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“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

 

This is Makerere UBF’s 2013 Key Verse. This is a prayer direction to raise competent one to one Bible teachers this year. First of all, I praise and thank God for his grace and mercy that God sent us to Uganda in December 2009 and continued to be with us, and brought us back safely.  I am so glad to see you all. Thank you for all your love and prayers and all your support; Pastor Ron sent us hymn books and Bibles for daily use. We thank God that he has protected us in our new mission field in Uganda and has given us good health.

These days, people in Uganda say, “It is Uganda winter and it is very cold.” Some are even wearing their hoods up.  But to me it just feels pleasant and breezy. All kinds of flowers and vegetables grow all around, and we enjoy tropical fruits with cheap prices. Right now, students are busy with their finals, but in a few weeks a majority of them will be gone to their villages for three months. I have had my own prayer topic for them that some day God may use them as short term missionaries to their villages and towns.

 

I wrote this report according to late Dr. Samuel Lee’s spiritual legacies.

 

“Back to the Bible”

 

I received copies of chapter directors’ New Year key verse testimonies from USA, Canada and other UBF members. I was refreshed in my spirit by the works of God done in and among us in 2012. I was challenged by their diligent Bible study and struggled with the word of God day by day to shepherd campus students. The Spirit tells me in my heart that God is using UBF for his world campus mission.  I see a vision that Almighty God encircles the world campuses through UBF Bible teachers.  In Uganda, God has given me more opportunities to study the Bible more than ever.  I studied Mark’s gospel, the Book of Acts, John’s gospel, and 1 and 2 Samuel and now Romans. There is also missionary Bible study every two weeks at each house church. This Bible fellowship has been helpful for us to maintain our spiritual unity. We studied 1 and 2 Thessalonians, the book of Hosea, 2 Corinthians, James, and now Revelations. Through “Go Back to Bible”, I have seen a trend change in Makerere UBF due to activity centered on the word of God and a mission centered ministry. Through “Back to the Bible,” though there has been some displeasing agenda, we haven’t had any co-working problems among missionaries. I always remember Jesus’ words, “Love one another,” which Mother Barry always says wherever she goes. I also remember Ephesians 4:3 which read “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” I realized that the unity of the Spirit is not an option but the duty of each individual among our believers community.  Jesus’ prayer topic for his disciples was to be unified. Shepherd Mark Vucechovich, who was my instructor while I was in training for new mission field, said to me, “You should never say, ‘I will change this ministry or I will fix up.’” I followed his teaching faithfully. It worked well.

 

Through “Back to the Bible,” I am caught by the word of God in my heart. Through “Back to the Bible,” missionary Esther became a scholarly Bible teacher. When I ask questions time to time, she gives me the right biblical answers. Indeed she is better than me. Three weeks ago, we had a worship service for the graduates. It was surprising that there was 15 of them. Praise God! This is the fruit of “Back to the Bible.”

 

I realized that as years go by, “Back to the Bible” has become more relevant and a mandate as we wait for the Lord’s second coming personally, nationally and internationally. Indeed we live in the end times. What can we do in such a spiritually adverse time?  We should go back to the Bible from our heart. Let’s pray persistently that Asia, Europe, America, and Africa may go back to the Bible so that a season of Christ may come all over the world. Amen

 

World Mission Through Lay Missionaries

 

Once every year, all the missionaries in Uganda are invited to the East African Missionary Conference hosted by a large church in Korea. They encourage missionaries through bringing famous speakers and providing a few days of rest in a quiet place and good food. Those who attend are mostly ordained pastors and the pastor’s wives, and they are fully financially covered. Their missions are diverse; they are teaching in seminars, running schools and child care centers for the natives, building churches in villages, digging wells for the natives and helping local farmers. These are all good purposes. On the other hand, UBF missionaries look like a handful of mountain goats because many of us, like me, don’t have any seminary education background and experience. Instead, we do self-Bible study and dig the Scriptures and we are equipped with the knowledge of God. UBF missionaries directly interact with native college students using the very words of God through one to one. UBF missionaries teach them, train them, rebuke them, and raise them as future spiritual leaders of the country and shepherds for the flock of God. In addition, many of us are self-supported. This too is God’s grace. In a very unique way, God has worked in UBF world mission. Actually, Jesus was a lay missionary as a carpenter apprentice of his father Joseph’s carpenter shop. He left with divine glory and power. He served sinners in many ways and suffered many hardships of sinful man and endured persecutions. He faced misunderstandings even from his own family, insults, humility, and abuse and eventually gave his life for our sins. St. Paul was a lay missionary along with Prisquilla and Aquilla. Msn Esther and I give thanks to God every day for his grace on us to serve Uganda students with the word of God and to pray for them as lay missionaries. I am personally thankful to God for Msn Esther who followed me to Uganda, Africa and left her comfort zone, leaving her dear grandchildren behind because she was afraid I would get lost in the African jungles and streets. I see God’s grace through her life that she never says a negative word out of her mouth and serves God’s purpose as a one to one Bible teacher and a prayer mother for Ugandan girls. Additionally, she prays for me and loves this unworthy person, a nerd, without complaining for 50 years. Praise God!

 

Campus Evangelism through One to One Bible Study

 

When the UBF ministry was its beginning stage, I often heard late Dr. Samuel say, “I regret getting involved with student ministry because I have to give everything I have, even the few dollars in my wallet.” It was true because at that time, students were poor and had empty stomachs and pockets. Late Dr. Samuel Lee had to always pay out of his own pocket after we all ate to the full. Years later, it was heard that one UBF chapter director was concentrating on graduates and not on undergraduates. Dr. Lee rebuked him saying, “You are not looking to the poor student, but are looking at the money bags of graduates.”  Why am I saying this? Because I believe that God’s calling for campus students is his unchanging mission for us.  When I was a fellowship leader in Chicago, the nickname of my fellowship was the “Uncle Fellowship” because the majority of my fellowship members were uncles and grandpas even though we tried hard to feed students. When we went to Uganda, we expected to be the “Senior or Uncle Fellowship of Makerere University” again because we were regarded as “musei” meaning “seniors.” But, to our surprise, many students responded favorably to our invitation for one to one Bible study. Missionary Esther was so joyful, it was like as if she had caught a big fish with her bare hands in a lake. I used to teach one to one more than 10 times weekly and many more new sheep waiting while the old sheep rise as leaders. We pray that God may raise 12 disciples of Jesus and one prayer mother from Makerere University.

 

I learned the Ugandan National Anthem. Sometimes I sing the anthem before we study. Most of the students and I can recite a few verses. It sounds like hymn. We like to sing that song. ( O! Uganda, may God uphold you! We lay our future in your hand. United free for liberty that we should always stand.”)  However I realized that it is more important to prepare for each Bible teacher in advance through meditating on the word and praying for the sheep and for myself for quality one to one Bible studies. My Bible studies last year were done during the construction period.  Yet God brought them to one to one faithfully. I thank God that they came to study the Bible with a joyful mind. My regular Bible student’s names are: Ivan, Deogracious, Tom, Simon, Chris, John, Innocent, Albert, Fred, and Henry. When opening the book of Acts 13 at Antioch church we see the Bible teacher’s names listed, including Barnabas and Saul. It is a great spiritual honor to be known as a Bible teacher. In Makerere UBF, there are committed Bible teachers as natives; they are Patrick and Dr. Lillian Ogwang, Stephen and Margarett  Sseballe, Abraham Omoding, Collins, Tom Balle, Zacheaus, Deogracious  and Stephen from Kenya.  The two new campuses, Mkumba and UCU, have been pioneered by two fellowships through one to one Bible study.

 

By God’s grace and prayers and offering from brothers and sisters all over the world, Bethesda medical center was completed and dedicated to God. The mission statement is: First, to take care of sick missionaries from African countries and from other countries, second, to take care of medically needy natives and African people, third, make it a center for education and training for young servants of UBF. Before we did not have guest houses, but now we have a beautiful guest house. Please come and share God’s vision for world salvation with us. As a pediatrician, I see sick children at a new medical center. I always love little Ugandan children who love sweet candy.

 

Manger Ministry through House Church

 

Now, there are a total of 10 house churches in Uganda UBF, including natives. Dr. Luke and Dr. Samuel have their house churches in the Bible center. I am learning from their humble and sacrificial life of mission. These two honorary physicians gave their financial freedom to God as doctors in their young age. It was their commitment to give up their life-long financial matters to God’s hand. God was pleased by their decision of faith and has provided materials for their needs.

 

We pray that God may raise two exemplary house churches in this year between Ap. Mike and Patience and shep. Albert and Ap. Nakato.

Pray to be a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation

 

One evening, after 10 years of late Dr. Samuel Lee’s ministry in Chicago, he came to the fellowship leaders’ meeting with a joyful face and looked more energetic than ever. I expected an announcement about eating together outside for some happy occasion. But, it was not. He was excited and said, “I have found a prayer topic for America after 10 years of prayer and searching.” It was from Exodus 19; 5b-6, “’Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” As we know, the Gospel began in Jerusalem, then it went to Rome, then to Britain and then to America. I was confirmed in my heart for America to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation for all nations. It is to become a shepherd nation and Bible teacher’s nation for all nations. Let’s pray that God may establish 100,000 missionaries by the year 2041 and may send them out to 233 nations. African UBF chapters have begun to pray that they may send African missionaries to 55 African nations.

 

As I have lived in Uganda, I have become tired in body and spirit and became like a soldier who is about to be dismissed. When I meditated on John 3:16, I realized that God loved me with his redemptive love of his son Jesus Christ. Jesus gave all to me and for me. I repented of my selfishness and proud mind. I surrender to Jesus; from now, and to the end, all to Jesus. Amen.

 

One word: A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation.