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Our Key Verse for 2016 was John 12:24, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." We finished one year and started the next as we usually do with our winter retreat. Francis Choi delivered the message, casting vision for the year ahead. It was our prayer to see Jesus, our true kernel of wheat this year, to die to ourselves, and have a fruitful year learning Jesus’ pathway to glory. And in so many way’s God answered our prayer causing us to die to ourselves in order to be a blessing to other. 

We started the year looking forward to the Uganda Missions Trip, knowing also that Francis would be sent out as a missionary to Uganda. This event was the center and focus of the year. 

In January, P. Abraham T. Kim sent S. Yvonne Lee to join our HBF leadership team. This was an answer to prayer for more Bible teachers and leaders to serve HBF ministry.

After almost 11 years at Lane Tech, I quit my job in March and accepted a part time Chicago UBF staff position to serve HBF ministry. This was after much prayer and consideration, seeing God’s leading me into a deeper commitment to the calling God put on my life to serve High School students with the word of God through HBF ministry. I have served HBF ministry for 15 years now. It started out as just “helping out” high school students when I was in college. This staff position has given me opportunity to commit more to personal Bible study, focus on big picture ministry planning, and preparing an HBF Bible study curriculum. 

In March we also had our HBF Easter Conference: Restored. 32 in attendance. 23 students, 2 from Milwaukee. We studied Luke 19, Luke 15, Luke 23, and Philippians 3.Three Seniors prepared messages on The Parable of the Lost Son (Lk 15). We also studied this passage in groups. This allowed for a very deep study of one passage. There were 6 Senior messengers: Becky Rayas, Mary Magadecian, David Won Jr., David Wolff, David Kim, John Lee. They struggled a lot. It was our prayer that each senior experience the power of God’s word in their personal lives, and then out of the overflow of what God does in their hearts, others would be blessed. I believe God answered our prayer. We are also thankful for 4 Junior group Bible study leaders and 2 life testimonies from Moses Lee and Miriam Pierce. The conference was full of God’s word and His Spirit. Through this conference we prayed that each student would grow in a deep personal relationship with God through what Jesus, their true older brother, has already done for them.

HBF Uganda Mission Team. From July 17-29, sixteen Chicago HBF members went on a short term mission’s journey to Uganda. In partnership with Show Mercy International, high school students served a mission center the reaches out to neighboring towns and villages. During their time they served 2 Bible schools, each attended by more than 200 children. They visited the elderly and the sick and prayed for them. Students were also encouraged to share Bible verses and pray for people in the market. All these things stretched our team members to step out of their comfort zone. As they did so, they could experience a great work of God. Students’ eyes were opened to see God’s love for all people. They were encouraged by the genuine and sincere lives of faith through the people living in Uganda as missionaries. 

Through the Uganda Mission Trip, HBF sent Francis as a missionary to Uganda. While the whole team had return tickets, Francis had a one way ticket and did not return. Francis sacrificed his comfortable well paying job to follow God’s call to serve God’s work as a missionary to Uganda. Since arriving in Uganda, he and his wife Theresa has been serving Uganda UBF ministry through one to one BIble study, Group Bible studies and serving the Sunday worship service message.

After the Uganda Mission trip, Christine Mun followed God’s leading to commit herself more fully to her church, Redemption Center. We are so thankful for her service and commitment to HBF ministry over the past three years. Her love, prayer, and practical service for many of HBF girls was such a blessing.

Throughout the year, we also prayed for an HBF Baptism. We identified each of our HBF members who were not yet baptized, reached out to them, and prayed for them. After a series of baptism Bible studies, 4 HBF students committed their life to the Lord through Baptism: Jessica Mun, Emily Mun, Jojo Yu, and Joshua Lee were each baptized by P. Ron.

In August, 8 Seniors graduated high school to move on to college: John Lee (NU), David Wolfe (NU), David Kim (IIT), Stephen Horvath (U of C), Mary Magardecian (UIC), Becky Raya (Dominican), Karen Lee (NYU) and Grace Lenthang (UIUC). Moses Lee also finished a one year HBF internship to join a newly established NU student fellowship with John and David, under the student leadership of Jonathan Cho.

With Francis, Christine, and Moses moving on from our HBF leadership team, we began praying for God to send HBF new leaders. So as an answer to much prayer, we have been so blessed to have Esther Ahn and Miriam Pierce with us since this past August. Our newly established team consists also of Anna Toh, Helen Kim, Yvonne Lee,  and myself. Through Bible study and fellowship each week we are getting to know each other more deeply, and growing to love and trust each other more and more. I am so thankful for God’s work in this way.

As the new school year started, the prayer to die to ourselves was bearing much fruit as there was a spirit of God who was going to be doing a new thing. We had 4 newly commited lives to Jesus after HBF Baptism Bible studies: Jojo Yu, Jessica Mun, Emily Mun, and Joshua Lee.

In August, S. Yvonne Lee’s two daughters, Olivia and Marie, came from Korea to join our HBF ministry. We also welcomed a large Freshmen class: Stephen, Daniel, Roman, Annie, Frida, Hannah, Faith, and Baovi.

As we began our fall ministry, we identified 5 areas of improvement along with a plan of action for each. 

1. To improve communication with, and support for, HBF parents we relaunched our HBF newsletter, Beautiful Feet.
2. To improve Senior’s development and preparation for College life and ministry Anna and I began a coed Senior Devotional group. The purpose of the devotional group is to study the Bible and prepare Bible study notes that can be used to teach the Bible in college. 
3. To improve Praise Night in planting one Word each week deeply we began weekly journaling and a monthly review of the journals.
4. To improve the transition of incoming freshmen to HBF ministry, we began connecting with 8th graders during the summer months, through a "big brother/sister" program.
5. To improve HBF leader’s impact and accountability we prepared a list of HBF leaders expectations and improved input onto a Pray and Act file to hold each other accountable to practically serving high school students.

This Fall we re-established a devotional group for every HBF student. We are thankful for Mike Diaz, Moses Lee, and Yvonne Lee for their service to HBF ministries through our devotional group ministry. We also decided to support the United Friday meetings to help HBF ministry stay better connected with UBF ministry. For our Praise Night programs, we have been studying each of the HBF core values (Love God, Wisdom, Service, Friendship, and Discipleship) to lay the foundations of our ministry. 

This past November we hosted an HBF Outreach and encouraged HBF members to invite their friends to hear a message on John 3:16. We also enjoyed a time of fellowship playing broom ball. HBF members brought 8 of their friends, which was such a blessing. 

We are thankful to God for his work throughout the year, helping us to die to ourselves and be a blessing.

Our 2017 HBF key verse is John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

It is our prayer for 2017 that each HBF member grow in their relationship with Jesus by remaining in the true vine, bearing much fruit, and growing in love for one another. 

By Sam Toh