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<Thanksgiving for the Faithful Ministry of God’s Word in Yonhee UBF in Seoul, Korea>

Thanksgiving for the faithful ministry of God’s word in Yonhee UBF
After finishing the Lausanne Congress meeting last Saturday, Dr. Henry Park and I went to the Yonhee UBF chapter in Seoul. David and Sarah Kim have served this ministry for many decades after being trained under the late Dr. Samuel Lee. It has been a most fruitful source of blessing for the world. Missionaries have gone out to many places, and vibrant ministries have been established in Heidelberg, Hong Kong, and India, among other places. In the past year, I have visited these ministries and seen firsthand their faithful devotion to God’s word, prayer, and raising disciples of Jesus on campuses. It was a great privilege to visit the Yonhee chapter in person.
On Saturday at 8:00 p.m., there was a testimony-sharing meeting for students and a few graduates based on their study of Genesis. This study began two years ago. Shepherdess Sarah Kim prepared study questions chapter by chapter and taught four leaders. These leaders each taught a small group.

Altogether, about 25 members participated. Nearly half of them shared testimonies. They testified to the wonderful work of healing in their hearts, the call to believe God’s promise and be a blessing, the power of God’s goodness over evil in their lives, and more. It was like a heavenly feast to hear how God was working through his word. These young people are full of God’s hope, and they are the hope of Korea and the world. (I am thankful to Maria Sagel, who translated the testimonies into English for me so wonderfully.)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ in the UBF ministry:
May the grace, mercy, and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. During my recent mission journey in Korea, I visited at the Songdo Conference Center in Incheon, Korea, attending the Lausanne Congress along with Dr. Henry Park, P. Nehemiah Kim, and Spurgeon Lee. There are over 5,000 mission leaders from 202 nations here. Messages from Acts have been powerful, and testimonies of persecuted believers in Iran, India, Nigeria, and other nations have revealed the glory of Christ. It has been especially moving to see more than 1,000 leaders gather who are praying for North Korea and actively looking for ways to witness Christ there. One evening program was dedicated to telling the story of God’s mighty work transforming Korea from a mission field to a great missionary-sending country during the last 140 years. The work of God in UBF was displayed very positively in the presentation, including some photos of UBF leaders from the early years.

During this conference, I have gained a deeper appreciation of the global body of Christ and seen the powerful work of the Holy Spirit moving throughout the world. At the same time, I am more convinced than ever of the unique value of our UBF ministry in God’s great mission work. Self-supporting missionaries and national leaders in UBF are already doing what the Lausanne leaders are calling for. UBF is at the forefront of God’s great mission work in our times. I am really thankful to be a UBF member. I want to live as a UBF shepherd and one-to-one Bible teacher until Jesus comes again.
While in Korea, I had the privilege of attending the Sunday worship service in Songdo UBF. The chapter director, Soonsung Hong, is currently in the USA. His wife, Jungah, welcomed us in the love of Christ. She is the director of the Health Center for Yonsei University campus in Songdo. She naturally relates to students and serves them with the love of Christ, Bible study and prayer. Dr. Abraham and Esther Park work together beautifully for student ministry. We held Sunday worship on campus, joined by a young next-gen student, Isaac Kim. My Sunday message was from Mark 10:32-52, “Jesus’ Servant Leadership.” It is attached for you, and I trust the Lord to bless you. Thanks for your prayers.

- Ron Ward