July United Friday Meeting Recap: K-Stan Report & Testimonies on Acts and Romans Bible Study

K-stan Report

Joanne K. from Chicago UBF’s Loyola fellowship recently went on a short term mission trip to Almaty K-stan. She went with about 9 other people coming from different UBF chapters around the world. Some even coming from South Africa!

In a breif recap of her trip she shared how they went fishing at Al Farabi University, and went to Almaty UBF’s Sunday worship service. They invited students to campus bible study and the English club to play games and study the word of God. She expressed in her report that she really bonded with the people there and felt as close to them as family. Her keyverse and prayer topic throughout the mission trip was to have faith in the cornerstone Jesus. To overcome trials, and to have fellowship we need to rely on our cornerstone Jesus. 1 Peter 2:6 was her key verse: “For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’”

The next missions trip is scehduled to be in 2025. It will take place in Sri Lanka between May to July 2025. Please pray for the preparations and those who plan to go.

Testimony Presenters

Below are key points and bible verses shared by each person

Angelo (Oakton) – He learned that a prayer should acknowledge God’s soverignty, and God calls him to be bold and couragous. Acts 4:29 “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, “

Gia (Oakton)- He learned that whenever he prays he should come to God with a humble attitude. Now he has strength through focusing on God’s glory. And he has hope in the promise that even through hardships there is always God’s glory in the end.

Jason (Lincoln Park)- He had a fear to invite friends to Bible study and speak about Jesus to them. He prays that God may give him strength to speak his name boldy. Acts 4:29 “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,”

Yue Guo (UIC)- The religious leaders are like the modern political leaders, imagine trying to speak up to people like that. God revealed to him that his salvation was in academic success but now God has really made him evaluate his salvation and it’s really only through Jesus Christ, the son of God that he can attain salvation. Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Bahati (NEIU)- Through the Roman’s bible study she learned that “propotation” means mercy seat. Jesus is her mercy seat. Anyone who puts there trust in Jesus is saved. At a young age she relied on boys a lot to be her savior but ended up finding herself disappointed and hurt. But Jesus completely saved her and in him she became fully known and blessed by God. Jesus has given her hope. Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Joel (UIC)- He felt convicted and realized his thoughts on sins were twisted. These verses reminded him that he does have forgiveness for his sins but it was not just some free ticket to continue on sinning. He is in debt to sin but alive to Christ. Romans 6:1-2 ‘What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

Rafael (UIC)- Romans has always been one of his favorite books of the bible. Through this passage he learned the heart that the apostle Paul had for the gentiles, and why he had such a servant spirit to them. It was becasue of the grace of Jesus. He is reminded why he should live and particapate in God’s kindgom work, for God’s grace in his life. He is also reminded of the importance to live by faith. Romans 15:14-20 “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, “