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Feed My Sheep!

John 21:15

   Dear Father! I want to see your grace and mercy in my missionary life and the works of the Holy Spirit in Polish ministry. Reflecting on this year, I deeply repent of my laziness as a shepherd who did not feed sheep diligently. So I want to be reminded again of your command to feed sheep in preparation for the New Year.

   At the very end of 2014 (27-29 Dec), we held the European Coordinators’ Conference in Warsaw, with 72 foreign delegates. Before this conference, we had a beautiful memory of Christmas worship service together with Missionary Abraham Kim and his wife, and Shepherd Peter Jeong of HanYang UBF. We, together with Poznan UBF, prepared this conference with prayer and joy. We didn’t feel any burden or hardship to prepare and host many foreign delegates. Our internal coworking was beautiful and graceful in Jesus’ love, and coworking with Shep. Walter Nett, a leader for Europe ministry, was joyful. God gave us the faith and joy to serve the precious servants and coworkers from other mission fields. The title was “Preach the Word” on 2 Tim 4:8. We listened to Jesus’ command to preach the Word. We only have two house churches, but God gave us the vision that we will host a Polish Bible conference with more than 100 people. During the conference, Brother Pawel Zaleski who had started Bible study in October 2013, introduced Poland, and Korean pastor, Ms. Shin, joined and prayed for our ministry.

   After the conference, Msn. Paul Hong visited our house church, and served us and our 2nd generation with vision of God, with personal and deep Bible case study of Solomon. Our 2nd gen missionaries received a deep spiritual challenge from his teaching and advice on being a man of God with globalization, specialization and spirit.

   During Easter holidays, Warsaw and Poznan UBF had a common retreat in Warsaw for four days (18 – 21 April). We memorized 1 Corinthians 15. Especially, 2nd generation missionaries memorized the whole chapter perfectly; we enjoyed Bible study with 2nd generation missionaries and praised Jesus’ resurrection with instruments, testimonies and poems. We loved and hoped for Jesus’ resurrection. We had good love fellowship and spiritual unity.

   The 2nd gen missionaries, Polan(15y) and Paul Park(14y), joined the preparation for European Summer Bible conference at Weillingen, Germany (14 – 17 Aug.). They had a graceful chance for spiritual fellowship in Koln UBF and prayed for European mission. I saw that they had grown up in spirit, and enjoyed serving the ministry. I had a chance to prepare the conference through Nine-Step Bible Study and a prayer meeting with European coworkers. I could expect great things from God for this spiritual event. Life testimonies of European young men moved my heart and gave me great thanks and vision for European and Polish ministry. Most of all, Jesus challenged me with his words about faith. Young European leaders’ preaching was so spiritual that I repented my lack of faith and challenging spirit in my missionary life. The preaching of each messenger was so individualistic and unique that I could receive the words of God very personally and with great joy. I was very happy coworking with other European missionaries in preparing the Mission Booth. They prepared it with heart and prayer, much more than I expected and prayed. We shared prayer topics and the actual situations about each nation.

   This year, Missionary Hanna Lee of Poznan UBF finished her study in Polish language and literature, started working in SeoJong Institute inside Poznan University (of Adam Miczkiewicz). She could meet many campus students and served sister Joanna. Missionary Henryk Lee has worked in better working conditions after long hardships. God compensated for his long endurance in the hope of salvation. Poznan UBF continuously prays for making disciples among Polish young students.

   Missionary Joshua Cha joined the Polish ministry in November from Shin Soo UBF, Korea working at LG Electronics, Warsaw. His family will join it on December 19, with two babies (10 m and 2 years old). We will have good church community with two families in Warsaw from the New Year.

   Missionary Deborah Park served sister Ula, in 4th year in Warsaw Politechnical Univ. since 2013. We met her by internet fishing through language exchange proposal. This year, the relationship was advanced so that Missionary Deborah may talk with her about the Bible. Now after working hours, Missionary Deborah Park meets sister Agnieszka, Ulga and Dorota. Missionary Elijah Park keeps regular sports fellowship with brothers Tomasz and Zbyszek for many years. He had deep compassion on old sheep, and prayed for their spiritual change and strong spiritual experience of God’s presence. Tomasz works as a lecturer on weekends in the university, and Zbyszek, too, in private language school. So they could not join Sunday worship service. We pray that they may meet God and become those who worship God and who are faithful Abrahams for Polish ministry.

   Patience in the hope of salvation is not easy. However, in faith and hope, we have kept the hope of salvation among Polish young generation with great patience this year. We have a huge limit in available time as self-supporting missionaries, having young children, daily hard working. However, through our missionary life, we have loved Jesus much more than before, more than anything. Our hope in the eternal Kingdom of God became stronger and deeper, so we could stand in prayer and with great hope of salvation.

   This year, personally I was lazy in feeding sheep inspite of good conditions as a self-supporting missionary. I had no strong compassion on lost sheep and love for Jesus, so I was not diligent going to the mission field and finding and, feeding sheep. Next year, I pray that I may love Jesus more than before, so that I may feed Jesus’ sheep with Jesus’ heart and spirit, and lead them to the eternal Kingdom of God and making them into Jesus’ disciples. May God bless our ministry next year, so that we may feed Jesus’ sheep every day!

Prayer Topics for 2015;

• To be a good shepherd, loving Jesus and feeding sheep.
• To feed one new sheep with man to man Bible study for each missionary.
• To establish one faithful Abraham and Sarah in Warsaw & Poznan UBF.
  (Tomasz, Zbyszek, Pawel, Ulga, Agnieszka, Dorota, Joanna)
• To make unity in Jesus’ love with 3 house churches for Polish ministry.
• For 2nd gen missionaries to grow up well spiritually. (Total: 9 members)

by Msn. Elijah Park