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“FOR THE MUSLIM, IF I PERISH, I PERISH!”

Esther 4:16b, “When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

I. UBF ministry in Africa

Africa is a beautiful continent with abundant resources, rich natures, diverse religion and culture. Though majority of people of Africa are still poor, they are happy with singing and dancing. They know how to help one another happily, sometimes until you have a desire to stop them from helping you. Africa UBF ministry had been started by M. Jackie Y since she worked in Korean Embassy in 1989. At the present, UBF missionaries are working in 11 countries, and we are praying to send missionaries in other 34 nations.

There are about 100 leaders who are working for life expenses and serving UBF ministry faithfully, and about 350 people are attending at our worship service. Africa is especially important as the station of Moslem mission, since Africans can work in Muslim countries as lay missionaries.

II. To be a shepherd for the Muslim mission

I was born in 1978 in South Sudan. My father is a Muslim and my mother is a Christian. I used to pray with my Muslim father as a Muslim and attended church with my mother on Sundays as a Christian. I lived a confused life because of my parents’ different religious background, but now I see that there was the will of God here to use me for the Muslim mission.

In 1999, when I was in my first year at the Blue Nile University, my colleague, P invited me to attend Sunday worship service and Bible study. Even though I was not quite interested in it, I couldn’t refuse because Shepherd P constantly pushed me to come to Bible study and sometimes, he even gave me the bus fee. In 2001, M. Andrew helped me to know the word of God deeply through testimony training.

I deeply accepted one word in Mark’s Gospel 12:30 and 31. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

In the 2002 Bible conference, I was anointed as a new shepherd with full of Sudan campus mission vision. When I began to teach the Bible to my neighbor, I became fearful. Most of my neighbors and relatives are Muslims. Shepherd P and I were the only Christian in the campus. I suffered because of my Muslim colleagues. They always quarreled with me and pushed me to be a Muslim. Because of their pressure, I seriously prayed morning and evening in remote place.

It was hard time for me, but I believe that it was God’s training for me to be a shepherd for them. Since there was an Africa directors’ conference in Sudan in 2006, I was able to attend the conference by God's grace. In that conference I accepted the world mission command with full vision with Mark’s gospel 13:10. “And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.” After the conference, M. Andrew directed me to receive Sunday message training as the future missionary or director candidate. Since then, I struggled to write and deliver messages every two Sundays.

III. If I perish, I perish

While I was doing Sunday message training, I was offered a job in the government of South Sudan with a very high salary. I must go to some area in South Sudan and stay alone if I would accept the job. At that time, many Sudanese UBF leaders were starting to move to South Sudan after graduation for jobs. It was because African Sudanese cannot get a job easily in K, which is an Arab area. I decided to serve the gospel mission with M. Andrew in K by faith. But still, there was a temptation. My university colleague suggested me with a director position of one of the telephone companies in South Sudan with huge salary and conditions. But I also refused the offer. Because of the decision, my wife, complained and said to me, "Stupid man!"

I persuaded her that the purpose of our life is not to be rich but pleasing God by obeying his command. In 2007 Africa International conference in Nairobi, Kenya, God raised me as a main messenger. By God’s grace I could grow as a good messenger and my world mission vision has been growing in my heart.

In 2009, M. Andrew asked me to be a director of Sudan UBF. I could not answer immediately because of my fearful and confused heart. I complained to God asking why God continually demanded me to sacrifice my life, even though I already gave up two good jobs for the gospel mission before. But during the study of the book of Genesis, I learned about God’s sovereignty:

I believed that my life belonged to God and he led me according to his divine sovereignty and providence. One day I watched Mother Sarah’s message, the title, “Your Kingdom Comes,” in UBF TV. She said that many people want to know first and they decide, but we should decide first then we will know. Because of these words, I could decide to obey God, even though I could not fully understand at the moment. When M. Andrew asked me again, “Can you give up the new job and continually stay and serve the Gospel mission as a director?”

I answered, “Yes,” by faith. In the Africa director conference in Uganda at the end of 2009, I was anointed as a director of Sudan UBF and a successor of M. Andrew, who has served Sudan as a director for the last twenty years. The end of 2010, God has provided me with a good job in the government of Sudan and I am able to stay in K continually by His grace. I realized it was God’s holy calling to me to be blessed and to be a source of blessing for Sudan. From July, this year, Sudan will divide into two nations and South Sudan becomes an independent nation.

For that reason, most of our leaders have moved to South Sudan and North Sudan government may rule over with Sharia Law, a Muslim Law. Now it would not be easy for Christians to even come to North Sudan. Sudan UBF leaders have already moved to M UBF, in South Sudan, Dr. Oyor, and Shepherd J will be in charge of the ministry. Now in K, I am alone with several sheep.

I was very fearful if I could stay in K and serve campus students even after it becomes a strong Muslim area. Then in fall 2010, shepherd Daniel attended the leaders' conference and encouraged us with Esther chapter4. Then the message, "If I perish. I perish." gave me spiritual challenge and helped me to have Esther’s martyrdom faith.

I decided again to keep the gospel mission in K in any situation by the faith of "If I perish, I perish." When I made a decision to die, if I die, all my fears were gone. I could see God who will use my life preciously to accomplish his great salvation work in Sudan.

I pray that with this martyrdom faith I may keep the mission in K and serve Sudan, Africa, and the world mission as his servant continually.

One word: “If I perish. I perish."