News > CIS

1. Korean Language Center Opening

As a result of holding on to the prayer direction from the 2012 CIS director’s conference, we returned to the mission field and opened a Korean Language Center.  We signed a lease contract for the office and purchased desks, chairs, and office furniture.  The center is located on the sixth floor, right across from the Perm Engineering College.  We can see the campus through the windows.  It is located about ten minutes from home.  We were not used to a place other than home as a workplace, but it is good for us to commute to another place.  In the morning, we spend time freely at the center and in the afternoon, between 6 p. m. - 8 p. m., we use the center for Korean language class.  Our lives have become more stable.  We started the class with the former students from Shekola.  The class started with only two students and the biggest class size was six.  I have learned management skills during the past year.  Though the numbers were not very great, the students studied Korean consistently.  Some students came after looking at the advertisements, others  through the introduction of friends.  Mostly, Russians who are passionate about Korea and Korean culture came to learn Korean.  I am a Korean who speaks the Korean language, but teaching Korean  to foreigners is a different matter.  I improved my teaching skills by researching how to teach Korean well and by attending the Korean classes of M. Grace who is more experienced.  I see the possibility of  this being an important tool for campus mission.   I received a certificate after completing three weeks of Korean class for foreigners, but I was rejected by the college.  So I am considering entering college to receive a degree in Korean if it is necessary in the long term.  M. Grace teaches two classes,  eight hours per week,  at the university and supports the Korean Center.  We are praying to recruit more students.  We pray that the Lord may use the Korean Center as our five loaves and two fish and grant Bible students among students learning Korean.

 

2. House Church Purchase and Remodeling

In February we sold our house in Yekaterinburg and purchased a new house at Perm.  We had prayed for just the right house church.  First, we wanted to buy a two-room house, but it did not work out. The Lord led us to the center of city. There was a house with three bedrooms located next to the Perm Engineering school, but it was expensive.  This house was sold to someone else because we did not make a buying decision quickly enough.  It was not easy to find a house.  The presidential election was very close so people believed that the price of houses would rise.  There were many obstacles to buying the right house.  But the Lord sent a good agent and with her help, we purchased a three bedroom house that is located very close to the College of Education and ten minutes away from the College of Engineering.  We received a $10,000 bank loan and completed  95% of the remodeling.  The worship room can hold 30 people.  We are excited to have a vision of filling the room with God’s flock.  The Lord provided the suitable house church close to campus so we believe that the Lord will fill the house with his sheep.

 

3. Daniel Moon Jr’s Thyroid Tumor Surgery and Korean Visit

A tumor was discovered on the neck of my second son, Daniel Moon Jr. at the end of 2011.  At first, we thought it was due to Iodine deficiency, so he took Iodine for six months and we watched his condition.  But the tumor grew bigger and his doctor sent him to the Moscow cancer center to have surgery.  The pre-surgery tests did not show any cancer cells.  We decided to have his surgery in Moscow.  The surgery was successful.  However, they discovered cancer cells from the tumor.  So we hurried to Korea for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.  At the beginning of August, Daniel had a retest.  The Korean doctors said that there was a 50 50 chance of it being either benign or malignant.  They finally decided that it is not malignant.  We went to the Samsung Clinic with the help of a Kyung Sung shepherd, and finally it was decided that there was “no cancer”.  The first time, we were shocked at the “cancer” diagnosis, and we were also shocked the second time at the news of “no cancer”.  Through this, we realized that the owner of our lives is God, and it is only by God’s grace that we stay healthy, so we need to be thankful.  We need to serve the Lord diligently while we are healthy.  We received prayer support and love from God’s servants through this.  CIS UBF supported us with airline tickets.  Daniel’s voice changed  slowly but has completely recovered.  While he stayed in Korea, he had fellowship with Korean second gens and began to have a Korean identity and love Korea.  I spent two months in Korea and was spiritually recharged.  It was God’s wonderful grace that I sent my father to his eternal home during this time.  Many shepherds and God’s servants came to the homecoming and comforted us.  As an eldest son, I did not serve my father but I was so thankful that I could be a witness for the  gospel as the only believer in the family.  My father passed away while I was on the way to Busan from Seoul, so I did not see him at his last moment.  But I could participate in the sending off with my family.  The atmosphere could have been dark but my mother invited a pastor from church and had a Christian homecoming ceremony so this was an opportunity to witness Christ to family and friends.

 

4. Campus Evangelism and the Ministry of the Word

We serve witnessing and fishing at Perm Engineering College and Perm Arts College on Saturdays and Sundays.   After moving, we witnessed at Perm Education College too.  As a result, I started 1:1 with a student whom I met  in July.  He was a freshman named Ruslan.  He only solved question #1 with me and left when his friend called him.  I was so happy to have a 1:1 with a new sheep at the new mission field.  I had confidence in serving gospel ministry at this new place and looked up at the field that is ripe for harvest at Perm.  From the pioneering stage, we have served one sheep named Stephen with 1:1.  He dropped out of college and joined the army.  He was discharged from the army and tried to find a job at Perm.  Now he has gone back to his home town.  His friend, Koscha is a college junior.  He received my call very well.  I lost my former fiery spirit and did not serve sheep wholeheartedly.  Another reason is my two children are in eight and ninth grades and I spend lots of time and energy on my children.  I pray that I may deny myself in order to help one sheep and seek his kingdom and his righteousness first.  I confess that I was lacking in witnessing and teaching God’s word.  By God’s grace we could come near campus and move to a good house church.  I was self-conscious about my preaching at our house church.  We always had a Sunday worship with our family only.  So our children, Andrew and Daniel pushed us to invite sheep actively.  This year, we studied Genesis and John.  My recent important prayer topic is to prepare wonderful messages.  In order to write good messages, I read many books and attended seminars in Korea.   But my co-worker suggested that I not be too stressed out, but digest God’s servant’s messages and deliver them, and spend more time in witnessing instead.  Even if there is a  great message, it is of no use if there are no listening ears.  Messages are for listeners.  Therefore, I found the direction that I may read and digest the messages of God’s servants well and focus on witnessing.  We pray to establish twelve 1:1’s this year.  We pray to raise one Abraham and 30 Sunday Worship attendants by 2015.  Our 2013 New Year’s key verse is Acts 6:4 “ and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”  I realized that only through prayer and the power of the Word can I serve the pioneering ministry.  Whenever I have time, I pray that I may focus on daily bread, meditation of words, and prayer and challenge the 2013 pioneering ministry.

 

5. Enlarge the place of tent

In November 2012, I received a job opportunity through a missionary.  A  Korean company was looking for someone who could work at Omsk  in building a joint venture company with Russia.  I had lived in Perm for two years and we were already serving God’s ministry.  At first, I refused the offer.  But after I met the Korean presidents who invested in Russia and had a mission mindset, my heart was moved.  Currently, the vast Siberian land is vacant; it has to be pioneered.  So I thought that if I worked there for one year and laid the foundation, then the next missionary may come and become independent and serve God’s work there.  I am in the process of negotiating terms.  May God’s will be done and may the place of our Russian tent be enlarged!  May this be useful for future generations' missionary lives and pioneering work!

 

By Andrew Man