On May 18, Victoria Day, Humber chapter had a picnic and had a wonderful time admiring the nature, together with our children. Along with praying to serve our summer ministry, we had a 5-minute message delivered by M. David Lee, sing-a-long led by M. David Na and games organized by Mary Cha. It was great to be outdoors and in the fresh air, seeing the green grass and the beautiful trees that reminded us of our amazing God who faithfully brings us the season of spring after every long, cold and dreary winter.

We are praying to serve summer ministry with much prayer and fishing and 1:1 bible studies. We pray to invite 8 students to our Canadian SBC.

God took M. Sarah Yoo to his home on May 14, 2009. She had struggled with lung cancer since last August, 2008. She fought the good fight to the end while serving God’s flock from Iowa University and in God’s time she took eternal rest in the Lord. On May 21, there was a homecoming ceremony, and the following morning, there was a burial service at Colonial funeral home in Chicago.

Dr. Abraham T. Kim delivered the message based on John 10:27-28, “I give them Eternal life.” She lived a life of faith dedicated for Iowa City college students and died on duty as a soldier of Christ with the promise of eternal life.

We sent M. Rebekah S. Lee and Mercy Cha to attend the service and to pray for the remaining families. We continue to pray for M. Joshua Yoo to be strong in the grace of Jesus and find comfort and peace in the Lord. Also, his two young children, John and Hannah, may grow as wonderful children of God in God’s protection. May God bless M. Joshua Yoo to complete his PhD study in chemistry and be used for God’s redemptive work greatly.

M. Luke and Pauline Moon from Chicago UBF came to visit us from Apr 17 to 20, 2009. M. Luke had recently celebrated his 60th birthday. Thank God for his life-long devotion and service to advance the gospel of Jesus to many Korean students and now, to American students. He and his wife gave up all things that are now considered rubbish to gain Jesus, and came to USA as missionaries in their middle age. Surely it was not easy for them to do so, but God blessed their decision of faith. God gave M. Luke many victories in his new life in America such as a career and a shepherd life. He revealed good Christian influences of living by faith to many people around him.

Thank God for giving us a wonderful time of fellowship with them. M. Luke Moon served us with group bible studies twice and shared a lot of his life’s experience and insight and wisdom in living by faith. May God continue to bless his family to serve Loyola campus co-working with S. Jim and Helen Rarick

Praise Jesus who died on the cross and rose again from the dead! Thank Jesus who gives us living hope in the kingdom of God. God blessed our Easter Bible Conference (April 11 & 12) abundantly with 149 attendants including guests from Ukraine (2), Montreal (4), and Guelph (1).

We studied Jesus’ death and resurrection based on Mark 15 and 16. There were 5 powerful messages including messages by 3 young disciples (Sheila Htoo, Luis Perdomo, Paul Lee Jr). During our conference, we had icebreakers, sing-a-longs, and a heart-moving skit presented by Humber UBF to enhance the message. There was a beautiful piece performed by the quintet ensemble and also an HBF chorus led by John Lee (North York).

In addition, we had time to listen to life testimonies by Chantel Ryan (Humber), Bushay James (Toronto), Sara Lee (Toronto, 2nd gen), and Andrew Han Jr. (North York, 2nd gen). We thank God for two foreign delegates from Ukraine, Olena (Kiev UBF) and Oksana (Odessa UBF) who shared their beautiful life testimonies and mission reports. Thank God for Dr. Peter Kim and M. John Lee for their prayer support for us.

As a whole, we could see the living God who has been growing each chapter. This conference had improved in quality; it was full of life and joy. Our 2nd gens participated as growing disciples and coworkers in the work of God. We could see God’s hope and vision for Toronto, Canada, and the whole world! I was personally touched by Jesus who did not save himself but was forsaken by God in order to save sinners like me. It was God’s amazing grace, though I am undeserved. Thank Jesus who saved me from all my sins and gave me a living hope through his death and resurrection. May God continue to grow each chapter in GTA and Hamilton, and in Canada to spread the gospel of Jesus. May God bless Canada as a kingdom of priest and a Holy Nation.

Ps; we also thank God for a wonderful fellowship with S. Olena and Oksana at our Humber chapter with all our coworkers.

This Easter, GTA & Hamilton UBF will have a united Easter Bible conference. There, we will think about the deep meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Date: Apr 11-12, 2009
Place: Upper Canada Camp
Messengers: Sheila, Luis Perdomo, Paul Lee Jr., Isaac Lee, Abraham Shin
Mission Reports: Olena and Oxana from Ukraine

We’ll have time to have Bible studies, praise and worship songs, a skit, testimonies, mission reports, and a wonderful fellowship.

We want to invite over 150 attendants to come and hear the message of resurrection.

From Humber UBF, we pray to bring 20 attendants.

        Come and join in our Easter Celebration!

HBF servants' meeting was held on Feb. 21, 2009 at Humber Chapter.

There were 16 attendants: 5 HBF senior students (gr. 11 & gr. 12), 6 HBF graduate students, and 5 missionaries. After having dinner fellowship, we had a discussion for about two hours. The decisions made are in the following order:

(1) We want to have a bowling fellowship on Tuesday, March 17, to add to our monthly HBF meetings and to have a good time together during the March Break. The main participants in this program will be our GTA region students (both graduate and current HBF students). However, some teachers and parents can also participate in this activity, as they are most likely giving the students a ride. The length of this bowling activity will be 2 hours (from 7-9 PM). A detailed plan will be worked out by the preparation committee members (Paul Lee, Andrew Han, John Lee, Mary Cha, and Rebekah Kim).

(2) We'd like to have a praise night for everyone during our GTA & Hamilton Easter Bible Conference. Our plan is to spend some time doing icebreakers/games (the grade 11 students have volunteered to plan for this) and have around 1 hour of singspiration on Saturday night (April 11), after finishing the entire program. (However, this plan should be approved during our senior servants' prayer meeting on March 8.)

(3) We want to encourage all of our university students (HBF graduate students) to involve as shepherds/shepherdesses and Bible teachers to serve HBF students.

(4) We will have a Canadian HBF servants' meeting in order to develop a program for HBF during the Canadian SBC.

Praise God for sending one missionary family from Canada!

On Jan 19, 2009, S. Ray and Tsukasa Grondin (London UBF) left to Oita, Japan as missionaries with their 2 children. They received one month missionary training in Chicago.

Their prayer topics are,

1. Deep Bible study and weekly message

2. Learn about new mission field in Japan, and be equipped to share the gospel boldly in Japan in response to Jesus' world mission command.

3. S. Tsukasa and 2 children to adjust well to new environment

This year, the CIS conference was held on January 16-18 in Izmir (old name: Smyrna), Turkey, which is geographically convenient for each nation to gather together. The purpose of the conference was to pray for Muslim mission and to encourage M. Vladimir Point who struggles alone.

Dr. Peter Kim, the CIS director, delivered an opening message, “A famine of hearing the words of the Lord” from Amos 8:11. He thanked God for pioneering 7 CIS nations out of 12 nations. He said in his message that the real problem is not the global economic crisis or political and social problems, but the famine of hearing the word of the Lord. He encouraged us to study the word of God diligently. He gave us a clear prayer topic, which is to restore our first love through the conference.

Dr. John Jun delivered the 1st lecture, titled “Restore your first love”. In his message, he said the Christians in Ephesus worked hard to persevere and endure hardships for Jesus’ name. They struggled hard to keep the truth of God in an immoral atmosphere in Ephesus; however, when they did not struggle hard to keep personal relationship with Jesus, they lost their first love. Jesus rebuked them to repent. Likewise, it’s easy to be like those Ephesian Christians, but when we repent, God will use us continually. Dr. John Jun encouraged us to repent and restore our first love.

On the second day, M. John Lee from Odessa UBF delivered a message, called “Wash one another’s feet” (John 13:1-17). In his message, he asked us to practice washing one another’s feet starting with our husband or wife.

On Sunday, Pastor Ron Word delivered a Sunday message “Love is…” (1Cor13). He said when we speak and act based on the love of God, God will use us as a blessing.

There were wonderful and various programs:

1) Graceful, inspiring, and heart moving mission reports from each chapter.

2) 3 special lectures were given: “Orthodox and Monasticism – UBF spirituality” by Dr. John Choi from England UBF; “Conflicts and Resolution: Our Life by the Grace of God” by Dr. Paul Hong; and Dr. Ju Chan Kim, a UBF Cooperating missionary in Turkey, gave a lecture about the early Christians’ 7 spiritualities. He commented that UBF resembles the early church Christians a lot.

3) There was a strategic meeting to serve CIS ministry.

I cannot write all the details of graceful mission reports, but I could see our missionaries’ sincere struggle and love for CIS mission as well as their sacrificial dedication.

Nowadays, it has become difficult to get a VISA status. In the past, in order to get their VISA status, missionaries could go to a nearby nation to apply and get VISA that lasted 3 to 6 months, but now the law has changed. To get VISA, the person has to go back to his/her own country with all the family only to get 3 to 6 months VISA. M. Stephen Kim (Moscow) hurriedly went back to Korea with his family to renew his VISA with much prayer, since there was not much time, and God helped them to get their VISA extended. Also, Moscow is the most expensive city to live in the world. Despite this, our missionary coworkers are hard working, persevering, and filled with great compassion to serve God’s mission. Still, they repented with tears for not loving Jesus with their first love. Through the Conference, each person renewed his/her first love to give his/her life to serve God. By the grace of God, I could attend 2009 CIS leader’s Bible conference and I have received much grace because I could renew my first love for Jesus who sacrificed his life for sinners like me. God worked mightily upon this conference with powerful messages and the Holy Spirit from beginning to the end. I could open my heart and eyes to see the work of God in CIS nations, and could have vision for CIS and Muslim mission.

I also had a chance to visit 7 church sites scattered all over Turkey with other servants of God. Through this journey, I could feel closer to our forefathers and realize their love and zeal for the Lord. I was particularly moved when I went to Cappadocia where the underground city still remained. The early Christians lived there and hid from persecutions. There were almost 1,000,000 Christians who loved the Lord fervently and kept their life of faith. In the book of Revelation 2-3, there were messages for 7 churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. When I visited these sites and saw the remains and ruins from those churches, I could see historical proof and basis.

Thank God for blessing CIS leaders Bible conference abundantly. The prayer topics are as follows:

1. To pioneer 5 more CIS countries among 12 CIS nations and 3 Baltic nations.
2. To double CIS ministry by 2010, and for Dr. Peter Kim
3. To send out 100,000 missionaries by 2041 nations
4. Pray for Dr. John Jun to serve Asian directors conference (Jan22-24),

Latin (1.29-2.1) and North America Staff conference (2.24-26).