In 2009, we had several prayer topics:
1. To make a vessel of love
2. To form our first disciple team
3. To grow spiritually through Luke gospel Bible study and testimony writing
4. To serve 1:1 bible study faithfully
Based on these prayer topics, I would like to share the work of God among us.
First, God raised 1 Abraham of faith.
Missionary Esther Sim met Richard Hammett three years ago. He was in his 2nd year of nursing at La Trobe University. His face was so dark and gloomy that it was as if he had just come back from a funeral. Because of his broken family background, he was deeply wounded. He almost gave up his studies and lost his direction. He suffered from the fear that God would not accept him as he was because he thought he was so sinful. Yet at the same time, he had a rebellious attitude toward God so he strongly refused to repent before God. We prayed and served him with the love and patience of God. And gradually he began to change and grow spiritually. During the 2009 Melbourne Summer Bible Conference, he wrote his testimony sincerely with an open heart and shared it with us. We were so grateful to God who healed his broken heart and wounds through his truth and love. Richard made a decision to commit himself to campus mission at UBF. Since then, he has been attending Sunday worship service, 1:1 bible study, and the disciple team bible study faithfully. In 2010, he set the goal of helping one soul as a shepherd. May God bless his commitment and his sincere heart. We pray that he may become a good disciple of Jesus and a shepherd for many wounded campus souls. Praise God for raising one man of faith.
Secondly, God formed a first disciple team.
Due to Satan’s disturbance, there was conflict between the Korean students and Australian students. We realized that it was the time to teach them a sense of unity in Christ and help them grow spiritually through proper spiritual training. Through prayer, we decided to form a disciple team (Richard Hammett, James Stacey, Pauline Cho and two young missionaries, Andy Yang and Erin Koo). We also helped them lead each weekly disciple team group bible study in turn and started studying Acts after Sunday worship service. Initially they did not know what to do—how to prepare and how to lead bible study. However as time went by, they began to have a sense of leadership and figured out how to study the bible with a humble and learning attitude. By the end of 2009, they became responsible for Acts bible study and participated in it willingly and really started to enjoy their time of bible study. God also granted them a sense of unity as members of the first disciple team. They started to care for each other and became proud of being disciple team members. We pray that God may raise a second and third disciple team. In 2010, the disciple team decided to go to Melbourne University and pray together. We pray that God may raise them into good witnesses of Jesus Christ at the Melbourne campus.
Thirdly, God blessed 1:1 ministry and fishing.
Except for two female missionaries, the rest of the coworkers in Melbourne work full time as lay missionaries. But they faithfully go to campus every Monday and invite students to bible study. And God sent us students through this: Kate Hitchenson, James Stacy, Jessica Opsie, Imogen, Carolyn, Eun-sook, Mi-sook, Hyun-a, Karl, Seung-hui, Pauline, and Esther Jr. Among them, 8 have studied the bible with us continually. We pray that they may grow into disciples of Jesus. Right now, we have 12-15 Sunday worship service attendants. May God raise disciples at the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University through our ministry.
