News > Middle East

ME UBF
August 19, 2014

For the Battle is the LORD’s

The title of the ME conference, which took place during July 25-28 for four days and three nights, was “For the Battle is the LORD’s.” I thank God who gave us the conviction of victory and renewed our faith through this conference.

1. Where there is the work of the Holy Spirit, there is the work of Satan. Satan hindered and attacked us in many ways because he knew there will be a great work of the Holy Spirit in the 2014 ME Conference in Sri Lanka. In L country, due to serious domestic situation, the airport was closed for several days before the conference and departing from the country was blocked. JS Y Msn, Jr. DB Y almost gave up participating. However, all the coworkers from all around the world started to pray as soon as they knew about their prayer topic, and Chicago UBF sent them a picture through e-mail, of how they were praying for them. Y family was greatly encouraged and they prayed for God to open the way as He opened the Red Sea, and so they challenged again. At that moment, the airport was open for only several hours, and J, D missionary went from L country to Tunisia, then from Tunisia to Dubai, then from Dubai to Sri Lanka, and finally was able to participate in the conference.

For the last six to seven years, P country leaders tried to attend at ME conferences, but they couldn’t attend because of visa problems. However, they didn’t give up and finally for the first time, P country leaders and sheep got their visas and could attend 2014 ME conference. Praise the Lord who gave them great victory!

Sri Lanka L J, S J missionary, and Sh. I suffered from Dengue fever for a week by turn before the conference. Their temperatures rose to 40 degrees Celsius and they experienced the pain of death through the high fever. S J Msn confessed that there was a lot of Satan’s attack during the preparation of this conference, and she added that she thought Sri Lanka was the end of the earth, but she learned that God wants her to pray for the ME, which is truly the end of the earth.

2. The program of the first day started with the opening message “God is Love” by S J missionary from Lebanon. ME is a place where conflicts and wars between countries, religious sects etc. are never ending. It seems like ME is a land with no love. But S J missionary declares that “Wherever God is, there is love,” and “Because we come from God, we have the DNA of God’s love.” He prayed “May our selfish love be covered and filled instead with God’s love” as a prayer topic.

On the second day, B P missionary from K country served Lecture 1 Rom 8 “Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” ME missionaries are in much suffering due to future insecurity, children’s education, health, materialistic problems, and no visible fruits etc. There are times when they think that God is not caring for them as they face their weaknesses and failures. However, B P missionary encouraged us by saying, “You are completely wrong by thinking that you are alone. God is with you even at this very moment and intercedes for you with groans that words cannot express.” His message of God’s unfailing love gave great comfort and faith to ME missionaries.

On the evening of the second day, Sh. R from K country delivered an evening lecture based on his experience of answered prayers from Luke 11, “Ask, seek and knock,”

On the third day, J K msn delivered Lecture 2 of 1 Sam 17 “For the Battle is the LORD’s.” He actually asked N Y msn to prepare this message, but since N Y missionary couldn’t attend due to domestic situations he had to prepare it instead, as he was the director. This was a message that God had prepared for him. As a self-supporting missionary, he had his work, and by God’s grace he was able to win a Samsung project worth 20 million dollars, and he also raised several leaders. However, the sin problems in the sheep seemed like the huge Goliath, and small and big problems arose every day in the large scale project of Samsung that even Samsung wanted to give up. Fear of failure flooded over him as he faced such problems. But he got a conviction of great victory declaring, “This Battle is the LORD’s!” He had conviction that when we rely on God, God himself fights for us and gives us victory, and he encouraged all the attendees, saying, “Rely on the living God, and let’s fight a good fight for God’s glory!”

On the evening of the third day, M Y missionary delivered the message of 2 Cor 4 “With you in his presence.” We are like the jars of clay, but we contain the treasure, JC. That’s why we are the most precious people, and as Paul has seen, we will be standing before God with Muslim sheep. M Y missionary and all shouted out, “I have Christ in me! You have Christ in You! We have Christ in us!”

On the last day, Shep. M. delivered the closing message powerfully from Mat 28, “Make disciples of all nations,” in Arabic. We learned four keywords, “Go, Make disciples, Baptizing, Teaching.” God called us as Jesus’ disciples and disciple-makers.

3. We had graceful and beautiful two lectures by Dr. Joseph Ahn and Msn. Abraham Park (Jordan – Rebekah Park’s Father). God encouraged us greatly through these lectures. Dr. Joseph Ahn delivered a lecture: “The world was unworthy of them.” Missionary Abraham Park gave us his lecture: “The ME and God.” Through these lectures, we were encouraged greatly. We are more than conquerors and the world is not worthy of us. The ME is the land of God’s special love. In this special land the ME, God called each of us specially.

4. The 2nd generation’s activity was also noticeable. R P missionary shared her key verse testimony from 2 Tim 4:2 of the passion for preaching the Word, and also interpreted the Arabic closing message by Sh. M into English. R P msn, Jr. H Y msn, and Jr. J K are fluent in Arabic, English and Korean and have good relationships with Arab Muslim friends, and are treasures in God’s ministry. The report announced by Jr. A S missionary was a big motivation and encouragement for all of us. He coworked with J K 2nd generation missionary from Ukraine for the past 2 years in C country, making a Bible club, and served youth from 22 different countries, and even raised a successor. F C 2nd generation missionary from Chicago participated in this conference to serve HBF in GBS and testimony sharing. Abraham Ahn 3rd generation missionary learned about the work of God in ME, and became good friends with the 2nd generation from ME, who suffered in the hot weather and struggled as a minority in the Muslim majority society; they were able to play as much as they wanted in the green nature of Sri Lanka, having fellowship with each other and enjoying their time.

5. This ME conference was held through Sri Lanka UBF’s entire serving and devotion. B B missionary, as a host, was in charge of overall things and tried to make the best conditions for the conference to take place smoothly. The ME missionaries were tired from the sand, the scorching heat environment, and the restrictions during the fasting month of Ramadan. But through this conference, they were refreshed and enjoyed the greenery of the place, refreshing wind, and delicious food. Five 2nd generation missionaries of Sri Lanka UBF also participated and served by playing musical instruments and helping their parents, and they also had good fellowship with the 2nd generation of the ME. All this love and support from them moved the hearts of all the ME missionaries. “May Sri Lanka UBF be blessed 100 x.”

Thank God and praise the Lord for leading us with his inseparable love and giving us JC, the treasure in us. Thank God for his grace of helping us open our spiritual eyes and realize that the battle is the Lord’s, and that we are people the world is unworthy of. I pray that many JC disciples be raised in this land through ME missionaries, who are generals of faith and precious treasures that the world is not worthy of. Amen.