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“Remain in Me”

We had our 2012 Easter conference on April 5 – 8 for 3 nights and 4 days.  The theme was “Remain in Me.” (John 15:5)  Our prayer topic was to help young people who live a religious life based on legalism to learn inner holiness and fruit-bearing life.

During more than 2 months we had prayer meetings in the morning and evening.  Generally, 7-12 members participated in the prayer meetings. To help register new sheep seemed harder than ever. For the new sheep it was hard to pay for the conference. In the case of sisters, they had to get their parents’ permission to attend. At times, we felt as though we couldn’t bring any new sheep.  We felt as though this generation is getting farther away from having spiritual desire.  But on the day of the conference, 14 new sheep appeared!  I was so thankful for the leaders who labored hard for them. Also, five persons decided to receive discipleship training.

For the conference, 10 messengers and 12 life testimony sharers received training. The messengers delivered heart-moving messages; the life testimony sharers confessed their sins, repented with tears and accepted the grace of Jesus. Personally, I was thankful for the growth of 22 members. Although 5-6 people couldn’t finish the training, their spiritual problems could be dealt with and there was the fruit of repentance.

During the training one brother couldn’t accept my rebuke based on God’s word and sent me an email challenging my character directly.  I was burdened to confront him. But remembering Mother Sarah Barry’s words “Treat your sheep like your children and your children like your sheep,” I decided to serve the brother like my son, Daniel.  Through this, the brother was restored as a presider and prayer servant.  

Through the training, two members came together and confessed their romantic feelings to one another. Although there wasn’t a physical relationship, they were saddened because they realized that their romantic feelings hindered their relationships with God.  The fact that they recognized their romantic feelings as sin and repented it is a precious work of God through his word. They decided to clear up their relationship and are struggling to keep their purity before God.

Through this conference, we found prayer topics to pioneer 3 Bolivian cities, Cochabamba, La Paz and Sucre by 2015, and to hold a conference together with 120 attendants. This coming April 21st in our Bible center Sh. Marco Antonio from Bolivia UBF and M. Erendira from Mexico UBF will establish a house church for Argentine mission. Sh. Marco Antonio will be the first missionary from Bolivia UBF. I pray that through this many Bolivian young people may see the vision and dream for Bolivia to be raised as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

One Word: “Remain in Me”

Reported by M. Esteban Cho