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A Royal Priesthood

1. Review 2014

Last year, my key verse was Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” When I looked at myself, I didn’t dedicate myself to the Lord last year. I just remember that I have worked day and night with my coworker so that I can support  my daughter, Petra Lee’s tuition fee. This year I am 53 years old. I even didn’t recognize that my age is over 50 years old until now.

I have been as  director of Calgary  Evanston UBF Chapter, but I confess my few inner struggles. I couldn’t visit my mission field well. Also, I had to struggle for survival and with an unstable status in Canada. Reviewing these, I frequently have been in deep despair. Moreover, my son Peter was wondering about his uncertain future and spiritual identity problems. Actually, did God disregard me and my family in Canada? In this mission field, in this lonely and desolate land, how can I and my family  live? In deep despair and frustration, I remembered one word of the Lord. That is Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Certainly, if this word is true and God is all powerful and can provide all things, I wanted to feel it. So, I have struggled to seek his kingdom and his righteousness in my daily life as soon as possible, even though I was insufficient. Although just two people, my coworker and I had to work on Sunday,  we were struggling to prepare Sunday worship message and  to serve  Sunday worship service after finishing work. Even if our worship was insufficient, I myself was struggling to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness before God. In August, there was a western Canadian regional conference in Kellowna. It looked like it would be impossible for me to attend this conference because of my and my coworker’s working schedules. It also demanded a long time of driving, over 10 hours. My son Peter also didn’t want to attend there because he had negative thoughts about a life of faith. Anyway, I wanted to obey the word of God even though everything looked impossible and difficult. So I and my coworker challenged to get vacation days in our workplaces. By the grace of God, we got days off and attended the conference. There were so much grace in the Western Canadian Summer Bible Conference. My coworker told me that she received much grace through fellowship with missionaries of Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton and through graceful and joyful programs. But I was dispirited because I could not hear English messages, Psalms and other things very well. Moreover, I was more dispirited when I listened to young Korean missionaries’ fluent English speaking. Indeed, am I a suitable missionary in Canada? Why don’t I have talent for English? How will my future be? So many thoughts overcame my mind after the conference. Also, after the conference, I was afraid of my future problem, the anxiety of Petra’s tuition fee, Peter’s future problem etc. Nevertheless, I wanted to obey the word of the Lord. At that time, I had decided to start early morning prayer to overcome my weaknesses. I can change my situation if I seek his kingdom and his righteousness even in these troublesome realities of life. I was curious. I would like to experience not a formal faith, but living faith. So, I started early morning prayer after the conference. Every day early in the morning at 5:30, I got up  and sang a song and ate daily bread. After that, I prayed early morning prayer. God listened even to my insufficient prayer and there were several changeable ministries to me and my chapter. After the conference, Missionary Paul Kim from Winnipeg UBF called to me and I invited his family to our chapter while talking with him. Although everything was not enough, I wanted to serve them just by faith. And then, the Lord permitted me and my family the grace of serving them in October. Missionary Paul Kim drove almost 3200 km from Winnipeg to Calgary by car. Even if there was a very short time in 3 days, we talked, prayed and shared graceful fellowship together all night long. We served in thanksgiving Sunday worship service jointly. During spiritual fellowship, I have had endless spiritual rejoicing and peace in God. God has helped Missionary Paul Kim to establish 1:1 Bible study with Peter. Through this, God guided Peter into the comfort in the Lord.

Also, God helped Petra to study well in the University of Alberta. Especially, God provided Petra’s tuition fees by miraculous methods. In addition, the Almighty Lord has helped my family’s settlement problem. My coworker has renewed her work permit visa. Peter has graduated from college and got the sponsor of a permanent resident, so he could apply for permanent residency by God’s grace. Besides, I could apply for LMIA and a work permit through CN dream media company (Korean regional newspaper company) by the favor of the director. On December 14, we participated in Christmas confederation Sunday worship service in Edmonton UBF. I received so much grace through fellowship with Alberta missionaries and their families and sheep.

Shepherd Namsik Kim from Korea invited us to Calgary for missionary vision. So, Msn Matthew and my family served him and his coworker together by the grace of God. Also, Brother Peter Chai from Korea invited my chapter during his round trip of North America. He was going to serve the Korean military service soon. In fellowship with him during two weeks and Bible study and Sunday worship service, I have had a joyful and profitable time. Moreover, I have studied the Bible with Steward David and Esther Cho’s family whom I knew through Missionary Matthew Jun. They were deacons in the church of Korea, but they were demoted in Calgary because of their health problems and future problem etc. I have vision for helping them through Bible study and Sunday worship service. In the workplace, the Lord permitted me and my coworker to participate in several end-of-the-year parties. I finished my work well in consoling and encouraging each other. After reviewing all this, I find that I have experienced the living words of God during many difficult situations last year. I thank God for experiencing spiritual success through the Lord’s help and by holding  onto the words of God and early morning prayer even in the midst of many difficult realities of life. I really appreciate and praise the love and grace of the Lord.

2. Starting 2015

Key Verse : 1 Peter 2:9

“ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

I have experienced Jesus who was despised and treated contemptuously. I was humbled in working at Calgary during the last year. Under the cold Korean owners, I was working but was disregarded, abused and treated impersonally. I was also exploited several times in workplaces. These are the realities of the mission field. Humanly, there is no hope. However, facing a new year in 2015, the Lord will help me to renew my spiritual identity through 1 Peter 2:9. What is my status? Although I am treated as a dregs and trashes in this world, I am a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God in the kingdom of God. Now, I repent of my sins of forgetting my spiritual status and despairing over myself as a lowest class in Calgary.   In addition, I repent of my sins such as laziness, lust and desires for money in forgetting my spiritual identity. In this new year, I am praying to live as a examplary missionary with clear spiritual identity as a royal priesthood.

My prayer topics are:

First, for early morning prayer and eating daily bread at 5:30.

Second, for visiting University of Mount Royal and accumulating the alter of prayer every week.

Third, for 5 Sunday worship attendants, 10 teams of 1:1 Bible study and 1 sheep from campus.

Fourth, for solving settlement problem:

•  Petra’s successful study,  Peter’s getting PR
• Sarah, Petra  and Abraham Lee’s application for PR

One Word : Royal Priesthood!