“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 deeply wounded.
Still, I didn’t give up. I believed that if someone like me—who grew up in a Buddhist home and had never embraced any religion—could come to believe in God, then surely others could also have a change of heart. God turned that small faith into reality by allowing me to meet several classmates again in Zion, now as members of the heavenly family.
Back in 6th grade in elementary school, there were three classmates with the uncommon surname Oh in my class and another one in a different class. Who could have imagined that the four of us, scattered across different regions after leaving our hometown, would all come to receive God Elohim?
About ten years ago, while attending an event at the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute, I noticed a familiar face ahead of me. Thinking he might be a Zion member who had simply been transferred, I took a closer look. Suddenly, I realized he looked strikingly similar to a friend from my childhood. When I approached him and greeted him, both of us were stunned—it was Oh A, my old classmate. Our unexpected reunion after decades was astonishing, heartwarming, and truly something to give thanks for.
A few years later, a brother from another Zion visited ours to attend service. During a brief conversation, I learned that there was a brother named Oh B in his Zion who attended the same elementary school as I did. I checked, just in case—and sure enough, it was a friend I used to run and play with every day.
These friends, now grown men with families, were all faithfully walking the path of the gospel in their Zions. Like me, they believed there were still classmates out there who had not yet been found, so they continued sharing the truth whenever opportunities arose. One of them even received a painful message from a close friend saying, “If you’re going to preach to me, don’t contact me. And don’t preach to the others, either.” But he didn’t let it discourage him. His unwavering passion for the gospel rekindled my own strength whenever I felt uncertain or worn out in my mission.
Last spring, at a graduates’ association, I was sharing the truth with another friend when he suddenly said, “Oh? Oh C attends the Church of God in Ulsan.” My heart leaped. He gave me Oh C’s contact information, and I immediately reached out. At first, he mistook me for a scammer! But once I explained everything, he rejoiced, giving thanks and glory to God.
That summer, the four Oh classmates gathered together with our families during vacation. For some of us, it was the first time seeing one another in over forty years, so it felt a little awkward at first. But as we exchanged greetings and shared the fragrance of Zion, the awkwardness disappeared. We deeply felt the bond of being a heavenly family. It made us imagine how joyful it will be when all our brothers and sisters gather together in the kingdom of heaven.
Now nearing our sixtieth year, we acknowledged that life as heads of households is not easy. Yet we agreed on one thing—we are living healthy, hopeful, and happy lives because God is with us. And we made a promise: not to keep this freely given blessing to ourselves, but to share it with as many people as possible.
Putting that promise into practice helped us understand the true power of unity. The friend who helped connect me to Oh C later confessed that he had already heard the truth from him before—but had brushed it off both times. However, when the four of us united in prayer and sincerely shared the desire for all of us to be saved together, he finally opened his heart and received the truth of the new covenant.
In the past, whenever I faced rejection while preaching, my heart would shrink. It took time and courage to try again. But things are different now. I’m no longer afraid. I believe there are souls around me still waiting to be found. And I know that when Zion’s brothers and sisters unite in God’s love, we can and will find them.
The four of us will continue working together to share the message of salvation diligently with our classmates and peers. Not only with those connected by God’s providence in our childhood, but also with all whom we will meet in the future—we will spare no effort in preaching the gospel and seeking out our lost heavenly family members.
We sincerely pray that our small steps will contribute, even in a small way, to the completion of the world mission.
All thanks and glory to our Heavenly Father and Mother.