Faith & Life

The True Rest

There is something that many workers do when they receive a new calendar. It is to count holidays. Holidays give that much happiness to workers. To me, as a person who has just started a career, the autumn season of 2018 was one of the happiest moments in my life. It was because I could rest for seven days: five days for national autumn holidays, one day for National Foundation Day of Korea, and one day for Hangul [Korean alphabet] Proclamation Day. I got back to work after the long vacation. I started to work with a determination, “I will work hard from today since I got a good rest,” but I found it difficult to focus on work. I…

Lee Jae-uk from Sacheon, Korea

Birthday Cake

When I was young, my family suffered financial difficulties. To make a living for seven children, my mother used to do hard work such as repairing walls, floors, and toilets. Since she could not afford to hire an employee, she had to do it herself. I was the youngest daughter, and I was ashamed of my mother who did rough manual labor. My mother also used to mend bags, sewing all night, for a small factory in order to buy food. I remember falling asleep, listening to the noise of her old sewing machine. Even though we were in a tight situation where we had to worry about meals, I was immature. “I’ve never received a birthday cake,” I complained…

Suzana Machado Botton from Porto Alegre, Brazil

The Harmony of Happiness Built in God

I was raised by my grandmother during my childhood. She was a devout Christian, and sometimes I went to church with her. But the memories I carried from those days were far from pleasant. I watched her cry because of conflicts in the church and witnessed her being treated unfairly. Those experiences left a deep aversion to churches in my heart. In June 2021, while preparing for marriage, I encowuntered the truth of the new Covenant through my fiancée. She was a member of the Church of God and occasionally shared the Bible with me. Having cold feelings toward religion already, the idea of “God the Mother” felt shocking. But my fiancée was so kind, sincere, and gentle that I…

Kim Gyu-beom from Mirayng, Korea

With the Love of the Heavenly Family

When I was in high school, a terrible crime occurred in our neighborhood. It was the kind of incident I had only ever seen on the news, and suddenly it felt frighteningly close. I couldn’t shake the fear that something might happen to me too. Around that time, a friend called, and I shared my anxiety with her. She comforted me and encouraged me to keep the Passover—the promise of God’s protection from disaster. She was a member of the Church of God. Some people around me spoke negatively about the Church of God, but their comments sounded like opinions made without real understanding, so I didn’t pay much attention. More importantly, I trusted my friend. She had always been…

Im Seon-hui from Seoul, Korea

The Reason I Cannot Give Up

Today’s fragrance of Zion features a young adult sister. Two years ago, I met this sister through her mother, whom I happened to meet on the street. Her mother had been baptized long ago, and the sister had once attended Zion with her—but over time, she drifted away from the truth. When she finally returned to Zion with her mother after many years, I wanted to greet her first so she wouldn’t feel awkward. She smiled kindly, but I could sense a wall around her heart. Still, I continued sending warm messages and calling her whenever I could. Little by little, we grew close, and she opened up about the struggles and pain she had been carrying. Because I, too,…

Kim Eon-min from Busan, Korea

The Words of the Water of Life Delivered Through Video

Balancing full-time work with caring for my family, I gradually began to neglect the gospel work. Busy with daily responsibilities, I barely managed to attend worship services and slowly lost the joy of faith. My spirit became weary, yet I made no effort to change. Living with my sick mother added to my burden. Complaints and resentment filled my heart: Why am I the only one suffering like this? The weight of life pressed so heavily on my shoulders that I often wanted to run away. On nights when things felt unbearable, I would slip out to the balcony and cry like a child. I knew I needed to regain my strength, but I didn’t know how. What helped me…

Ahn Hui-yeon from Seoul, Korea

Becoming a Happy Family Overflowing With God’s Blessings

My husband accepted the truth shortly before we were married, but he continued to struggle with doubt about the life of faith. He felt uncomfortable when I went to church, and he coldly brushed off greetings from Zion members. Although he sometimes attended worship services for the sake of family harmony, he clearly did not like it. Many times, the grace I received from worship was undone by his disheartening words. One day, overwhelmed by sorrow, I held our four-year-old daughter and cried. She gently hugged me and said, “Don’t cry, Mommy. I’ll pray for Daddy a lot.” Her small words felt like a message from Heaven. One Sabbath after the autumn festivals of 2023, my husband came to worship…

Kang Ju-hui from Gimpo, Korea

A Friend Who Was in Jamaica Received the Truth in the United States

In 2020, Heavenly Father and Mother allowed me to hear the truth and receive baptism in Zion. From that moment, I was overflowing with the desire to share this precious gospel. I preached to my closest friends and family—both those around me in the United States and those back home in Jamaica. One of them was my dear friend, Kimberley, who was still living in Jamaica at the time. She was always happy to hear me talk about Zion, but she never showed interest in studying the Bible. She would simply say she was glad I had found happiness in God. As my faith grew and I slowly came to understand the value of the truth, I found myself presenting…

Danielle Williams from Bronx, NY, U.S.

My Friend Is a Living Bible

There is a sister in Zion who came to accept God thanks to a long-time friend who patiently shared the truth with her. This friend works at a restaurant and has only one day off each week—yet she devotes that entire day to helping the sister study the Bible. The sister herself works tirelessly, running her shop 365 days a year without rest. Sometimes she is so busy that she cannot sit down for even a single warm meal. Seeing this, we wanted to comfort her, so we visited her shop with lunch boxes filled with love—soybean stew, japchae, and other homemade dishes. She gratefully received the food and smiled warmly. After sharing a short conversation, we decided to look…

Kim Hyang-sun from Uijeongbu, Korea

Oh Brothers’ Story

“Could there be someone among my old classmates, who attends the Church of God?” It must be a thought anyone who receives the truth has wondered—an exciting and hopeful curiosity. After taking my first steps of faith following my wife, who had received the truth before me, I often wondered whether any of my childhood friends might also be part of Zion. It wasn’t just a passing thought. I genuinely hoped they, too, would come to dwell in God’s blessings. So whenever I attended gatherings like reunions, I mustered the courage to share the words of the Bible. But even my closest friends did not recognize my sincerity. When my dearest friend coldly rejected the truth, it left my heart…

Oh Su-yeol from Geoje, Korea

Sharing God’s Love Through Greetings

I received the blessing of serving as an usher before worship services in Zion. At first glance, greeting members at the entrance may seem like a small task, but to me, it is a precious opportunity given by God—to help create a joyful and warm atmosphere and make Zion a nest of love where members can feel truly happy. I wanted to treasure this duty and carry it out with sincerity, remembering the teaching: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Lk 16:10). When Zion family members enter, I greet them with a bright smile, saying, “God bless you,” and bow politely. Since I can see members walking toward the entrance through the window,…

Rebekah Mckinnon from Canada

An Unyielding Heart Begins to Soften

My mother is the youngest of four siblings, with three older brothers. One passed away long ago, another is now ninety, and the youngest of the three—just four years older than my mother—has undergone five cancer surgeries with little improvement. He is currently going through a very difficult time. Ever since he was young, my uncle was well-read and full of knowledge. He served as an elementary school principal and devoted his entire life to education. With his honest character and dignity, he earned deep respect from neighbors and colleagues. His sense of pride was especially strong. About sixteen years ago, my sister and I tried to share the truth with him, but he firmly refused, saying he did not…

Bak Geum-ryeong from Busan, Korea

Allelopathy in Plants

When herbs are waving in the wind or you touch them with your hand, they give off a strong scent people like. Actually, however, the release of their scent is a way of protecting themselves against external aggression. Caterpillars feed on pine needles, and cabbage worms feed on cabbage leaves. However, pine needles and cabbage leaves do not give themselves to insects and worms so easily. When attacked by a caterpillar, they release chemicals from their wounds. Upon smelling their scent, wasps fly in as swift as an arrow to prey on the caterpillar. A toxic substance in potato sprouts and allicin, the spicy scent of garlic, are also chemical substances to protect themselves. Like that, plants defend themselves with…

Preaching to the World With the Spirit of Ubuntu

Twenty-six members from the L.A. Church and its nearby branch churches in the U.S. formed two teams and planned short-term missions in Uganda and Rwanda. Uganda is located in the inland area in the eastern part of Africa, and Rwanda is its neighboring country that shares borders with the southwestern part of Uganda. Although the two countries are close, they differ in many ways; for example, Ugandans use English and Swahili as official languages, but Rwandans commonly use French and Kinyarwanda. For most of us, the two countries were unknown worlds which we had only heard the names of. We were filled with expectations and excitement, especially when we heard that the gospel had never been preached in Rwanda yet.…

Short-term Mission Team to Kampala in Uganda & Kigali in Rwanda

The Regret of a Death Row Inmate

I came to deeply realize how brutal the sin I committed in heaven is and how great God Elohim’s love is. As our Bulawayo Zion is situated near National University of Science and Technology, we have been granted the grace of meeting different kinds of people from different walks of life. One day, I met an old man as I was waiting for the appointment to study with new members. This man started walking towards where I was seated, carrying a plastic bag filled with old books and clothes. When he arrived, I greeted him, and after that, he just started to narrate the story of his life as follows: “My son, I am sorry to bother you but I…

Shava Macdonald from Harare, Zimbabwe

The Greatest Doctor

During the Warring States period in ancient China, there was a famous doctor named Bian Que. His two older brothers were also doctors, but they were less famous than Bian Que. One day, the king of Wei asked Bian Que, “Who is the greatest doctor among you and your two brothers?” Then Bian Que replied, “My oldest brother is the greatest, my second oldest brother is the next, and I am the weakest and poorest.” The king wondered and asked him why. He said, “My oldest brother can tell at a glance what is wrong, and helps people avoid getting sick. So, they do not even recognize that he has already managed their conditions to prevent illness. My second oldest…

Finding My Friend and Heavenly Family

I was Chinese but naturalized as a Korean citizen. In the beginning, it was very difficult for me to accept the truth of the Church of God because I had not followed any religion for a long time. However, I had often read the Bible, thinking it was a good book, which helped me determine to believe in God. I could agree with the words the church members taught me because it was all from the Bible. For a while after that, I couldn’t go to church because I had to go to China. Even after I came back to Korea, to be honest, I felt burdened about going to church, so I purposely avoided contact with Zion members. However,…

Kim Gyeong-ae from Ansan, Korea

Mission Trip with Blessings Granted to the Early Church

Argentina, the second largest country in South America! The distance from the end of the north to the end of the south is nearly 3,700 km [2,300 miles]. Because it is so large, each area has different temperatures. The northern part is hot throughout the year, but the annual average temperature of Ushuaia, the southernmost city known as the entrance to the South Pole, is just around 5°C [41°F]. Maybe because diverse environments and cultures coexist in one country, people here, especially young people, like to travel. Due to prolonged economic hardship, most people live on tight budgets and it costs a lot to go to faraway cities. But many youths in Argentina like to travel with small bags and…

Short-term Mission Team to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Mother’s Love Is Special

Some say that our life on earth is based on love. In fact, when you look into how a person is born into this world and grows over time, that sounds right, because we are all connected with one another through love while taking care of and giving help to one another. We can find various forms of love as in the relationship between a boyfriend and a girlfriend, between friends, between parents and children, and between brothers and sisters. Besides, there are people who love money or their possessions. Then, what is the essence of all forms of love? I personally thought love sprang from selfish motives. I thought, ‘If I want to protect someone, it is because I…

Bayasakh Oyunbat from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The Most Beautiful Fingers in the World

When I was an elementary student, I was led by my aunt to a big hospital. When I went there without knowing the reason, I saw someone I was familiar with in a patient gown. It was my mom. She was happy to see me but soon, she screamed. “Ouch! It hurts.” When the doctor poured antiseptic on her hand wrapped in bandages, she said it hurt but she smiled at me as soon as she saw me. Since she smiled, I didn’t take it seriously though I saw her fingertips stained with blood. Mom left the hospital in one month. I received a call to meet her before going home, and waited for her with excitement. She came a…

Ahn Ji-yeong from Kaohsiung, Taiwan