I have met Missionary Kim who came back to South Korea after living in the U.S for 44 years to devote her life to build up the next generation.

She immigrated to the U.S when she was 28,as an unbeliever, and came back to Korea when she is 72 as a missionary. Although it was such a short meeting, but through our conversation, I have felt that God has been leading her life all the way through.

Q)”How are you doing, nowadays?”

A)”I’m doing really well. I’m teaching English in <The School Hebron>,and I’m in charge of library management. I’m still in learning process rather than teaching something.”

Q)”I have heard that you are from the U.S, could you please tell me what brought you to here?”

A)”Well, eventually, the Lord has led me to be here. When Gospel Church retreat was held by one the missionary group which aimed for youth, I took part in as a staff member and that’s where God called me to serve the next generation. my role was to pray for them as an intercessory prayer, but what I have noticed that was the group of kids were not serious about the gospel at all even from the beginning. they were barely listening, some of them were trying to going back home, and some were moaning in order to get some stuff. Having watched their behavior made me little bit disappointed and then I thought to myself, “Is this retreat really going to work well or not?”. After a few days later, when the retreat was almost over few of the kids were talking to each other and I overheard what they were saying. I was surprised because even if they were not behaving well, yet they were still listening to the gospel. the retreat was held in LA, and a couple of them were from the East, they were talking to each other that “Why is this kind of retreat is not holding in the East?”. when I heard what they say, I was just burst into tears. apparently, till that moment, I had thought that there’s no hope for the States, but when I’ve witnessed the preaching of gospel, it was actually working to the youth group, then it became my biggest hope since then.

[The power of the gospel where there is dried land.]

Q)”I see, that’s how you had a mind to serve the next generations!”

A)”Yes, I did.. When The School Hebron was built it drew my attention to it, then I had a chance to watch how the teachers educating the kids. when I’d observed Math class I was quite surprised by one of the teacher’s explanation. the teacher told the kids that “You will find Mathematics in the Bible. If you take a look at the book of Genesis, God created the world by mentioning ‘The first day God created…,and the second day…’ back then God had already created numbers too.” I’d never seen that type of Math class before. the Bible was the text book indeed. besides, I’ve watched The School Hebron students acting musical <A letter to Rome> which was the memorization of Romans chapter 1 to 3, played at <Return to the Gospel> congregation. There I thought to myself ‘This is a good example of how we need to bring up our next generations by the word of God”

Q)”So, have you wrapped up all of your life back in the U.S? tell us about that”

A)”I have dedicated all of my life as a teacher after I’d arranged up my life in the U.S. but from the first place, I’d thought to serve as a teacher only for 1 or 2 years. If I were in my 40’s, it would’ve been easier for me to serve as a lifetime missionary but I’m in my 70’s now. anyways, there were ups and downs and it wasn’t that easy to make a decision after all.

All of my siblings in the U.S, they opposed to my decision to come to Korea and I was serving my mother church as a preacher. however, I obeyed to the Lord to serve the next generations. after I’d arrived here, I looked around this place where here’s surrounded by the mountains where covered by the snow, that looked so beautiful. so I took a photo of the scenery and text messaged to my friends and let them know that I was doing fine in this beautiful place, but unexpected accident happened. I broke my ankle only for 4 days later I’d arrived here.

<Decision to dedicate her life as a missionary and encounter crisis for broken ankle>

1. Q) “That must have been so difficult for you?”
2. A) “I felt quite a burden on my mind because the accident happened just right after I’d arrived here, and furthermore, my decision to come to Korea was not welcomed by the people I’d known. so I was quite afraid to let my friends known of. personally, I was quite confused by the fact that why the accident happened to me because I was the one who were obedient to the Lord by trusting him. but for that moment, one of the missionary visited me to the hospital, and told me that ‘God allows everything’. and I let that word into my heart. I stayed at the one of the missionary group called <The ministry of the shades of almighty>,since I couldn’t really serve the school right after I discharged myself from the hospital. but what it really interested me was that the place was redesigned indoors to let people to use all of the places with wheelchairs. the building was designed to be used people with wheelchairs and I was the first one to use the building as it’s been designed for. it was the allowing from God as the missionary mentioned earlier.

Q)”So, you’ve experienced Jehovah-Jireh!”

A)”Even after that incident, not everything was in the push. while I was in recovery, I was often not peaceful yet in my mind there were lot of conflicts time to time. when I was almost recovered I joined the school program in earnest. but I felt timid when I’d watched other teachers working very busy. I didn’t know how to use computers and it was difficult for me to copy the ‘prayer information’, there was not a thing that’s easy for me. and everytime I encounter those moments that I needed help from others, I felt so sorry for them. since I was intimidated by others. for that I misunderstood others words or behaviors. and eventually I thought I was not helpful for them but just disturbing them. soon I’d begun to put the blame on God and I thought ‘this is not the place for me to be’ and decided to leave the school”

Q)”God made you to have your mind poor in spirit?”

A)”Yes, he did. sooner or later, the school decided doing <Prayer Nehemiah 52> for a week for the nations. I was praying on certain hour and was meditating on Genesis chapter 5:24 , ‘Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.’, for somehow I felt like God was telling me “Minsun, would you like to be with me?”. usually, I like the story of Enoch, since I’d always wished to live a life as walking with God. so I said instantly ‘Amen’ in my mind when God asked me to be with him.

God was speaking to me while I was in my prayer. God showed me Jesus through John chapter 5, there was Jesus who came to save a man who had been ill for 38 years. Jesus came and saved him in person whom couldn’t do anything by his will. from the John 5, God taught me it’s not the matter of my age nor I’m good at something or not but if only God is with me everything’s possible. after that I got a permission from the school to visit to the U.S. while I was there I sold my car and all of my belongings and I have renewed my mind and decided to serve as a lifetime missionary.

<Wrapped up life in the U.S>

Q)”Are you happy now?”

A)”I am so happy. even if there were problems it didn’t matter anymore. I’m just grateful for every moment now a days. even when I’m going for a walk I’m grateful. here’s such a beautiful trail. It’s such a thankful thing that I’m living in this beautiful natures around. I’m really happy the fact that God led me to be here so that I can walk with him for the rest of my life”

Q)”Could you tell me about your life a bit?”

A)”I was born in a devout Buddhist family. my grandmother had a difficulty with having a child, so she prayed to Buddha so hard. but when she gave a birth to my dad, since she was a faith in Buddha she strongly believed that having a baby was the grace of Buddha. When I was 23,my mom passed away and as I was the first born child I had to take good care of 3 of my younger siblings and it was quite a burden for me to take. I had no hope for my life till I met my husband. As soon as I got married to him, we moved to the U.S with all of his family.

All of my husband’s family were Christians so I went to church with them. I didn’t know anything about Christianity so I often dozed off during the church service. but at some point, I was burst into tears when I listened to the gospels. even if I was going to the church, we were new to a life in the U.S so my family had difficulties financially. we had to make money so I got a job at the factory for wrapping bacons and I worked there for awhile. We started our immigrants lif with nothing ,but after awhile I got into a college and majored in fashion, so I had working for 10 years making clothes. My husband and I worked together and we earned quite a lot of money so that we bought a house and drove nice cars. It was so called American dream came true to my family.

Q)”So you succeeded on your own. How was your spiritual life then?

A)”If I look back, I think my life in the U.S was just like the life of Ruth the Moabite. Because I became a christian by my mother-in-law just like Ruth. Although I became a christian but I had no spiritual background, I followed others opinions to move to another church. I moved to other churches for 5 times and finally at the latest church that I went where I’d been working as a preacher for 15 years , few of the church leaders recommend me to study Theology in a college.

Meanwhile, I desired more of God. since I had a few incidents, like my husband’s death whom I’d been relying on to , a few matter from my church had let me down time to time. around that time, one of my friends introduced me to a training program, there I truly have become stand before the Gospel. not long after,ㅑ came to Korea and stayed in a camp for training about 6 months in Gang-won province, and through that training program I became fully believing in the Cross. By the fact that I also died on the cross with Jesus and Christ who lives in me is my Lord had truly became real on my life. Since then, I’ve been walking in the faith by working together with American branch of the group.

<Doesn’t matter which circumstances you are in, only if you are with the word of God…>

1. A) “That’s how you’ve dedicated your life to Christ!”
2. Q) “Yes I did, but even after having been trained by all the programs, I still felt empty inside, because I didn’t give my life to the Lord fully. One day, I was overlooking from a house where has a great view, I was drinking coffee while Ii was watching at the scenery, all of a sudden one question came up to my mind that ‘Why am I living?’.Back then, I was relaxed, had no worries and financially stable. But seeing myself there’s nothing for me to do, I felt there’s something wrong in my life.

Now that I have dedicated all of my life, looking back, now that I know why I felt something empty, It was because I had to gave up my life for Christ.

Q)”Do you have anything to say to the readers whom is walking in the faith?”

A)”I think the only thing you need is the word of God and your prayer. Doesn’t matter with any circumstances you are in ,If only you are with the word of God, there’s nothing that can fear you. After my retirement, I’d been convinced by many people for dedicating my life to the Lord. I’d been recommended to many missionary groups by few of the believers, but when the word of God reached me, nothing was utmost for me but the Lord.

I was having difficulties physically, and even after the full dedication to the Lord then I prayed to God wholeheartedly for prolong my life just 1 more year to serve the next generation. Beforehand, I had no fear to die anytime. Now that I’m in my 70’s having been experienced many circumstances, I feel more and more that there’s nothing as important as building up the next generation. I’m a bid sad that It would’ve been so much better If I had believed in Gospel earlier, but I know now that this is the life that has been given from God. I can’t be happier and thankful for God for me to live a life in Gospel” [GNPNEWS]