Canada, Humber

Preface

"'Have faith in God in God', Jesus answered." (Mark 11:22)

Thank God for helping us to write this brief history of the pioneering work of Humber UBF.

The continuation of gospel work
The work of God in Sedgeley (2002-2004)
The work of God from 2004 to present

Introduction

As we look back on our campus pioneering work, we can feel God's strong presence and His guidance in our ministry. We believe that God, who has begun his wonderful life-saving work through us, will continue to do his beautiful work among us. May God continue to be with us and bless our work.

1. The continuation of gospel work

Our Humber campus pioneering work began on December 24, 2001, when Paulus Cha and his family moved to Toronto. It was Christmas Eve and all the houses down the street were covered with a thin layer of white snow. It was truly an impressive day.

However, gospel work in Humber chapter did not start all by itself. There is a story behind it all, which began when Mercy Cha came to Winnipeg as a missionary in 1982, along with other women missionaries.

The victorious life of faith of our 23 Canadian women missionaries is like a legend for many people in UBF. When they first came to Canada, most of them were unable to carry out a simple conversation in English. Despite the language barrier, they conquered English by faith in one year, serving a very fruitful disciple-raising ministry. After establishing house church with Paulus Cha, together they served God's work in Winnipeg until 1991.

Then, following God's leading, they moved to Montreal along with 7 missionary families and 2 Canadian shepherds to serve campus pioneering work there.

Montreal is a French-speaking city. As our missionaries and shepherds began their new life in this foreign city, they had to overcome many challenges and difficulties. Missionary Mercy had to study French for one year to pass the French fluency test to work as a Registered Nurse. Meanwhile, Missionary Paulus Cha entered graduate school at McGill University in order to lay a foundation as a lay Bible teacher and to grow as a shepherd for Canadian intellectuals. During this time, their beloved daughters Sarah and Grace were born, to the delight of their eldest sister Mary who had been born in Winnipeg. And several Bible students were growing under their care. It seemed a given that Paulus' family would stay in Montreal as the place where they stay all their missionary life. After all, as time passed on, life became quite comfortable in Montreal. However, God who always works in advance and who doesn't like his children to remain unchallenged did not plan for this family to live in Montreal forever. So, despite their love for French speaking people, God helped them to learn a life of pilgrim by moving to a new place. First, God led his family to Ottawa, the capital city of Canada. Then, after living there for 4 months, God guided his family to Toronto, a large and multicultural city.

2. The work of God in Sedgeley (2002-2004)

As previously mentioned, Paulus Cha's family moved to Toronto on December 24, 2001. The family's pioneering work started from a 2-bedroom townhouse at 31 Sedgeley Dr., where the basement was used as the Bible house. As two missionaries and their three kids started campus pioneering work all by themselves, it was just like Jesus' manger ministry. They had to serve Sunday Worship Service without any sheep and all family members had to be involved in God's mission. Paulus delivered weekly message faithfully; his wife Mercy was the one and only prayer servant and their three daughters were either offering servants or music servants. The last four served as the amazing audience, listening attentively to the messages. It was not easy for them to serve new campus pioneering work in a new city. They felt that they were like the modern version of Noah's family whose five family members were doing the Ark ministry.

Missionary Paulus and Mercy despaired a lot in serving new campus pioneering work. When they were serving God's work in Montreal, they always felt comfortable with coworkers, and with students there. However, serving God's work in a new campus and in a new city while in their 40s was a different story. They simply did not feel close with the Humber college students.

Furthermore, even though they tried to invite students to Bible study by denying their human feelings, the students simply did not show any response. Out of deep despair, the couple often visited the Campus cafeteria to drink coffee instead of serving fishing. However, as they struggled in this way, God encouraged them by giving them His word. One day, as they were studying Mark's gospel, God gave them His word based on Mark 11:22, "'Have faith in God,' Jesus answered." Their hearts were deeply moved when they remembered Jesus whose heart was full of compassion as he was watching the crowd of 5,000. The family repented their lack of compassion and faith before God and made a decision of faith to serve Humber campus students with God's love and compassion rather than with human calculation. Then realizing that a new campus pioneering work needed a long-term plan, they prayed to God for his wisdom to serve Humber campus pioneering work. Realizing that her present work place was too far from the campus, Missionary Mercy changed her job several times to find a job near Humber College. Then amazingly, God gave her a full-time position near Humber College. In addition, she took courses at Humber campus to better relate to Humber students.

Then, God began to send us Bible students one by one. God further encouraged them by sending Missionary Isaac Lee's family from Waterloos as fellow coworkers. When Missionary Isaac Lee's family came to Humber, their first son Jacob was 6 years old and their second child David was only a small baby in a cradle. The boys have grown a lot since then. Missionary Isaac Lee's family might have felt some inconvenience in finding a house around Humber campus since they are in business. (?!!) However, they continued to struggle hard to serve God and his righteousness first based on Matthews 6:33. Thus, God has blessed this house church richly. During this period, God also encouraged us by sending his precious servants, such as Mother Sarah Barry, Dr. John Jun, S. Mark Yang, Dr. Paul Hong, Missionary David Kim, Sh. Paul B. Lee from Korea, precious mothers of prayer from Korea , Sunji Jun, Helen Kim, S. Daniel and Miso Rhee from Korea, S. Andrew Martin, and many others to visit us and pray for God's blessing on our campus pioneering work.

3. The work of God from 2004 to present

A little after we began our campus pioneering work, we began to pray for a new Bible house as our townhouse was a little far from the campus. There is the saying: "Out of sight, out of mind." So, we prayed to be near campus. God listened and provided us with a new place near Humber campus, so we can visit and serve fishing ministry frequently. God began to bless us all the more by sending us more missionary coworkers. Missionary Timothy Lee and Rebekah J. Lee's family from Korea joined our ministry. Then Missionary David Lee and Maria Lee's family came from Korea, eventually followed by Missionary Timothy and Joanna Park's family who had been faithfully serving God's mission in Ottawa and Montreal for the last 9 years. Surely it was not easy for this family to move and join in a different chapter, but they humbly co-work with Humber coworkers. And this way, God has formed a beautiful vessel of co-working; God began to bless our ministry by sending us bible students who have a spiritual desire to study the Bible. Chantel Ryan and Joshua Kirkland began studying Bible, and then Joseph Minielli came; he brought his brother Tino then Tino brought his friend Andrew for Bible study and worship service. We were so amazed by the living work of God just like the first disciples in the Bible time.

The year 2009, we sent out M. Timothy and Rebekah Lee’s family to join Algonquin ministry, and after the Canadian leader’s conference, we were ready to serve fall semester with new spirit and desires. But we all found out M. Timothy Park’s sudden sickness with leukemia.

M. Timothy Park was healthy and full of energy who was always ready to run for soccer; It was a shock and storm of life for him and for all of us. At first, we were at a loss, not knowing how to think or find the way to help him and at the same time to serve God’s ministry.

However, through prayer support of many servants of God throughout the world, we were united in prayers and supported him and his family with faith in living God, asking for saving his life. By the grace of God, he endured and overcame such hard chemotherapy for over 2 ½ years. So many God’s servants prayed and visited him and supported him in various ways and m. Timothy overcame his sickness. We thank and praise God who gave him a new life in the living God.

And By faith, we began Friday student meeting and pray for 12 students to join and to be raised up as spiritual leaders. Our missionaries gather together to study the Bible each Saturday and participate in early morning prayer meetings, so that God's great work of God might be done through and among us. And God blesses each missionary family through immigration, business, jobs, school studies. Thank God for His wonderful grace on us! Thank God for our humble and sacrificial coworkers!

As we grow, we began to feel strong urge for moving into a bigger place closer to Humber Campus. Our students and coworkers began praying and marching around the neighborhood for new Bible house. However, since the area is right next to Campus, there was almost no house on the market and even if new house comes on the market, within 3-4 days, it’s sold out and the price was keep going up.

We felt hopeless but when we continually prayed for God for his grace, and by faith, we even knocked each house if they have desire to sell, God opened the way and provided us a suitable place as we prayed, bigger, closer to Campus and we could move into the new place in July right after GTA SBC. By faith, we dedicated our new bible house as prayer house with God’s servants, Pastor Abraham Kim , Dr. John Jun and many of our GTA coworkers.

Our 3 students, Joseph, Tino and Wade are struggling with the word of God and growing as stewards of God’s ministry, serving, preparing environments and serving fishing and 1:1 Bible studies.

At the same time, our 2^nd gen students, Mary, Sarah, Grace and Susanna are growing as coworkers, serving various task, such as CBF/HBF, music ministry, 1:1 Bible studies and worship services.

From 2012, we changed our format and have 2 team meeting separately, Abraham team and Mustard seed meeting. And formed disciples’ house and our 3 brothers are struggling to live by faith, encouraging one another.

M. Isaac Lee works and uses his business to support his family and God’s ministry and at the same time, he is faithfully serving CBF ministry and 1:1 ministry, even though his physical condition requires lots of support.

M. David Lee works as computer programmer as a lay missionary and serves God’s work with prayer and fishing and serving 1:1 ministry, while his co-worker M. Maria is studying nursing program. M. Joanna continues to support M. Timothy Park while serving fishing ministry diligently. She has been great encouragement and strength for M. Timothy Park while he was struggling with his sickness.

Mary Cha graduated and began working as a teacher and at the same time serving our ministry as a co-worker and as an example for other 2^nd gen students and children. Our women coworkers support our ministry, students, 2^nd gen as environment-maker and prayer servants while faithfully serving fishing, 1:1 ministry.

God has blessed us as we prayed to participate in world mission. We could join several international conferences as prayer servants, such as CIS, Korea world mission report, European conference, Central European conference, Africa regional conference, and ME conference.

We thank and praise God who has been with us and leads us to serve Him and His work in this generation. Especially we thank God for providing us His words each week through M. Paulus Cha, feeding and leading us in the truth of God . May God continue to fill us with the love of Jesus so we can reveal our Lord Jesus through faithful Bible study and through discipleship ministry. May God bless Canada to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

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