Faith & Life

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

My Father

It was when I went to my parents’ house for the first holiday after my marriage. Resting in a room, I heard Dad and my husband were talking in the living room. Later, my husband came into the room and so I asked, “What did you and Dad talk about?” “We talked about politics.” “He talks about politics?” I was surprised. I thought he was not interested in politics. On the following national holiday, Mom and I went out to have a sauna, while Dad and my husband were left at home. As Dad would watch TV in his room or workout on his day off, I thought they would spend their time individually. But when we returned home in…

Tak Jin-seul from Anyang, Korea

Laughter Defeats Even Cancer

Do you know we have special forces in our body? They are natural killer cells(also known as NK cells). Viruses or germs that get into the body from the outside can be destroyed by antibodies. However, cancer cells are an enemy growing inside the body, so antibodies alone are not enough to destroy them. NK cells are necessary in this case. When NK cells detect an infected or tumor cell, they release perforin in close proximity to the target cell, which forms pores in the target cell membrane and allows water and salts to pass rapidly into the cell. This ultimately causes the target cell to burst. So, NK cells are our immune system’s most powerful front-line defense. One of…

“Let’s Have a Family Meeting!”

There are class meetings at school, and companies hold various kinds of meetings such as a team meeting and an executive conference. A meeting is natural and essential for operating an organization. A family is also an organization that forms society, and meetings are needed for mutual understanding and compromise. When people are asked, “Do you hold a family meeting?” most of them say, “We hardly see each other,” “No, my child is still too young,” “What are we to talk about in a meeting?” “They just need to listen to what I say! We don’t need a meeting!” Like this, most people think that they don’t need a family meeting. Living a busy industrial life, parents are busy with…

A Family That Greets Becomes a Warm and Connected Family

A sincere greeting is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to build good relationships. Even within a family, exchanging greetings creates more opportunities to make eye contact, opens the door to conversation, and brightens the atmosphere at home. When you make it a habit to greet your family warmly—even for the smallest moments—you naturally become someone who connects well with others outside the home too. A family that values greetings becomes a home filled with warmth, closeness, and positive energy. This month, don’t miss a single chance to greet one another—freely, warmly, and wholeheartedly! Tip Use a bright smile and a cheerful voice. Include the person’s name or nickname in your greeting. Add a loving gesture such as…