„Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.“ (Exo 19:5.6)

1. a new generation

After Maria and I returned from Uganda and attended the German leaders conference at the beginning of february 2009 the leading 2nd gens were invited by Dr. Peter Chang to a biblestudy in Bonn. He had a vision for the 2nd generation to cowork, to step to the front and take responsibility, to take over the work of the first generation. We realized that the term „2nd generation“ was a distracting separation between the missionaries kids and the young shepherds. We needed to become one team coworking, that also prayed for a coworking over the barriers of the several chapters. So we chose a new term: the New Generation.

We began regular prayer meetings for the New Generation to prepare the European Summer Bible Conference. Soon on one of those meetings I was appointed as president for the New Generation of Europe UBF, besides me 20 coordinators and managers were appointed. Our first task should be to serve the upcomming European Summer Bible Conference. In the midst of my demanding work on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the University of Cologne with night and weekend shifts I now felt a big responsibility on my shoulders, but I could not do anything than pray.

2. preparations for the ESBC „the Hope of God“

That time little Sarah came to Bonn and we invited to a meeting for the New Generation. Her comming was a great help to bring the New Generation from the different chapters together to one table. She has a strong leading personality spreading a lot of ideas and initiatives. 30 minutes before our first meeting she asked me: So what are we gonna do today? She expected a plan, she wanted to support me, but expected a clear task how to help. At that moment I realized that first of all we had to think deeply about the theme of the conference „the Hope of God“ – what was it about? What is the Hope of God? And I realized, that before planning or starting any practical preparation like music, dance, drama, orchestra – there was something we needed first: the unity among the New Generation. We already had enough ideas, how to prepare what, e.g. different ideas of the choir activities. But there was no readiness to invest for the coworking. Each leader wished the others would come in his own chapter and join his or her idea.

So during the first meeting we worked on the meaning of „the Hope of God“, we wrote down our associations, we wrote down, why exactly this conference was necessary. We learned from Ezechiel, that God could raise dead bones to life. We studied the keyverse and realized, that the Hope of God is first of all about God, not about us. God said: You will be for ME a kingdom of priests and a holy nation… It‘s all about God. After 40 years of wandering through the desert almost the whole first generation had died in the desert. A new generation reached the boarders of the promised land, and now it was their turn to conquer this land. The Hope of God was not, to give them the land of milk and honey, but – still – to make them his kingdom of priests and a holy nation!

In one meeting in Cologne we studied the feeding of the 5000 and realized that Jesus cared for his disciples. He wanted them to be refreshed. He himself wanted to feed the 5000 by God‘s power, but he wished his disciples to become part of this miracle – by bringing something in faith to Jesus, something they would find. And Jesus wanted to use this. Each participant of this biblestudy made a decision to bring one thing to Jesus in faith for the preparation of the ESBC. We decided to trust in God, that He would serve all these people, so that we would not end exhausted, instead we would enjoy the overflowing blessing with Jesus in the end like the disciples. During our prayermeetings we always tried to set our focus on the Hope of God.

Many leaders from the New Generation took more and more responsibility and initiative. Elia Lee, Grace Lee, Happy Maria and Maria Lee served several chorusses. Maria P. Lee and Johannes Chang were responsible for the orchestra, which were more than 100 members. Joy Lee, Sarah Helene from Freiburg, Maria P. Lee from Bonn were responsible for the Singalong-teams. Sam Ryu led the New Gen HipHop Dance Team. A responsible servant for the technics was Peter Lee. Sarah S. Youk and David Yoo prepared the 5 loaves and 2 fish drama. Elia Lee took charge of the worship night. Maria Keller, Sara Kum and Lydia Hong prepared the Body Worship dance. There was also the drum dance from Mainz. Maria Lee and three korean shepherdesses gave their best for the video presentations. Henoch Hong and David Shin prepared morning devotions. Four of six hosts of the evening programs were out of the New Generation. Many New Gens participated in the Ask Me Team. For all this the teams had to meet regulary and some had to drive long ways to come to the meetings. All the leaders did a great job.

The nearer the conference the more was to do and it became more difficult to find time to meet for prayer. Three weeks before the conference only five or six attended at our NewGen leaders prayer meeting. The others missed without a word. I knew, that everyone had so much to do. I myself was lacking so much sleep because of my night shifts. Besides the preparations each leader also had his own work or studies, exams or other duties. But that day we felt left alone by our coworkers. During the preparation I often got the question: “Why is coworking with the others so important? It is quite good, how it is. Each chapter can pray by itself.” That day we tried to talk on the phone with each responsible leader. Every time we had to make clear how important the united prayer was. The prayer meeting could not be cancelled because of dance, chorus or orchestra practices. These could not be more important than the united prayer, not for the preparation of a spiritual conference about the hope of god.

The days of Nehemia came to my mind. I realized that our spiritual vessel was in ruins like Jerusalem in the days of Nehemia. Over more than 70 years nobody could rebuild the wall. Now the people were used to this situation. „Why should I rebuild the wall for others? Why me? I did not destroy the wall. Besides the ruins don‘t bother me. I have my family, we have adapted to the situation, I am satisfied.“ We had the same problem the people from Jerusalem had. We were grown up in these spiritual ruins and did not have an imagination of the beautiful Jerusalem, God‘s vision. To put something together is so much more difficult than to destroy. To build more difficult than to break down. To heal more difficult than to hurt. But the story of Nehemia gave me hope. I realized, that God himself had begun this good work, and he would lead us to the very good end. God has a great vision of a beautiful Jerusalem quite beyond our imagination. He wanted to establish a pure vessel of prayer in the new generation, which he would use powerfully. On the next day, 5th July 2009 many young people from the New Generation came from all over Germany to the prayer meeting in Bonn. We thought about Nehemia, next to each other, together we stepped into the presence of our God, prayed honestly and asked God to reveal His hope at the conference.

3. the European Summer Bible Conference

Too many miracles happened at the conference, that I cannot tell everything. God revealed His hope. Jesus is the hope of God. Gods hope for the New Generation was clearly visible from the beginning of the conference. The New Generation was present as AskMe Team, as chorus, hosts, as a powerful orchestra, dancers, as great worship & praise team, everywhere. Especially the Mission Calling was impressive. Many young people went to the stage to testify that they made a decision to give their lives as missionaries to God. Even Samuel Kösters was there. I realised that God himself had prepared the New Generation and had already worked mightily among them. Gods hope also was clearly visible through the testimonies of the future missionaries Elia and Petrus. The Ballet prepared from David and M. Hanna Shin from Tschech was very funny so that I couldn‘t stop laughing. This dance indeed was a firework of the hope of God. For through David‘s testimony at the worship night we got to know what depths he had to go through when his father died unexpectedly early. It is really a miracle of God that David was freed from his loneliness, depression and aggression and that he was changed by God so that he could testify the love of God full of joy. This joy and energy was visible in the ballet for everyone. Full of thankfullness I realised that God worked so powerfully in the New Generation. There, where people prayed for them.

The worship night was a premiere and highlight for the New Generation. Ten years ago I wanted to use a pickup for the guitar to amplify the sound, I was told to leave the ministry when I would use electronics during worship. I tell this to testify how God has worked in our ministry and has broken a lot of gridlocked thoughts and opened a new way for a New Generation. At the worship night there were 3 bands: ELF+1, Living stones, Eagles wing. I never experienced such a lively, powerful and dynamic worship at a conference. Not only because of strong and modern instruments, but also because of young people who really worshipped God in truth and from the bottom of their hearts.

Jonathan Hong gave a message about true worship. We had three life-testimonies, from David Shin, Marc Choi jr. from Paris and Grace Joo jr. from Sweden. The testimony of Marc Choi also moved my heart. It is alone by gods grace that these newgens, struggling in their small pioneering ministry, testified god‘s love in their lives.

4. the greatest blessing: the Word of God

After the conference I realized that the greatest blessing for me was one experience. A few days before the conference during the night I suddenly realized that I was awake even though my eyes were closed. And in me the whole time the word of God was playing like a movie: „But God said to him: You fool!… Jesus said to them: Do not worry!… But seek his kingdom…“ The word itself took me, gripped me, caught me with a power so I could not but listen again and again. I was deeply alarmed about the seriousness and gravity of God‘s: „You fool!“ , and got excited by Jesus‘ promise: „Seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.“

Four months through four messenger training camps I had studied this text again and again with my trainers, discussed it, illuminated it from various views, learned it by heart and presented it freely. We had sweat together, revised the message again and again, I was challenged to find out the main point newly again and again and deliver it clearly. While finally preaching I trembled: Would my trainers fall asleep? Would I forget my text? But deep down I felt peace because I knew that God accepted our five loaves and two fishes and would do something great with it. Later a missionary from the middle east testified she had felt the presence of the holy spirit working in the whole assembly mightily during the message. Many young people recited to me spontaneously the conclusion of the message: „Don‘t be a fool! Do not worry! But seek His kingdom!“. Some New Gens accepted this word as their new keyverse. One even decided to receive a training in Germany. I was filled with deep thankfulness to experience that God himself had planted his word into the hearts of the listeners, and that I with my five loaves and two fishes could become a part of this miracle. In the retrospective I realized that my trainers – independent of how adventerous I found their methods before – had one unbelievably precious quality: They had the absolute respect and reverence for the Word of God!

To experience how God himself let His word become alive in me and how He spoke it into my heart very personally through this messenger training – this experience was the greatest blessing of this conference for me. God showed me that he himself brings the earnest search in his word to a good end and blesses this search abundantly. I experienced God himself working for me and in me.
When I became aware of this the desire was born to share this experience, first of all with all the leaders of the New Generation. Each of them should experience the authority and full power of the Word of God like me! This was even more exciting than all the genius dances, orchestra masterpieces, all great worship and praise and the other conference acitivities together! I wished for everyone to sweat with the word of God and struggle with one word for some months until it does not let you sleep anymore and you realize that the word of God is living, powerful and sharper than any double-egded sword and that in His Word you find the burning Hope of God!

5. the next step: HopeExplorer Biblestudy

A clear plan took form. Because not everyone could have a messenger-training over 4 months I thought the leaders at least should prepare one word for a really great, exciting, powerful biblestudy with the responsibility that every participant would go home with more hope than he or she had come. I realized that the great ESBC was only a small glimpse of the Hope of God. We just tasted a little bit of what God can do. Now the Hope of God should become our lifestyle, we should start living the hope of God.

On the one hand I saw the great trouble we were in, the german chapters had gossiped too much about each other, hurt each other too much and now had to pay the price, they could not cowork wholeheartedly, and this influence had infected the 2nd generation already. Instead of getting up and taking the chance to receive the whole blessing a spirit of tiredness and discontent came up again after the conference. Many had sought to serve God alone by preparing the conference and received a remaining word, but some still felt left exhausted. The last 40 years God was with us, yes, but it was also like wandering through the desert. We could not stay here forever. While becoming aware that this reality was even worse than I expected before, I realized that at the same time God already had prepared a way for us out: we should explore his Hope – we would find it in His word.

The prototypes of hope explorers came to my mind. While ten other explorers talked about giants and problems, Joshua and Caleb saw the promised land with the eyes of hope, they saw it through the eyes of God. Finally Joshua was able to lead the people into the promised land, while the rest of the first generation remained in the desert. To get out of the desert we need explorers like Joshua and Caleb who go first, who focus on the Hope of God and deeply explore the Word of God to see what He sees.

By the HopeExplorer Biblestudy God showed us a way how he would lead us out of our misery and how he would strengthen us and prepare us for the conquering of the promised land. First we had to learn to see the promised land with the eyes of hope. The faithful members of this Biblestudy would become real Hope Explorers who would carry the Hope of God inside of them. And by forming a spiritual vessel seeking the Hope of God they would make the first step for the unification of the New Generation, they would become a continous good influence among the New Generation and God‘s chosen leaders into his promised land.

After I shared these thoughts with Dr. Peter Chang, he invited me some days later and told me: You should start to work! He had invited M. David Yoo, too. And by chance M. Petrus stopped by. So one hour later M. David Yoo, M. Petrus and I sat together on one table, and we felt that at once the spark infected them also, and we became one in prayer to God to use us for this HopeExplorer Biblestudy. Though being three very different people, different in character, in way of thinking and talking, we were one heart in this prayer topic to explore the hope of God together. Interestingly soon from the beginning opposing voices arose, God knows how and who. But the word from Nehemia we studied already prepared us how to deal with these kind of troubles: Nehemias answer was prayer and focusing on God‘s work. A spiritual vessel has started to grow.

On 1st November 2009 the first HopeExplorerBiblestudy took place. God powerfully revealed His hope again through Nehemias deep affection and prayer in view of the troubles Jerusalem was in. We all were impressed that finally God made the persian king even supply Nehemia to build Jerusalem.

On 5th December we studied how finally the building of the wall began, how the high priest as one of the first crampled his priestly robe back and started to carry stones for the wall, how the coworking started, and how more than only a wall was build again: a new identity of the people of Jerusalem. God said to each participant: You are important.

On 10th Jan 2010 the third HopeExplorerBibleStudy took place. The opposition awakes telling: „You are working in vain!“ But Nehemias prayer becomes the prayer of all the builders and God crushes the enemies’ plans. Finally the builders become more than builders, they become warriors, at the same time carrying their weapons day and night to protect their family, their wall, and their city. Something much greater than a wall is being formed. God raises heroes. Lost people grown up in ruins become his royal priesthood and holy people again.

Each biblestudy involves our very personal lives: What are your ruins? Where is your part of the wall? When have you been at the point of „I cannot go further. I die. I want to give up!“?

Each biblestudy opens our eyes for the Hope of God beyond our former understanding. His big plan. We realize, it is all about God. My life is important in His plan. When I endure, when I don‘t give up but give my all, my very best for Him, I win great battles not only for myself, but also for my family, for my friends, for my city, for the New Generation, for our church. God has great blessings in mind, he wants us to conquer his promised land, and he will make us the heroes who will do so.

In 2009 God has begun to form a New Generation and has given it a team of HopeExplorers who explore the Word of God absorbing the Hope of God to help the New Generation conquer the promised land. We believe God has a revival for Europe and much more in store for us.