Faith & Life

Book of Acts of the Female Pastoral Staff

I am a pastoral staff wife. Before coming here, I carried out the gospel ministry in El Salvador. I’d like to share what happened while I was visiting a doctor’s office in El Salvador. When I finished talking with the overseer’s wife of the main church in El Salvador on the phone in Korean at the waiting room, a nurse came up to me. “I’m learning Korean because I’m very interested in Korea. I heard you speaking in Korean, and I just came to say hello,” said the nurse shyly. She then kindly asked me when I came to El Salvador, and if I was adapting well to the lifestyle here. It was an unexpected situation, but we continued a…

Seo Ha-neul from Puebla, Mexico

Mother’s Love

Recently, I visited my mother in my hometown. She was overjoyed to see me, and through her facial expression I felt her love beyond words. When I was about to leave after I spent some time chatting with her, my mother turned her head and wiped her tears. In my childhood, I never knew what she felt in her heart. I used to walk under streetlights with resentment toward my mother who always arrived home late at night because of her work. However, I came to realize the love of my mother through my wife. When I come home from work, my wife warmly welcomes me and my sons run into my arms with bright smiles. While I rest my…

Kim Guk-hwa from Seoul, Korea

God’s Daily Gifts

“God always gives us a new day and new strength. What if God did not give us a new day and new strength? Just thinking about it makes me so thankful to God. If God didn’t, I would be struggling with accumulated fatigue.” Listening to a sister who was busy living a life of faith, working in the office, and taking care of her household, I was thankful and sorry at the same time. It’s because I took the time given to me every day and the power of the Holy Spirit for granted. I will receive God’s daily gifts with thankfulness and put my time and passion into what pleases God.

Han Min-ji from Montevideo, Uruguay

I Have Engraved You on the Palms of My Hands

I’d like to share a story about a sister who shed many tears during worship on the Sabbath day. One day while preaching God's word with a sister, I met a Vietnamese who was not fluent in Japanese. Since she had been in Japan for only a few months, she could hardly understand what we were saying, but she seemed interested in the Bible. When we showed her Galatians 4:26 that says, “But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother,” she was very surprised to see the word “Jerusalem.” We also showed her a video about God the Mother, translated in Vietnamese. Then she shouted with joy in Japanese, “That's it!” We thought that she…

Matsuno Reiko from Osaka, Japan

Practice

In our Zion, we have a cute and lovely child who has just turned one. It seems like it was only yesterday that he was wriggling in his mom’s arms, but he soon learned to hold his head up and sit up on his own, and now he even pulls himself up to stand and walk. He looks so cute when he struggles to balance but soon falls that I cannot take my eyes off him. As he doesn’t have enough strength in his legs yet, he often falls on his bottom. But he does not stop trying to walk. Although there is a soft mat on the floor, it must be hurting when he falls, but he smiles as…

Goh Su-jeong from Jeonju, Korea

My Husband’s Prayer

Before I received the truth, I had little conversation with my husband. But, after meeting God, my family has changed a lot. Since Heavenly Father and Mother changed my gloomy life, my husband saw my change and came to believe that God exists as Father and Mother. He is now growing in his faith though slow. One day, my husband came to me with a happy smile and said he had something to say. “These days, I pray hard to God.” “Really? What do you pray for?” “I pray, ‘God, please protect my wife from any car accident. Please let her drive safely. I believe that You will help her.’ ” My husband used to say that he trusted in…

Oh Hye-in from Uijeongbu, Korea

That’s Something Everyone Can Do

At the start of the autumn feast, I set a goal to preach the Gospel to as many people as possible, being united with the members in my church. As the head of a household, I felt it would be difficult to make time to preach. However, I wanted to be of help to Zion even a little bit, and I went to Zion after work. I went out to preach the Gospel with some members, but I couldn’t open my mouth. For a few days, I just stood beside the members when they were preaching. As I diligently participated in preaching while cheering myself up, I came to have courage to tell God’s word to people. At that moment,…

Jang Seong-min from Seongnam, Korea

Memories of My Mother

Last winter, my mother came to see me in the U.S. I met her in seven years. I was very happy to do everything with her from morning till night. Three months passed quickly and the day came for us to part. I felt like crying at the airport, and I just waved goodbye to her. When I came back home and saw the empty room without her, I burst into tears. I remembered that she gave me warm water, tomatoes, bananas, and eggs every morning, and that we walked together around the neighborhood for exercise in the evenings. “Look at the buds on the tree that’s seemingly remained dead.” “That house is almost finished.” Even now, when I’m walking,…

Lee So-yeong from Hwaseong, Korea

Happy Play for Both Parents and Child

Dr. Garry L. Landreth, a master of play therapy and neuroscientist, said: “Birds fly, fish swim, and children play.” For growing children, play is their everyday life and everything. The reason they do not stay still even for a moment but move constantly is because they want to play. However, experts say that children’s happiness depends on who they play with rather than what they do. In 2014, according to a study by the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education, Korean children pointed out their parents most when asked, “Who was with you at the happiest moment?” Parents were also at the top for the question who they want to play with. Thus, playtime with parents is more valuable…

Volunteering Brings Joy to Our Hearts

One day, The members of the Baulkham Hills Church in Australia participated in Bushcare volunteer activities in Kellyville. The main focus of that day was to remove weeds and rubbish. As it rained on the previous day, the soil got softer, which made it much easier to remove the weeds. The members worked for about two hours, and their united efforts achieved an astounding result. More than twenty 100-liter bags were not enough for all the weeds collected, and we even used a truck but it wasn’t enough, either. There were also huge piles of fallen branches from the bush. “You have done a great job. This would have taken us several months,” a regular Bushcare volunteer said in amazement.…

The Baulkham Hills Church in Sydney, Australia

We Are All Parts of One Body

I went to hospital because I had pain in my neck and shoulder. I was diagnosed with a herniated cervical disc. It was manageable with simple medical treatment, but I had to be careful while working on a computer or doing the housework so that I wouldn’t put pressure on my neck, which in turn caused pressure on my waist. Around the time when I was about to have started to feel less pain in my neck, I even had a lumbar disc herniation. After I received medical treatment for my lower back pain, my whole body became so weak that even my hands and feet began to shake. I had swelling and pain in my legs, which caused aches…

Gu Yeon-hui from Suncheon, Korea

Preparation Yields No Fear or Worries

People prepare many things for a new year. They get calendars and diaries, buy new clothes for New Year’s Day or deep clean their homes to renew their minds. They do all these things probably because they wish to spend the new year meaningfully. In the Bible, we can find the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom with their lamps in their hands. The five wise virgins prepared enough oil for their lamps, so they were able to meet the bridegroom when he suddenly arrived at midnight. However, the five foolish ones were too lazy to prepare their lamps, and while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived, so they could not…

Mother’s Memory

I have an adorable high school son worth ten daughters. He liked to go to sleep in my arms and didn’t ever want to leave my side when he was a little boy. But before I knew, he has grown so tall that now I have to look up at him. Whenever I see him who has grown tall, I’m proud but sad on the other hand because soon he will not need my help any longer. Perhaps this could be the reason I got a strange habit of asking my son whether he remembers his childhood. When he walks up to me, I remember him crawling up to me with his diaper on; when he’s talking, sitting beside me,…

Yun Eun-ju from Goyang, Korea

Bathroom Etiquette

“Come out quickly. I’m in a hurry.” “Who didn’t switch off?” “Who hung the wet towel?” . . .  While using the bathroom together at home, we go through many troubles. If the bathroom is not cleaned up after use, the next user may be unpleasant. So, in the bathroom we need more consideration than in any other places at home. This month, let us observe good bathroom manners so that all family members can use the bathroom pleasantly and hygienically. People with a beautiful mind leave their seats beautiful. Tip Bathroom Etiquette at Home Knock the door before entering. Empty the bin when full. Wash your hands with soap. Yield for someone in a hurry. Replace the toilet paper…

Light in the Fog

During the last national holidays, my husband went to his parents’ house first to take care of things, and my son and I went there the following day. After spending a good time together, we headed back home. It was early in the morning, and the thick fog caused blurry vision on the highway. Then my husband changed the lane, got in front of us, and turned on the hazard lights. Depending on his lights, I drove slowly and carefully. After driving for quite a while, we finally got out of the foggy area safely. However, my husband’s car which was right in front of us until a moment ago disappeared from sight. Through the side-view mirror, I saw that…

Kim Hyeon-su from Gunpo, Korea

Faith Blooming after a Long Wait

One fine day in May, we set up a booth on the street and delivered the news articles about the Church of God, which were featured in newspapers and magazines. Many passersby showed interest in it, and one of them was an old gentleman who worked as a security guard at an apartment complex. He showed interest, saying he had never heard about the Church of God, and asked us to visit him at work. A few days later, we went to see him. However, he wasn’t happy with our visit because he had some misunderstanding about our church after hearing false information from the people around him. It was sad, but we had no choice but to leave. Several…

Kim Mi-ja from Seoul, Korea

The Sister Who Sings for Her Younger Sister

One day in Zion, I overheard the conversation between two sisters, who were elementary school students, as they were talking to each other in the bathroom. “Sister, please sing a song for me!” As soon as the younger sister finished, the older sister started to sing. I was a little surprised to see her singing with a loud voice, because she usually seemed quiet and calm. Shortly after, I heard their story, which moved me deeply. “I need to sing for my younger sister because she is scared to be in the bathroom alone.” I was proud of her for taking care of her younger sister. It made me look back on myself. I was somewhat ashamed of myself because…

Lee Hye-gyeong from Seongnam, Korea

Ask Myself

My wife plays the piano during worship. One day, she said she was worried because the choir song was too difficult this time. Then I said to her, “Try a hundred times, and if you still can’t, then you can’t help it.” After she heard me say that, she practiced more than a hundred times, and she was able to play the piano in harmony with the beautiful voices of the choir to offer up a gracious song of praise to God in worship. It was nice of her not to give up or give it a lick and a promise, with the excuse that it was difficult. From now on, whenever I face a difficult problem or situation, I…

Jeong Jae-pil from Anyang, Korea

Treasure Hunt Continues Every Day

People live for what they believe is valuable. The most valuable thing in my life was money. Probably because I grew up in a poor family, I believed that having economic strength was the most important thing in life. When I was in university, I constantly looked for a job to earn money. One day, I was sitting on a campus bench while waiting for my next class. Two Koreans were walking towards me, so I thought that they were going to ask me something. They did ask me a question though it was a question that I couldn’t answer. “Have you ever heard about Heavenly Mother?” Starting with that simple but mysterious question, they explained to me a lot…

Hazel Marie Victoriano Bonitillo from Iloilo, Philippines

Although God Gives Us Everything We Need On Our Journey of Faith

Last winter, when an extreme cold warning was issued, my wife, said that there was no hot water coming out at all during her shower, and she asked me to check if the boiler was working. When I checked the boiler operating system, the red light was on. I turned the switch off and then on, but it still didn’t work. Thinking what I should do, I went out to the veranda where the boiler was installed and carefully read the instruction manual on how to deal with the problem. It was suggested that I should clean the heating filter. As soon as I located the filter, I took it apart. It was full of small pieces dirt and sand.…

Yeo In-won from Daejeon, Korea