Vowe News Letter 소식지

"We are more than conquerors”  Romans 8:31-39

31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake, we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Bridge 1 / Bridge 2

Everything that I see, hear, or feel brings anxiety upon me, to the point where I would wake up in the middle of the night, tossing around, unable to go back to sleep. Yet God brought these words to me, telling me that this is a time for me to wait patiently and persevere.

God tells me that the only way I can overcome these difficult times is for me to depend on the name of Jesus Christ, who was victorious over death through the power of resurrection. God tells me that even when everything seems to be blocked, cut off, and falling apart, the loving hands of our God in heaven enables us to get up again and dream new dreams.

God tells me to remember the fact that God chose me from before the foundation of the world, and the fact that He was waiting patiently for me even when I thought I could handle everything on my own. God tells me to remember His love, in which He held unto me and gave up His Son in my place.

God tells me to remember that God, in love, has granted me a worthy call, which I need to press forward until the very end. God tells me to remember that Jesus defeated death and rose again and that He now intercedes for me on the right side of God. Even when the times seem dark, God tells me to wait upon the Lord, pray to Him, and dream new dreams, in the hands of our loving God.

Bridge 3 / Bridge 4

1) Let us pray and wait to hear the voice of God.

North Korea has closed all its borders to protect itself from the covid pandemic. Before, I would occasionally receive some calls about ministry from the North Korean officials, but all communication has been cut off for some time. The only way of communication open and available for us now is to pray to our heavenly Father. The only way available for us is to hear the voice of God, who sees and knows all things.

A few days ago, I was in prayer, meditating upon apostle Paul who was on his way to Rome as a prisoner. They were stuck in a storm for many days, and it seemed like they would not be able to make it alive, but Paul heard the voice of God and delivered the message to others.

“Take heart, my God promised me that He would save all of us. Please cheer up.” I hope and pray that God would deliver this same message to all of us, who may be feeling like we are stuck in a shipwreck.

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” This is a confession from Paul, who was imprisoned in Rome; I pray that this confession would be the word of God given to all of us, as we feel like we are imprisoned.

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Let us hear the voice of God together, and let us wait for that day through prayer together.

Bridge 5 / Bridge 6

2) Let us entrust all of our problems to the hands of God, who can raise the dead.
“Christ Jesus is the one who died – more than that, who was raised – who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” I feel a sense of danger, feeling like our ministry of food distribution, clinic, and orphanage vocational training is at a breaking point. There is too much work that needs to be done and far too many obstacles to overcome; I can’t help but pray and pray more.

As I pray, I think about Abraham’s faith, as recorded in Romans 4:17-25. Abraham had faith in God that he “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” He had even a stronger faith when he felt like everything was coming to the end. For all of us, death is the end; it is hopelessness we cannot overcome.

But Jesus overcame death and came back to life, and He is now interceding for us at the right hand of God; and therefore, we can get back up and start over again. There is no such thing as the end, because of Jesus. We may seem like we are being killed all day long and that we are like sheep to be slaughtered, but because of Jesus who died and came back to life, we can be more than conquerors.

Bridge 7 / Bridge 8

3) Let us dream new dreams in the hands of our loving God.

Many young ministers are staying in the US or Korea now, feeling anxious because they had to leave their field of ministry behind. As they think about their ministry or the friend they left behind, it makes them lose heart and worry to the point of despair. And the only thing we can do during this time is to meditate on the word of God and pray together. Paul tried to go to Rome many times, but his path was always blocked.

Therefore, he writes to the Roman church with an indebted heart, as he was unable to visit. In this letter, he writes of a greater dream than words of disappointment or discouragement. “When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. (Romans 15:28)”

Even though it is an unfulfilled dream, Paul still dreams of visiting Rome and then Spain, even to the ends of the world. God was pleased with this dream, and God more than fulfilled this dream, as he evangelized all the world, far beyond Rome.

This is the loving voice of God, telling us to dream bigger dreams than the works we cannot complete at this time. There are many obstacles and troubles in front of us, but nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Updates and Announcements

Photo Captions: There are many bridges over rivers Dumangang and Amnokgang, connecting China and North Korea. On twelve of these bridges, there are customs and border control, which control the passage of people and supplies. Most of these bridges are so short that they can hear voices spoken from one end to the other.

After I resigned from my church in January 2004 and began my North Korean ministry, my visa was rejected for almost three years due to unknown reasons. The only thing I could do then was to visit these bridges and shout over them, and sometimes hide from plain sight and pray through tears.

I asked, sought, and knocked. After some time, I received my visa to enter North Korea, and I was able to start a food distribution/clinic and orphanage vocational training ministry as I visited different regions of North Korea. And one day, I remembered the days when I was standing on the other side of the bridge crying and praying, and I gave thanks to the Lord for His amazing providence.

As everything is cut off nowadays due to the covid pandemic, I once again visit those bridges through pictures. In these days of darkness, I think about the land beyond these bridges, and I look on the plains of central Asia across the Silk Road, dreaming and praying for the vision that unified Korea will have to fulfill.

In this newsletter (issue 82), I am attaching some photos from the Chinese border, taken during those times of desperate prayer.

Bridge 9 / Bridge 10

Food Distribution/Clinic Updates: The funds for 1st half of 2021 have been delivered to the ministers, but they haven’t arrived in the field of ministry yet. Though this is an unconfirmed rumor, the North Korean border should open up in May, although only for supplies. So we are praying and preparing for this opening; please pray for this.

Orphanage Vocational Training MinistryUpdates:  For the first time in a long while, I was able to hear updates from the North Korean officials in charge of the orphanage ministry. I was told that they are well, and they asked for more support for Hwangju Intermediate Orphanage. Paul Park from China Vowe is talking to them about how we can help them tangibly in these times. Please pray for them.

Bridge 11 / Bridge 12

Minister updates: Family of Sean&Mina moved their office to Munsan, which is right in front of DMZ. Their family is hoping to handle the function that has been done over in different locales of China here at Munsan. Please pray for the family of Sean&Mina, as well as the families of Jerome&Alissa, E&J, Justin&Eunice, and Matt&Rachel, who have situated themselves at Munsan and have been praying and preparing. Please pray for their families and ministries

2nd Generation Minister Mobilization Ministry Updates: PastorFamily of Sean&Mina has moved to Munsan and is running monthly seminars on DMZ development. They are also preparing a report with the data collected from these seminars. The family of Jerome&Alissa is finishing up their ministry in the US, and they plan to focus on prayer ministry and training of the 2nd generation in Korea. Please pray for the family and ministry of E&J, Justin&Eunice, Matt&Rachel, who are in this ministry together.

Bridge 13 / Bridge 14

Prayer Partner Updates: Pastor Joshua Choi has begun a new ministry as the lead pastor of Still Waters church. Pastors Jungwoo Lee in DC, Taeseok Park in West Virginia, and Jungjoo Oh in Maryland plan to gather together and start a new prayer meeting in that region. And we plan to hold a seminar with reporter Youngkwon Kim of VOA on April 16th (Friday 5 PM PST) via Zoom for this prayer meeting. Please pray and join us.

Vowe Prayer Meeting Reports: Victorville prayer meeting, held on 03/11 Thursday 11 AM via Kakaotalk Livetalk, was attended by 9. Las Vegas prayer meeting, held on the same day at 3 PM via Zoom, was attended by 15. United prayer meeting, held on 03/13 Saturday 5 PM via Zoom, was attended by 22. Sunshine prayer meeting, held on 03/20 Saturday 3 PM via Zoom, was attended by 6. On D Ku’s farewell meeting, held at Schabarum Park on 03/25 Thursday, was attended by 16.

Bridge 15 / Bridge 16

Prayer Topics

1)Pray for Repairer & Restorer’s Club, 200 Businessmen’s Club, Gospel Runner’s Club.

2)Please pray for the children in food distribution and clinic ministry, for their families and teachers, and the villagers there. Pray that they would face a new hopeful beginning in this coming Spring.


3)Please pray for the orphans growing up in the Orphanage Vocational Training Ministry and the members of China Vowe to grow up and become gospel runners.



4)Please pray for the 2nd generation ministers staying in Korea, the US, China, and North Korea, for their families and ministries, as well as for their partners.


5)Please pray for the families of Jerome&Alissa, E&J, Justin&Eunice, Joy&Gabe, Sean&Mina, and Matt&Rachel, for their ministry of 2nd generation minister mobilization.

6)The Good Samaritan Ministry has grown enough to partner with other organizations doing similar ministries. Please pray for the merciful hands of our God to be upon their every step.

7)Please pray for each partner's churches and prayer meetings to handle their ministry well, being held by the hands of our God.

Next Payer Meeting
1) 84thVictorville Vowe Prayer Meeting, 4/8/2021(Thu), 11:00 am, via Kakaotalk Livetalk

2) 141st Las Vegas Vowe Prayer Meeting, 4/8/2021(Thu), 7 pm, via Zoom

3) 101st You g Vowe Prayer Meeting, 4/10/2021(Sat), 5 pm, via Zoom