Faith & Life

Breakfast for My Husband

I am not a morning person, so I couldn’t prepare breakfast for my husband to eat before he left for work. Even on the day I woke up early because I couldn’t sleep well, my husband was more concerned about my physical condition than his meal, saying that he could eat a sandwich provided by his company. One day, I put myself in my husband’s shoes; ‘How hungry would I be if I went to work in the morning without having breakfast?’ That evening, I went grocery shopping with a firm determination to make breakfast for my husband. Thinking that my husband would probably stop me, I said to him: “As I wake up late in the morning, I can’t…

Kim Yun-ok from Hwaseong, Korea

String of Love

A biologist discovered an interesting phenomenon while observing the spiders living in the branches or bushes. Even when a mother spider was far away, if any little dangerous thing happened to the baby spiders, the mother spider fleetingly came to its babies to protect them. The biologist got curious to know how the mother spider knew when the baby was in danger and came. So he observed the spiders more carefully. The result was interesting. The mother spider and baby spiders were connected to each other by a very thin string. When the babies were under a threat by the enemy, they moved their bodies and the string was pulled. When the mother felt the oscillation, it came straight to…

Zion Full of Love

One Sabbath day, a deaconess sat at the end of a pew while leaving an empty space for one person to sit on the inside of the pew. When a sister saw it, she asked the deaconess to fill the empty space first. Then the deaconess said with a smile, “I am heating up this spot for a sister because she’s coming soon.” Through her act, though small, I was able to feel her love for the sister and it brought warmth to my heart. Zion always feels warm because it is full of love from my brothers and sisters who resemble Heavenly Father and Mother.

Kim Hyeon-im from Suncheon, Korea

Wanting Everyone to Finish the Race

I went to volunteer at the National Sports Festival in Chungju. My role was to stand at the halfway point of the half marathon course and encourage athletes and prevent their deviating from the course. The marathon started and I waited for the athletes to come in. Not long after, a bunch of athletes passed in front of me. I cheered on them, applauding them. I thought that there were no more athletes left behind. But it turned out that they were athletes of the first group. The athletes passing me by were all exhausted and distressed, gasping for breath. Some of them hobbled, and some wobbled as if they were going to faint. Most of the athletes were students,…

Choi Hyeon-ah from Chungju, Korea

Mother & the Sea

A broad sea receives all sorts of things from the land, but it does not decay. There are many reasons for it: Sea water contains salt that purifies pollutants; it moves constantly in the form of waves; microorganisms in it decompose harmful substances, and so on. The sea, which accepts and purifies impure and dirty elements, resembles a mother. A mother embraces all faults of her children and changes them with her endless love and sacrifice. The sea is written as 海 in Chinese character, and it has 母 [mother] in it. In French, mère [mother] contains mer [sea]. It is very meaningful when we think of the characteristics of the sea and the mother. “As the sea receives all…

Complaint, the Antonym of Happiness

A family went on a journey for a change. The whole family members were excited about their first overseas trip. On the day of their departure, the wife frowned as it rained in the morning. “It’s raining! Why today of all days?” On the way to the airport, the wife again grumbled. “We don’t have time, but the traffic jam is terrible! What’s wrong with this car? Why is it so slow? It’s frustrating!” When they arrived at their destination, the wife’s complaints continued. “I don’t like this hotel,” “I don’t like food here,” “My legs hurt because of a long walk,” . . . The husband got angry with her constant complaints. As a result, the family ruined their…

Enjoying the Sight of Persimmons Rather Than Autumn Leaves

In autumn, when the leaves turn colorful and grain turns gold, we often see on the news heavy traffic with people leaving to see autumn leaves in the mountains or streams. They look relaxed, going on a trip not to miss beautiful sceneries which will be gone soon. Meanwhile, there are people who are up to their necks in work; they are farmers who have harvest ahead. This autumn, we, the members of the Hoiwon Church in Changwon, volunteered for a persimmon harvest to give some help, though not much, to the farmers who desperately need a hand. We arrived at a farm after quite a long drive through colorful autumn roads under the blue sky. A farmer couple welcomed…

The Hoiwon Church in Changwon, Korea

From a Spiritually Premature Baby to a Perfect Child of God

I worked as a midwife before. Midwives are specialists in pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum care, and infant care. My mom had a big influence on my decision to be a midwife. When I saw how hard she had to work to raise her four children, I always wondered, ‘Why does she have to live for her family with no time for herself? Will I be able to become like her?’ I began to think deeply about the role of a mother, and it made me decide to become a midwife. The questions that I had whenever I looked at my mom were all solved after I received the truth in my school days. The love and sacrifice of mothers reminded me…

Matsumoto Miwa from Osaka, Japan

The Most Beautiful Way to Share

“Room temperature 6℃” It is a memo written on the lab note of Madame Curie who won the Nobel Prize even twice. She devoted herself to experiments day and night in a warehouse where there was no heating. Through thousands of experiments of separating and refining uranium ores, she extracted radium and opened the age of radiation therapy. Madame Curie gave up her patent, which was an opportunity to live comfortably for herself and even for her descendants. She poured her entire fortune into the research, and even though she contracted a disease from the radiation exposure, she allowed everybody to use radium to cure sick people. It is noble to share what one has without expecting any worldly benefit…

Help Your Family and Neighbors!

If someone comes to help you carry a heavy load, if someone kindly shows you the way when you are lost, if someone lends you an umbrella when you are floored by a sudden rain . . . You will be very happy and thankful when somebody stretches out a helping hand to you in those moments of need. In our everyday life, we need other people’s help. Why don’t we all become willing helpers this month? When our family or neighbors need help, let us help them without expecting anything in return. But that doesn’t mean we have no rewards at all, because helping others carries its own rewards. When we willingly help others, it always brings us joy…

If It Is the Will of Father

In Zion, I was given an unexpected duty. At first, I gave thanks to God for using me even though I was lacking in many ways. However, as time went on, it was felt beyond my capacity. ‘It was too much for me.’ ‘If another sister had been given that duty, she would have done it better.’ Around the time when I got frustrated and enervated, I happened to read a verse from the Bible that gave me courage and strength. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Mt 10:29–30 It…

Yu Eui-jeong from Pohang, Korea

Purpose of Preaching

After receiving a position for the gospel in Zion, I wanted to show a good example to the members by bearing good fruits. My hope to bear fruit got stronger after I received the blessing of meeting Heavenly Mother as a member of the 68th Overseas Visiting Group. But I had no fruit even after two years later, which depressed me in spirit. At the beginning of the year, I heard Mother say we must proclaim the Savior of this age by blowing the trumpet of the gospel clearly and loudly. Listening to this teaching of Mother, I thought about what kind of mindset and attitude I should have in preaching the gospel for the year. In the meantime, our…

Ann Marie Moralda from Cebu, Philippines

A Good Example

A Mongolian lady accepted the truth. The sister, who is poor at Korean language, learns the culture of Zion such as how to greet Zion members and how to worship, by carefully watching us. So when I’m aware that she is next to me, my words and actions become godly. As I’m in a situation where I have to be an example to a Zion member, Jesus’ teaching comes to mind. “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” Jn 13:15 Every day, during the three years of ministry, Jesus showed the examples that Christians should do. Also in this age, Heavenly Father sowed the seeds of the gospel for thirty-seven years…

Lee Ji-won from Gimhae, Korea

The Seat for Parents

This is an anecdote of Napoleon that occurred when he marched into Poland after he became emperor. When he was staying in a small village in Poland, he was invited to dinner by the lord of a manor. The lord of the manor welcomed Napoleon at the door and guided him in to his dining room. He passed the first and second seats among the highest seats at the table, and when he reached the third seat, he asked Napoleon to sit there. As Napoleon sat down with an unpleased look on his face, one of his subjects rebuked the lord of the manor for his inhospitality towards the emperor. Then the lord of the manor said. “I am truly…

The Reason That I Cannot Expect Recompense

“The peanut wizard” is the moniker of George Washington Carver, an American agricultural chemist and inventor. Carver planted peanuts as an alternative crop in soil that had been depleted of its nutrients because of the repeated planting of cotton plants. He researched it over and over again, and discovered three hundred products made from peanuts. This made the peanut one of the main crops in America. One day, he received a letter along with a bag of peanuts that were severely disease-ridden. It said that he would be given a hundred dollars per month if he found the cause of the sickness and its remedy. After extensive research and study, he figured it out. Then he replied to the letter,…

My First Love Until the End

Since I was born a second child, I never imagined that I would have to take on the role of the firstborn child. However, when I was fifteen years old, my older sister, who was a lot older than I was, got married and I had to take care of my four younger siblings. Around that time, my family’s financial situation got worse, and I even had to undertake the housework on behalf of my parents who were always at work; as soon as I came back from school, I divided up the house chores among us and hurriedly finished them. I carried my youngest sibling, who was ten years younger than me, on my back all the time. Many…

Yun Hyeon-suk from Incheon, Korea

An Opportunity

In the early 19th century, the Rothschild Bank, which was a big success in Europe, planned to open a new branch in America. One day, the president of the bank called a competent employee and asked, “We are planning to open a new branch in America and I think now is the best time. How much time do you need to get ready to leave?” After some hesitation, he answered that it would take him about ten days. The president sent him away and called in another employee, and asked him the same question. Then he answered he would be able to leave in three days. He called in the other employee and asked him the same question. The employee…

Discrepancy in Harvest

Two farmers went out into the field to harvest ripe barley. One kept working from the morning, and the other seemed to take breaks at intervals. After lunch, they worked in the same way as they did in the morning. The Barley harvest finished at dusk. The one who worked all day without rest wiped the sweat off his brow and turned around to look at the barley sheaves, and he was shocked. The farmer who kept taking breaks at intervals had a higher pile of sheaves than he did. “How can this be? I kept harvesting without a break and yet your pile is higher than mine.” “I kept sharpening my sickle while cutting the barley.”

The Love of God Who Has Swept Away Our Offenses and Sins

As I grew older, I gradually got away from the church I had been attending since I was young. But when I felt that all was futile, I sought God again. Everything seemed very new to me as I began to live the life of faith again. One day, while reading the Bible, I found why I was able to come back to God. “Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you. I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” Isa 44:21–22 I left God and…

Park Su-yeon from Zagreb, Croatia

Fruits around Me

I was moved when I heard that the number of Zions around the world was increasing day after day as the gospel was spreading rapidly. The stories of the Zion members, who held a Bible seminar for colleagues at work in the heat of the gospel, were also exciting. I prayed that I too would have the opportunity to preach the word of God in my workplace. Then a colleague suggested that each of the teacher club members have a presentation during lunch time. It was to increase presentation skills and to share good knowledge and information. For me, it was a great opportunity to share the good news of salvation. I waited for my turn and prepared my presentation.…

Kim In-ju from Sacheon, Korea