Faith & Life

Let’s Put Reaction Into Action!

Communication through conversation cannot happen with the speaker’s action alone. It also requires the listener’s response—the reaction. A listener’s reaction sends an important message: “I’m listening to you.” When the listener reacts well, the speaker naturally opens up and shares more. The conversation becomes richer and more enjoyable, and the bond between speaker and listener grows stronger. This month, try responding actively to your family’s words and actions. In every conversation, both the speaker and the listener are actors on the same stage. Are you ready? Ready . . . Reaction! Tip How to Give Great Reactions Make eye contact and listen attentively. Identify and empathize with the other person’s emotions. Echo or repeat key points they want to emphasize.…

Treat Your Family Like VIPs!

VIP stands for Very Important Person, referring to someone of great importance. In the business world, VIPs are often customers who significantly boost sales, and companies offer them the highest level of service to attract them and show appreciation for their contribution. But when it comes to our personal lives, who are our VIPs? For each of us, the truly important people are our family. Family members support our growth and happiness—making them lifelong VIPs to one another. This month, try treating your family like VIP customers. Your home will become more gracious, welcoming, and special than even the finest hotel! Tip Ways to Treat Your Family Like VIPs Greet each other politely. Speak and act with kindness. Prepare and…

The Least of You Will Become a Thousand, and the Smallest a Mighty Nation

In Argentina, every church unites once a month to carry out short-term mission trips to branch churches and pioneering areas. I happened to arrive in Argentina during one of these mission periods and joined the mission team traveling to a branch church in the province of Mendoza, a fourteen-hour bus ride from General San Martín. I was filled with a mix of anticipation and concern—wondering what kind of souls we’d meet in Mendoza, whether my limited language skills would be okay, and how the members would be. When we arrived, the branch church was smaller than I had expected. I was momentarily taken aback, but that feeling quickly disappeared. I was deeply moved by the manager couple who passionately carried…

Kim Sue-yi From San Miguel, Argentina

As I Have Sown

We traveled to the city of Oulu in Finland for a short-term mission. It's a city about six hours away from Helsinki by train. I had mixed feelings before the trip. I knew from past mission experiences in Northern Europe that this wouldn’t be easy. Half of me was confident that everything would go well since God told us, “It will be done according to our faith,” but the other half was worried—what if my faith wasn’t strong enough? Before heading to Oulu, we had about an hour in Helsinki to preach the message with some local members. With the hopeful thought that people might listen more because we came all the way from Korea, we went out to preach.…

Lee Ju-hyeon from Suwon, Korea

Heaven Is My Only Wish

I lived as a shaman for more than fifty years. It began when a difficult situation arose in my family and I visited a fortune teller. She said my daughter had to receive a spirit, but I volunteered to take her place. Since I firmly believed in the afterlife, I was convinced that faithfully serving ancestral spirits would lead me to heaven. I even saved money for an elaborate ritual to be performed after my death—something that was supposedly necessary for entering heaven. It never felt like a waste, because going to heaven was my greatest wish. Meanwhile, my daughter began attending the Church of God and tried to teach me the Bible, but I refused to listen. Foolish as…

Jang Ok-guk from Taebaek, Korea

The Faith I Always Dreamed of

I began my life of faith in a Protestant church when I was around twenty. At first, I believed, “If more people believe in God, wouldn’t this world become more like heaven?” But reality proved different. Instead of being the salt and light of the world, some churches brought scandal and disgrace to society. I felt disappointed. Still, I believed that God exists and that somewhere, there must be a true church that follows His word. With that hope, I visited many churches, listened to countless sermons, and even spoke with well-known pastors. Yet whenever I heard sermons that glorified the preacher more than God, I sighed in disappointment, thinking, “This isn’t the church of truth.” After years of searching,…

Yeon Je-gu from Suwon, Korea

Gratitude Talk, Gomapsuda!

The Jeju dialect word gomapsuda means “thank you.” Interestingly, it also sounds like a blend of thankful and chat—as if it were saying “a thankful chat.” So why not reinterpret gomapsuda this way and enjoy a gratitude-themed conversation with your loved ones? There are countless topics to talk about, but conversations rooted in gratitude naturally spark more positive interactions and strengthen emotional bonds. Sharing what you’re thankful for widens your perspective of appreciation—and deepens your sense of happiness. This month, try having a Gomapsuda session with your family—a warm conversation filled with gratitude. You’ll discover just how powerfully thankfulness can turn an ordinary day into something truly special. Tip How to Have a Meaningful Gomapsuda Time Set a specific time…

The Gospel That Pleases God

During my student years, I came to realize the vision of completing world evangelism through the youth like the morning dew. It filled me with a desire to be part of this prophetic mission. When I heard that there were still many regions in Africa where the gospel of the new covenant hadn’t yet been preached, I made a firm decision: When I became a young adult, I would go to Africa. The long-awaited year I turned twenty, the COVID-19 pandemic shut the borders of nearly every country. I felt helpless, unsure of what to do. But then I heard Heavenly Mother say, “The gospel hasn’t stopped—it has changed direction.” Encouraged by Her words, I devoted myself to the activities…

Oh Su-hyeon from Ansan, Korea

Pastel de Choclo Filled With Mother’s Love

As we thought about how to share Heavenly Mother’s love with our beloved families and acquaintances, we planned a special invitation event and decided to serve a traditional local dish. The dish we chose, Pastel de Choclo, is a Chilean-style corn pie made by stir-frying ground beef and onions in a pot, mixing in raisins, boiled eggs, and chicken, and then baking it with a generous topping of mashed corn. Just as kimchi stew or soybean paste stew brings comfort to Korean homes, Pastel de Choclo is a cherished dish in corn-rich Chile that carries the warmth of a mother’s cooking. The day before the event, all the members of Zion united in prayer. Some set alarms to pray every…

Yu Seung-hyeon from La Florida, Chile

Visit to a Branch Church

Nepal is a land of breathtaking beauty, home to the snow-capped Himalayas and the majestic Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. But to me, Nepal is a land where the fertile soil of the gospel is bearing abundant fruit. By God’s grace, churches have been established throughout the country. Even in the face of hardship, many brothers and sisters are passionately walking the path of the gospel, longing for the glory of heaven. In the cities of Nepal, we find the main churches, while in the mountainous regions and small villages, smaller branch churches are more common. Reaching these branch churches from the main ones can take anywhere from a few hours to several days. As we travel…

Jiwan from Damak, Nepal

A Rainy Day

It’s pouring outside. On days like this, going out would leave you soaked from head to toe—but I’ve always liked rainy days. I sometimes wonder, Why do I love the rain so much? When I search for the answer, my mind drifts back to a memory from elementary school. My parents, who were farmers, would head out to the rice fields and vegetable plots at dawn after preparing breakfast for us. One morning, I rushed through my meal and went off to school as usual. By the time classes ended, heavy rain was pouring down. Back then, we didn’t have mobile phones, and even if I could have called my parents, they wouldn’t have had the time to come meet…

Yoon Ju-yeong from Seoul, Korea

Call Your Family with a Voice Full of Love

How many times do you call your family members a day? If you can call someone and have someone who calls you, it is a joyful thing. Calling is to seek. This means that we are not alone but are having relationships with others. A poet said, “When I called its name, it came to me and became a flower.” But what determines someone to be a beautiful flower or a dying flower is the way how you call the person. It is easy to respond nicely when someone calls you with a cheerful voice, but it is not easy if someone calls you with a sharp and irritated voice. The mind of a person is contained in his voice.…

A Café That Discriminates People

Nice is a resort city located in the southern part of France. In this city, there is a café where they priced their coffee on the menu as below: “One coffee” $10 “One coffee, please” $6 “Hello! One coffee, please” $2 This café’s coffee price is interesting because it can be 5 times cheaper or 5 times more expensive, depending on how you order it though it is the same amount of coffee. The owner of the café said, “Many customers who came during lunch time were under a lot of stress. They were sometimes rude to my employees while ordering coffee, so we made this menu.” After they changed the menu, some customers exaggerated their politeness and made everybody…

A Novice Shepherd’s Realization

I was born and raised in one of the coldest northern states in the U.S. where the temperature went down to -40℃ (-40℉) in winter. It was hot in summer; it reached up to 38℃ (100℉). My closest neighbor was 1.6 km (1 mile) away, and I never really got to know them at all. In North Dakota, my dad had a farm where he sowed grains and raised hogs, cattle, horses, chickens and turkeys. One time, I asked my dad why he didn’t raise any sheep despite rich pasture for grazing and plenty of hay for the long winter. He just said that sheep were not the kind that he would enjoy tending. As I had no first-hand experience…

Alan Sayler from Houston, U.S.

Patience and Persistence

Bill Porter was born with cerebral palsy in San Francisco, U.S., in 1932. He spoke in an awkward way, his back was bent, and his right hand and his legs had problems. After graduating from high school, he sought work but no company hired him. Watkins Incorporated, a purveyor of household products, turned him away at first. However, as Porter persuaded them to give him their most inhospitable territory, they finally took him into the company as a salesman. Whether it rained or snowed, he walked his route—eight to ten miles daily, carrying his heavy bag. Despite inhospitality and a spate of slammed doors, he kept knocking door-to-door for about twenty years, regarding their inhospitality as a request to come…

Mother’s Love that I Haven’t Realized

Before I was born, my family had lived in Lima, the capital city of Peru. One day, there was a very strong earthquake in a region in Peru. At that time, my father was working at the Ministry of Home Affairs, and he was in charge of reconstructing the region damaged by the earthquake together with a group of professionals. Owing to this, my family moved to Huaraz, Ancash. After a few years, I was born as the last of six siblings. My oldest brother was thirteen years older than me. All my family took care of me with love. One morning, I got up and looked out the window of my bedroom. Things like white beads were falling from…

Mertty Polack from Lima, Peru

The T-Mac Time

On December 9, 2004, there was a basketball game between the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. When they had only 41 seconds left, the score was 68:76; the Rockets was 8 points behind. More than half of the audience left the stadium, thinking that the Spurs is going to win. But then Tracy McGrady in the Rockets, who was nicknamed T-Mac, began his outstanding performance. T-Mac scored 3 points. Then the Spurs gained two points from free throws, and made the score 71 to 78. Then T-Mac made a three-pointer plus one point by shooting a free throw, and the Spurs also got two more points. T-Mac could’ve given up there, but he didn’t. He scored three more…

Manners

After completing a six-month rehabilitation course, a tennis player had a match. In the match, he played with all his might, but he lost the game. A reporter came to interview him. “How are your injuries?” The tennis player replied, “I won’t mention the injuries. That will diminish the winner’s triumph today.”

Mother’s Mind

My sister is one year older than me. Since we are similar in age, we often squabbled like friends. On all such occasions, however, my parents scolded me. I couldn’t accept their minds no matter how well they treated me because I thought it was unfair. As I began to work, I moved out from my parents’ and lived by myself. I went to see them once a week. One day, my mother, my sister, and I went shopping to a department store together after a long time. Looking around, here and there, my mother spotted my sister’s old shoes, and went to a shoe store to get a pair of shoes for her. I thought, ‘She will buy my…

Choi Eun-hye from Incheon, South Korea

The Selflessness of a Fire Fighter

“They were part of an elite squad confronting wildfires on the frontline, setting up barriers to stop the spreading of destruction. But in their unpredictable world, it doesn’t take much to turn a situation deadly.” CNN says of the 19 firefighters who are being honored posthumously for giving even their lives to fend the blaze of a wild fire in Arizona. The United States as a whole not only mourns the death of these fearless men, but is conscious of the situation they must’ve had when approaching the wildfire. In the U.S., the sacrifice of a fire fighter is not just the task of confronting disaster; it starts with the training. One who desires to serve must first willingly accept…

Michael Means from Charlotte, NC, USA