El Salvador Field Ministry (Psalms 14:1)

I’m standing here before you because Pastor Park requested to talk about the El Salvador missions and the prayer topics in preparation for the mission trip in July. And before I begin my report on El Salvador, I want to tell you about an answer I received 25 years ago when I was living in a dorm in Japan, there were two rats that came into the room. And we weren’t able to catch the rats, so every night, it would grate at or eat away at the posts and I started knocking on my bed, so the rats would stay away from me. 

Then Rev. Ryu came and held a conference there. I don’t remember exactly what Rev. Ryu said at the conference, but I remember thinking if God would kill the rats in my dorm too. The rats had been tormenting me for one month, then fascinatingly enough, the week of the conference, the rats were killed. One day, I heard them rustling around in the trash can, so I just threw it out. After school the next day, I heard the second rat rustling around in another trash can, so I threw that away too. 

And from that moment on, I knew that all rats live in pairs. And I’m telling you this because it may be a corny answer but I’ve realized at that conference when we have a small seed of faith, God answers us according to that faith. So I was able to confirm that even though the time of worship may not seem like much, it is a time for us to really confirm the works of the word of God. And I’ll tell you a little about El Salvador right now. 

In this region called El Miguel, there’s a disciple named Elvia, and through this disciple, we are doing the word movement. We meet with them aponline everyday at 7 p.m, and on Wednesdays and Fridays, our Senior Deaconess Song gives the message personally, and on Mondays, Pastor Park gives the message to those who will gather and it’s about  4-5 people.  On the other days I deliver the message, and our Senior Deaconess Song comes in every day either interpreting or delivering the message personally herself. 

So we are planning to have the mission trip starting from July 11th on Monday, all the way to July 13th the Thursday or July 14th the Friday. And we are going to the evangelism camps in the afternoon for three days. And Elvia actually first volunteered that she will gather people in her village and other villages for those who want to participate. And of course once we get there she will also be participating in her personal evangelism, but before we go evangelize we told her to pray for the fields and break down the forces of darkness, and if she has a specific evangelism target in her mind to introduce them and invite them to this.  And so we asked her to write a list of people she wants to evangelize to, so when we get there they can receive the gospel as well. And then, after those who did not believe, become believers  by accepting, we want to prepare those who can nurture and raise them as teachers before we go. 

We’ve been doing the Word movement centered around the disciple Elvia. We’ve been giving her the way of salvation, teaching her about deep breathing, and the three proclamations. We told her also to start praying about nurturing. I’ll explain more in depth in a little bit, but I want to explain briefly how I came to meet her. Through our church, we used to have after-school activities centered on Rise Kohyang School. During that period, a person named Raquel came to our church with her three kids. And to my understanding, Assistant Pastor Lim realized that Raquel had a deep understanding for the word and so they began to meet every week. And then, after the COVID 19 outbreak, the nurturing of this disciple switched from Assistant Pastor Lim to myself. And it was possible because COVID 19 made everything go online, like on Zoom. The content of the word delivered to Raquel started with the gospel letters. 

And as we were going through the gospel letter, there’s a lot of spiritual content. She started speaking about her famIly first. She began to speak of her family back in El Salvador as well as her personal, spiritual experiences and her family background is one of idol worship. She would tell me that when she was younger, she went to an idol-worshiping temple with her mother, and even though it was the two of them, she heard the voice of a man. Simply put, she heard the voice of demons and knew someone was there. And she told us of another family relative who would go into the forest at night and converse with demons. Looking at her children’s present-day, their states are very bad. Even physically speaking, the children are wandering a lot, they are associated with substances and other abuses. As I was hearing this, I was able to confirm yet again the spiritual things through the word of God. 

After we finished the gospel Message, we started the way of salvation. And every time we went through the way of salvation, we changed the target of the one to receive salvation, from religious people to those with mental or spiritual problems to idol worshippers. Then one day she actually gave this way of salvation to someone in her church. Even though the person had been going to church for a long time, she was able to see her changing through the way of salvation. So then after she had experienced the way of salvation to that extent, we went through the bible verses, one by one, with the message. While we were doing this, Raquel mentioned one of her friends in El Salvador. She said that this old friend was someone who had relayed the gospel to her. 

She told us that this woman back in El Salvador had a church at her home, and she was worshiping but suffering through many problems presently. And she told us that they don’t have a pastor. We wanted to connect her with our pastor, and that is how we were able to connect with El Salvador. When we first met with this woman, we relayed the word of Matthew 16:16. We delivered the word that it is so important to know how we understand Jesus Christ. It’s so important that Jesus Christ asked this question to his disciples. I asked her after this meeting if she could meet with us once a week, and this lady said, “I would like it if we could meet every day.” At first, Senior Deaconess Song and I thought she was joking so we were laughing, but Pastor Park said, “Yes, let’s meet every day.” 

And I asked her once again and she said “Yes I would like to meet every day,” and I’m always pretty slow so I thought maybe this mission trip would be next year but Pastor Park said it would happen this year. And the way I know that the timing is right was when Pastor Park talked about this with Elvia, she asked, “Shouldn’t you be coming to El Salvador, not Mexico?” So that is how things have progressed until now. 

In this stream of what’s been going on, these are personal answers I’ve been receiving, and first is that this Covid 19 has been a personal answer for me. And yes, there are some darakbang meetings that I go to in person now, or participate in, but because of COVID 19, most of my meetings are on zoom, Skype, phone, or online. And I believe that if it hadn’t been for COVID 19, or this online switch we wouldn’t have opened the door to El Salvador. 

And the second is about the determining of the July mission trip. When Pastor Park said he would determine going to this mission trip in July, I was thinking, “What word must I relay to Elvia?” And at that moment, I was able to reveneber the turning I received  a long time ago. I used to come to America to go to evangelism camps. And when they would tell me to do this, do that, there were a lot of areas I didn’t understand. And then now that’s e are preparing the evangelism camp to El Salvador in July, I’m realizing now, “That’s why they had us do those things back then,” and I begin to realize that God was actually preparing me for this moment all through the past, and there was no moment in vain. 

The third answer I received is the confirmation of the message.  I was able to confirm that this way of salvation we learned about, why we need to receive salvation, what are the blessings we receive once we have salvation, and what is the state of those who do not have spiritual salvation, it is not something that is explicable to one person, but all 237 nations of the world.  I started doing Bible study with Nomin from Mongolia about a year before COVID started, and during that time, God allowed me to see the spiritual aspects of Mongolia.  I was able to confirm the 6 states of the unbeliever are truly and genuinely a thing.  

As I was delivering the word, Monica’s mother was nodding her head, and I actually did this Upper Room meeting with David Abrams, who is sitting right here, twice.  At that time, I was also able to confirm, as he was giving the Way of Salvation, it was time for me to confirm this Word yet again. Now again through our disciples, Raquel and Elvia, that the areas that do not have the gospel within them are truly fields of darkness, and this is true all throughout the world.  I believe God will continue to guide me to confirm further.  

The final answer I received through this is that the answer the disciples must receive is the same as mine, it is the 237 nations, and I began to believe in that. Even though it may seem there are a large variety of problems, all nations have the same problem.  Therefore, the answer God is giving to all nations of the world is also the same. It is the fact that we are all stuck in the problems of darkness, and the Nephilim until we are able to come to the conclusion of only Christ.  Therefore, I was able to believe the disciples need to receive the same exact answer, which is not Christ, but only Christ, and to enjoy that.

NOwadays, within the word, we’ve been hearing these numbers, 3, 9, and 3.  To this day, I’m still not able to really remember what that means.  However, I’m able to understand the reason why they use those numbers, 3, 9, and 3.  It’s so that we will not forget it, but we will always be thinking about that and enjoying that.  So, I took this content of 3, 9, 3, and I delivered it to our disciple Elvia in El Salvador, over two or three points.

I told her that, while she prays, do deep breathing, and while she breathes in, to pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit to control her heart, her mind, her physical body, and her spirit. As she breathed out, I told her to utilize the authority she has in Jesus Christ, first within her family and family line, and then within her region. Then, I told her to take another breath, with the same prayer of the filling of the Holy Spirit, then as she exhales, to break down the forces of Satan in El Salvador, especially pertaining the sexual immorality, abuse, and the shamanism movement going on there.  The third breath, she would again inhale for the filling of the Holy Spirit, and exhale the third time to mobilize the heavenly armies of angels to open the doors of evangelism.  

We’re continuing to guide her to show her that truly, this prayer topic within the gospel is sufficient and perfect. Thankfully enough, because the people are so well-familiar with the works of evil spirits, they are able to easily understand the spiritual content of these words.  For me personally, it actually took more than 10 years for me to come to the realization that this is truly everything.  However, for these people, I gave them this Word, but even on the second message, they understood it so well.  The people around them also understood it so well.  On Mondays after Pastor Park gives them the message, he asks them to share the forum, most of them receive grace from the Word.  “God is with me and the forces of darkness have no power over me anymore.”  

In conclusion, from the pulpit message, I was thinking, “Because Elvia is a disciple, we must be able to give her the Word as well.  However, I realized that before I relay the Word of God, it’s important that I myself become a witness and enjoy this first, for myself.”  Even though we’ve received this gospel, we have so many things and problems going on in our lives; it’s possible we may lose hold of the enjoyment. It could be  a problem between people or finances, or some kind of problem or conflict.  

I know that I’m not the one giving her the answer.  I also believe that I’m not helping her. It’s because I have no ability to do those things.  I believe that what I can do is deliver the Word God is giving to her.  Just like the words we received this week from Psalm 14:1, and especially through this week’s pulpit message, this Bible verse Psalms 14:1 really came into my heart. 

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no god ‘they are corrupt, their deeds are vile there’s no one who does good”  Especially the first part, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no god,’” but on the other hand, we are enjoying the fact that God is with me in every aspect, and before we do anything we are enjoying the content of salvation.  That’s a human whom God says is blessed.  It is true that Jesus Christ is within me, however, the lifestyle where the Immanuel and oneness of Jesus Christ being present and active in every aspect of my life.  

If ever a crisis feels like  a crisis, or a conflict feels like a conflict, or a problem feels like a problem, if I were to reflect deeply, it is because I do not believe God is with me in that situation. Without a doubt, God is with me, but I just don’t feel that way. The fact that God is with me is the absolute work of salvation that Jesus Christ has done.

However, I was not able to believe that in the midst of my environment, problems, crises, and conflicts.  Then, if I’m in that situation where I don’t acknowledge that in the midst of my problems, circumstances, crises, and conflicts, what stream am I going into in order to solve them?  When I look at myself personally, I realized I always start from Genesis 3, and then I go into the stream of my family line, and also the stream of what I experienced and learned while I was young.  I believe God has called us as children of God who are able to change the stream.

Then, how is it that I can escape from this stream and be the one who stands as the one who changes this stream?  I believe it begins with believing God is with us in every area.  Within this, you will see the answers to problems, and even to myself, within the midst of crises, because God is with me, I’m able to see the opportunity.  When I believe in the God who is with me in the midst of conflicts, I’m able to see the renewal God has hidden for me there.  

There are a lot of times when I look at Elvia and I look at the mission fields and I wonder if she is struggling financially.  From what I hear from Raquel, they live in an area where there are no bathrooms, so you have to dig a hole in the ground if you ever need to go.  Then, if we were to go to that area, is our financial help really to their benefit?  I don’t think that’s the case.  I believe that what God desires is for them to realize that God is with them, even in these circumstances, and that God has prepared and will provide all the finances that they need for God to do the evangelism movement in this area through them.  

In my heart, of course I do want to help them, but when I think before God about what He needs for this missions field, and in order to raise disciples, I believe that more so we help them visibly, it is about helping them to receive the answers about how God is with them and how God is doing all of this work through them.  So, we have shared about the El Salvador missions fields with you, and I would like it if you were also able to join us with this heart and these prayer topics.  

In June, we have the Navajo mission trip, and then we have the El Salvador and Karen missions trips in July.  Because we specifically heard about the El Salvador missions field today, I would like it if we would particularly focus our  prayers for the El Salvador mission field today, and also for Elvia, because I believe that she is truly a disciple prepared by God.

Prayer

Let us pray together.

Our next prayer topic is for the other mission fields that the Pastor’s wife just mentioned, which is the Karen people and the Navajo nation, and also the World Missions Conference where Pastor Park is right now.  

Our next prayer topic will be for the Temple Construction so that the missions through this church may continue.  On the Sunday message, we also received that raising the next generations is missions.  Let us pray for the Temple Construction as well as the evangelism training schools we have on Saturdays, as well as the Sunday message.