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Belize UBF (South America)

We started this year with Mark 4:20 from Jesus’ parable of the sower as our key verse. We began to pray to have 30 1:1s and 20 SWAs. We prayed also for one Abraham of faith and 12 disciples of Jesus to be raised in God’s time.

In January, Shepherdess Mary Chang and Sarah Yoon visited us bringing a keyboard, speakers, and beautiful songs. We had a wonderful Sunday worship with them singing—9 people attended.

But right after this, one student’s father and grandmother accused us of brainwashing their child with drugs and some exercise. They made up false charges. They said we were Moonies and North Korean agents. They threatened to take us to the court or TV. We tried to explain, but they did not listen. In fact we fed their child and taught the Bible and went with him to the gym to lose weight.

Then my entry to Brazil was denied and I could not attend LDC. I did not think about the visa problem. Even the TACA employee who had issued my ticket thought that a US passport is good everywhere. I was treated like a law breaker. I was confined in a place with other people watched by guards. They gave us good food, but I had to sleep on the concrete floor. The following day, they escorted me to an airplane and I was handed over to other TACA employees every time the plane was changed. One TACA employee met me at the Belize Airport. In this way, I was deported back to Belize.

Another problem was M. Sarah’s missionary work permit. They asked us for a proof of verification of teaching and preaching. M. Sarah lost her missionary certificate. So we had to ask for a new one from Chicago. We showed the certificate, but they wanted something else. I told them a missionary’s job is only teaching and preaching. Finally they approved and she got the permit 3 months later.

I thank God that Jesus is our visa to the kingdom of God. I learned that we have to go through hardships in doing the work of God. Satan does not like the work of God. Also, I learned not to blame Belizeans, but love them unconditionally with the love of God. I need to endure and be patient trusting in God in all matters. Many times, I dreamed of waiting in long lines to get tickets and when my time was up the window was closed, and so on. I do not want delays, denials and more red tape. I tend to think that I should not have any problems since I trust in God. But there always seem to be many problems. I realized that I should not expect a problem-free life; rather, in all situations I should live by faith.

In April, Rufus got a full scholarship from Waseda University in Japan for PhD study in Tel-Com. And he moved with his family. We prayed for him to be a professor shepherd.  M. Sarah visited Washington and attended the Spring Bible Conference and shared the work of God in Belize. In May Msn Josue, Anna Ham with Caesar visited us from Guatemala. M. Anna has been praying for Central American mission including Belize and we were blessed by her visit and prayer.

As the final exams and summer vacation were approaching, many students went home and stopped the Bible study.  From 2008 when I arrived in Belize till now, about 85 students studied the Bible 1:1, but many came and went. We began to pray honestly for the remnant and one Abraham of faith. In June, Dillon shared his testimony based on Gen 12:1-2. He made a small decision to participate in our campus mission and began to come to Sunday worship service. He had spiritual desire to become a good Bible teacher and speaker. From June 1-3, we had a Genesis Academy. And Dillon became a messenger for the first time and delivered a message on Genesis 1, “In the Beginning” There were nine people who attended.

On June 29, I graduated AGBI Bible School by the grace of God. I began to study to learn Belize and Belizeans. Now I pray to practice what I learned for mission such as homiletics and evangelism. We also applied Permanent Residency of Belize in April, and now we should get it soon. I want to apply for citizenship next year through CARICOM mission.

We thank God for Dillon who loves Jesus and his word and began to receive message training. He delivers Sunday message once a month. He also began to teach the Bible 1:1 and shepherd young people. He is now working and studying and busy, but he tries to be faithful. Please pray for him. When we pray for 30 1:1 we realized we need Bible teachers. We pray to raise 4 Bible teachers. June 9, Charles began 1:1 Bible study with me. His friend Osman who had studied with me brought him. He is an elementary school teacher and studies at St. John’s College. Though he is very busy, he comes to Bible study faithfully every Saturday and attends Sunday worship. He brought his cousins and their friends most of whom are high school students. So now we have HBF fellowship and M. Sarah is leading them. Another time, Charles brought another 17 people. Sunday worship attendance has been around five. But these days it increased to ten people.

In this way, God is working through us. We have been praying for Belize to be a Bible believing and missionary sending nation. We began to pray for Caribbean nations and now we are praying to send one missionary to Barbados. Belize is a CARICOM Country and easy to move to member-countries. I pray for Emerson who is in second form at St John’s College that he may enter UWI in Barbados when he graduates in 2 years. Latin America has been praying to pioneer 33 nations and so far, we sent missionaries to 20 nations. Additionally, we pray to send missionaries to 13 more nations, most of which are CARICOM nations. These countries are for the most part small but beautiful. They are Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad Tobago, Bahamas, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenadians, Grenada.

We are also praying for our sister’s ministry. We need women of faith and prayer who can be coworkers with us, since we do not have many women participating in the work of God.

Please pray

One word: 30, 60, and even 100 times.