News > Europe

Czech UBF
January 23, 2014

BE JOYFUL ALWAYS, PRAY CONTINUALLY; GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

John 5:16-18
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God´s will for you in Christ Jesus“

When I look back on the year 2013, I have to thank God for his abundant blessings he has given us. I thank God for giving us the privilege to serve the fifth European 2nd generation conference in Czech Republic. At this time I pray that I may glorify God and share His Grace with you.

1. The work of His Word
By joining the European Directors’ Conference in Spain I received much grace through Ephesians 3:7. From the message entitled, “A Servant of the Mystery of Christ,” I learned that as God´s called servant I need to serve Czech coworkers and sheep with Christ´s love. This year I served with Luke´s gospel. As a self-supporting missionary I was busy with everyday business work but Luke´s gospel gave me spiritual rest, encouragement and strength. While preparing SW messages I could receive the Word and I could realize that God was raising me as a servant of His Word. While facing some difficult problems God has always encouraged me through Luke´s gospel chapter 18 to pray and not give up. Moreover, I thank God for shepherd Ales Máca and 2nd gen. David Shin, who delivered Sunday messages once a month and received grace from it. Shepherd Ales Máca studies in a PhD program (system engineering, Vietnamese studies) at Charles University. Through studying two majors he learned to overcome his fear of failure by faith. We pray he may conquer his studies and become a powerful shepherd. Furthermore, a Charles University third year political science student, brother Martin Gurín, shares common life with us. He studies the Bible and attends our SWS. Brother Martin Gurín loves Korean culture and Korean language. Now he lives with us as a member of our family and became David Shin´s good friend, sheep and like a younger brother. We pray for Martin Gurín that he may meet Jesus personally and become a shepherd at Charles University. God also sent us sister Jana Dukátová to study the Bible and attend our SWS. She is a born-again Catholic Christian. Still she doesn´t have a clear mission and is spiritually wandering. We pray that she may become a mother of faith and prayer at Charles University. Missionary Maria Kang also meets sister Veronika who is a law student every week.

On May 28, 2013, we had a 10-year anniversary since Missionary Isaac Shin passed away. We had a prayer meeting at the place where the hair of Msn. Isaac, mine and David´s were buried. John 12:24 says: “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” I thanked God who blessed us abundantly during the past ten years.

This year from July 3-7 the fifth 2nd Generation conference was held in Czech Republic. For this conference other female missionaries and I skyped and prayed and put forth much effort to prepare. The main lecture was entitled, “Have faith in God“ (Mk 11:22). While in most chapters we have only one or two families, our main prayer topic was to raise our children as our good coworkers, good shepherds and global leaders. 70 people from 14 different countries attended our conference. The attendees for our conference were between five and fifteen years old. Children were divided into eight different groups while for each group two Bible teachers were serving them with a mother´s love and the Word of God. The main speakers were 2nd gen. Peter Jung from Cologne (God the Creator), 2nd gen. David Shin from Prague (Father, Forgive Them) and 2nd gen. Samuel Ryu from Bonn (Deny Yourself and Take up Your Cross). Our 2nd gen. missionaries repented of their sins and we could experience the work of the Holy Spirit through the grace of forgiveness. They studied the Bible passages in each group very seriously, wrote and shared their testimonies in Korean and repented with tears, accepting God´s forgiving love and making decisions to live by faith. We praised God for this amazing work of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, all missionaries confessed with one voice that they were so happy.

By serving CBF conference, I realized how happy God is when we co-work well together. When we skyped together and discussed our program and shared our prayer topics we could all pull one string and co-work wholeheartedly. Likewise, serving and helping our 2nd gens to grow spiritually is the way to glorify God. We pray that our children may become their parents’ best coworkers, good shepherds and global leaders. I pray that I may continually serve CBF ministry.

Msn. Maria Kang, Shp. Ales Máca, David Shin and I attended ISBC in Indianapolis from August 1-4 this year. Msn. Maria Kang who attended the ISBC conference for the first time was moved and received much grace from it. After the conference we were invited to Msn. Paul and Sarah Hong´s house and had a very refreshing and nice time. Thanks to Msn. Paul´s family we could also visit some of the Canadian coworkers’ chapters.

We served the December 15 Christmas Worship Service. Shepherd Ales Máca delivered the message from Mt 2:1-12 entitled, “Jesus is the King“. Jane, Martina, Sarah attended our CSWS for the first time and gave us great joy. Msn. Joshua Kang served Christmas drama wholeheartedly.

2. Co-working and Self-supporting
Msn. Joshua Kang´s family members are our best coworkers and they humbly serve Czech ministry. After six years they received Czech permanent residency. God blessed this family and brought them joy through 2nd gen. Somang Kang who got into the best high school and received a scholarship. Moreover, they serve sister Veronika continually with the Word of God. In August Msn. Anna Park came back with her third baby from Korea. Through Msn. Samuel Park´s family and their three children our ministry became so lively. We pray that they may overcome Czech language and serve one Czech sheep like shepherds and grow as servants of faith and prayer.

In February God sent my younger brother as a coworker to help me with my business. Meanwhile, he is also attending our SWS and is my very good coworker. I thank God who has blessed “Shinfood” company and helped Msn. Joshua Kang´s and Msn. Samuel Park´s family to be financially stable. I thank God who has raised a poor person like me as a president of the Korean Association in Czech Republic. God has raised me as a leader among Korean people and helped me to serve them. I thank God for this privilege to be a good and influential woman even outside our church community.

3. 2014 Key Verse and Prayer topics
In 2014 our key verse is 1Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God´s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I repent that I was very busy with work and was very tired to wake up for morning prayers every day. In 2014 I pray I may hold on to my key verse to be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances. I pray I may joyfully take up my cross every day. I pray to glorify God by overcoming all difficulties with prayer and faith.

Prayer topics:
1) Msn. Hannah Shin to deliver Genesis Sunday messages
2) Shp. Ales Máca, 2nd gen. Msn. David Shin to grow as a servant of God´s Words
3) Raise 12 apostles and 12 Mary´s in CVUT, UK, CZU and VSE
4) All coworkers to get up for morning prayers and do Daily Bread, raise one disciple of Jesus
5) 30 Sunday attendees

One Word: Be joyful always, pray and give thanks!

Hanna Shin