African Courier #4: Catching Up with Reality

Hujambo!?

That’s one way of saying "How are you?" in Kiswahili. Then you reply "Sijambo!" The other way, which is more common here, is "Habari?" and "Mzuri!"

I can’t believe my first trip to East Africa is almost over! (and that it's already been 4 months since I came!) I’ll be flying out here in two weeks (on Nov. 21), arriving in the cool autumn of Los Angeles (if you can say there is an autumn in SoCal). In my mind, LA is still as hot as I left it in July. And everything else is just frozen the way it was then - school still on vacation, friends still excited about finishing college, and everyone looking forward to a summer filled adventure... It’s a scary thought to see how all my junk (which I left in the living room) got taken care of, and how everything, including family, friends, and church, has changed. I will also be preparing full-on for medical schools (secondary applications and interviews). Soon enough, I will face reality. Not that life in Kenya isn’t a reality. It definitely is! And painfully so!

I say “painfully” because yesterday I was hit with a minor case of flu. I was in bed all day, suffering from severe headache, stomachache, and some fever. Thank God it wasn’t malaria, and that I’m quite better now. As I was cooking my rice porridge for lunch, I couldn’t help but to think how much I need a wife on a foreign mission. Indeed, “It is not good that the man should be alone...” (especially when he’s sick on a mission trip). Anyhow, I’m not advertising for a wife here (and no, I’m not accepting applications or looking for a blind date)... It’s just to describe how bad it was. Seriously though, thank God I’m alive! Mom, please don’t worry. I’m all ok now! But please continue to pray for me.

Speaking of wife, Pastor Eben’s wife delivered their second child today (Nov. 9)! It’s a boy! Pastor Eben is here in Nairobi, but his wife and children (now plural) are in Korea. He seemed very happy and relieved today, especially since the baby was more than a week late and he was getting concerned. He can’t wait to share the news with the whole world (and I guess I’m helping him by writing this).

There’s another thing I want to share with the whole world about Eben...

I was prank-ed big-time on my birthday by Eben and Richard. Well, maybe not that big, but Eben and Richard got me pretty good. It’s a long story (not that long, but too long to spam... err... to put in a newsletter), so if you’re interested, you can read the entry on my blog here: http://doxadeo.blogspot.com/2006/11/doxa-in-kenya-birthday-prank.html

In other news, I’m halfway through with the library. Maybe not so interesting, but so far I’ve recorded about 4200 books on the computer (about 2900 of them were done in the past week). It’s actually quite interesting to go through all the titles (and sub-titles) of the books, but it’s not always fun to work with shelves after shelves of dusty old books. Some of them were eaten up at least 30% by termites, and my hands get pretty gross after handling a few hundred books a day. I just have to look forward to the day it’s done and keep working diligently. Besides, I do have the pressure to finish before I leave.

During my breaks from my work in the dusty dungeon that is the library, I go out to get some fresh air and to observe the new construction on our campus.

Four weeks ago, we started the construction of a new house. It’s been quite interesting to see how they build here. Although I’ve missed some of the process, I got to see and learn about (and take pictures of) many important steps of the construction. Surely I can use some skills in this area as I prepare to become a missionary doctor in a developing country. It’s quite impressive how much Rev. Kim has built during his 17 years of ministry here. God-willing, I hope to build some clinics and hospitals to benefit many people in Africa.

Perhaps as you can see, there aren’t very many exciting/interesting news this month. Mission work isn’t always exciting, but God is surely working. What I mention in my newsletters are only highlights, and the reality is that these are only a glimpse of what we experience here. In other words, things can be quite dull besides what’s mentioned in newsletters. I don’t mean to say that my time here has been boring. Not at all! I’ve enjoyed everyday that I’ve been here (maybe except yesterday when I was sick), whether I’m in Masai or working at BCEA. I just say this because I realize that some people may get newsletters (whether it is from me or some other missionaries) and read about some crazy/amazing stuff going on in the field, and misunderstand that all they read is all that’s happening out there.

The thing is, it’s so easy for the missionaries to over emphasize or exaggerate some seemingly “cool” stuff to make it look like their work is more important or bigger than what it really is. For example, about my mentioning about my flu yesterday, although I’m not exaggerating, you may think that I’m going through such a hard time in Kenya just because I mentioned it. The truth is, I was only sick one day (and I could be just as sick anywhere else in the world), and most of the time I’m actually quite healthy and comfortable. On the other hand, even though I only mentioned a few things in this newsletter (and very few things that I’m actually doing besides observing), I’ve been extremely busy, even as busy as I was in college. I can confidently say that because, while in college I would spend a lot more time on the internet, here I would spend much less time online yet be busy enough to sleep barely 6 hours a day. Both teaching English classes and conducting church choir take a lot of time and energy.

Anyhow, I just wanted you to understand that what I mention in my newsletters are just the things that I think you might be interested in, and there’s a lot more going on out here that can be either boring or exciting to you. Also, I try to present them without exaggerating or over emphasizing. My intention is not to make my life here seem more miserable or interesting than it really is so that you may have sympathy or be moved to give financial support. What God is providing for me right now is sufficient, and I believe that He will always provide. Of course, that doesn’t mean “don’t give any financial support” because I am currently living on the support of some churches in California. If God moves you to give, please give! I just don’t want to be the one convincing/begging you through newsletters, and I shouldn’t be.

God provides, and He is always faithful to provide when I need. In fact, recently I realized that I’ve been quite low on cash ever since the theft two months ago. So I prayed to God to provide, and amazingly enough, someone (I don’t even know who) donated extra money towards my mission fund! I don’t even know how s/he knew about me or why s/he decided to give, but I just know that God works in amazing ways. Praise God!

Now, here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Prayer requests! Please pray for:

· my health. As you already know, I’ve been sick a few times already while living in Africa. And somehow they always involved the stomach. I think I’ll have to get my stomach checked up when I come back to the US. Meanwhile, please continue to pray for my health.

· the travel back home. Not just for me, but several of the faculty at BCEA will be going back home this month. Eben is flying back to Korea on Nov. 20, I’m flying back to the States on Nov. 21, and Richard is flying back to Philippines on Nov. 24. I think Rev. Kim is also flying back to Korea sometime in December. Please pray for safe travel.

· the safety of the community. Last night while in bed, I heard a horrifying yell of a man from the neighbors, dogs barking and rushing towards the noise, and then two gun shots. After a few minutes I heard the police car passing by, and then four more gun shots. No, this is not America, and guns are not legal here. Where do they get guns then, you ask? Why, from the police officers, of course! Hand a few thousand shillings to a cop and you’re ready for an armed robbery for the night. Welcome to Kenya (that’s what Eben would say). Enough said. Please pray for God’s protection from physical harm.

· my medical school applications (plural this time). I’ve started working on some secondary applications for medical schools. They’re not as intense as AMCAS (the first application for all med schools), but a lot of work nonetheless. If anyone wants to proofread/comment on my essays, let me know! Most of them are very short, and won’t take much of your time.

· the library catalogue project. I really need to finish this work before I leave, so that they can start using the new system next term (in January). I won’t be back probably by February or maybe March because of med school interviews, so I need to leave it in good shape. Once I finish this, students will be able to checkout/in books by scanning barcodes (yay for “new” technology!), which is much faster and more efficient than keeping track on notebooks.

· finals. Students at BCEA will be taking finals starting next week through the week after. My English final will be a week from this Friday since I’ll be leaving the next Tuesday. I know most of you reading this are students or teachers, so you know what it means to take a final, so no need to explain the significance of this. Cheating is quite common in schools in Kenya, even here at BCEA. In fact, during the past midterms, one student was caught and was expelled. It seems like it is part of their culture not to take cheating seriously. This cannot be, especially in a Bible College where we want to train honest and sincere ministers.

· the faculty at BCEA (Nairobi & Tanzania), my English classes, the ministries in Masai Land, and whatever I forgot or didn’t mention that needs prayer. I don’t think I need to repeat what I said in my last newsletter. Please continue to pray for them! For those of you who know Pastor Lazarus, his wife is expected to deliver their first baby soon. So please pray for them. Christine is getting married on Nov. 25 at Mombassa, and her fiancé is flying in from Singapore sometime this week or next. Pray for safe travel and the preparation for the wedding.

Thank you again for taking the time to read the newsletter! Sorry there’s no picture this time. But when I come back, I’m sure you’ll see so many that you’ll get sick of them (or just from seeing pictures/videos of dead/dying animals).

God Bless,
SunMin
http://doxadeo.blogspot.com

To subscribe to African Courier Newsletter, visit
http://groups.google.com/group/african-courier/

Doxa in Kenya: The Birthday Prank

This one is almost a month old already, but it’s worth writing about.

So my 23rd birthday passed last month (Oct. 14). It was quite different from any of my previous ones, besides the fact that my older brother, who shares the same birthday, wasn’t there. I think I’ve celebrated my birthday without my older brother only once before this one.

I usually don’t start out my birthday thinking, “Yes! It’s my birthday today!” Especially this time, since my mind was preoccupied with something else. That morning I was looking for my jeans which had been missing since it was last washed. It had been a while since I saw it hanging for it to be dried, and that morning I saw that it was gone. So I asked Joy the housekeeper, and she told me she thought I took it down. When I asked Richard, my next-door neighbor, he told me that sometimes things go missing around here, but that they usually come back. So I’m like, Great...

Later that morning, Mrs. Kim invited the three “bachelors” (Richard, Eben, and I) for lunch. I didn’t realize that it was my birthday until Eben exclaimed, “Oh, I see! you prepared lunch for us because it’s SunMin’s birthday!” So apparently Eben had forgotten that it was my birthday, which was no big deal since I don’t expect anyone other than my family to remember that. Mrs. Kim seemed surprised, saying, “How could you forget?”

When we finished eating lunch (which was amazing, kalbi-tang and all), Eben told me that he’ll make a “Queen’s cake” for my birthday (which is just a muffin). He pulled out a muffin (seemingly out of nowhere), and started putting match sticks on it... 23 of them! Of course, we couldn’t light them all because as soon as one was lit it would burst out some flame and die in a few seconds, or get too hot to get near it. Anyhow, they sang happy birthday to me over a small muffin with a flame on top.

Now, I thought that was funny enough. After the song, Mrs. Kim gave me some presents, which turned out to be a Tupperware full of kimchi (yes!) and another Tupperware with dried squid in Korean spice (double yes!). Then Eben brought out a big box wrapped in newspaper. So he didn’t forget that it was my birthday after all! Hmm, something is fishy here, I thought (besides the actual food). When I opened it, I saw a nice yellow shirt, a pair of socks, an underwear (what?), and a pair of jeans... And they were all mine!!! No wonder where my jeans went! They were all tagged as if to seem like they were brand new. Also in the box was my phone from the States (which I can’t use here because it uses embedded SIM card), and on it Eben and Richard had recorded some videos of them singing happy birthday and putting tags on my cloths (for some reason Richard had kept a bunch of clothe tags from the Philippines in his room).

Then after that, they brought out a real cake, a chocolate flavored one with “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNMIN” in icing. I guess that was the nice part.

Man, we laughed so hard! I hadn’t laughed like that for so long. It was all Eben’s idea (yes, I know he got them from his friends when they tricked him the same way). Anyway, I had a real good birthday. Thanks guys! I need to do it to one of my friends one day.

Happy Reformation Day!

While October 31st is known by most people as Halloween, it is actually a very important day for Christians (no, not because it's Halloween). As I found out recently, it is the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses at the castle door of the Wittenberg Church in Germany, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

To celebrate the 489th anniversary, I'm posting a sermon (about Reformation) that was preached here at Bible College of East Africa yesterday by Richard Tiu, a missionary from the Philippines.

DISCLAIMER: Let me first warn you that you may be offended, especially if you are a Catholic. In fact this sermon has a lot of attacks against the Roman Catholic Church. But if you are offended by reading this, remember that it is not an attack against you (unless you're the Pope), but it is against the religion. Of course, it is natural for any religion to say that other religions are false (unless you're postmodern). If you think any of the statement made in the sermon is false, feel free to comment. But I suggest you make constructive criticisms, and not attack me or Pastor Richard. If you think Pastor Richard doesn't really know about Catholic Church because he's a Protestant, remember he's from the Philippines and he used to be a Catholic. And yes, he is a legit pastor.

As for me, I used to think there isn't any significant difference between Catholicism and Protestantism, because I all I knew about Catholicism came from interacting with Catholics, who outwardly didn't show any difference from the Protestants. But as I learn more about the teachings of the Catholic Church, I realize they're not different like Baptists are different from Methodists or Fundamentalists. It's not a mere difference in the interpretation of the Bible. It is clear that the Roman Catholic Church have perverted the teachings of the Bible by adding so much junk to it (read on if you want know what I'm talking about). I'm beginning to think that Catholicism is almost as bad as the Jehovah's Witness and the Mormon churches. Yes, I said that. Sorry to all my friends who are JWs or LDSs, but you knew I'm Christian, right? And if you know my belief, you know that I think your belief is completely bogus. I know I'm not "politically correct" by saying all this, but standing up for Jesus is so much more important than that.

I hope you'll find (at least some) truth by reading this. Like Jesus said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (or in this case, if you have eyes to read, let him read). Basically, it means there's no point in arguing. If something is presented to you as truth, it's up to you and you alone to accepted it or not.

P.S. Did you know that the Roman Catholic Church teaches immaculate conception of Mary (like Jesus was immaculately conceived), so she was sinless, and that that she never died but was taken up to heaven like Jesus was. Maybe it's not a big deal (let people believe whatever they want to believe, whether it's true or not). But what's interesting is that such teaching is not found in the Bible OR the Apocrypha! Then where did they get such an idea? I think it was because some pope said it (I haven't confirmed this). But this teaching was added even after the Protestant Reformation. Now that makes me think... why wasn't Mary crucified instead? If she was sinless, couldn't she take away our sin as well? Another interesting thing is that the Catholic doctrine teaches the infallibility of the Pope, which was also added relatively recently. Of course, that must be true, right? Just look at the current Pope! I'm sure it wasn't a mistake that he was "misunderstood" on his speech about Muslims. Alright, alright. No more making fun of other people's beliefs. I'm not here to offend people. Everyone's got to rant a little sometimes. But I doubt most Catholics who aren't so devout really know what they believe, though I may be wrong.

---

---

Title: Why am I a Protestant?

By: Pastor Richard Tiu

Passage: Isaiah 59:1-21

BCEA Sunday evening service – 29^th October 2006

Once again we shall take a break from our series on the 12 Apostles as we take time this day to remember an important event in the history of Christianity. If we may recall, the period from AD500 to AD1500 is what is known in church history as the “Dark Ages of the Church.” This was the period when the power of the papacy in the Roman Catholic Church was at its zenith; a period when the gospel of salvation was hidden under a maze of deception. It was a period when God needed to raise up a standard.

The passage we have read characterizes the religious cycle of the nation of Israel. Israel sins > God sends judgment > Standard is lifted > Truth prevails > Church is revived. The standard raised is the Word of God and its truth can only prevail when God raises faithful men to stand for it.

The same situation described from verse 1 to 11 existed in the dark ages of religion. When the Roman Catholic Church was at its mightiest, the true gospel of salvation was replaced by a gospel of deception. For one to be saved, faith in Christ is no longer enough. The RC says you must also do good works; you must observe their seven sacraments, and offer prayers to Mary and the so-called “canonized saints” of their church. In other words, one must need to work his way to heaven if he is to be saved – a teaching which is clearly condemned all throughout the Bible.

The Catholic Church cleverly tried to cover their errors by a web of deception. But our text in verse 6 says, “Their webs shall not become garments.” This refers to the garment of salvation offered in Christ alone. And the verse continues “neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.”

Verse 7 continues, “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood…” At that time when the reformers were trying to return to the teachings of the Bible, they were killed and burned at the stake. One such martyr of the Reformation was a man named William Tyndale who was strangled to death and his body burned. The reason was simply because he translated the Catholic Latin Bible into English which has become the common language of the people by that time.

Another reformer John Wycliffe started this translation before he died. After his death his corpse was exhumed in order to be burned. It was for the same reason that he defied the pope’s order not to translate the Latin Bible into English. Wycliffe also vehemently opposed the false teachings of the church and was branded a heretic. That was how the Roman Church hated to see the Bible being read and understood by the common people; because the Bible will reveal all their erroneous doctrines and thus expose them as a false church.

Then in verse 8 it says, “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.” Romans 5:1 tells us that the way of peace with God is “being justified by faith…through our Lord Jesus Christ.” But the Catholic Church directs its members to a crooked path leading to a place called purgatory; a crooked path leading to the way of Mary worship instead of Jesus who is the only way, the truth, and the life.

Those who follow the crooked way is being described from verses 9 to 11, “Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.” This was exactly the situation during the dark ages of church history. Salvation was very far off because the truth was hidden. Verse 15 sums up that period, “Yea, truth faileth.”

Throughout the history of Christianity, Satan has always been trying to undermine the Word of God and subvert biblical doctrines of the faith; but each time God has always raised up His standard. So we are told in verse 19, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

The Protestant Reformation was a rediscovery and return to biblical Christianity which began in Europe and America and later on spread to the whole world. We owe it to the 16^th century Protestant Reformation not only the reformation of the church but more importantly the restoration of genuine biblical Christianity.

In two days time, we mark that very special day in history, October 31. It is the day we remember (not Halloween) the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. And this afternoon we will travel back in time to that day, October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses at the castle door of the Wittenberg Church in Germany challenging the heretical doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. It was the day that the Lord lifted up a standard against the enemies of His word. It was the day when the 16^th Century Protestant Reformation officially started. And this coming Tuesday marks the 489^th year anniversary of that event. It is important for us to remember this event because it will answer the question: Why am I a Protestant? I have five reasons in answer to this question.

1) I am a Protestant because I stand for the Word of God – Nowadays, to protest is somewhat viewed as a negative action. People seem to protest at just about anything and everything. Just recently, university professors in Kenya were protesting that they receive lesser salaries than the MPs – a protest motivated by greed. And as a result, some of the protesters were eventually terminated. Protesters are often labeled as radicals or troublemakers and because of this the word “protest” or “protestant” seem to carry a negative connotation.

But in the original sense, to pro-test has a good meaning. The word “protest” is actually the Latin pro-testari. It is a compound of two words, pro which means “for” or “in favor of” and testari meaning “testament.” So to be protestari simply means to stand for or in favor of the testament. In the context of the Reformation, to be “protestant” simply means to be standing for the Testaments, both the Old and New. Hence, to be a Pro-testant is a biblical term, because to be a Pro-testant is to stand for the Word of God.

So if to be Protestant is to stand for the Word of God, how do you call those who con-tradict the Word of God? Con-testants? I’ve always believed there are only two religions in the world. Either you are a pro-testant – standing for the Word of God, believing, teaching, and defending it; or, you are a con-testant – contradicting, denying, adding, and or subtracting what God says through His word. So, which one are you? Are you Pro-testant or con-testant? Are you defending or denying the Bible?

We are Protestants because the Word of God alone is our basis for the rule of life and faith. This is the doctrine of sola Scriptura and we owe it to the Reformation for rediscovering this doctrine. Before the Reformation, it was kept hidden underneath the pile of Roman traditions and superstitions for more than a thousand years. Sola Scriptura is rooted in the principle that “when God says it; that settles it. I believe and obey it.” Departing from this biblical principle is always a step towards heresy. This was what happened to the Roman Catholic Church as well as to all the cults and heretical churches around us today.

2) I am a Protestant because I believe in the cardinal doctrines of salvation – The cardinal doctrines of salvation can be summed up by the other 4 Solas – sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, soli Deo Gloria. It stands for salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

a. Sola Gratia – Salvation is by grace alone totally apart from works. This truth is repeated so many times in the Bible. (Eph 2:8-10; Tit 3:5). This doctrine becomes very clear in Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Salvation is a free gift. If we have to work for it, then that would no longer be free, isn’t it? And besides, the Bible also says in Isaiah 64:6 that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Man’s works of righteousness can never bring him to heaven nor can it justify him because we are told that even these are tainted by sin.

b. Sola Fide – Justification is by faith and again the key word is “alone.” Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4 all say the same thing. “The just shall live by faith.” This is the heart of the gospel of Christ. The gospel is summed up by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” All who believe in this truth shall be justified unto salvation.

c. Solus Christus – Almost all religions in the world says DO. But true Christianity says DONE. Christ says in John 19:30, “It is finished” to tell us that the work of redemption has been completed by His death on the cross. Nothing more has to be done except to believe in Him. Christ was the one crucified – not Mary or any of the so-called “saints.” That is why our faith must rest in Him and Him alone.

d. Soli Deo Gloria – For the glory of God alone is the natural result of the first 3 solas. This will set the proper perspective of where we stand before God. It will put sinners in their rightful place – down in the dust – and exalt God on high. Because it is sola gratia, sola fide, and solus Christus then it should be to the glory of God alone and not of men. Thus the tendency to glorify other gods or savior, or even our own works will be removed. God’s says in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

3) I am a Protestant because I believe in the perspicuity of the Scriptures – Perspicuity of Scriptures means that the word of God is clearly expressed and therefore can be easily understood. The Reformers argued that the Scriptures is plain enough for the ordinary Christian to read and understand. But the RC Church teaches otherwise and they strongly forbid their followers to read the Bible on their own. They say that because it is difficult to understand it must be read only according to the interpretation of the church. Only RC priests were authorized to interpret the Bible at that time. But the question is: How could the early Christians have known and understood God’s Word when the RC was not yet in existence? We must take note that the epistles were written to ordinary Christians and not to priests & popes.

What actually made the Scriptures difficult to read at that time was because it was available only in the Latin Vulgate. The Catholic Church has forbidden the translation of the Bible into the common language of the people. So when the Bible was translated into English and put in the hands of the lay people, the Protestant Reformation soon broke out. When the people started reading a Bible that they could understand, they soon discovered how RC has diverted and departed from the Word of God. That was not the case before the Reformation. Today we have in our hands a Bible that we can read and understand because the reformers fought for that right.

4) I am a Protestant because I believe in the universal priesthood of believers – Before the reformation the believers cannot come directly to God the Father for the confession and forgiveness of sins. They were taught to come first under the intercession of dead saints, to confess to the priests, or even the Pope.

But the Bible says in 1Pe 2:9 that we who believe in Jesus are a royal priesthood because Christ as our great high Priest has opened the way for us to commune directly to the Father in heaven. Thus we do not need any intercession of dead saints nor de we need another mediator or mediatrix because Christ is the only mediator between God and man as 1Timothy 2:5 clearly tells us. That is why we don’t need to confess to a priest either. 1John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That every believer is a priest also refutes wrong notion that only celibate priests can represent us before God. That is why we have married pastors in Protestant churches instead of celibate priests. The Bible clearly supports the practice of having married ministers. 1Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 all say that, “A bishop [or elder] must be husband of one wife.” On the other hand, the Bible says that celibacy or forbidding of marriage is a doctrine of devils. 1 Timonthy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry…”

What is ironic is that if these RC priests are supposed to be unmarried, why are they given the title “fathers?” A father without having children? Ironic isn’t it? Well, they may say they are spiritual fathers. Still, this is unbiblical. In Matthew 23:9 Jesus says, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” Spiritually we are born of God not of men. That’s why in our church we have Pastor Lazarus, Pastor Kiarie, Pastor Bernard, and Pastor Eben. We don’t call them Father Lazarus, Father Kiarie, or Father Bernard, or Father Eben.

Another irony is that while they call themselves as “fathers” but in reality some of them really wanted to be mothers. You know what I mean? Many members of the Catholic clergy are gay! And we often read them in the news sexually molesting young boys, causing great scandals in the church and in effect bringing shame to the name of Christ. We certainly don’t need immoral priests or any RC priest for that matter. As Protestants, we are a universal priesthood of believers. The Bible says so.

5) I am a Protestant because I worship God in spirit and truth – The Protestant Reformation also brought back the true worship of the living and true God. When Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob in John 4, He gave her the description of who are the true worshippers of God. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

Before the Reformation, people were worshipping God in RC rituals and images. If you have ever attended a Roman Catholic worship you can see that the main attraction would be this ritual called the Eucharist or the Mass. The Word of God is still read but it is consigned only to the sidelines. The centerpiece of the altar will be an array of idols and images of wood and stone – a clear defiance of the 1^st and 2^nd commandment of God.

Today, we can practice the true worship of God in spirit and truth because someone protested against the rituals and idolatry of the RC Church. Though we don’t see Him, we worship God and sing hymns of praises unto Him because by faith we are assured that His Spirit is in our midst. We worship Him in sincerity of the spirit and not in formality of rituals. We worship Him in truth because we follow what His word tells us how He should be worshipped. We worship Him in truth by listening to His word being preached and applying them to our lives. God is not an image but a Spirit; He is not a ritual but the truth. As such, true worshippers ought to worship Him in spirit and in truth. We also owe this proper understanding of biblical worship to the Protestant Reformation.

So there we have it. The five answers to the question: Why I am a Protestant? Firstly, it is because I stand for the word of God. Then I believe in the cardinal doctrines of salvation (4 Solas). Thirdly, I believe in the perspicuity or clarity of Scriptures. Fourthly, I believe in the universal priesthood of believers. And lastly, I worship God in spirit and in truth. All five beliefs based solely from the Bible.

But the sad reality is that many who call themselves Protestants are no longer pro-testing in the true sense of the word. Some of them are no longer pro-Scriptures. They are no longer pro-Bible. No more pro-God. The word and the will of God is no longer the rule of their life and faith. Churches have gone back to the pomp and pageantry of entertainment worship with rock music and dancing. The word of God is no longer preached faithfully in many Protestant churches. Sin is no longer an issue. Health and wealth is more important. Evangelism takes a back seat for miracles and signs and wonders.

What is even sadder is the fact that Protestant churches are now taking efforts to unite back with Rome through the ecumenical movement. In so doing, it is as if to say that the Protestant Reformation is, after all, a big mistake. And so we need to go back to the Roman Catholic Church and say, “I’m sorry.” Is being protestari a mistake? Is being pro Word of God an error?

Thus we really need to ask this question over and over again that we may not lose the focus of our Christian faith. Why am I a Protestant? If you know the answers then ask yourself: Am I still pro-testing?

May the rich heritage of the 16^th century Protestant Reformation be always remembered and preached in this pulpit.

AMCAS

I finally submitted my medical school application to AMCAS!! Now I have to wait till they process it. When they finish processing it, I should get e-mails from some schools for links to their secondary apps.

Special thanks to those who helped me revise my personal statement! And biggest thanks to God for allowing me finish on time!

I'll probably post a copy of my personal statement later.

African Courier #3: On the Other Side of Academia

Jambo!

I know I said the third newsletter was coming soon. And that was already two weeks ago. But you see, in Africa (and perhaps in your country, too) "soon" can mean anything between a few minutes to a few years, especially in restaurants, as I found out the hard way.

Anyhow, here are some of the things that have happened since my last update:

· At the end of August, we had a pastor's conference at BCEA Kenya. About 200 African pastors attended the conference. I attended some of the sessions and learned some good lessons on the Bible, many of which I never knew. I also got to learn some of the Fundamentalist perspective of Christianity. Lots of good stuff. The main speaker was Dr. Jeffery Khoo from Far Eastern Bible College (Singapore).

· Beginning of September, we opened the new Bible college in Arusha, Tanzania. Day after the opening ceremony, I went with Dr. Gary Johnson to a local church surrounded by a thick forest of banana trees. I got to share of my testimony, and Dr. Johnson preached. At the end of service three ladies came to Christ! The amazing thing was that these ladies had been going to church for at least 10 years, and had never before prayed to receive Christ! Praise God for giving us such an amazing opportunity to serve Him.

· A lot of my money was stolen at a hotel in Tanzania. It was a big mistake to leave my pouch in my hotel room. Probably while I was eating dinner, a hotel worker unlocked the door and took the money from the pouch, leaving the room as if no one had entered. I didn’t realize until I was back in Nairobi that my money was gone. So I actually don’t know for certain when or where the money was stolen.

· I got infected by some round worms. Soon after I came back from Masai Land, I was having some periodic gastric (and gas) problems. I got a chance to go to Dr. Johnson’s clinic in Kitui one day and got myself checked for parasites. When we looked at my stool sample stained with iodine under the microscope, lo and behold, there were some fertilized ascaris eggs! (I think I got infected when I drank water from a boma in Lenkijape. They get water by digging the sand in a dried-up river) At Dr. Johnson’s clinic, I bought some mebendazole and ketrax (sp?) along with some medicine for my shoulder (I landed on my right shoulder in a bicycle accident in Lenkijape). All of it cost only Ksh50 (~$0.70). What a steal! Dr. Johnson invited me to spend some time at his clinic so that I can learn some tropical medicine. I’ll probably go sometime next year. I’m really looking forward to that.

· I've been teaching two English classes at BCEA. One is for foreigners (Sudanese, Congolese, etc.) who don't speak English very well, and the other is for mostly Kenyans who've finished up to secondary school (equivalent of high school). It's been a challenge especially teaching the "beginner" class, since English is a foreign language to them. Sometimes I use a bit of French that I learned in high school to teach them English (Congolese speak French). It’s been encouraging to see many of the students improve.

· I’ve been conducting the church English choir. The church at BCEA has two choirs: Kiswahili Choir and English Choir. Since Rev. Kim’s daughter (who plays piano for English choir) left for seminary in California, Eben (who conducts the choir) now plays the piano, and I’m conducting. It’s been really fun trying to teach them vocal techniques that I’ve been learning since 10 years ago. It’s so cool to see them improve. They’re starting to read the notes and are making a lot less mistakes than when they started. It’s a huge challenge though, because they are used to singing African music (and hymns in Kiswahili often have different tune than the original). Although we may never sound like UCLA Chorale, it’s a fruitful work.

· I  became a vegetarian. Ok, I’m just kidding. But I caught your attention, didn’t I? I’ve been cooking a lot since I have to prepare every meal myself. I just decided to cook only vegetables so I can eat a lot and not worry about getting fat (and being accused of causing starvation in Africa when I come back to the States). I’ve learned to cook a variety of dishes (thanks to the Internet). Mom, you’ll be proud when you sees all the pictures of the food that I cooked! Sometimes Mrs. Kim invites me over to her place for food, and once in a while the three “bachelors” (Richard, Eben, and I) do a potluck (other two are married, but their wives are out of the country). I eat a lot of meat then, so I can handle not eating meat often.

· I’m almost done with my medical school application. I finally finished writing the first draft of my personal statement, which was the last thing I had left to do. If you have some spare time and want to proof read/revise/butcher it, let me know and I’ll send you my latest draft. The deadline is October 15, so I need to finalize it very soon.

Ok, as a reward for those that read this far, I’ve finally posted some pictures online and you can see them here: http://picasaweb.google.com/doxadeo
Well, maybe not a reward since it was actually up three weeks ago, but if you don’t check my blog often, you probably haven’t seen it yet. Warning!: there are some pictures of dead animals (chicken and goat)! Just don’t click on the thumbnail if you see it. Feel free to leave some comments on the pictures! I might upload some more pics depending on your feedback.

Finally, some prayer requests. Please pray for:

· my medicals school application. I’m applying quite late (close to deadline), and it’s a disadvantage with schools that have rolling admission (which is most of the non-top-tier schools). Even after submitting this application, there’s still a lot more to do (secondary apps for each school, interviews, getting letters of recommendation, etc.). I really need God’s guidance on this matter.

· my health. I think all the parasites are gone now (except for mosquitoes... but they don’t have malaria in Nairobi). I haven’t had much stomach problem since I took the medicine other than when I used some really old kimchi water for cooking. I haven’t slept much the last couple days trying to finish my med school apps. So please pray that I can manage my health more carefully.

· my English classes. I don’t take the responsibility of teaching English lightly, especially when I’m teaching the future pastors and evangelists. Please pray that God will give me patience and wisdom to teach effectively.

· the library catalogue project. This is my biggest project that I need to finish before I go back to the US. I’ve figured out how to use the program, but I haven’t had much chance to enter the information of books on the computer. Please pray that I can work efficiently and that I’ll be able to finish the task I’m given.

· midterms. No, I’m not taking any midterms (thank God). Remember I’m on the other side of academia now. In fact I’m making midterms (ugh!). The students are taking the midterms next week. Some students have been doing very poorly that they were asked to leave (also because they couldn’t pay school fees). So please pray for the students.

· the faculty of BCEA. Recently we’ve had some trouble with one of the faculties in BCEA Tanzania. He had been AWOL for three weeks, causing burden on other faculties there. The students in Tanzania are doing wonderfully, but it seems that we don’t have enough teachers. Also pray for the faculty in BCEA Kenya. Rev. Kim is always working very hard even though his health conditions has not been at its best for a while.

· the ministries in Masai Land. Please continue to pray for both Kiluani and Lenkijape. We’ve finally resolved some land issues in Kiluani, but a lot of work needs to be done to mend the relation between the secondary school and the clinic/church. Last Sunday, 9 of our church members visited the church in Lenkijape for some one-day mission. I don’t know the details yet, but keep them in your prayers (especially if you’ve been there. Hey there, London Team!)

· whatever I forgot or didn’t mention that needs prayer. There’s always a lot to pray for here in Africa. Please remember us!

Thanks for taking the time to read the news letter! I would love to hear what’s been going on in your life if you care to share them. Best wishes to those who have stared going to school!

God Bless,
SunMin
http://doxadeo.blogspot.com

To subscribe to African Courier Newsletter, visit http://groups.google.com/group/african-courier/

Doxa in Kenya: In Brief, Parasites and Robbery

Friday, September 15.

I went to Kitui with Lazarus to bring some stuff to Dr. Johnson's clinic today.

At the clinic, I got checked for parasites from my stool sample. We found some ascaris (round worm) eggs... No wonder I've been having stomach problems. Dr. Johnson gave me some medicines for that. I also got some medicine for my shoulder. I got into a bicycle accident about a month ago in Lenkijape. I was carrying a boy in the back, and we were going downhill. The bike had no break, so we ran into a small bush. I flew over the bike and landed on my right shoulder. It's still moving, but it hurts a bit when I stretch it. Hopefully the medicine will work. All the medicine only cost Ksh50 (~70 cents).

Recently I discovered that, while I was in Tanzania couple weeks ago, somebody stole my money. I think it was when I was staying in the Hotel 77, because I left my money in my room during dinner. Although I had the room locked, I bet one of the workers went in and took the money. I lost $300 from that. I feel terrible because it was given to me by the church, and it was money that people gave as sacrificial offerings. I should have known better than to leave money in a hotel room... I learned an expensive lesson.

God provides and takes away as He pleases. My the Lord be glorified when I'm healthy, when I'm sick, when I have money, when all my money is gone, and in every situation.

Pictures!

It took a while, but I've finally uploaded some pictures! They're not in
full resolution, and I've only uploaded a few, but you might get a better
idea about life in Kenya through these.

Check them out here!
http://picasaweb.google.com/doxadeo

I'll keep adding more photos later, hopefully.