Congo DR and Kenya: A Mission Report;

The globalization of Sahmyook University in Korea is an ongoing effort.

However, a giant step into the continent of Africa is a very difficult

proposition without a strong mission minded interest;

cross the border, cross the continent, cross the culture…
these are challenges. As a servant leader of a leading Adventist university

in the world with 350 faculties and staff, 6,000 strong students,

this mission report is to assure you that their mission was a great success.
 
Dr. and Mrs. Ki Kon Kim, president of Sahmyook University

and Dr. Chun Sik Park, an Academic Dean of the Graduate School of

Theology of Sahmyook has visited 3 countries in 7 days, Bugema University

of Uganda, former naked Lugwaran Bethel SDA Church in Congo DR,

and AUA (Adventist University of Africa) in Nairobi, Kenya.
They were limited on time to be back in time for the Week of Prayer

at the University.
 
Upon arrival to Entebbe Airport, Uganda, after 24 hour flight,

they went straight to Uganda Union for courtesy call to Dr.Kakembo,
president of the Union. It was so timely that Sahmyook University has

donated $10,000.- for the construction of classrooms of new Adventist

high school in Mbarara Mission (South West Uganda Mission),

where there was no high school in spite of 15,000 members in a wide

spread out un-entered area.

(On this issue, Maha Mission has reported earlier)
 
The team has spent the Sabbath in Bugema University; they were

wrapping up the week of prayer and Dr. Patrick Manu, Vice Chancellor
(they call president as such while Chancellor is  ex officiothe President

of the Union), an education major from Ghana has kindly received
the team with courtesy.
 
Bugema University dates its root in 1930 when it started as a

missionary training institution. Bugema has survived many historical crisis;
the impact and effect of Idi Amin’s abrupt order to expel Asians

(mainly targeted to Indians and Pakistanis) in 90 days in 1972,

and in 1986 while Bugema was still fragile in financial situation,

it was absorbed to a newly organized Uganda Union Mission from the

Division, a poor child was adopted to a poor family, and amongst all it

has gone through difficult harmony of leadership agony during 2001-2007.
 
Vice chancellor Manu wants Sahmyook’s positive cooperation and

participation in establishing a nursing department at Bugema for which
Dr.kim has accepted overwhelmingly and wholeheartedly as the two leaders

saw it as a “Win-Win” situation. Their visions are astounding and we pray

God will bless them and their universities. They have signed a MOU which

spells out exchanges of faculties and students.
 
The theology department has played an important historical role when

seminary in Rwanda was forced closed down during an unfortunate massacre
in 1994, most of students from Rwanda, Congo DR and Kenya came to

Bugema to study theology. Those graduates of Bugema theology occupy
important leadership positions across these countries.
 
On April 18th Monday, the team flew to Arua in a small airplane,

then crossed border to Congo DR by car to continue 53km journey to formerly

naked Lugwaran SDA Church. They are not naked anymore, we clothed them.

Thousands of years, or hundreds of years, they have been living as naked
away from civilization but God did not forget them but came back to find them

three and a half years ago; Bethel church has branched into 3 additional
churches, now they have primary school, high school, a clinic and amongst

all clean water supply and sample farm. A Lugwaran from this place was chosen

to study theology at Lukanga to become their pastor soon.
 
Lastly, Sahmyook visitors went to Ongata Rongai, outskirts of Nairobi where

AUA (Adventist University of Africa) and ECD (East Central Africa division)
are located side by side in a compound. AUA is currently a graduate school

of theology, mainly to upgrade experienced pastors in the field.
The General Conference has invested seriously to make a finest educational

institution in Africa with world ranking theologians.
 
Dr. Owusu-Antwi Brempong, Vice Chancellor, and Dr. Joel Musvosvi,

Dean of Graduate School of Theology have signed a MOU for mutual

exchange of D.Min (Doctor of Ministry) program and mutual exchanges

of faculties with Dr.Kim of Sahmyook University, and we pray through all these

both Adventist educational institutions broad their view beyond horizon.
 
As Sahmyook team was leaving from Nairobi airport back to Korea,

the late afternoon sunray was confirming God blessings to them

as well as to their universities. History can often be written differently

as per leaders devotions.