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"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."    1 Thessalians 5:24

 

Thank God for his grace and mercy upon us through Jesus Christ.  Thank God for his protection, guidance, and provision throughout last year.  Thank God for giving us a new hope and vision in the new year. May God help me to remember what you've done for me and for our ministry throughout last year, so that I may glorify you and I may have a clear direction in the new year.

 

I. Last year

 

1. Lagos Ch. 2 Pioneering

Sh. Abraham + Sh. Elizabeth's family has worked faithfully together with me. However they pioneered Lagos Chapter 2 last year (2012, Jan.) with ten brothers and sisters. This was the second pioneering work after Sh. James and Sh. Ronke family's pioneering.  Sh. Abraham and Sh. James are seniors in our ministry. Then Sh. Seun + Sh. Kemi's family, Sh. Fatoinbo John + Sh. Aderonke's family, Sh. Benedict and Sh. Sabastine who were under the shadow of the seniors so they could grow as responsible shepherds. 

 

Now the average Sunday worship service attendance is 10-15 people in LUTH Chapter (Lagos University Teaching Hospital) and Lagos Ch. 2. Our Lagos Chepter's average Sunday worship service attendance is 40-45.

 

Among them Sh. Ben and Sabastine are remarkable. They are juniors, but they co-work together very well in the vision fellowship. They feed 10-15 Sheep every week. They are very absolute and faithful towards the work of God and for their Sheep.

 

Now 15 brothers and 11 sisters are growing in the tent ministry. They have to come for morning devotion, 1:1 Bible Study, writing testimony every Friday, Sunday worship service, and prayer meeting. Also they have to cook in the tent fellowship for others and for Sunday worship service taking turns. This really is big training which is like army training to them. If they do not stay in the tent living together community they would live easy and selfish lives. So some brothers and sisters are leaving the tent and stay in the hostel to live free, easy, selfish, and self centered life.

 

Last year our numbers did not increase much. But we increased in quality by faithful 1:1, Bible Academy, Conference, Beach fellowship, football fellowship, and all other activities.

 

2. Regional conference

We held it 8/17-19 at Redeem Camp. The title was 'You Will Be My Witness".

The participants were about 150 (LUTH: 25, Yaba Tech: 27, Lagos 2: 13, Lagos I : 50, Guests : 35). The messengers were Sh. Fatoinbo John (Opening message, Lagos I), Joseph Fabian (Main I, Yaba Tech), Steven Elsholze (Evening I, Bonn), Sabastine (Morning I, Lagos I), Abraham Vucekovich (Main II, Chicago), James Wood (Evening II, UK), Jonathan Salyuk (Morning, Kief), Benedict (Main III, Lagos I), and Dr. Abraham Kim (Closing Message). 

For this we had to start to pray from Jan. with fasting. God accepted our 5 loaves and 2 fish of prayer. And he gave the sign of blessing for this conference through postponing the date of the Exam of Lagos University. Their exam time schedule was 8/12-20. Our program was 8/17-19. Our students were worrying and we also became anxious about our preparation for the conference and how can we invite Sheep for this. But God answered our prayer and Lagos Univ. postponed their exam to 9/3-17.

 

We prayed for raising the witness of the gospel through this Conference. Nowadays to be a witness of the gospel is not a small issue. Moslem people drove Christians away from their country. Bokoharam is the terrorist corps which is working in North Nigeria. They persecute, slaughter, and threaten Christians and churches. Even in the democratic society people mock, insult, and hate Christians.  However when the Holy Spirit comes upon us we can overcome any situation and persecution and can be witnesses of the gospel.  God raised the witnesses of Jesus among Nigerian students through this conference.

 

We raised group Bible study leaders who joined our ministry just for 3-4 years. They are Brothers Arinze, Richard, Moses, and Anu and Sisters Lara, Latifat, Ejiro, and Nike. They are spiritually and physically young. But since they joined us they were very faithful in all kinds of activities. They became fruits of this conference .

 

God blessed this conference with many delegates (35). Dr. Abraham Kim and Sarah Kim and Dr. John Jun, M. Isaac Kim, M. Daniel and Miso Rhee who are seniors came to serve us. We also invited some messengers from oversea.

 

Our leaders and brothers and sisters grew spiritually. They sacrifice their lives, time and money. Really this is God’s grace. But sometimes I feel that they are like frogs in a small well. I wanted them to learn other’s faith from other chapters. But to get visas is difficult for them. Then if it is difficult to send them overseas let’s invite some shepherds from overseas. This was the reason to invite some shepherds from overseas.  So we could learn from each other and have unity and a sense of belonging.

 

The conference seemed not perfect. There were weak points, mistakes, and lack of preparations because of only a few missionaries and leaders to prepare it. M. Trueman, Sh. Abraham, James, Seun, and Fatoinbo got permission from their offices for one week vacation and co-worked each other to prepare this conference.  By their co-working and hard work we could have this conference.

 

3. Pioneering Ghana

Few years ago we studied The Book of Acts. We started to pray for our ministry to be used by God as the power station for 156 campuses in Nigeria and 12 countries in West Africa. He accepted our 5 loaves and 2 fish of prayer and he pioneered Ghana by M. Trueman Lee and Maria Lee's family. M. Trueman Lee was here for seven years and M. Maria was here for five years. They went to Ghana through Samsung Electricity.  May God bless their ministry to raise one Abraham of faith and Sarah of faith.

 

4. Three intern shepherds came for the training.

Jacob Kim (Kim Jae Seok, from Sung Dong Chapter), John Kim (Jung young Kim, from Jongro Ch.1), and Joshua Jung (Hyon Tae Jung, In Je Ch.) came here for their internship training. They stayed in my house for six months after participating in the conference.

They woke up at 5:30 everyday and participated in morning devotion and wrote daily bread in English. They went to Lagos University for two hours to study English daily. They wrote weekly testimonies in English every week. They went to the campus to fish Sheep.  It required spiritual struggling for them. They had to overcome fear in their hearts to walk on the street. They had to endure all kinds of inconveniences: too many mosquitoes, heat-because of lack of electricity, language barriers, different culture, different food, and so on.  However they made a good environment for the work of God and were a good influence in our ministry. They were humble and gentle servants of God. We had very wonderful fellowship with them.They are very precious because they are ready to suffer for Jesus and to live as full time shepherds.

 

5. A precious co-worker joined us

We prayed to invite a co-worker throughout last year. Then God sent M. Underwood from Yul Jeon Chapter. He works at Samsung Electricity. He is a very talented and able shepherd. God comforted and strengthened our ministry through sending him. We pray to invite Sh. Kim Jung Yup through my company and Sh. Paul Koh through Samsung company.

 

 

6. Christmas Worship Service

 

On 12/17, We had Christmas Worship service at the center. About 70 people gathered together. We worshiped and praised him who rescued us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

For this we had prayer meetings a month prior. We presented Hallelujah Chorus and Taekwon Dance by M. Underwood, intern shepherds, and some of our brothers as well as special songs by each fellowships.

 

7. God opened the way for my family to start a new business

God trained Abraham for 25 years through childlessness problem. God trained my family for 16 years through material problem. Through this problem I could learn faith that patiently waits for God's promise to be fulfilled.  For a long time God trained my family to be mature servants and to be steadfast in faith and to be a source of blessing. He trained us to fix our eyes on Jesus and to live before him, instead of living before people. Briefly speaking God trained my family to be useful servants. The military Academy destroys a person thoroughly and recreates that person to be new creation.  Through having material problems for such a long time God destroyed my old person and recreated me to be a new creation.  Now he blessed me to begin a company--to be a vendor of LG.  It is a showroom interiors business. He provided an engineer, factory, and fund all at once though it was not enough. This is God's one sided grace upon my family. As Jesus restored the disciple's failure to catch fish he did so for my family. Jesus restored my failure in material independence. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" "For nothing is impossible with God." "Everything is possible for him who believes."  Throughout last year I shouted these words in my heart and fought against defeatism, fatalism, and negative thinking. This new business was not given for free. It has a lot of stress because of lack of funds and lack of experience, lack of responsibility, and lack of ability of workers. Especially, I felt that my blood run dry in my body often because of employing designers, carpenter issues, and  problems obtaining necessary funds.  At first I wanted to do business with one partner. But the partner tried to do the business by himself alone after kicking me out. So I had to kick him out from this business and I had to take charge of everything. That is why I have a lot of burden and stress.

 

8. God blessed Hannah to get admission into HUFS

God blessed Peter and Hannah to study in RVA in Kenya where it is like heaven. And after finish their high school they went to Korea for their university life. Hannah got admission into HUFS. Peter failed. But God will surely bless Peter to get an admission into suitable campus this year.

Monica began year two in Handong. She got a scholarship. She is so happy to study in that university. God was with our three children and gave them good health. He protected them from all dangers, temptations, and sicknesses. May God help them to meet Jesus very personally and accept God's call so that they may be used as shepherds and Bible teachers in this generation.

 

II. This year

I couldn't participate in the missionary conference in Zambia because I had to take care of my business. I began this year with burden and stress. Whenever I see the situation and myself, my mind became worried and anxious. My mind became doubtful that this business can be successful? My mind is like the father who had a son who fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. "But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." But Jesus said, 'If you can?' "everything is possible for him who believes." (Mk.9:23) The work of God does not depend on the human condition. It is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's. (1Sam. 17:47) Business is not by human ability or gift but by God. (Philipp. 4:13)

My sincere and earnest desire is to reveal his glory through a successful business. At the same time I have to repay a debt and I am a responsible for ten people's lives and my family's life. I invested a lot of money for this business. Therefore this business must be successful. 

 

This year our target and goal is to have 70 1:1 Teams and 70 S.W.S.A in our ministry. We also pray for establishing 12 house churches within 2015.

Our leaders -Sh. Abraham, Sh. James, Sh. Seun, Sh. Fatotinbo have to get visas to participate in the ISBC. We pray to invite three co-workers through Samsung (2) and through my company (1) this year. 

Peter has to get an admission into a campus in which God leads.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it."

The One who called me is Almighty and faithful who created the heavens and the earth. He raised the dead. He divided the Red Sea. May God have mercy on me to have faith that believes in his words. He called me as his child and servant. He started this ministry and business. May God have mercy on my company to get a designer and a carpenter who fears God and who are very faithful as soon as possible.  May God bless our prayer topics this year.

 

Prayer Topics:

 

One word : God will do it.