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Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus

Hebrew 12: 2, “… 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.”

I. A General Work.

  The Buenos Aires chapter started the New Year 2016 with Hebrews 12:2. In January, we had a summer Bible Conference, titled “I will go back to my father” together with the La Plata chapter and the Paternal chapter. Brother Nicolas and Brother Alonso, who had been steadily receiving Daily Bread training in 2015, made each one’s debut as messenger. Brother Ivan at the La Plata chapter shared a truthful life testimony, which opened everyone’s heart. It happened that Brother Jorge witnessed to how God had granted him a great grace of salvation in 2015, confessing his adultery. And on the last day, a baptism was performed.

  During the Easter week in March, we prepared for a Easter dance ‘flash-mob’ which we performed irregularly at five or so places. We also visited a place which protects children with unmarried mothers, and played with them while presenting gifts. We had time to meditate on the faith of Daniel, his three friends, and God, the Sovereign Ruler of history, holding a quiz game on the book of Daniel.

   We tried to dispose of the fiction of the theory of evolution, and helped sheep to strengthen their Creation faith, having a symposium on the Creation science, twice on Saturdays in October. About 10 sheep attended the meeting. Of these Brother Nicolas’s friend, Brother Gastón, has a relationship with the Word. Since the two meetings, we have had a heart to challenge five times more.

   Remembering that David took 5 stones in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and with his sling in his hand, approached Goliath to fight against him, we made plans for 5 sling-stones meetings. We then shared a 5-minute outdoors message every Wednesday for 5 weeks from around the middle of November. Through these meeting, brothers and sisters gathered again, and fished together. Of these, Brother Gastón was strengthened, and Brother Henry has a new relationship with the word. God has helped Brothers Andrés, who had left us 2 years ago, to come back with his all families, and consoled us. We had a Christmas worship service in December with a message and special songs without special programs. Being simple and short we each quietly enjoyed accepting the baby Jesus lying in a manger.

2. A Tented Common Life Training.

   The primary prayer topic of the New Year 2016 was for each person to meet God personally, and be willing to serve God. Some sisters used to act selfishly, continually suffering for a  love problem. Every brother received his befitting job training. Brother Nicolas, who had been serving the tent in various ways during that time, left there, because of his need to take care of his daughter. Brother Alonso and Brother Brian were out of work more than six months, each losing each one’s job; so they did not pay monthly rent for the tent, and had to spend a stressful time, reading another’s face and having no meal. 

   The Tent team was nearly in danger of being dissolved, and urgently needed to be supported by the Center, because they did not pay several taxes. During 5 sling-stones meetings, brothers who did not positively fight a spiritual fight could not help wandering about, rather hitting sling-stones of unbelief and enervation that Satan shot to each of them. One brother came near almost losing his faith, and the Tent was on the verge of dissolution.

   However, with the Christmas near at hand, God has solved their job problems one by one; now they all have jobs. Brian has chosen to train himself for one year, leaving the Tent while the Tent has been maintained, after Jorge came into the Tent in the early of January. May the Lord help the Tent team, so that Alonso, John, and Jorge will be made more firm in 2017. May God help brothers, like John, Brian, Andrés, and Gastón, and sisters, like Estefany, Marilyn, and Monica to grow to be co-workers. May he help Brother Henry, and Brother Pier whom we newly met, to have a good relationship with the word.  

  For the last year, Msn. Ruth, the family of Msn. Noé and Erendira, Shp. Sandra, and brothers like Nicolas, Alonso, have been my good co-workers. They have served and kept a meeting of sharing brothers’ testimonies every week while joyfully serving the Sunday worship message every month, or every three months. God has rewarded each of them for a new job. Additionally, the family of Msn. Noé has had the joy of a child. The family was disappointed at a miscarriage in 2015, but has recovered the joy having a child in 2016. May the Lord let this family take root in Argentina and flourish more. Now that his job is closing, he prays for gaining his good job of new conditions.

3. My Shepherd Life.

  Personally, looking back on the year 2016, I have been full of both sufferings and consolations,  The sufferings were not nearly from anything other but my unbelief and my stress due to my strong ego. At the beginning of the year, I was much worried with anger, despair, and felt enervation, owed to two shepherdesses who had left us, although we had expected each of them to get married by faith, and to brothers who had never received the trainings, although they had belonged to the Tent team. 

   However, the true God has consoled us in various ways. In June, joining in the World Mission Conference in Seoul, S-Korea, God helped me to have various good fellowships. In August, through the CME, Dr. John and Msn. Sarah S. Jun served so that I learned much from his messages. He spoke Jesus only without any will to correct defects of brothers and sisters in it. Since then, the contents of my message have much been changed. I have discarded my mind to change brothers with my strength anyhow. So, both I and the brothers have been much happier.

   My house has been gained since Msn. Isaac Cho sold me his house. As for my programming business, customers have increased to 50 in numbers, because my partner disposed of his business. Further, taking staff from Venezuela, I have had a peace in my heart. It has been possible to make a living with self-support, even though not still enough for management expenses. Thank God!    

  2017, the New Year begins with 1 Tim 4:7-8. The Lord may let me be a year to long for godliness (God’s all natures), and to experience a strength and rest from Him, concentrating on reading the Bible. Presently, He may help us to raise up one family of faith till the year after next. We pray for studying the Luke’s gospel, 1 Samuel, the book of Acts next year.  

Marcos Kim