Faith & Life

A Wallet That Came Back with Hope

Wes Monroe, a freshman at an American university, lost his wallet while on his way to attend classes in the morning. He had placed his wallet on top of his car after refueling at the gas station and then set off. However, some time later, he received an unexpected package from a woman named Laura Diaz. It was his lost wallet. When the woman found the wallet, it was nearly empty inside, but she decided to send it back, thinking that the owner might cherish the wallet and photos. She found the address on the driver’s license and sent it. Inside the wallet, along with a $10 bill, was a letter written by the woman herself. “I know college life…

Mother’s Love to Lansdowne

We made a plan to do a street cleanup in Lansdowne. First, we visited the Waste Management Department at the city council to get permission for it. After a brief greeting, we showed the councilman what kind of organization we are through the church introduction video. The councilman couldn’t hide his admiration. “Your church does a lot of good works. I am glad I’ve met you.” At first, he was going to give us a small street, thinking that we were a small group. After watching the introduction video, however, the councilman welcomed our cleanup and provided us with all the cleaning supplies that we needed. Most residents are poor in Lansdowne, where most houses are shacks and most streets…

The Cape Town Church in South Africa

A Heart Willing to Help With Care

In Canada, there was a teenage girl named Kayla Connolly, who had a cousin named Lorena suffering from autism. Six-year-old Lorena never made eye contact or engaged in conversations with her family. Observing Lorena’s behavior, Kayla pondered how she could help. She had an idea to teach vocabulary to Lorena, who loved playing the piano keys. Kayla attached alphabet letters from A to Z on the piano keys and helped Lorena learn words by pressing the keys. The result was a great success. Lorena memorized all the letters, started reading words, and began communicating with her family. She even opened her heart enough to say, “I love you, Kayla.” Kayla’s teaching method spread to many special education classes in Canada…

Deep-Rooted Faith

A well-established forest helps prevent landslides and flood damage during the rainy season. The key lies in the deep roots that penetrate the soil. The sturdy and long-reaching roots deep underground serve as stakes, preventing soil movement, while the dense and shallow roots act as a mesh, holding onto loose soil. The gaps in the soil created by spreading roots absorb water like a sponge, preventing rainwater from flowing into the river all at once. The soil in dense forest floors can store over 20 times more water than hardened urban surfaces. In a life of faith, we sometimes encounter unexpected trials. Severe hardships like raging storms, can shake our hope of heaven, either all at once or repeatedly. Deep-rooted…

Confidence

Recently, I had an interesting experience. It was about a dress sold in a foreign country. What was amazing is that people had different opinions about the color of the dress. There was an online debate on whether the stripes of the dress were white and gold or blue and black. When I looked at the dress on the screen, I wondered why there was even a debate about that, because the dress looked white and gold to me right away. I showed it to my husband. I had no doubt that he would see it as white and gold as I did, but his answer was different. “It’s blue and black.” I couldn’t believe my ears. I double-checked it,…

Shin Mi-ae from Seoul, Korea

Change Method: Put Yourself in Someone Else’s Shoes

If you put yourself in someone else’s situation, there’s nothing you cannot understand. There is an old saying that goes, “Don’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.” It means you can understand a man when you put yourself in his situation. Even family members living in the same house cannot understand each other sometimes. It’s natural because people think differently as they look different from each other. So then why don’t you try putting yourself in someone else’s shoes? It’s called “Change Method” and it’s very easy. Tip If a conflict arises, put yourself in the other person’s situation and converse. Change roles of each other and act accordingly at home for one day. Try…

Street Cleanup in Uganda Has Started with Unity

The members of the Kampala Church in Uganda had only heard about volunteer activities through the Elohist magazine. So we were very excited to hear that we were going to do a cleanup in our region. We did the cleanup on Kisaasi Road. We divided the road into a few parts and each team cleaned each part. We were all happy, cleaning the road in an orderly way. The residents were very surprised to see the road cleaned. They were also impressed by us, who were all happy and harmonious throughout the cleanup. They complimented us, saying that we seemed to have fear and love for God. We were so grateful to God for their compliment. The newspaper company and…

The Kampala Church in Uganda

Please, Take Me There

As I moved to a new place, I got along with a worker at a super market; for I did my groceries there often. We talked about how we live, and I often invited her to our church for a good event, but she couldn’t make time. One day, she welcomed me gladly when I stopped by the supermarket. She said she would quit the job soon and next time, we would see each other at the church. I rejoiced, and an elder next to me asked me which church I go to. As I answered I go to the Church of God, the elder was curious which denomination it was, mentioning about the names of her previous churches and…

Kim Suk-hyang from Seongnam, Korea

With the Heart of Love and Mercy

I would like to share my realization that I had while leading two souls to Zion. My younger sister and I received the truth around the same time, and the first person we wanted to share God’s blessings with was our mother. As she had been faithfully attending a Protestant church for decades, I assumed she would immediately realize the truth once I preached the truth to her. Contrary to my expectation, however, she said she never wanted to move to another church, though she acknowledged our faith; she did not even let us say a word about church. However, we could not give up on her—our loving mother. Whenever we met her, we made every effort to preach even…

Jeong Gyeong-hui from Uijeongbu, Korea

Walking Together

Whenever I encounter an issue that is too difficult to solve alone on my journey of faith, there is a verse that I always keep in mind. “Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecc 4:11–12 As the Bible says, “One may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” When I look around, I can see helpful brothers and sisters whom I am grateful for. They are precious companions whom God granted me to keep my faith without getting weary, and they are like Mother’s hand who lifts me up when I am…

Baek Seung-hye from Yongin, Korea

We Are the Happy Ones

The more I read this verse, the happier I become. “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.” Dt 33:29 I am very happy that God saved me and is my shield to help me. There may be times when I am tired and exhausted while living the life of faith, but I should strengthen myself, thinking of Heavenly Father and Mother who are always on my side to help me. Since I was called to be the happiest person in the world, I will boldly preach the gospel…

Kim Hye-in from Puebla, Mexico

Love Is Not Easily Angered

You may get angry when the situation does not work out the way you want: if you get stuck in traffic when your appointment time is near, or if it rains when you put on new shoes. However, anger is mostly caused from human relationships. When you get angry, your blood vessels swell, your face turns purple with rage, your eyes are opened wide, your breathing becomes faster, and your blood pressure increases. You may easily spit out remarks that hurt or ignore the other person you want to attack. Obsessed with your prejudice, you cannot figure out the situation and even your ability to solve problems declines. Anger is not only harmful to your health physically and mentally, but…

House Money Effect

In 2002, an American businessman won the lottery, claiming a massive sum of over 10 million dollars, marking the largest individual win in lottery history. Despite already being a millionaire as the CEO of a construction company, he chose to use his winnings for charitable donations and rehiring workers who had been laid off during the economic recession. While many lottery winners face bankruptcy, he appeared to manage his fortune responsibly, diligently maintaining his work. However, he, too, was human. Following his lottery win, he became entangled in over 400 lawsuits related to incidents like drunk driving, assault, and attempted theft of his money. Additionally, he experienced divorce and tragically lost his granddaughter to drug addiction. Despite once being hailed…

Meaning of a Good Deed

We were worried as the day of our volunteer work was approaching; because we could have a slight problem due to a lack of volunteers. However, on the appointed day, more brothers and sisters gathered than we had expected. Despite the hot weather, we carried out the cleanup with enthusiasm. While cleaning every corner of the park in Harare, many people came and went. We briefly introduced our Church of God to those who walked up to us and asked us where we were from and why we were picking up trash with such bright faces under the burning sun. A member from the city council, who assigned the area to us to clean, was amazed and said, “I’ve never…

The Harare Church in Zimbabwe

Live Without TV for a Week!

Today’s family life is getting desolate due to the development of digital gadgets such as TVs, computers, cellphones, and game consoles. It is because the demerits of lack of conversation among family members tag along behind the merits of the devices that make our lives convenient and comfortable. Among the gadgets, TV is very familiar to us and it has been in our lives longer than any others. Do you spend more time watching TV than having a conversation with your family? This month, be free from TV for a week at least. And find what can benefit you or what you can do with your family during the time instead. Then, you will spend your time much more profitably…

Treasure Hunt

Our Zion had a street cleanup on Yulha Café Street, the main street in Jangyu, Gimhae. It is an area where a continuous cleanup is required, as there are many stores including restaurants. Soon after we started the cleanup, the bags we had in our hands were filled with trash. It was because whenever we found some trash, we all got excited and picked it up and put it in the trash bags as if we had found some treasure. “Here! Over here!” Hearing the excited voices from here and there, I laughed for quite a while with a sister who was next to me, saying, “Our church members must be the only ones in the world who get excited…

Lee Ji-won from Gimhae, Korea

I’m Ready

As I started working at a new company with a new heart, I earnestly prayed that God would allow me to meet a soul longing for the truth. It was a small company with only three female employees, including me. One of them was around my age, and we undertook similar tasks, so we soon became dependent on each other. As we got closer to each other, it was natural that I wished her to be part of our heavenly family. At first, all I did was just tell her briefly about the Church of God and the Bible, saying, “I go to church,” and, “The biblical day of worship is the seventh day, which is Saturday.” One day, I…

Jo Eun-bi from Siheung, Korea

Heart-Warming Memories

In summer, we use the heat index, and in winter, we refer to the perceived temperature. Perceived temperature reflects the temperature felt on the skin, influenced by factors like humidity, solar radiation, and notably, wind. Wind has the most significant effect on perceived temperature, typically causing it to decrease by approximately 1–1.5°C for every 1 m/s increase in wind speed. For instance, if the temperature is 0°C [32°F] and the wind speed is 10 m/s, the perceived temperature would drop to -15°C [5°F]. To raise the perceived temperature, it’s crucial to dress warmly with items like scarves, hats, and gloves to cover any exposed skin. Another method involves recalling happy memories. Researchers at the University of Southampton Psychology Department in…

God’s Gift

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Ro 10:14 In the pursuit of saving souls, the presence of an evangelist is undeniably crucial. I fervently prayed for the opportunity to fulfill this sacred role and to encounter a soul yearning for God's guidance. Finally, my prayers were answered, and I met someone who fit this description perfectly. To my surprise, she expressed a deep thirst for spiritual nourishment upon hearing the word church. Despite her efforts to find solace in various congregations, she had become disheartened by the lack of…

Kim Mi-hee from Geoje, Korea

Work Done by God’s Power

Recently, I was worried about participating in the short-term mission to Congo. It’s because I never used French spoken by the Congolese people. Even though I am not fluent in the language, God gave me courage and strength. “So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” Zec 4:6 Thanks to these words that I engraved on my mind throughout the mission, I was able to bear good fruit. Truly, a man’s ability does not matter as long as everything is done by the Holy Spirit of God. I no longer depend on my weak abilities. I only pray earnestly for…

Tapiwa Toruvanda from Harare, Zimbabwe