News > Africa

Cape Town UBF, Africa

April 10, 2013

Numbers 13:1-14:25 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”

I thank God for saving me from an empty and meaningless life through his Son Jesus Christ. I also thank God for giving me a precious mission in Cape Town as part of the conquest of the Promised Land of world mission. I pray that God may help me to look back on 2012 and to give thanks for his grace and help me to look forward to 2013 with vision and faith. I pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Part 1 Regional Conference –You will be my witnesses

The Southern African regional conference was one of the highlights of the year. Personally what I learnt was based on the opening message (of which I was the messenger) from Jeremiah 1:7 ‘Do not say, “I am only a child”. Like Jeremiah I also had many reasons why I felt like only a child in doing God’s work. Jeremiah said, ‘I don’t know how to speak’. Because I am a lay shepherd I thought I don’t know how to speak God’s word on Sunday’s. I felt a lack of training. On top of that UCT students are always busy with heavy workloads.

However, the Lord said to Jeremiah ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…’ This word helped me to accept God’s sovereignty in appointing me as his campus shepherd in Cape Town. It was time to leave all childish attitudes behind and step forward as a servant of God. God set my life apart for this very task even before I was born. Regardless of all the difficulties, it is my life task and mission from God. After the conference I started to write Sunday messages again with a sincere heart. I thank God for setting my life apart for his great purpose. May I serve God faithfully in 2013 without hesitation. 

Part 2 Sunday Worship Service

After the regional Bible conference we decided to move our Sunday worship service from UCT to UWC. The second highlight of the year came one Sunday. Missionary Daniel Rhee and Missionary Miso Rhee visited us in December. We went to UWC for worship service, but found that all the venues were locked. The December vacation had already started for students. So Missionary Daniel suggested we have worship service under a tree on one of the lawns. While we were singing, one of the security personnel came up to us. I thought he was going to ask us to leave. But he said our singing was so beautiful why don’t we enter the cafeteria area and continue there. We decided to stay under the tree. There under the tree with a cool and gentle breeze dancing around us, I delivered our first lecture on Genesis 1 ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’. Afterwards we prayed with thanksgiving and joy. Our faith was renewed that God wants to bless our pioneering of UWC campus.  

Part 3 Discipleship ministry

Brother Obakeng is a Chemical engineering student. We’ve been serving him for the last five years. Outwardly brother Obakeng complies with what we say and agrees with everything we suggest. But now after five years I realise that inwardly Obakeng’s heart is closed. His heart is occupied with passing his Engineering degree. Because of a heavy work load as an Engineer he could not attend many Sunday worship services this year. When we meet for Bible study he says the right things but his heart is not there. Unfortunately he could not attend the regional Bible conference in Pretoria. We were disappointed by his decision but he had already made up his mind. All we could do was to respect his decision.

One thing that was surprising this year was that brother Obakeng might get a bursary from a company in Cape Town. This would mean that Obakeng might work in Cape Town after graduation. We decided to love Obakeng and serve him without pushing him. Ultimately it is God’s work to change his heart. We can only pray and hope in God’s calling for his life.

Part 4 Thanksgiving and prayer topics

We thank God for 2012 for carrying our house church by his grace. Personally my health has improved. I go to the gym regularly and picked up weight. I feel physically stronger and healthier. I thank God for good health. 

We thank God for Missionary Daniel and Missionary Miso’s visit in Cape Town. We studied the life of Abraham. Our Genesis study helped me to look up at the heavens and count the stars. Pioneering UCT had made my heart narrow and tired. But by looking up and counting the stars my heart was encouraged that God is big. God’s plans are big. And God’s power is big to accomplish it all. We will use our Genesis Bible study with Missionary Daniel to serve students in 2013.

We thank God for our Gospel of Matthew study in 2012. May God bless our Genesis Bible studies in 2013.

We thank God for Missionary Annie’s acceptance to study at UWC in 2013. Her studies are our altar of prayer to pioneer UWC. We pray that her studies might be fruitful and be used by God to reach many students on UWC campus.

We pray that brother Obakeng can grow as a disciple of Jesus and in God’s time that God will call him to become a shepherd for campus students.

I thank God for two beautiful and healthy children that are growing well. We pray for them to receive Jesus in their hearts at a young age.

One word: “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan”