UBF Medical Mission » Allgemein

*Uganda mission report by Dr. Joseph Chung (Chicago UBF)

Timotheus — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:17:26 +0000

Mark’s gospel 16:15 says, “ He said to them, ‘ Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”

Uganda is located at the center of African continent. It was once called “ The pearl of Africa.” It takes 17 hours from Chicago to Entebe international air port. When I arrived at Entebe air port, it was night. Missionaries Dr. Samuel and Maria Yoo welcomed me. The following morning when I woke up by the sounds of African birds, it was indeed a bright morning and I felt warm as if I were in the month of June.

In Uganda UBF, there are two house churches; recently David and Abigail’s house church has arrived from China. Dr. Samuel Yoo came to Uganda 17 years ago through Korean government program as a medical instructor at Mullago hospital. A few years later Dr. Luke Lim came. Once they were professors in a medical school. While missionary Samuel Yoo was staying and working there, his oldest child became ill with viral encephalitis and she became critical but he was helpless. He had to take care of her at home. She was almost dead or would have been severely crippled but God of mercy and power healed his daughter miraculously and she was fully recovered. I met her and talked with her. She became a partner for Uganda mission. And Dr yoo was poked by needles three times which was used for AIDS patient. Yet God became his shield that his HIV tests have been negative. After the government program was no more in effect, he could go back home or come to US; instead he has managed to stay there and serve God with integrity of heart. After few years, Dr. Luke Lim joined to his ministry. I heard that Dr. Yoo gave all he had built last many years to Dr. Lim and he went out to pioneer Kymbogo university. I visited the campus and prayed for the students; then we went to see the new Bible house which is a manger itself; since it has no electricity that he has to carry a portable generator for worship service and for Bible study. There are seven growing shepherds and shepherdesses; they are Patrick, Julius, Abraham, Kenneth, Sarah, Beatrice and Barbara. Julius is Abraham of faith for that ministry. The campus is right across the street. I heard that students are open to Bible study invitation. Since nation’s economy is just good for surviving, they said that students have more spiritual desire for Bible study. Dr. Yoo said that the field is ripe for harvest but workers are few and he urged me to come over there asap. Dr. Luke Lim and Dr. Rebakah Lim are like field workers for the ministry in Mekeree university which has been known as the best in Eastern Africa area and 40.000 students are enrolled. There are many shepherds and shepherdesses; whose name I cannot remember. I talked to one of them; he is shepherd Steve; his English is British style saying, “ Thank God,” and his presentation about German was excellent. I learned that there are many elites like Barack Obama in Uganda that the country’s future looked bright. There is something better than that they are humble to learn the Bible from Koreans.

I joined to a medical team which has visited Uganda for medical service last three years. We were all 30 members; 22 from Kwang Ju III led by prof. David Park, four from USA and three from Germany. One of German doctors named Dr. Titus Keller, he is 32 years old. He is a son of shepherd Abraham Volker Keller whose wedding we had attended long ago and prayed. I was grateful to God for this grace that God has blessed his ministry thus far near half century.

We traveled by bus four hours from Kampala and arrived at a place called Lyantonde where there is a government hospital. We heard that there are 400 inpatients for whom only two general practitioners are working for them. On the first day, the team saw around 700 patients. They came to see doctors from long distance; many women came to doctors for their own immediate problems and some came with six children; They all have some kinds of medical illnesses; some have infection on their heads; some have malaria, some have chronic diarrhea and some have lung tuberculosis. They hardly see doctors because there is absolutely shortage of doctors in the country. We heard that they issue medical license to foreign doctors through paper work only. This reminded me of the situations of Korea right after liberation from Japanese rule and after Korean War. At that time, many Koreans suffered and died from Malaria, Tuberculosis, Cholera, dysentery and malnutrition. At that time God sent American missionaries to Korea; they built schools and hospitals and churches and seminaries. In the process of carrying out their mission, many of them and their children died and buried in Korea in their early ages from infectious diseases and from unknown illness; some died, I heard, from overwork. I remember Dr. Codington; he was a good friend to mother Barry. Dr. Samuel Lee respected him a lot and me too. He was rewarded by Korean government for his work to eliminate Tuberculosis from Korea; after he finished his work in Korea, despite of his old age, he went to Bangladesh as a medical missionary; then he went heaven few years ago. Korea now is free from Malaria and Tuberculosis and small pox and malnutrition. God reminded me of the things in the past and helped me have a sense of God’s history and made me know what to do next. I believe that now time has come for us to go out with the gospel of Jesus to preach the good news to all nations and to serve people who live in under privileged and un-reached countries. We are thankful because many second generations have become doctors and many want to be doctors in their future to become medical missionaries.

The following day one third of our team members visited further to a smaller village where we met a few hundred more patients. There we did not see a single church building nor school buildings. One young woman of medical team members sang a song of Jesus in Korean language while walking on the small alley, about 20 children gathered around her in one or two minutes and they followed her songs exactly what she sang; they even imitated her throat clearing sound. I was mistaken that we were in a music drama. From their shinning eyes, I learned how much they are eager to learn. Since they are unschooled now, it looked they are very thirsty for learning something even songs. How about knowing the Christ Jesus who said,” Do not hinder children to come to me.” I came to know that Ugandan children need, not only doctors but also Sunday school teachers and Bible teachers and missionaries. Let’s pray that God may raise 100.000 missionaries and send them out to 233 nations especially to un-reached nations by the year 2041.

The following day we saw few hundred more patients; in all according to a report, 17 to 1800 of patients were seen by the team in three days. We were just like a passing shower of a summer day. So we prayed that God may be their shepherd for one by one and God may send many Bible teachers and shepherds for God’s flock of sheep there.

As we see African map, it looked to me the largest one which is divided into 52 nations. God has sent missionaries to 14 nations from UBF; yet many nations to go. Even though nations in Africa suffer from AIDS and poverty and lack of education, God can change them into a kingdom of priests and a holy nation through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let’s have God’s vision and pray that God may pioneer all the nations of Africa through UBF missionaries. Personally I pray that in God’s time I and my coworker Esther may be sent out there so that we may serve God in a new mission field. Please remember Dr. Samuel Yoo and Luke Lim in your prayers that God may bless their campus mission and medical mission as well.

Jesus said,” Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Amen

* Uganda Bethesda Clinic Mission Report by Dr. Luke Lim

Timotheus — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:27:40 +0000

1. Bethesda Mission Hospital Board of Trustee Meeting

I thank God for international UBF medical mission team who came from Korea, USA and shared Jesus’ love with their medical skill and knowledge in Uganda last February. I also thank God for those who came to attend the first meeting of Bethesda Mission Hospital Board of Trustee with Jesus’ compassionate heart and love for Ugnada. Before free medical camp in Lyantonde, we held the meeting of Bethesda Mission Hospital Board of Trustee. The attendants were Dr. Samuel Zun, David Park, Samuel Yoo, Mary Yoo, Jinbo Kim, Jinhyun Kim, Luke Lim, Rebekah Lim. They discussed direction and future plan of Bethesda mission clinic. They agreed that Bethesda Mission Hospital should be self sustainable and income generating hospital so that missionaries might get self support from the hospital. We agreed to expand clinic to be hospital which will be launched seven departments (Internal medicine, Pediatrics, General surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Obstetrics &Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Dentistry). For this plan we need many co-workers not only medical professionals but also non medical professionals such as administrator, accountant, engineer and so on. In order to achieve our vision and plan we need more land in the suburbs of Kampala city so that we may build medical school and tropical institute in the future. I pray that God may bless our plan abundantly so that many Ugandans may get healed physically and spiritually through Bethesda Mission Hospital. It’s my earnest prayer that more missionaries from worldwide UBF chapters may join this ministry. May God grant enough human and material resources for Bethesda Mission Hospital project.

2. Hospital collaboration agreement
There was hospital collaboration agreement ceremony between Bethesda Mission clinic, Kampala and Jungeup Love hospital, Korea. This agreement was made for the purpose of pursing medical development and contributing improvement in medical qualities and health conditions of people in two countries through mutual cooperation. Shepherd Dr. Abraham Kwak, the medical director of Jungeup Love hospital, Dr. Luke Lim, the managing doctor of Bethesda Mission clinic, signed the agreement and exchanged it. We prayed that this collaboration might improve medical quality in Bethesda Mission clinic.

3. UBF International Medical Team Free Medical Camp
This year it was the 2nd time of UBF free medical camp in Uganda. Last year it was done by mainly Korea Kwangju III UBF coworkers. This year more people participated who were 19 from Kwangju III, 2 from Kwangju I, 1 from Jungeup love hospital, 2 from Jongro II, 1 from Kwanak III, 3 from USA, 3 from Uganda Makerere chapter. Lyantonde district is new district where was devastated by HIV infection. Lyantonde town is known as the source of HIV infection because it is located on the way to the Western part of Uganda, Rwanda, Brundi, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Many truck drivers stop over there that prostitution is prevalent. There are many HIV orphans who lost their parents because of AIDS. Though hospital facility was poor and working environment was inconvenient, none of medical mission team members complained. They worked their best in their situation in order to serve more patients. As a result 2351 patients were treated and 22 patients were undergone operation. Some surgical cases were not able to be handled in Lyantonde. We arranged to transfer them to Kampala for further investigation and treatment. Patients were so poor that they could not afford to come to Kampala. We sponsored their transport fee, treatment cost, and other cost for their stay in Kampala. Many people were so grateful for our UBF medical mission team’s sacrificial work and treatment. Local government officer and district medical officer invited UBF medical team to reception in token of their gratitude. It was served with mouth-watering barbecued goat meat and drinks

While many people were getting treatment in the Lyantonde hospital, some of medical team members visited village because village people could not come to the hospital due to lack of transport. We could see how miserable their village life was. There was no electric power, water supply, and the roads where unaccessible. They fetched water from well which was shared with the cattle. Their houses were built with mud and cow dung. The house was collapsing gradually with time and rain. We visited few orphans’ houses. Their parents died of AIDS and many young children were left. They were desperately in need of food, clothing, bedding, scholastic materials, medication and tender care. Local NGO PARDI (Participatory Action for Rural Development Initiative) is helping those AIDS orphans by supplying their needs, teaching them farming method, HIV/AIDS awareness and sensitivity training. We are looking for the ways how we can cooperate with the local NGO PARDI so that we may help those desperate HIV orphans.

Through UBF medical mission work we could learn the compassionate heart of Jesus and needs of medical mission work in mission field especially the third world. We discovered that there are a lot of works to be done in the mission field but workers are few. It is my prayer that God may send more workers to Uganda so that we may participate in the joy of harvest of God’s work. May God continue to use us for his world salvation work through campus discipleship ministry and healing ministry.

4. Helping HIV/AIDS Orphans project
Last year worldwide UBF chapters offered Christmas offering for HIV/AIDS orphans in Uganda. I thank God for worldwide precious coworkers’ prayer and offering for Uganda. We have investigated so far how to use this precious offering the most effectively. Bethesda clinic had served the children of Mulago FOCUS (Fellowship of Christian Unions) Children Project. These children are HIV orphans or vulnerable children who stay in slum area of Mulago. We have given them free treatment in Bethesda Mission Clinic. Our leaders and missionaries in Uganda are going to discuss how to help them. We also served the area of Lyantonde district with UBF Free Medical Camp. We have known some local NGO which helps AIDS orphans in many ways. We are going to decide how to help them in effective way. May God give us wisdom so that we may help HIV/AIDS orphans practically and effectively.

5. Launching Optical service in Bethesda clinic
Last September, we purchased automated machine for making eye glasses from Korea. Korean NGO VCS (Vision Care Service) arranged purchase of machine and training. Msn. Rebekah learned how to make eye glasses from one technician who came to Uganda to install machine and to teach her. Msn. Rebekah now can make all kinds of glasses without any help from outside. We still need more lenses and glass accessories so that optical service may be fully equipped and we may generate income for self-supporting. May God bless our new business so that we may provide good quality spectacles to Ugnadan people with affordable price and generate income for self-support.

6. Launching endoscopic service by Dr. Samuel Yoo
Since Msn. Samuel Yoo ended his contract with KOICA, he became free that he could work in Bethesda clinic as consultant. He began Esophago-Gastro-Duodenoscopy then he introduced bronchoscopy in Bethesda clinic. He was the first doctor who introduced bronchoscopy to Uganda. He used to do it in Mulago hospital. The endoscopy in Mulago hospital is out of order now that Bethesda clinic becomes only place where brochoscopy can be done in Uganda. We pray for getting more endoscopic machine and endoscopic room next year so that we may provide quality diagnostic service to Ugandans.

When I look back last year, I find that I did not prepare Bible study and Sunday message wholeheartedly. I participated in many outreach program and mission hospital project. After I returned from village, I felt very tired and could not prepare message deeply. I feel very sorry for my responsibility of handling God’s word. May you forgive my laziness and negligence of my duty as your servant. In new year 2009 I hold the word of God, Ezra 7:10. It says, "For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel." This year I decide to devote myself to study, to observe and to teach the word of God more diligently. I pray that I may study Bible deeply so that I may provide very nutritious spiritual food to our coworkers and flock of sheep. I pray that I may handle God’s word correctly by studying and observing and teaching it wholeheartedly. Please help me to put what I teach into practice so that I myself may not be disqualified after my teaching. May you grant me the Holy Spirit and wisdom so that I may discern this world and prepare sharp touching message every Sunday. It’s my prayer that I may meditate God’s word day and night and read the whole Bible once from the cover to cover this year.

* Uganda Mission Report by M. Mary Choo (2nd gen.)

Timotheus — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:38:39 +0000

Ephesians 18-19a : “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

As I sought to understand the God of Uganda, I found myself thinking a lot about the God of Genesis. The slower paced environment in Africa seemed to point back to a simpler way of living; people eat whole foods from their own gardens and locals hang around outside socializing, face to face conversations still being the main mode of communication. I felt that the lack of distractions made it easier to see the stark contrast between the beauty of God’s creation and the curse of Adam’s sin. When I witnessed the sacrificial lives of the missionaries and the shepherd hearts of the native leaders I thought about the God who proclaimed that it was good. I can’t forget some of the personal stories and testimonies they shared about their journeys of faith; they reminded me that man was created in the image of God, equipped with an amazing capacity to love. At the same time the curse of sin was sobering. I was reminded of it each time the buzz of a mosquito struck fear in my heart. We spent time in Dr. Luke Lim’s clinic and visited a few local hospitals and orphanages. The sicknesses and poverty we encountered were heart-wrenching and even revolting at times. In addition, Ugandan brothers and sisters were very frank about the less obvious spiritual sicknesses that afflicted many young people. For example, despite the fact that Uganda is predominantly Christian, the pursuit of false idols cause many to attend church merely as a vehicle for their own personal gain. In this way, Bible teachers there are often burned and taken advantage of by self-seeking students. It is a difficult labor of love.

At times I felt burdened by the reality of mission, and I was thankful to receive new hope from the God of Genesis through the study of the call of Abram. The Makerere University chapter was beginning the study of the life of Abraham, and through our study I feel so blessed to understand more deeply our gracious God who calls things that are not as though they were. Surely, Abraham’s human reality was that he was an ordinary man full of weaknesses, born into an idol worshiping family, getting old, and married to a barren woman to boot. However, God challenged Abraham to claim a new reality by faith. In a fallen world, the God of Abraham sees life where there is death, hope where there is fatalism, and a new creation in the midst of the old sinful one; God’s reality reflects the victory of Christ.

I was so moved by the God who called an ordinary man to be blessed with unbelievable promises, and I was inspired by an ordinary man who claimed those unbelievable promises by faith and obedience. This forced me to think about my own doubt and human thinking, especially in regards to the responsibilities of being passed the torch of the ministry as a second gen. Having been raised in the church, I have had plenty of time to develop idealistic views about what it means to live a life of faith. Accordingly, I have also had enough time to watch each ideal become jaded by the human experience. I wondered how it was possible to become unjaded and to think like a child again when it’s impossible to unlearn the reality of the world and the reality of my own weaknesses. This has been a recurring source of frustration, and sometimes I wondered whether spiritual hopes were fairytales, no different than human dreams. But through the faith of Abraham, I was deeply convicted of my sin of allowing my faith be dictated by human reality rather than the reality of Christ. I can see clearly that faith in Christ can never be jaded by this world because Christ has overcome the reality of this world. I pray for the simple and transcendent faith of Abraham, so that I may believe that no matter how many promises God has made, they are all "Yes" in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God that He also sees me as worthy of bearing His reality in Jesus. I thank Him for calling me to be his own child, to lead a life of love, faith, and obedience. I pray that God may fix my heart in His kingdom, beyond the realm of this world. May God enable me to become a powerful mother of prayer who has a shepherd heart after Jesus so that I can be an effective Bible teacher for world mission.

ONE WORD: May the eyes of my heart be enlightened to see Jesus

* Dr. Jin Sook Kim receives the ‘Triple Crown’ honor, Kwanak III

Timotheus — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:33:34 +0000

On November 12th, 2008, Dr. Jin Sook Kim (Mary Shin), herbal manufacturing research chair, was chosen as one of the top 100 scientists by IBC (International Biographic Centre, Cambridge, England).

Dr. Kim studied complications associated with diabetes. She proposed a new prescription, ‘KIOM-79,’ and its derivatives. She published more than 70 articles, registered several patents, and discovered excellent effects of herbal medication.

Dr. Kim presented her research paper about diabetic retinopathy effects of ‘KIOM-79′ at the American diabetic association conference and the European diabetic association conference this year.

On September 2008, she presented her research paper entitled, "KIOM-79 long term treatment inhibits the development of diabetic retinopathy and AGEs accumulation in retinal tissue" in Rome at the European diabetic association conference.

Earlier this year, she was chosen to be one of the top "2000 outstanding scientists in 2008-2009" and one of the "great minds of the 21st century" by ABI (American Biographical Institute).

She was named "Who’s who" in the science and engineering departments at MarQuis. She was also listed in the three most famous name list dictionaries and received the ‘Triple Crown’ honor.