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To Serve the Lord With Great Humility and With Tears

Key Verse: Acts 20:19 – “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.”

1. Review of 2015

This year marked the 10th anniversary of Macedonian pioneering. God trained our family through the Red Sea of a self-supporting life and raised us to be independent with a strong inward attitude. He granted us permanent residency and a small but productive business.  He gave us four children and let them grow courageously and hopefully. I was often worried and lived under strain, but God became our shepherd and led us accordingly. 

First, God gave me the desire to become an excellent Bible teacher for the Macedonians.

I am slow. When I consider God who waits for me, someone who is slow and imperfect, and leads me according to my situation, I am always thankful. This year I studied with Brother Slave and my children Exodus, Romans, Acts and Matthew's gospel. I experienced several times how gracious and interesting God's word is.  They also confirmed that Bible study is interesting. Through this I had the desire to study the entire Bible in Macedonian and to prepare the message and Bible study material. 

I was impatient and asked why not one disciple was raised in the last ten years.  I saddend with the thought that how nice it would be if my life would end thusly in this little Macedonia. What I was able to realize was that God was waiting, because I was not ready yet. God gave me the desire to rejoice in God's ways without looking at the fruit. My impatient heart disappeared and I enjoyed peaxe and joy in the Lord. I received faith that God would willing entrust me with prepared sheep, when my spirit and soul developed into a mature Bible teacher.  I pray that in the coming year to have group Bible study twice a week (Tuesday and Friday) and to experience grace and the deep meaning of the word and to receive the power of the word. I pray that Brother Slave will be changed spiritually and become an able Bible teacher and that God will send six promising Bible students.

Second, The greatest thanksgiving topic (in light of 10 years of pioneering work) is my coworker Petra Kang. 

At the beginning M. Petra felt burdened by pioneering Macedonia. She bore the third and fourth child consecutively and lost her hair and gained weight and became more and more peculiar. She was once like a heroine, brave and openhearted, and was give the name Petra, but now she seemed to take on the character of a provincial. Woefully, I helped her to accept her master's studies. She had studied for four years. It was difficult time, but she became surprisingly more vigorous. After her master's graduation, she expressed the desire to begin her doctorate.  I asked her to think about it, because it is so expensive. She announced that she would get her driver's license this year and then passed after the fourth try. She once had the dream of becoming a poet. Last year she won a prize for Koreans overseas in the essay category and this year in the poem category. She heads up the Korean Language Center for Macedonians and teaches Korean with great joy. She asked for prayer support to become a professor before she turns 50. When I thought of her, I was happy for her, but on the other hand I was envious. May God fulfill her wish and use this as a stepping-stone to use her in (campus mission) God's work preciously.

Third, God raised four children 

This year God helped our first daughter, Sarah Kang, to enter into one of the best high schools in Macedonia. Our second child, David Kang, received a scholarship for his flute playing. The third child, Andre Kang, won the best prize of 700 euros for a reading contest among Koreans living overseas. The fourth child, Ana Kang, entered elementary school and is growing as a happy child. Because of my lack of faith, I worried about what would happed to my children in this little country of Macedonia. It is not a progressive country, and because of financial limitations I could not send them to study abroad. Still, I rebuked them often and pressured them. God told me through prayer that they all would live better than I. So you should not worry but rather do your job better. What I should do, so I realized, is to love them, lead the way, and especially do a better job. I pray to lay down my anxious heart and lead an exemplary life before God's eyes (for them). 

Fourth, God feeds our family throughout the year

I confess that a financially independent life in this globalized world with just my head and ability is impossible. Because of the competition with other companies, the sales of ramyun fell to the floor, but the sales figures for other lucrative products climbed. Also God sent more customers for tourism. God made it possible for me to sell my BMW of 10 years and by a 7-seater for the family. That was alone God's grace. God did not allow me, however, to put my hands in my lap and let everything fall from heaven but to vary the business and to expand the items. I pray that God opens a door for pioneering the Kosovo region. 

2. Looking at 2016

My key verse for 2016 is Acts 20:19. Paul taught the Bible for two years in Ephesus with great humility and tears and manufactured tents diligently to support himself. I now stand unnoticed as a boss of a business, as a father, as shepherd to teach and lead sheep. I realize what I need is love, humility and an exemplary life like Apostle Paul. I often rebuke my children to correct their bad habits. Dissatisfied, I push the sheep hard. Yet, there was no change, instead our relationship worsened. This came out of haste because of my unbelief. One day my children sang a song, „The adults do not really know anything.“ I thought deeply about that and agreed. Just as a frog never remembers his time as a tadpole, I thought that I was better in my youth than the sheep were. When I look back, I have to realize what a miserable boy and helpless sheep I was. What I must do for them is to love them as they are with great humility, and be a silent example for them. I pray to live as a shepherd and father who has the pleasing aroma of Christ. 

Prayer Topics: 

1. Group Bible study twice a week (Tuesday, Friday)

2. Brother Slave's spiritual change, four children to grow as Bible teachers

3. To be entrusted with six sheep

One Word: Serve the Lord with great humility and with tears

Barnabas Kang