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Greece UBF
January 29, 2014

We Are More Than Conquerors Through Him Who Loved Us

Part I. 2013 Annual Review

1. Our key Verse for 2013 and God’s answer
Our key verse for 2013 was Deuteronomy 31:8-13: “‘The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’ So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. Then Moses commanded them: ‘At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Assemble the people--men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns--so they can listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.’" We prayed according to this word for Greek people to learn how to fear God through Bible study. We prayed for a house church with a beautiful and faithful woman of prayer for shepherd Stamatis in God’s time and according to His way. For this, God is working in his own way at the moment. We prayed that God may bless brother Yiannis Gargas to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Savior through regular Bible studies. Yiannis has attended SWS and group Bible study regularly since September after a four-year break. We prayed that God may bless second gen Paul Lee to pass the entrance exams for National Technical University (NTUA) by faith. Paul entered the university to study shipbuilding engineering. God blessed the health of M. Paul Lee and his business for God’s ministry in Greece by giving him the right treatment for his injured foot and bringing clients to his business.

2. Bible Study
In 2013 we continued doing group Bible studies in M. Barnabas Woo’s house church. We studied the book of Jeremiah. Through this study we could see and examine our own problems and our national problems from a biblical point of view. We also studied Matthew’s gospel. Through this study God taught us Jesus’ mind in the midst of problems and uncertainty for our future. I am thankful to God who led me to Chicago UBF for one month before the ISBC 2013 to have a chance to study the Bible, with UBF headquarters covering all my expenses. I studied Galatians with many great servants of God and really enjoyed it. In Greece, I started Bible study in Galatians with second gen Paul Lee. M. Paul Lee gave us God’s word from Genesis since September. Through Bible study and personal Bible reading, we could overcome very difficult personal situations by faith and have unity in Christ. We pray to be ready to serve one soul with the word of God because we believe that God is working in and among us through hardships in order to raise Greek disciples of Jesus.

3. Bible schools and fishing
In 2013 we basically focused on Sunday message and environment. We went fishing at the philosophy faculty and met students like Panagiotis, with whom we had fellowship for a short while. We also had fellowship with George Lambidakis. Although I felt discouraged from fishing on campus, God helped me to have good fellowship with George, going out with him for dinner or a walk and giving him the Sunday worship message. In spite of all our weaknesses God listens to our prayers very carefully. This month we had a Christmas worship service on December 15 with a total attendance of 23 persons. Brother Yiannis came with Anahita and his friend Erkan. Second gen Paul brought his two friends Zafeiris and Eliah with him. Second gen Pauline invited her friend Isidora and I invited George Labidakis, who came and listened to a message for the first time and enjoys fellowship with us. Brother George Chatziioannidis came down from the Thessaloniki city in order to attend it. We are thankful to God who works in the hearts of young Greeks to lead them to his Word and his Kingdom!

4. Self-supporting
In the midst of IMF, God helped all our coworkers to manage their businesses with success. M. Barnabas had many opportunities to sell the products of his company. M. Paul could uphold the business of Ceragem with some faithful clients. God also heard his basic prayer topics regarding self-support, and he was granted the European financial support from ESPA, after many, many hardships. God also granted me several jobs in 2013, from teaching German language and the job as a salesman. Again God gives me the opportunity to work in a telephone company this year, with poor but steady income. I pray to have success by God’s grace and help in this job for God’s glory in 2014 as long as possible.

5. Co-working ministry and raising and educating the 2nd generation
One event that brought hardship to the family of M. Paul Lee and our ministry was the declining health of M. Lydia. After many years of hard work for her family, Greek ministry and supporting coworkers, her immune system broke down and she had terrible pains all the time. She had to be hospitalized in Korea, where she needed to have all necessary health checkups, treatment and operations. I am ashamed of Greece that could not take care of M Lydia, because of the bad health system and the unreliability of most of the doctors. Her absence left a big cross on the shoulders of M. Paul Lee and his three children. M. Paul had to care both of his business and of the needs of the three 2nd gens. While his children, especially Paul and Lydia had to help in their free time to keep up the business of their father, M. Paul was very tired physically and spiritually because of all these hardships. But God gave him the Holy Spirit to depend only on God. He could prepare the Sunday message and smile in the midst of all these problems which go beyond his strength. In July, five second gens and three missionaries from Greece attended the CBF summer Bible conference in the Czech Republic. There were many works of the Holy Spirit among them. Esther Lee was born again through the Holy Spirit at this conference. In November, M. Barnabas Woo went to Poland for his children to participate in a Korean speech contest. Little Johanna and Samuel Woo won prizes for their speech in front of a large audience. Shepherdess Lydia passed many difficult courses of nursing by faith in the Creator God and her persistence in every difficult situation although conditions, environment and people were not favorable to her. Second gen Paul passed the university entrance exam for shipbuilding engineering.

6. World Mission: Regional Co-working and Serving Guests
Last year shepherd David Lee and Kyung-Ok visited us. Second gen Sarah Ban visited us in summer. Dr. Peter Chang, M. Paul Chang and Pastor Ryoo Seunggwan with his wife visited us. In summer all members of Missionary Lee’s family and shepherd Stamatis attended the ISBC. In summer, Missionary Paul Lee suggested that I go to Chicago for one month before the ISBC. At first, I had many thoughts about it. But God opened my heart and the way to travel and I don’t regret it at all. I met many great servants of God, like mother Sarah Barry, Dr. John Jun, Dr. Mark Yang, M. Jose Ahn, P. Ron Ward, and P. Teddy Hembekides and had Bible study with them. This experience opened my spiritual eyes to many issues that troubled me inwardly and some co-working problems in Greek ministry. At the ISBC I had the opportunity to talk with M. Paul very sincerely, maybe for the first time. There are still co-working problems but I understand M. Paul’s heart and weaknesses better in order to overcome my own feelings.

7. Special Thanksgiving Topics for 2013
We praise the Lord for granting us jobs this year. We praise the Lord who blessed us to continue to share our testimonies with 12 thanksgiving topics at the house church of M. Barnabas Woo’s family, every week. Praise the Lord who granted M. Lydia Lee the chance to recover her health through the labor of prayer and the special offerings from all over the world, especially from European co-workers through the stewardship of M. Hanna Shin. Praise the Lord who blessed Zoi Woo to grow more every day physically and spiritually. Praise the Lord who prepared us lunch fellowship with the help of every SWS attendant. We praise the Lord who sent Yiannis to SWS regularly with sister Anahita and sister Eleni. We give thanks for ping-pong fellowship after SWS. Praise the Lord who blessed second gens Lydia, Paul and Pauline Lee, Esther Lee, Susana Lee, Ioanna Woo, Samuel Woo, David Woo, Zoi Woo to co-work with their parents and me.

Part II. 2014 key verse and prayer topics

Our key verse for 2014 is from Romans 8:37-39: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1. According to these words we pray to be more than conquerors in the midst of hardships through our Lord Jesus Christ, especially for M. Lydia Lee to be healed from her diseases and return to the mission field.
2. We pray that God may bless Shepherd Stamatis to have victory in his job and establish a house church.
3. We pray that God may bless us to have 28 attendants from Greece at the Willingen European SBC.
4. We pray that God may bless 2nd gen Pauline Lee to pass the entrance exams for National Technical University (NTUA) by faith and to become a Bible teacher for young Greek students.
5. We pray for Msn. Mark Lee’s family to raise one Abraham of faith and seven disciples of Jesus Christ at the National Technical University (NTUA).

Paul H. Lee