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“Come to me (Venid A Mi)!”

Key Verse: Matt. 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

The first historical Central American and Caribbean Bible Conference took place at a beautiful and fresh recreation center, Adulam (April 2-5), 3.5 km from Guatemala-City. Though Guatemala is a high elevated area more than 1450 m, and often hot at this time, here, about 2000 m, it was clear and cool with God’s grace.

There were 111 attendants, including 6 babies and children (7 countries in Central and Caribbean America 99- Guatemala 47, Nicaragua 18, El Salvador 12, Honduras 9, Belize 9, Costa Rica 3 and Dominican Republic 1; delegators 12- Korea 3, USA 8 and Brasil 1).

“Come to me (Venid a mi)!”was the main theme of this conference. Currents of messages and life testimonies in the whole conference were for each us to have a true rest and joy, when we come to Him according to the invitation or calling of the Lord Jesus, who is the Creator God, gentle and humble in heart, and who invites us to take his yoke upon us and follow him.

Shepherd Dillon (Belize UBF) delivered this word (Matt. 11:28-30), titled “Come to Me” as an opening message. Though Dillon grew up in a Christian family to love the word, he witnessed that he could not help but suffer hardships with burdens of sins, and then met Jesus Christ deeply and had a true rest and joy through Bible study.

At night, Dr. Jose Paul Ahn delivered a special lecture, based on John 9:1-7; when he grew up without his parents and was very poor after the Korean War (1950-53), he could not help reproaching himself and others, thinking of it fatalistically “Who sinned, I or my parents?” However, he was changed through Bible study, and then pioneered Guatemala, Mexico as a diplomat missionary and has revealed the Lord’s glory by fulfilling today’s revival of Central and Caribbean America.

 On the second day, Shepherd Jonathan (Nicaragua UBF) witnessed Jesus, who came to one Samaritan woman through main lecture 1 (John 4:1-30); though Jonathan tried to quench his thirst through the world such as love with festivals, drinking, and adultery, he became useless and emptier; but he witnessed that he has been changed through Jesus’ word and then has lived a common life at a tent and been serving sheep.

We learn that through his change and 14 life testimony speakers’ change, when even any  sinners meet Jesus, the origin of the eternal living water through Bible study, his or her object of worship can be changed, and they can then offer the true worship with the Holy Spirit’s help; in the early morning, Shepherdess Genly (Honduras UBF) and M. Lydia Park (Costa Rica UBF) served gracious words, and each has decided to live a Jesus-centered life, by meeting or meeting Jesus newly through his word.

On the third day, M. Raul in El Salvador delivered main lecture 2, titled “Come and enjoy the joy of the cross”, based on Luke 23:34; he witnessed very earnestly and powerfully that Jesus’ cross has been for our sins, and then he asked each us for what we should decide before his cross today; he said, “The answer is for us each to go to Jesus’ cross”; he witnessed that though he was sick with alcohol and carnal desire in the past, he has been changed through Jesus and is now a missionary to El Salvador.

On the second and third day, Shepherd Mariano (Nicaragua UBF) and Shepherd Juan Carlos (El Salvador UBF), each witnessed powerfully to the word, “I will go back to my father”(Luke 15:11-32), “Go into all the world”(Mark 16:1-20); when each of them didn’t have Jesus in his life, each could not help but live a life behaving recklessly; but each said to us to meet Jesus through Bible study, and then to serve God and his sheep with praise and word in the Father God or to establish a house of faith with a devout and beautiful woman, Yanette and in God’s time ‘to obey the Lord and to go into all the world, to witness to the gospel.’

The last day, we offered Sunday worship service, through the word, “You are the Christ (Tú eres el Cristo: Mark 8:27-38) by Shepherd Dimas (Guatemala UBF); he decided that he disowned a deep-seated disease of Central America, the empty way of life handed down to them from their ancestors that many fathers each has been used to deserting his children and home, and lived his disciple’s life to be willing to follow Him, whom he has confessed as his Messiah.

Finally, a closing message was delivered by M. Jorge Antonio (Dominican Republic UBF), sent out from Guadalajara UBF in Mexico; he served the message composedly and powerfully, titled “Remain in Jesus” (John 15:1-23); he told us that each person, who has met Jesus and confessed his or her faith and love to Him, should remain in His word and love, so that he or she may bear much fruit and reveal His glory.

After sharing testimony in group, second day and third day, Shepherd David Nam (Gongreung UBF, in Korea) gave Korean missionaries a special lecture on “Vanishing totally and Restoration”; he said that not a few shepherds or missionaries, who followed Jesus, and served the Lord and His gospel, have been tired and exhausted to be vanished totally.

He concludes that the best way to restore it is to first go to Jesus, according to His invitation, “Come to me!”, the main theme of this conference, and then to find out and repent of a problem (or a sin) for each one to live with each one’s own will and zeal without Jesus and to give not only other person, but also oneself hurt and pain, so that each one may be forgiven by Jesus and forgive, love each other.

During the conference, we praised in Spanish according to the guidance of one leader, who was playing the guitar or beating a drum, for about 30 minutes before the word and worship; although there is a little difference among them, the Latin people open their hearts and focus on their worship by praising the Lord, just as Koreans or Americans; in particular, several second generations’ participation made the praise purer and more alive.

Furthermore, drama, folk dance, worship dance and so on here also let the Lord’s gospel penetrate deeply into our lives; especially, we learned newly that as the Lord’s servants to have the same discerning eye as the new generations have, and to sympathize with and serve them, the gospel work.

On the night of the first day, folk dance of Guatemala team, drama about a Samaritan woman of El Salvador team, video drama about a prodigal son, produced by brother Raul, in Guatemala opened our minds; the next night, folk dance and worship dance of Nicaragua team, African primitive, unrestricted, beautiful dance of Belize team, at last night, folk dance of each El Salvador team and Costa Rica team pleased all of us; we believe that God was also pleased by it.

The conference, co-working with one mind and one heart of seven countries together with native shepherds and shepherdesses beginning with Bible speakers, life-testimony speakers, praise leaders and so on, were taken charge of by nearly all native shepherds (shepherdesses), native brothers (sisters), and each country participated in more than one duty, small or big, little or much.

For example, while Shp. Dimas (Guatemala) guided praises through playing the piano or CD, Shp. Mariano and Shp. Jonathan (Nicaragua) guided, each playing the guitar and beating a drum; an announcement was each divided among Edwar (Guatemala), Juan Kim (Nicaragua), and Isidro (El Salvador). M. Josue Ham, who oversaw the whole work, prayed, served, co-working with one mind and one heart in the Lord Jesus; I believe that the Lord was pleased with the five loaves and two fish which we gave Him and worked among us.

After the conference, we visited a coffee plantation and its factory for information; we also sampled more than a cup of sweet-smelling coffee there; Guatemala is one of the countries to cultivate coffee good in quality in Latin America.

Through this conference, I realize and thank God that He has done much work during that time in Central America; before, it was not easy for us to bring one or two sheep to a conference, but now an amazing work took place that all the countries each brought more than 9 to this conference but Costa Rica come here by plane. Most of all, M. Josue Ham, who has served a work pioneering Guatemala UBF for the last 26 years and laid a foundation of independence, let Shp. Edwar succeed the directorship on April 8, so that Guatemala might change to a native shepherd system; we pray that Shp. Edwar may bear God’s grace and duty, received from the Lord, wisely and faithfully for 4 years and reveal God’s glory (Written by Josue Ham).  

One Word: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…”