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2016 new year key verse testimony of M. Joseph Chung in Uganda

FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS

Praise God  Almighty and give thanks to Him for his one and only Son Jesus  who died for our sins and rose from the dead and gave us  the living hope in the kingdom of God. Praise God for his world salvation works in and through  us scattered over 95 countries of the world  in  2015. I am grateful to God for His amazing grace and mercy for me and for missionary Esther Chung last  six years in Uganda.  God has used  us to serve Ugandan students with the word of God.  We thank God for general director Dr. Abraham Kim who goes ahead of us bearing the cross of world campus mission and  follows after  Jesus.  We will pray for him continually in 2016. We pray that God may raise 100.000 missionaries and Bible teachers and send them out to 233 nations by  2041. Amen

I   my key verse in 2015. It was from Ezra 7:10, “ For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” He is well and widely  known  as a Bible scholar in Israel history. But in this verse, we come to know that he was a diligent Bible student and  obedient servant of God and was a devoted Bible teacher.  God gave me a desire to learn from Ezra and  grow. So I took this verse as my key verse  three years  in row. But when I evaluate myself in reflection of this verse , my score is “D”. But I cannot deny a fact that this word of God has sustained and encouraged my life of faith and mission here in Uganda. So I thank God for this precious word of God. Last year we studied Luke’s gospel, Numbers, and 1 Corinthians. Missionaries and native  fellowship leaders had group Bible study on Monday evenings and shared testimonies based on Sunday message. Those who love the word of  God writes sincere testimonies and shared among us and have remained  true to Jesus and Jesus’ mission. On the other hand, those who do not write testimony become weak spiritually and become nominal and talkative Christians. So I myself  struggle  all day  to write testimonies and also I  urge my Bible students to write personal testimony with the evidence of struggle with the word of God. 

My more than half of life here has spent in one to one Bible studies with related activities such as singing hymns  with sheep ,waiting for sheep, praying  for sheep, calling sheep, and so on. Weekly I had 10 to 13 Bible studies. Once late Dr. Samuel Lee said,” Full time staff shepherds must have at least 12 one to one Bible studies weekly. Though I am not a full time staff shepherd, I acted as if I were.  The Bible students are  Ivan, Christopher, Isaac, Grace,  Jussy, Enoch,  Michael, Tom, Opio,  Innocent, Albert,   Zacheous,  and John Otieno.   In Uganda sometimes I see    a large crowd of people  join to mass evangelism. It is good to see many people come to hear the good news of Jesus  by powerful  preachers.. But our one to one Bible studies go on quietly , changing a person one at a time; we  believe that it  is the  wisdom of God to raise future spiritual leaders  for the world.   But I repent before God that I have done this precious work of God without enough prayer and preparation; as a result I have been worn out  as the year end came near. May God have mercy on me and help me to be renewed in my spirit and heart so that I may restart  one to one battle with fullness of the Holy Spirit and bear fruit for the glory of God..

In Feb., God established a beautiful house church between shep. Albert and Nakato after a lot of prayers and long patience because of strong Ugandan traditions. After marrying, this house church  pioneered a new fellowship named,” Cornerstone fellowship.” Shepherd Albert has become a faithful one to one Bible teacher.  We praise God for this victory in Makerere UBF  in 2015.  Last year May   shepherd David Kim invited me to Korea for medical treatment and  my nose bleeding was cured well. After that I shared my life testimony at the graduate shepherd conference. I am thankful to God for this grace and  grateful   to coworkers  who cared for me in every way  while I and missionary Esther stayed in Korea.

II  . My   key verse in 2016 .  Hebrew 12:1b -2,”……And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  As I heard Dr. Abraham Kim’s message  at the  African missionary conference, this word of God touched me in my heart with  rebuke   ; “ and let us run with perseverance  and fixing our eyes on Jesus.”  As the end of the year was near, I was tired and drained much that I want to withdraw my race of faith and mission. Because many physical conditions as well as that of spiritual  have begun to go down, especially hearing, seeing, memory, and energy. I have begun to have human thinking and human talking. But this word of God  helped me repent my unbelief and encouraged  me to make a decision  to run the race of faith and mission with perseverance by fixing my eyes on Jesus. I remember St. Paul who said “ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”( 2 Timothy 4;7). I also  thought of mother Barry who still runs her race with perseverance in her 80s. Dr. John Jun’s CME around the world has given me not a small encouragement day after day.  I have been pursuing  after one spiritual value last many years while people of the world have kept changing theirs. But I decided to follow Jesus bearing my cross of world campus mission. This is my only one value as I fix my eyes on Jesus

Six years of missionary life in Uganda has passed so quickly.  In this year, I want to continue my one to one Bible study; at the same time  I want to devote myself to raise  one to one Bible teachers and to establish  two in- campus group  Bible study.   May God bless these work!  Amen

Prayer topics; pray for missionary Dr. Livingstone Kang the new director of Makerere UBF; Pray  for  two in campus group Bible study. Pray for Rwanda pioneering work and an English speaking missionary family. For necessary health.

One word: “ Fix our eyes on Jesus.”

2016 new year key verse testimony Missionary Esther Chung

Deut 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. “

I thank and praise God for his mercy and guidance upon me in 2015. May the Lord enlighten my heart and mind to see God’s hope and vision for new year 2016.

1. Review of 2015

My last year key verse was 2 Timothy 4:16-17. “All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking , correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” As a Bible teacher I wanted to have clear goal and purpose of Bible study with my sheep. If I teach Bible aimlessly it would not please God and I labor in vain. I have studied the bible with 7-8 sisters weekly and wanted to see how they are growing in the words of God. Sister’s ministry is always not easy in any chapters. I prayed and struggled hard to keep them up. Gloria and Miriam and Eunice are remaining in the ministry even after their graduation. Though Airet and Madrine has left after their graduation. Sister Allen is outstanding nursing major and very faithful in Bible study and in ministry and she brought Stella to Bible study. And Agnes and Esther studied Bible faithfully. In 2015, by God’s grace sister’s common life started in Bethesda which we were praying for long time. Gloria and Miriam are beginning members. In this dynamic situation, I prayed humbly that the Bible Study they have spent with me will be a seed sown in their hearts and sprout out and bear fruits in God’s time. Apostle Paul Said in 1Corinthians 3:6 “I planted seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”

2015 was the year of God’s testing of our faith through physical sickness. In April Missionary Joseph had the problem of frequent nose bleeding. He suffered few weeks not knowing how to stop it. We have several medical doctors in Bethesda, but they were helpless to do anything for him. To our surprise help came from Korea UBF. Shepherd David Kim invited him to Korea for the treatment. In Seoul, his nose bleeding problem was solved with simple laser treatment. And he was to share his life testimony during the Lay Shepherd conference and we were very much encouraged in our life of mission. We both received package of medical exams in the Borame Hospital and treated. While I was in Seoul my lower back began to hurt. Last minute I went to Kyunghee medical center and examined but next day we had to come back to Uganda. While we were in Seoul, we were served and loved by many God’s servants. We thank God for Shep. David Kim and Sarah Kim who invited us to Korea in time of trouble and helped us to be treated medically. We also thank God for Shep. Moses Yoon who took care of us detaily while we stayed in Chongno UBF. We also thank God for Dr. James Suh and Khung hee Suh who took care of us and served us. We also thank God for JaeEun Cho in Kwanak UBF who invited us and refreshed us. We thank God for Shepherdess Helen Lee and Paul Lee and Dr. Samuel Choi and Yoonsuk Choi who showered us with medicines and herbs and gifts. We thank God for Dr. Samuel Choi who took care of Miss. Joseph’s teeth. I cannot mention all of names who served us and encouraged us with prayers and love. I just pray that God may reward them and bless them for their life of mission. After One month and 7 days stay in Korea, Missionary Joseph was recovered and become younger and healthy came back to Uganda with new spirit. It was God who sent us to Korea and to be restored. I meditate on Romans 8:28; which is written:

“ And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

In 2015, there are some transition in Makerere UBF. The directorship changed from Dr. Luke Lim to Dr. Livingstone Kang. And Shepherd Steven ssaballe was elected as defuty Director. Dr. Livingstone Kang who came to Uganda 3 years ago from Kwangju UBF was ordained during Africa new Year’s Conference and he officially started his directorship in 2016.

In 2015, Makerere UBF was also tested and refined through Satan’s attack on one house church. ( One local shepherd who is separated from his wife and wanted to divorce her). When one part of body is sick, whole body is not well. Some of members are badly influenced.

Last year, Our fishing ministry was very slow and we have no new one to one, only struggle with old sheep. I repent my lazyness and lack of spirit.

2. 2016 key verse.

My 2016 key verse is from Deut 6:5 “ Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” When I looked back 2015, God has granted me sufficient grace to me. Last 6 years in Uganda, God protected us every way and poured out his grace and strength to me so that I could share his love and grace with Uganda students. I worked hard as if am in my fifties though I am in my seventies . It was only by his grace God has used me for his purpose.

At the end of the year, I had severe back pain which led me to despair. I could not stand 10 minute during worship service. I had extreme pain in my back and right leg. I could not sleep straight. Through this pain somehow I began to think about our Lord Jesus Pain. Through his pain he took our infirmities and transgressions. I thank God that I could understand about our Lord Jesus’s pain even a little bit. This year will be my last year in Uganda, and I want to finish strong in my life of mission in Uganda. I pray that I may leave good influence to our coworkers in Uganda.

I pray for our sisters whom I had served last 6 years to grow and build up in faith until they could marry by faith. I also pray for our new leardership and support them in prayer. I also Pray for 100 One to One and 100 Sunday Worship attendance in Makerere chapter in 2016.