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YOU ARE THE CHRIST

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. (Jn. 6:68)

Prayer: Almighty God, I thank you for my short term missionary life in Korea where I have learned the God of a foreign land. Lord, thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for opening my eyes to see and in a miniscule way participate in your world mission vision. As I meditate on John’s gospel Bible study, help me to hold one word in my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen

My name is Mbabazi Margaret Sebbale. In August last year (2014), I came to Korea for fellowship training in thoracic Radiology at SNUH.  During this time I also had John Bible study with Shepherdess Helen Kim Lee. Even though I have studied John previously, several times, I was able to experience Jesus as the Son of God in a new way. This is most probably because I have had plenty of time to meditate on God’s word in the quiet of my room away from work and family obligations. Secondly, I was able to experience the practical presence and help of God as I lived and worked in a foreign country whose culture and language are totally different from mine. This deepened my dependence and total reliance on God and gave me a new understanding of who He is to me.  I pray that even when I return to my country I will not forget the God I experienced in Korea.

JESUS, MY LIFE AND LIGHT

Jn. 1:1-4. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”

These verses at the beginning of John reiterate that Jesus is the Creator God. He is the author of life and the source of light. He created everything including me for a purpose, and by the light of His word, he gives me direction for my life.

When I came to Korea, I came for medical training. But I was aware of the fact that God had a greater purpose for me to undergo spiritual training. Living and training here was going to be very difficult because I had no knowledge and understanding of the Korean language and no time to learn it. Secondly, I was coming as a qualified doctor and not a student, so I had no academic schedule. I was expected to learn as I worked. But how would I work in one of the top Korean hospitals with minimal training from a 3rd world country hospital. There was no human way to overcome these challenges except by calling on Jesus to help me.  By believing in Jesus as the Creator God, I would overcome all manner of obstacles and hardships and studying his word would shed light on the dark and unclear aspects of my life.

Several times through my stay here, I constantly wondered why I had to leave my home country and family to come and live in a strange land.  But I was reminded of Jesus who left His Father’s throne in heaven to come and live a life on earth. He had to endure much suffering and hardships on earth but he accepted this joyfully and was willing to lay down His life for sinful men like me because of his great love. God sent his Son to earth to suffer insults, ridicule and eventually a shameful death on the cross because He so loved me. By God’s grace, I have been born again and have accepted my life mission as a campus shepherdess. I too should be willing to endure hardship and to sacrifice my life for the sake of many lost sheep. Through the sacrifice of many Korean missionaries, leaving the comfort of their home country to go and spread Jesus’ love through world mission, I received the meaning and purpose of my life. Coming to Korea as a short term missionary is a rare opportunity for me to experience a little of the sacrifice involved in accepting God’s world mission vision. Therefore, I should have the attitude of a good soldier and endure all hardship with joy and a positive attitude by meditating on Jesus’ life on earth.

WHO ARE YOU?

“When the Pharisees asked John ‘Who are you?’ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, `Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

Spiritual identity and a mission-centered life are paramount in the life of a Christian. Personally, I want to live an organized life. Before I leave my house everyday, I have a plan of what I am supposed to be doing and where and when.

Living with many unknowns usually confuses and distresses me. However, when I came to Korea, I had no clear plan for my spiritual life. I wanted to participate in campus evangelism but how was I to do it? I planned to teach Bible to a medical student until I realized that I never interacted with any medical students and the residents in my department did not say more than two sentences to me even when I tried to be friendly. The professors are fascinated by the idea of Christianity as an academic or philosophical topic of discussion and not as a matter of importance to them. Our discussions are always scientific and it was difficult to talk about God. So with time I was disillusioned and my zeal for teaching Bible or even sharing one word with my colleagues slowly diminished. During this time, I kept asking myself and God, ‘Who am I and why am I here?’

Through John’s clear testimony, I examined my life and learned that I am just a witness and recipient of God’s saving grace. So I should live a life that shows the love and presence of God in my life. I may not be able to teach Bible but I have time to pray earnestly for Korean, African and world mission prayer topics. So I decided to pray every morning before going to hospital, every noon when I came back for lunch and every evening at the end of my work. Through this time of prayer I was able to develop a deeper relationship with God. I was able to overcome many challenges during work and I was able to participate in world mission by praying for other missionaries from all over the world who shared their prayer topics. I was able to look beyond myself and my circumstances and carry other people’s burdens to God.

FIVE  LOAVES AND TWO FISH

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming towards him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’   ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (Jn. 6:5) Jesus wanted to test his disciples’ faith in the face of impossible circumstances. Faced with a large crowd of hungry people, Philip did quick mental mathematics and deemed it impossible so the people should be sent away i.e. get rid of the problem without getting involved.

I have always lived a Phillip like kind of life. As a shepherdess, I teach Bible to campus students and cowork with missionaries in Makerere University in Uganda. We always receive announcements about world mission and a few prayer topics of missionaries in different countries. However, I was always detached from anything to do with world mission. I did not feel the need to pray for people I do not know or think about coworkers elsewhere.  I was content and secure in my tiny Ugandan mission field. I had no ability or desire to see God’s vision for the whole world.

I believe that the main reason for my coming to Korea was so that my spiritual eyes could be opened and so I could see God’s beautiful plan for world mission.

When I arrived I was warmly received and helped by coworkers I had never met. But they loved me because we share in the same mission. Every Sunday I listened to testimonies of coworkers who pioneered different mission campuses and different countries abandoning their home country. I imagined my struggle of living here with language constraints, weather changes and yet it was just for one year. Many missionaries were leaving Korea for good for the sake of the gospel. Through this, my eyes were opened. I repented of my desire for an easy life and prayed to God to help me see and participate in world mission vision.

So the next question was ‘What can I do to participate’. It seemed like I did not have anything to offer. I could not teach Bible, I could not even sing and my medical knowledge was useless. I prayed to God to show me my 5 loaves and 2 fish. Later, I realized that I had a lot of free time and I could pray. In the quiet of my room I could lift up all the prayer topics that I found on the UBF website and any that Shepherdess Helen shared with me. I could also pray for my coworkers in Jongno and other chapters that I got invited to. I also prayed for Uganda and the pioneering of the rest of Africa. Slowly my vision was opened and I pray that even as I go back to Uganda, I will not stop praying for our coworkers scattered all over the world.

YET I AM NOT ALONE

“But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” (Jn. 16:32)

Jesus was on the last leg of his life on earth. In a few days, He would face a gruesome death on the cross. This was a time to receive all the comfort and prayer support from those closest to Him such as his disciples, and yet Jesus knew that they would all abandon him, even Peter. He knew the failings of men and that is why He could only rely on God’s love and comfort in this difficult time.

 In Uganda I talk about trusting in God’s love, His protection and provision but in reality, I depend on my job, my husband and friends, my money and influence as a doctor or a leader to solve most of my problems. I have never had an opportunity to depend on God entirely. I have always said that I have faith but I had never had my faith tested until I came to stay in Korea. I thank God for the love and support from the coworkers at Jongno center. They have given me comfort and spiritual and physical support. However, there is much that I needed to accomplish by myself and I have learned to depend on God for everything. Every day I go to work but no one talks to me because radiology is done on computers. I could spend a whole week without talking to anybody until I came to Jongno center on Sunday. Sometimes I felt so unbearably lonely and I wondered how I would survive without losing my mind. In those times, Jesus would visit me and provide companionship, comfort and strength to survive each day that passes. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit as a comforter and a counselor and I had never felt His presence like I did when I was here. I have not had a chance to learn Korean language and during my training some of the professors could not speak English and those who could would not do it all the time, I despaired when I attended sessions and had no clue what was being discussed, I had challenges shopping, paying my bills to the bank, ordering for meals or just asking for directions. Sometimes I didn’t want to leave my room because it was scary failing to communicate. However, I would ask Jesus to hold my hand and lead me. I prayed to God to teach me in a language I would understand. Jesus did not leave me as an orphan. He sent me His Holy Spirit who has been with me everyday and in all circumstances. This is the God of a foreign country. Now I can confidently testify that I would be willing to go anywhere as a missionary because as long as God is with me, there is no obstacle I cannot overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit.

One word: You are the Christ

Thanksgiving Topics:

1. For an opportunity to visit Korea as a short term missionary so that I could see God’s world mission vision.
2. For prayer and support from coworkers at Jongno and other chapters
3.  Shs. Helen Kim Lee and Sh. Paul B. Lee for being like a mom and dad to me. For teaching me Bible and translating Sunday message so I could grow spiritually. For providing my material needs as well.
4. For an opportunity to work and study thoracic radiology at SNUH so I can become the first Ugandan thoracic radiologist.
5. For my family: God has sustained and protected my husband and children in my absence.
6. For good health while in Korea.

Prayer topics

1. For my future career as a thoracic radiologist. I need God’s guidance to gain experience.
2. For continuous spiritual growth.
3. For Uganda mission especially Kyambogo Chapter

-For local leaders to take over leadership

-For land to construct a Bible center

1. Pioneering more campuses in Uganda, especially Uganda Christian University by my house church.
2. Pioneering Rwanda, Swaziland and Mozambique
3. For a safe journey back to Uganda.