September, 2023
“… be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10)
Dear Co-workers of missions,
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. By your prayers, we are doing well. We would like to share with you how God granted His grace upon us over the past few months.
In the middle of June, we attended the church camp of True Life Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore. After that, we traveled back to Korea for a while to have a medical check-up and returned to our duty after a short visit. While we were in Korea, we had a joyful fellowship and comfort as we met with our family and some acquaintances.
1. Bible College of East Africa, Tanzania
BCEA Tanzania began its new semester on August 7th. A total of 24 students, including six new students, started the semester. This semester, the College opened 23 credits for 14 subjects. Please pray, especially for Dr. Ra ChaeWon. She has a special gift for teaching, so she teaches more subjects than other lecturers. She needs the wisdom and strength from the Lord.
One special thanksgiving is that Miss Park JongHwi, who finished her theological studies from the Far Eastern Bible College in Singapore, joined the faculty this semester. She is in charge of language subjects (Elementary Hebrew, English). She has a strong sense of responsibility, passion and affection as a teacher for students. She was a good student herself, and now she shows the qualities of a good teacher. We thank you for your prayers, as Miss Park JongHwi was able to receive a missionary visa smoothly and speedily.
Please pray for the new students and former students to follow the lectures well. Already, in the second week, a student was caught cheating while taking a quiz, and he was suspended for a year. This is his second suspension for the same reason, and the faculty members are very upset. Please pray that this student may sincerely repent during the suspension and be a minister of God’s Word, one who truly fears the invisible God.
2. Chemchem Kindergarten
A total of 82 students are enrolled in the Chemchem Kindergarten this semester. The teachers are passionate, and are putting every effort into teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray that the children in this Kindergarten may believe in Jesus Christ and grow in faith. The only hope in this country is Jesus Christ.
3. Glory Bible-Presbyterian Church
The Bible Project is continuing as God is compassionate to the conditions in Tanzania, where it is difficult to have a Bible. Nevertheless, we are considering ways to encourage the church members to constantly read the Bible. One of the ways we are planning is to hold a Bible verse recitation contest this Christmas. We will give special prizes to the members who memorize important verses such as the core verses of the Gospel and the Ten Commandments. Please pray for us that the Lord may grant us the wisdom to help the church members in bringing them close to the Word of God.
4. Mission House
We are continuing to build the mission house for missionaries. We are about to work on the concrete roof of the second floor, so please pray for the safety of the workers. We are trying to finish within this year, if possible. When it is completed, we will use it first. But this house will also be used well for future missionaries and visitors.
5. Prayer Items
These are some prayer requests. Please remember them whenever you pray.
(1) Please pray for the faculty members and their families.
- Pray for the lecturers that they may remember to be good students of God’s Word first with humility and to put God’s Word into practice.
- Pray for the spiritual and physical health of the lecturers and their families.
- Pray for lecturers who are furthering their studies (Pastor Judah, Dr. Ra ChaeWon, Miss Park JongHwi) that they may have the wisdom and strength to handle everything well.
(2) Please pray for the Bible College students.
- Pray that they may study the Word of God with seriousness, sincerity, and honesty, with the heart fearing the invisible God.
(3) Please pray for the Chemchem Kindergarten.
- Pray that the kindergarten teachers may have the wisdom and strength to teach diligently and sincerely based on the Gospel.
- Pray that the children in the kindergarten will listen to the Gospel from an early age, know it, and have faith to believe in Jesus Christ.
(4) Please pray for the Glory Bible Presbyterian Church.
- Pray that the believers may love the Word of God more, although it may be difficult to read, and that they may learn its principles, and live their lives according to the Bible.
- Pray that the believers may recite the Bible verses diligently and that they will be the spiritual food to the believers.
(5) Please pray for the Bible Project.
- Pray for more Tanzanian believers to have a Swahili Bible so that they can love God’s Word more.
(6) Please pray for the building of the Mission House and the Church rebuilding project.
- Pray that the Mission House may be completed without any problems, and used well for the missionaries here.
- Pray that the financial conditions needed to rebuild the church’s front building (extended part) which is currently at risk of collapsing, will be met so that we may find a good builder and quickly start repairs so that it will be a safe place for worship.
(7) Please pray that all the needs for the ministry will be met.
- Since material needs are inevitable while serving on this earth, pray that the Lord may fill the material resources necessary to operate the ministries here (the Bible College, the Kindergarten, and the Church).
- Pray especially for the resources required to operate under the full scholarship system of the Bible College and the Kindergarten.
In Christ, Rev. Dr. Park SeungKyu and Dr. Ra ChaeWon