atheist humanist movement. It’s kind of like we don’t want you crazy religious people, so that will be, I think, more of a challenge in the city.
[Jay]
Oh.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Is dealing with that mindset then with anything like one of the tribes that were there was some of the false police are probably even more than the cults. Hindu temple in town too? There’s a very small Hindu populace, less than 1% of the population of Kili is Hindu, but there’s a large Hindu population in this city and they have a temple there. And of course, their claim is well, it’s true. Most Hindu temple in the entire world. I think even dealing with the Hinduism and talking with that group will be easier than you know breaking that barrier down or that true atheist who just looks at you like you know you’re coming out of a tribe or something ’cause you still do religion, so I think. Be probably the biggest challenge.
[Jay]
Wow. Interesting.
[MCG]
So definitely that’s something that, you know, if someone should be deciding that they want to go to Chile to be a missionary, or at least for yourself, that’s something that they need to keep in mind. Else, should someone keep in mind if they feel called to go? To Chile.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Well, I’d say a few things. First of all, I mean, you got to really say, are you called the chiller? You feel called to a certain area. I had it written down. Chili has about 4000 miles of cosine. Now the country itself, from north to South, is around 2700 miles. It’s the second largest country in the. Technically, Brazil is a little bit longer, but you don’t think that ’cause Brazil’s. Chile is very. It’s average width is only 112 miles. I mean, they’ve got Pacific on one side and the Andes mountains on the other. So there’s nowhere to. I mean, there’s places where it’s only 9 miles wide the entire country. It’s a very narrow. Of land. But being, you know most 3000 miles long, if you superimpose Chile over the United States, the top of it would be in Montreal and the bottom would be in Panama and not Panama City, FL.
[MCG]
Wow.
[Jay]
Panama the country. Wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Yeah. So if you think of the difference between going to Montreal versus going to Panama in culture, language, weather, you’d find that in Chile too.
[Jay]
Yes.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So you know your first thing would be where do you feel? ‘Cause, if you feel called to the North End of Chile, you’re going to be. The driest desert in the. And if you’re like me and you’re. To. True S South end of Chile. Then you’re going to be in the Chilean. Antarctica. Again I mentioned. Know more than. 3rd of the population live in Santiago, so that’s where most missionaries go. Being such a modern and large city, I think you’d have to be prepared for the things that would come with that urban life. The Nice part about that is there are a lot of missionaries there. Are a lot of pastors there? So you would have a lot of backup.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Have a lot of. You could fall on ask questions. Things that could be important, for example, Chili’s very open to missionaries. Coming in. I can’t file for a religious visa until I’m on the ground there, but as soon as I actually get there, I’m going to file for a religious visa with my mission board saying that I’m 100% supported financially from the States and then I’m going to Ord. I can stay in Chile indefinitely.
[MCG]
Oh well, yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So that’s nice compared to other countries, but the other side of that is. I’m there on a visa that says I can’t get a job. I can’t take a job away from a Chilean citizen. So for me this deputation and going around meeting churches and stuff were up to 43 supporting churches right now and 12 individuals that support us each month. We’re at 73% of what we need to go to Chile, but I’m going to take my family, my wife and my kids. I’m going to move them down there the moment we 100% support. But that’s based on these churches that are saying they’re going. Support us. I can’t get a job down there so.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Faith. Promise is it really is faith that you’re making a promise out of faith, and I’m going out of faith that you’re. Honor that promise. So somebody going to Chile would probably need to keep that. You know, for the people that are in the closed countries, I mean, let’s say for example, you were trying to go to. Well, maybe you could be an English teacher, you know, and that’s your reason for being there. If you can’t be there for any other reason. But now you have an income coming in, so you know there’s benefits of both, obviously cases. I would think somebody going down there would have to understand that financially, the Chilean Government. Is just still really, really democratic. Very, very much in a freedom of religion.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
They have in their constitution, separation of church and state, which is very blurry line because Catholicism is still such a heavy influence down there that even a few years ago they’re pushing in the military that if you want a career in the military, you probably need to be. The Catholic Church.
[MCG]
Oh wow.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
You know, so, but it’s still very religiously open and free. But their economy is also do very, very well. We get all of our copper from their copper’s up. So at this point, and I’m hoping this will change with the current administration and things that they’re doing. But when I go to Chile, I lose money in exchange going into Chilean peso and that’s unusual to most countries around the world. You show up with American dollars and you can live like a king until you cannot.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So that would be a challenge for missionary going there too, because, you know, I know single missionaries or young missionaries that are going to Africa and. Their estimated. You know, we do a budget and you know, what do we need to start a church and live on a family and eat and stuff? Mean. That’s how we come up with that number. Go into a country like Africa. That might be half of what I need. Going to Chile.
[MCG]
OK.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
That’s a challenge, too. I think the missionaries would face. Again, you know where are you called? And above anything else for anybody. Anybody looking at being a missionary, you have to be called. It’s not an adventure, it’s not travel, and there’s nothing wrong with. There’s nothing wrong with adventure, but to go into a foreign place, a different culture in most cases is a different religion. And to try and establish a church and bring the gospel if you’re not called of Jesus Christ. You’re not going to make it. You’re going on your own power and strength. Met.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Somebody. Recently that comes to church every once in a while. Family Robably saved. And it came to me this. Sometime last fall and the father came to me. Goes. I think I’m called to be a missionary and I need to go. And I said brother. Not even a. A local church who’s sending you? Because if you look and act, it was a church in Antioch that selected Paul.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Barnum, as laid hands on them, sent them out and at the end of each trip they came back to their home church and report on what they did and how they did it. That’s the biblical standard for missions, and having that church sent you, well, that’s kind of the confirmation that God uses going. Feel you have a bird in the Chile, but when you walk in and the pastor go, yeah, we all knew this was. And we’re sad, but we can truly see it. Do we get you there and we’re? Behind you. You know that honors that calling that it’s not just an adventure. I think it’s great to go places to do 2 week missions, trips.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Wish every every church member I wish could go somewhere, even if it’s just to the city next door to go do a missions trip. Think we should be involved in those things and I think God does use that today. Sometimes to call. All people, but we gotta be careful in that. It’s not just a hey that looks cool. Think I could do that. I’m just not that kind of. So they’re calling. Whether it’s a chilly or anywhere, you know, having the churches behind you, having, you know, a senior pastor that’s getting counsel because that’s another thing too. I’m a pastor and I’m stepping. I’m going to plan a church, but I’m still going to be a member of my. I still tithe and faith promise at my home church. My pastor, still my pastor. That authority that is sending me out. And if you don’t have? Then you’re already not in line with. The Bible says you should be doing. You’re not called to. A missionary.
[MCG]
What’s the exchange rate with the US dollar with the Chilean peso?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
It was about a dollar to $1.25.
[MCG]
Oh wow.
[Jay]
I.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Haven’t looked at it in the last few months, but and some things down there, inflation’s worldwide. They have issues with inflation too. Not everything to the level we have here, but there’s been issues with stuff, but some things cost more than others. Looking at, as long as we get an older house, I’m laughing. Tell you why I’m laughing. So I mentioned that. The Christian down. The Naval Intelligence officer was looking for houses. He found a house that was. For rent, three blocks in military base and it was pretty big. We could start a church in there. And it was within our price range because it. Really old. My son Noah thought it was haunted. It looked at and we have to try and tell him to say. Listen, you’re so used to being in Florida, where every house in Florida is like a year old because they just keep building and everything looks new and everything looks nice. And then even you go up.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
When you got the snow and the rain and the weather and everything else, things they don’t look brand new like floor. Not haunted. But housing down there, as long as we are smart and find the right place is very equivalent to the housing market here in Central Florida. That’s not. Good thing because Central Florida is expensive, but that’s what we’re coming from. Then go. We can afford house here we can afford. House there. So that’s. But other things will be trickier fuel. And of course it’s a 2 edged sword down there as well because as I mentioned, everything has to be imported because no rows to get there, so everything has to come in by ship. So you have that issue but. Because it’s such a challenging place to live, and I think that’s part of it, with only being get what’s imported, the weather is clearly a part of it, but I would argue that it’s the sunlight and lack of sunlight, because this city has a tax free zone like.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Duty free zone. And they call it the Sun Free Zone, which is why I believe the emphasis is on the fact it’s still hard to live there in the winter time. But it’s a tax free. His own to encourage people to stay there and live there.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So that will be a benefit to us, be able to shop at the tax free stuff and potentially get stuff cheaper than it may be up in Santiago. Are paying government tax and everything else so? That will help to a point or be a little bit of a benefit for us down there. But the reason they do that again is because it’s a very challenging place to live and they’re trying to encourage their own people to move there and stay there.
[Jay]
OK, what are some other needs that if filled would make your task of sharing the gospel and she lay a little bit easier. Easier.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
You know, ultimately, and I hate to say this, but it really does come down to money. You know, we’re stuck as a missionary and with the help of my missionary board, the very first thing we did in. And there is a difference between being a pastor and a missionary. Even on a field as a missionary pastor, the role is different. But I’m very happy for a mission board that was able to take senior missionaries who. Both and. You know, This is why this is. Different, but to sit down and go, OK, these are the things you need to consider. You’re planning a church. You’re going to need Bibles. You’re going to need hymnals. You need. That has to be a part of your. You’re going to be, you know, at some point, maybe renting space if you get, you know, big enough to that, and you need to consider that tracks is a big thing. In the city, I meant it’ll be cheaper to print stuff down there or to have stuff.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Than to try and ship something. Because again, now everything has to be. And I have to, you know, put something on a plane. Really. If I’m going to fly tracks in from the US or something.
[Jay]
Right, yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
It comes down. Money and that’s, you know, for us is challenging because it was up to me. Be on the field right now and I know my wife.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Kids feel the same way. But every missionary that I’ve talked to in Chile, no matter where they are in the country, has given us the same advice. Do not comment here at 100% support because this expensive to live here, so I think that’ll be challenging up front because we’re going to get there and you know, of course the initial. Stuff. If we started unpacking our stuff this month for shipping, we’re taking very little with us because we realized why would we pay to ship a couch down there? Can just find something down there. But you know, we’re a family. We’ve got. We got a bunch of winter clothes that we’re not wearing ’cause. We’re in Florida, so we have stuff that we want to ship down there. And that’s going to cost us and we’re starting to put that together, how we’re palletizing stuff and how we’re going to get it loaded. And then you know the plane tickets are expensive. You can fly direct from Miami to Santiago. The best route? Otherwise you got layovers in places, but then once you get to Santiago, you start to do another 3 1/2 hour flight to get down to the bottom of South America. America. So the plane tickets to get there and initial set up stuff. I mean again, you know mission is we’re not about money, but money is what makes things work.
[Jay]
Right.
[MCG]
I.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Mean that’s what gets us down there and I think my concern down there is I’m going to be like Nana. Hoping to blow through 4 or 5000 tracks in the first two weeks for there.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I mean, we’re going there on fire. My kids, my whole family’s ministries, I’m not. I’m the missionary and my family are going to be, you know, at home doing school. My daughter puts me to shame handing out tracks. She just absolutely loves. Loves it. So I see us, you know, blowing through 2000 tracks. And at first I hope in the first week or two are there at least to the point where, OK, we got enough chairs in our living room. OK, let’s get out there and start doing this. But is it going to be smart at that point? You can ship stuff. You can box stuff you can. But is it going to be cheaper to send a box to Bibles down, or to bite ahead of time and take it with us or to? Actually I need you know. So I think some of those, the logistics issue and as much as we’re trying to forecast what need is going to be. I’m in other things. You don’t think about. Life. Our mission Board won’t let us go unless we have life. So little things like that add up to and to get the right. So I think you know when we’re talking about barriers for going down there, I think it’s the biggest thing for us will be logistics because to get there to do the work will be. What we do here? Our family motto is not that we’re on deputation waiting to get to the field, to be missionary. In ministry now. And wherever we go, we’re in ministry. And we just love talking. So when we get down there, except for the fact that I’ll have to do it in Spanish and I’m still working on that, that’ll be a challenge. To do that, I’m not that worried about God is sending. He’s going to work that out, but for me, I guess you know the numbers. Guy pinching it, looking at going OK bandit, am I taking enough tracks to me? I be able to print. I know there’s stores down there and I’m sure. Can print stuff but. Quality tracks or you? So there’s issues like that, I think, and that’s probably the same for any missionary going to the fiddle, least on that initial trip, you know, to get in and get set up and get to the point where things are kind of self sust. And making sense.
[MCG]
Would you consider their culture to be more of acts Chapter 2 or acts chapter 17?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Fantastic question. I don’t think they are. Again, very modern Western country very, very much like our country. I think America is maybe 10 to 15, maybe even 20 years ahead in that because I would argue that home now here in America we are Act 17 all the way.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
It’s an incredible talk to. Hey, everybody. Jesus Christ. No. Who’s that? Or ask him to go. You know, I heard my.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
She thpped her toe the other day and said that name, but I don’t know who she was talking about, you know.
[MCG]
Well.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I think because of the influence of Catholicism in the country down there, where somewhere between 50 to 70% of the population still identify as Catholic, I think there’s some room there where. Some people we can treat like, hey, let me just tell you the truth and start well, this is really what Jesus did. Heard that, but this is. The Bible says. But they are trending just like we are and then with the humanist and the atheist around and whatnot, I do think. We’re gonna probably find ourselves probably right in the middle, where some people we talk to, we’re gonna have to go back to. And go well. Well, I know you believe Darwin, and I know he walked these streets and that’s his ship over there. Did you ever really consider creation yourself and talk to? So I think we will find ourselves like Act 17 in many cases going back and starting in Genesis Chapter 1 and saying listen, let’s take this rationally. That really make sense that you could evolve from. This I mean so I do think. Will see that. I’m hopeful for the influence that’s there and the Catholic Church is down. Is not the same as the Catholic Church here in. It’s much darker with a lot of African and South American culture. When the Catholic missionaries came in. The people. Indigenous or just the national people, they. Kind of said. You know what? OK, we’ll take that. I will add that you know, I said. Well, we worship this. But you’ve got St. so and so. It’s probably the same thing.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So it is darker down there, but there’s still some truth in there. And I think for a lot of them, the Bible says I don’t be afraid of that. Think there’s still be a reverence for the word of God? I would hope. Which again pushes back that, you know Acts 2. So I really think it’s because of where we’re going in the city. I think it’s very unique. It’s going to be 5050.
[MCG]
Why don’t we go into a break and then we’ll come back on the other end and talk some more? You are Listening to the Removing Barriers podcast.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
OK.
[MCG]
We’re sitting down with missionary Geoffrey Fahringer, and we’re talking all about his mission field in Chile. We’ll be right back.
[Jay]
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[MCG]
All right, let’s go into a little bit of fun section to find out some of your favorites. Us, Geoffrey, what is your favorite script of verse?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
My. I will tell you Ephesians 415, the whole point speaking the truth in love mentioned earlier, my testimony about my parents being lost and my dad not talking me for a year after learning that I was going to leave law enforcement become a pastor. But I did tell. When I first got saved what I did I mentioned again. Hang up was my dad and my dad being good. But nobody’s good enough.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Right. I would say now to. Well, if you could be good enough to get to heaven, why did Jesus have to die on the? It doesn’t make sense, but when I first got saved, I got saved. Realizing I wasn’t good enough and I deserved hell.
[MCG]
Right.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Well, my dad wasn’t good. My dad deserves hell. My mom and my brothers and I became. An instant evangelist like you see in the Bible. Somebody gets saved and then run out and tell their family because I I truly believe, well, if you believe it, then you should believe it and it.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Something, but as a kind of type a personality. My approach wasn’t probably right. I mean, it was more of listen, you’re a Sinner and you’re going to die and you’re going to go to hell. Did you not see this? So obvious.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Well, that’s kind of offensive. Yeah, it led to some, you know. Not good conversation. My heart was right at 100%, but you know the discernment and the way to do it. It was not there, and even early on going through seminary and coming from a position. Because when I first got saved. Of course, I was still a police officer and I really thought that if I mentioned the name Jesus Christ, I was on duty, I’d. That’s absolutely foolish, but that’s, you know, that’s the kind of lies the devil gets you to. So you want to share your faith? But when I really started engaging people and talking to people at first with a very dominant type a personality, I was just going to argue to Christ. Knew I was right. You’re. So I mean, come on then again, that doesn’t really get you anywhere.
[Jay]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So that verse for me speaking the truth in love, we have no excuse. Not to share the gospel with. And I try to encourage people. I’m in church. Ask, I said. Hey, if your friend, your loved one, whoever the person is, just lost, they’re gonna go to hell. When they die, you’re gonna go to heaven. Never gonna see him again. If you’re only friends for this temporary bit of time. What kind of friend are you? If you’re not trying to make him an eternal friend? It just doesn’t make. And that’s what this verse came in. Because we are commanded to speak the truth. But it should be in love you. I’ve always said later, you know, those who oppose themselves, you know, that’s what we’re up against. Not opposing us or not fighting with us. And it really changed how I talk to people because, yeah, I mean. If I’m reading a verse or I’m putting the Bible or something, I know I’m right because I’m literally giving you the word of God. But the way that we do it, I might just trying to be right. I trying to win a debate. Argument or do. Really love you. And is it really bother me that you’re going to go to hell and I don’t want you to go to hell? I’m just trying to share the truth. So without a doubt, I think I fall back to that verse more than anything else. To be a constant reminder, we have to share the truth with everybody.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
But it has to be out of. A love for that person and a true concern for them of where they’re headed and trying to help them to not head there.
[Jay]
What’s your favorite historical account in the Bible?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Man, that’s tricky. So I’ll give you 2 and you know, maybe that’s a cop out that I.
[Jay]
I.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Just, you know, pick one. But I love. The story of Moses in a burning Bush.
[MCG]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I believe that the voice from the burning Bush was Jesus Christ. Believe that was Christopher Theophany. And I just study that I absolutely love it. But I tell you, Abraham sacrificing Isaac. Is way up there too, and it’s because of what’s associated. When you really reach that account in Genesis, the parallels between Abraham and Isaac going to that mountain versus Jesus in the cross from. The three days to get there from Isaac having to carry the wood on his back, going up the fact that they went to Mount Moriah which if you follow that spot on Mount Moriah through King David and his time and the threshing floor and then Stallman building a. Right there. And then, you know, Golgotha or Calvary being. Somewhere right in. That spot, it’s just amazing.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
It’s absolutely. So I love studying through that through Abraham and Isaac, but there’s just something about Moses in a burning Bush. Just so amazing. So kingly. And that’s in my belief in both those cases, whether it’s that voice that shouts out, you know, stop. You know, there’s a RAM here. I believe that was Jesus Christ. Mean, Paul says. We’ve never seen God, right?
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Seen Jesus and he is the word. The voice. So I believe that we’re seeing Jesus in the Old Testament in these incidents where he’s at these critical pregnant points in time when he’s stepping in and. Difference to eventually wear in a very same spot. He’s going to give. Life for all of us. Just I love it.
[MCG]
Amazing. Definitely amazing. You know, during the 2024 political, you know, campaign primaries, when the fake Ramaswami was still in the race. He did a podcast and he was saying that the central team of the Bible is sacrifice, you know, and he was comparing it to his, you know, slogan, truth. And we did a episode on it. You know. Point that he even mentioned, you know, Abraham sacrificing his son. And I said no. The central team of the Bible is Jesus and he can see it all throughout even as he said what the Bible says that God shall provide himself a lamb and stuff like that. But.
[MCG]
Yeah, that’s just amazing. What would he say is the most convicting scripture passage to you?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Question too, you know, being on staff at my home church for a little over seven years and now I don’t know how many churches I’ve preached in the last two years. I know it’s over 100 and we’ve been in 49 states in the last year and a half. Half so we find a good Bible.
[Jay]
Oh, my word.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
You know, church, we go and I say that because you know of pastors and preachers. We laugh because how many times your preacher get up on a Sunday morning and go? All right, today we’re going over my favorite passage in the Bible.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
It’s like, wait a minute. You said that last week was like, well, yeah, because last week that was my favorite pastor, right? Like whenever we’re preaching that week is our favorite pastor.
[Jay]
Right.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I tell you something, the Lord keeps bringing me back to and Ezekiel. 33 Ezekiel 33, specifically verses one through 11. This is the Lord calling as he could be a watchman, a spiritual. And.
[Jay]
Yep. Watchmen.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Watchmen for his people, and you know that’s not just for. We’re called to be spiritual Watchmen to our people, you know, to warn everybody. You know, we don’t stand on a wall and blow a trumpet, but we’re still supposed to do the same thing. Guys dangerous. There is a, you know, a step off a new eternity. Don’t know, for each of us. When that’s going to be, it could be. This moment, I mean, Jesus, go back right now and you know that time is there.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And I said, you know, so when I read that and I see the Lord saying, hey, listen, you know, this is your job. Supposed to warn the people and if you warn them and they listen, that’s. They save their soul and that’s what it says, their soul, and that’s what they’re talking about. And he says, you know, if you warn if they don’t listen, well, that’s on them. Warned them. But then he says, you know. If you don’t warn them, well, they’re still gonna die in their sin.
[Jay]
Yeah, mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
But I’m gonna hold you accountable, you know, and I think that personal aspect of sharing the gospel that we like to push to others. And I love laughing in churches. My message or evangelistic, again. Evangelism heart you know, but I preached in two different churches in Florida and one I preached at the Old Testament Sunday. I preached another church, a New Testament Sunday night, but both times at the end I asked the congregation. I said, hey guys, raise your hand if you’ve got somebody you know, a loved 1A family member, a friend, a coworker, another student, whatever it is, if you have.
[MCG]
Play music.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
In your life that you know. You know, if they died, right this. They’re gonna go to hell. Raise your hand and like well in the second church, everybody raised their hand in the first church, like four people did it. Think they were sleeping? Everybody else. And I said, well, OK, picture that person. They in church, right? Right now. Well, no, I. OK, I’m getting in my car after the service and I’m leaving this city. I am never going to meet that person, I said. Unless you drag them into church, is your pastor ever going to meet them? No.
[MCG]
Well.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I. That’s what you have to. Yeah, I might be the professional missionary Christian guy. I’m never gonna meet these people. It’s not my job to lead them to the Lord. Your job. That’s why God planted you right where he. That’s the parable. The wheat and tares. You don’t get saved and **** off the heaven man, that would be awesome. We don’t get. We get saved and we’re left. Where we are because. We’re expected to be to watchman and those people, those lives we come across. And I love seeing light bulbs come on. Like, yeah, I thought my pastor would do that, but they’re never gonna meet Uncle Jimmy. Because Uncle Jimmy ain’t coming to church, so it’s really is an individual thing for each and everyone of us, no matter what our title is. Our job in the church, how we serve or whatever. That moment you accepted Jesus Christ, that mean there was a watchman in your. Who warned you?
[Jay]
That’s true.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And now it’s your job to warn somebody else so. You know, again, could I pick, you know, next week? Answer might be different probably. Yeah, I’m really pulled to that passage in Ezekiel. Really speaks to me.
[Jay]
Hmm. What do you find to be the most comforting scripture for you?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Well, that’s going to be a unique answer I think because I expect most people that you would ask that question to go to the Psalms, I mean.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
That’s. That’s the. That’s you go to. I thought long and hard on this, and the only thing that just kept coming back saying this is what you would go to. Very, very strange, I’m telling you. But it’s, this is honest. Is Luke 23, verse 43, and it’s a very, very simple passage there. Is a guy dying? He’s a criminal. He’s being crucified for whatever he did in a revolt, and probably, you know, people died and stuff, whatever it was had to be bad enough that he’s being crucified and he looks to Jesus and recognizes Jesus as God. God and that Pastor Luke, 2343. Verily I say unto you today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.
[Jay]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
That guy did nothing to earn that he wasn’t baptized. Didn’t take him out. Baptized. Put him back up there, right? Some. I know. Got to be baptized to get saved.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
That guy wasn’t baptized. Oh no, you’ve got to go door to door. Didn’t go door to door. Did nothing. And he was a bad dude. Deserved that death and deserved. And I realized. Man, if he could get in because of what Jesus did, there’s hope for me.
[Jay]
MMM.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And that’s why that comforts me more than anything. I get. That’s probably a strange answer for most people, but that’s that’s me.
[MCG]
What will you say is your favorite hymn of the faith?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I don’t know what everybody else. I hope everyone say victory in Jesus. I mean onward Christian soldier. An army. And you know, I love you enough. Just maybe it’s because I have. Terrible stinging voice. I am not blessed whatsoever, but maybe in that song I don’t know, I can catch the right tune or something ’cause I feel I sing that the loudest when we go to church, this thing, or maybe everybody else is saying so. They can hear me, but I just man, I love that song. You know, if I’ll take any of the hymns.
[Jay]
You know what they say. The Bible calls us to make a joyful noise. You know, quit a singing voice or.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Yes.
[Jay]
Yeah. One great one. What would you say is your favorite giant of the faith?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
David King David.
[Jay]
Hands down, we get that quite often.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I mean, he is the giant, I mean, and it’s because his story is laid. I think you probably recorded most of it, you know, especially we know he dissolves from him, most of them but. You know, if you ask me, hey, well, I’d like to think this isn’t a true. Let’s face it is if you ask. Me. Hey, go write your biography. All right, I’ll go write my biography, and it’s gonna be every great thing I ever did.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And that’s it. You’re not gonna hear. A mistake I may put one in there. Oh no, I’m really. Let me just put one in there, right. Know did something. Or just. No, that’s not what we do. But you read through, I mean the life of King David. We have it. All the good, all the bad and at the middle of it was always a guy who was after God’s own heart. And you know the amazing victories.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Mean. Yeah, the Goliath. Fantastic too. But I mean to me, I think again, this is me personal and I always course you know, I’m a soldier. I’ve been to combat multiple times. See David as a soldier who goes to combat identify. Apply with that and with the stories of him. But you know, yeah, the Goliath thing is great, but when he was in a cave and he could have killed Saul and I don’t think anybody would have a problem with it. I mean, Saul, he.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
At the. Where? Just so I think his murder. Like, OK, that’s over with.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Right. What do we do? I mean, I really think that. But David, the point is that this is God’s anointed. And yes, I’m annoyed at I’m next.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
But who am I to decide that it should be? And I’m not going to touch the anointed of God and to. Know walk away. I don’t know that I would have done that. So you know, when I see the low points in his life and the things that I know I probably would have done if I was him. To see that, I mean, that’s the giant. A giant of. So, I mean, King David hands down.
[MCG]
Alright, but what would you say are some of the biggest barriers to the people of?
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Well, I think one of the biggest things that I will see and again it kind of goes almost back to the you know the active do X4. 17 question. A large portion of the people that I’m going to encounter are going to have some kind of. Background.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
If not everybody really down there in the city around going, you know, besides Darwin’s college and stuff, most of the schools in Chile are Catholic schools, you know, so they’re going to have that influence.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
People would never say they were Catholic.
[Jay]
So.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
The. Stronghold. That Catholicism can be on somebody. The culture of it. You know, my family’s in that. Can I turn from my family? This what we’ve always done. The tradition aspect of it, I think that’s going to be a challenge. I don’t think I’m going to have many people that are, you know. Still committed to the Catholic Church. The. They see me as an enemy. I just see as being such an engrained in the culture that I will really have to be careful on how I bring the truth. And I don’t mean listen, this is a podcast. People are going to listen to it. Catholic schools that. Mean to put Catholics down? Sure, being a Baptist Pastor missionary doesn’t get you to heaven, right? A born again believer in Jesus Christ. To heaven. So it’s not that I mean to put them down, but that stronghold because of family ties and culture and tradition. And then of course, some of the things that are taught there just completely unbiblical. And I mean, I would almost go as far as saying in some case. Satanic. I think that’ll be a challenge to confront that. But then again, the city I’m going, the other half is going to be those who are, you know, atheist. And going to Darwin’s college or teaching at Darwin’s College or, you know, grandma went there and her mom went and that just, you know, to have that smungness of were evolved beings. And we’ve evolved beyond religion. Why can’t? Why are you so? You know that attitude and have to confront. You know, and then I already mentioned, right? 4:15 I have to confront that in love.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
So I think that will be really for the city that I’m going down in Philly, the two barriers of the influence that’s there with almost no. Evangelical Christian influence. And that’s something to be careful of too. Right now, in Chile, two different polls will come out in 2023 and 2022. And these are government polls down there, I mean, but we just went through a political season, as you mentioned, a polls, a poll. Who knows?
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
But somewhere between 50 to 70% of the population still feels they’re Catholic, only around 14 to 16% of the entire population would consider themselves an evangelical or Protestant Christian. But the problem is of that 14%. 11 of the 14 is charismatic or Pentecostal. Julie has the largest charismatic Pentecostal movement in South America. It’s really has an influence there as well. So you go from 1 extreme where I’m dealing with an atheist to, you know, wants to go down that road of no such thing as God, and there’s no proof. And there’s no evidence. Course there’s a ton of evidence, but they believe that and then go down to the other well, wait a minute. That pastor down there he, like, has a seizure and talks in tongues.
[Jay]
Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Has to be godly. Looks religious. What are you? You know, so I think that whole, you know, to be wise in how we talk to people in each situation. Situation, but I think ultimately I say we I’m going down as the team. My family’s going and we’re going ’cause. That’s where God’s working. Going to join his work down there and I think we’re going to be victorious in a lot of lives because we have the truth in love I think that’s what’s going to prevail.
[Jay]
You have the truth, and God called you there. And so absolutely I look forward to perhaps interviewing you in a couple of years and hearing about the things that he brings about in Chile as a result of your ministry. You mentioned those. How can those barriers be? Let’s say that I’m a Chilean citizen and I’m talking to you. How can those barriers that you describe? Be removed in light of the.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Gospel. I think one of the biggest things that will be important for me while I’m down there is seeing every encounter I have as an individual being created in the.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Of God. I don’t think. That a blanket policy of I’m going to always share the gospel this way. I’m always going to come with this. Always come with that. I don’t think it’s going to work because again, some of that is unique to the city. Going to the military, that’s there, the tourism. That’s. There’s a lot of different little click within a. It’s a very unique place, so I think the biggest thing for me and for my family serving with me down there is going to be realizing that every single encounter is truly going to be different. Not going to be a cookie cutter approach. That there ever really should be.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
If you’re going to a tribe, you’re going to do what works for that tribe. You know, maybe that started creation. You’re going to work creation or whatever. It’s going to be. But kind of like, that’s all going one group, and that’s what you’re going to do. For us, what works on Monday may not work on Tuesday.
[Jay]
First one. Hmm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
And understanding that you know and I think. One of the most important things that any of us can do when it comes to sharing Jesus when it comes to being a witness, what we’re called to do, standing the alarm, warning that when it comes to doing that, is understand whether it’s an atheist down there in. Capital City of Chile, Antarctica. Or it’s a, you know? An Orthodox Jew in Brooklyn.
[MCG]
Mm.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Nobody wants to. Preached at. We go to church on Sunday morning and we want to. Preached at. That’s why we’re in. It’s not going to bother us. Pastor gets up and we. That good preacher? But then when we go to lunch, we don’t want to re preach that at lunch when eat our lunch, you know, and we got to understand that that it’s the way we deliver the message. It really should be a conversation. And I think that’s going to be very. Important for my family because a conversation is two ways. And identifying that person as a person and my favorite question to start a conversation with somebody is, hey, do you have any spiritual beliefs? I just love asking people that it’s not offensive you. I mean, I would think 20-30 years could ask somebody, you know, if they believe in God and they want to be offended. People can say God or what God you talking about so, but I just love asking Judy spiritual beliefs. But when you ask somebody a question, then you have to shut up. Let them talk and to listen to what they say to see where they’re coming from. I think that’s important. And not only builds a rapport, but when you show them the respect of listening to.
[Jay]
Yeah.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
They. And then when you say, well, can I tell you what I believe they’re gonna say yes. And maybe now because of what they said, the Holy Spirit can say, hey, listen, maybe you should talk about this first and not that verse or bring things to mind. But I think sometimes we look at sharing the gospel more as preaching or even a presentation. I’m going to get up there and let me present some. It’s a conversation. It’s a back and forth I think where they can truly see your heart, which again goes Ephesians 4:15, but that back and forth that builds respect. And I think that will lead to much, much more good, at least beneficial. Hey, Mr. May, that person is not going to turn right there and go. That makes so much sense. Want to pray? Accept Jesus right now. I mean, praise the. Sometimes they do right, but even if they don’t, you end that conversation. My. You know, maybe it’s a. But look, here’s my phone number on the back. Know these people. Remember that and then you know the Lord used to something else in their life. They know they can come to you and talk to you because you’ll talk to them and you’ll engage with them and you’re not going to preach at them. And so I think no matter what I’m talking. Matter. The background is. Because the barriers I think will be so unique, almost per. I mean, I could be talking to somebody, getting off a cruise ship. I envision at some point being at the point where I’m taking new Members, my church saying, hey, listen, every Tuesday at 4:00, you know, Carnival Cruise shows up. Let’s go set up a booth down. I. And talk to people getting off the boat. You know who? Knows what you could be talking to at that. I mean, you could be talking to some, you know, Muslim eyebombers on vacation with his family.
[Jay]
OK.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
I I really think the barriers that we will see down there. Is that there’s going to be so many various backgrounds that we have to engage in a way that’s respectful but can always turn back with the right answers for the truth.
[MCG]
Geoffrey Fahringer, it was a pleasure. Thank you for joining us on the Removing Barriers podcast.
[Missionary Geoffrey Fahringer]
Amen. Thank you for having me on and for wanting to hear what this guy. Florida had to say. Appreciate. I appreciate what you 2 are doing.
[Jay]
Thank you so much for listening to the Removing Barriers podcast. Make sure to rate us everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, or Stitcher, Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.
[MCG]
Thank you for listening. To get a hold of us, to support this podcast, or to learn more about Removing Barriers. Go to: removingbarriers.net. This has been the Removing Barriers podcast. We attempted to remove barriers so that we all can have a clear view of the cross.
