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You give them something to eat

“But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’” (Mk 6:37a)

Inje UBF has been pioneering Inje University in Gimhae since 1988 and the Yangsan campus of Busan University since 2010. Sunday Worship Service attendants on September 11 were 32, 28 from Inje and four from Yangsan. Among them, 13 are undergraduate and master’s program students and there are six house churches. So far, we have sent out four missionaries to Washington, D.C., USA; and Tokyo, Japan. Inje University has 10,000 students and the Yangsan campus of Busan University, which is located 30 minutes from Gimhae, has 1,500 students, mainly medical graduate students.

I. Feb. 21, 1988: First Worship Service

Inje ministry began when shepherd John Kim from Gwanak UBF finished his Ph.D. program in business management at Seoul National University and was appointed to be a professor in Inje University. On Feb. 21, 1988, Shepherd John Kim held the first worship service there based on Joshua 17:15, “Go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves,” with shepherdess Sarah Chun from Gwanak UBF, who was already in Gimhae along with her sheep, HongGuen. In was in lecture room 405 (Unit A) at school.

Beginning from the second week, we rented a small room in a house because of some sheep, and whenever we had the worship service this room was filled with 12 people. But in the fall of 1997, Shepherdess Hannah, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer six months earlier, went to heaven leaving behind two sons, John and Mutbyol. I was in despair. But one word of God came to me. It was 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” From that time on, I struggled and prayed to confess and hold on to Jesus who hung on a tree and prayed for me as my Christ. On May 4, 1999, I established a new house church with Shepherdess Monica from Yonhee UBF, whose husband passed away six years ago by stomach cancer. Together we have two beautiful daughters, Monica and Rebekah.

I heard from Missionary Jimmy Lee from India, who visited Inje UBF in 2002, that his ministry grew when he had studied the book of Genesis bible every week. So I served the book of Genesis for 50 weeks by making my own questions, and having group Bible study and Sunday worship service. It was very fun. Above all, I could deliver each message based on what I had learned after accepting the word of God and struggling to repent. Most of those who came into the ministry early on ended up leaving, but those who came after 2002 grew as leaders. Our ministry became stable by the word of God.

II. December 5: Historic Day

We call December 5 “Historic Day.” On December 5, 2003, Inje UBF ministry started a daily bread meeting through Shepherd Chungman (Peter) Lee in absolute obedience to the word of God: “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.” He won the victory in his job and raised Dongha Lee and Hyuntae Jung as leaders through one to one Bible study.

He established a house church with shepherdess Belssi from Washington UBF and was sent to the U.S.A on January 26, 2007. He got a job at the University of Maryland and is now studying ultrasonic at Montgomery College and serving sheep with one to one Bible study. He has become an admired missionary among the second generation missionaries. We have a daily bread meeting regularly at 6 a.m. and celebrate December 5 as Historic Day. Since 2004, on that day each year, one person who has faithfully attended the daily bread meeting shares his testimony about what happened when he faithfully ate daily bread.

Shepherd Abraham Kim, who works at an architect’s office, received a job offer from an office in Pohang which would have paid twice as much; but he rejected it in order to be used by God for Inje UBF ministry. He has become an admired senior to his juniors. Shepherd Elijah Park kept his faith, established a house church with Shepherdess Eunsun from Yonhee chapter, and has been pioneering a fellowship with all his strength.

Student leaders who have seen their senior’s victory in faith have been given hope that they will receive God’s blessing when they live by faith. For example, Dongha Lee and Hyuntae Jung, who were served by Missionary Peter Lee, received the grace of God through the National Student Conference in 2006. They said that next time we will have 40 attendants from Inje UBF. We call them the Vision 40 team, along with brothers Taehyun Kwon, Moses Chun, John Kim and sister Sohee Kim. They have become the center of our conferences, campus meetings, and testimony sharing meetings; and they have started feeding sheep voluntarily.

Among them Shepherd Joshua (Hyuntae) Jung held on to 1 John 4:10, “This is love,” and decided to live as an intern shepherd and serving Inje ministry with humbleness and love as a full-time shepherd. Shepherd Matthew (Dongha) Lee who graduated with a degree in clinical pathology entered the masters program and named his fellowship: “Fellowship, Buying Kingdom Of Heaven,” and served sheep with time and money even during his busy graduate studying schedule. He studied one to one and invited all of his lab people except one.

Through this work of God, I saw that one person’s change by the word of God is so precious and a strong foundation in God’s ministry. So, it is called, “Rock Fellowship,” which was pioneered by missionary Peter Lee.

III. August 29, 2010: The First Worship Service At The Yangsan Chapter

At 3:00 p.m. on August 29, 2010, we had our first worship service with six people from the Yangsan chapter, including four students from Busan University from the Yangsan campus. This was the answer to our prayer, that Shepherd Moses Chun would be a stump of the Yangsan campus beginning in 2008. Even preparing test for his medical school, he served not only the Sunday worship service but also the campus prayer meeting every week.  Even several weeks before his exam, he invited sheep, attended the full conference, and served the morning devotion time. In 2009, he surprised all the professors and freshmen who attended the freshmen celebration party by refusing to drink alcohol offered by his tutor. After entering the school in March, he had a stump prayer meeting with his roommate and several brothers in his dorm room.

Through this Yangsan chapter pioneering ministry, we saw that second generation shepherds are so precious for the ministry of campus pioneering. Shepherd Moses is the youngest child of Moses (Sunjo) and Sarah (Jaesun Choi) Chun. Shepherdess Sarah Chun serves lunch every Sunday sacrificially and sets the example for others. Shepherd Sunjo was trained in Gwanak I and came to Gimhae and was sent to Germany as a missionary. According to his prayer, his parents accepted Jesus and his first daughter, Sarah, graduated from Inje nursing school and obtained a U.S. RN certificate. She became a very precious co-worker for the Inje ministry and established a house church with Shepherd Matthew (Dongha) Lee and is preparing to go out as a missionary. We rented a center near the Yangsan campus and have a 3:00 p.m. worship service at Yangsan. I serve the 11:00 a.m. worship service at Inje, then go to Yangsan with my wife and deliver the message at 3:00 p.m. and attend the 6:00 p.m. Inje evening worship service.

Four leaders are taking turns serving the 6:00 p.m. worship service and have rehearsal every Saturday morning so they can deliver the message with an effective point. Through this, the leaders are growing as independent Bible teachers, messengers, and shepherds.

From Yangsan, three sisters and Shepherd Moses Chun are attending the worship service faithfully. Among them, Sister Jaeyoung Lee graduated from Gyeongnam Science High School, KAIST (The Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology), and is the youngest student ever to enter Busan University Medical School. She received the grace of God and invited her seniors to one to one Bible study and the Sunday worship service. Among them, Sister Saerom Lee heard the word “forgiveness” in her first worship service and is continually attending the worship service. They received the word of God through this year’s summer Bible conference. Most especially, through the special lecture of Dr. Abraham Kwak from the Gwangjoo chapter I, they heard that early morning prayer is the secret of victory, and they decided to have a daily bread prayer meeting at 8:00 a.m. in front of the school lecture room led by Shepherd Moses Chun beginning this semester. I praise and give thanks to God who accomplishes his ministry by Himself.

In the Inje chapter, the wedding address is always, “You give them something to eat.” In their house, the living room has a hanging board which reads, “You give them something to eat.” I cannot do it, but Jesus who was hung on the cross for me and prayed for our forgiveness will do it with his love.

I pray that God may continuously proclaim his word and raise disciples of Jesus who obey his words, at Inje University and the Yangson campus of Busan University, and that he may send out missionaries to whole world.

One word: You give them something to eat.