We traveled to the city of Oulu in Finland for a short-term mission. It’s a city about six hours away from Helsinki by train. I had mixed feelings before the trip. I knew from past mission experiences in Northern Europe that this wouldn’t be easy. Half of me was confident that everything would go well since God told us, “It will be done according to our faith,” but the other half was worried—what if my faith wasn’t strong enough?
Before heading to Oulu, we had about an hour in Helsinki to preach the message with some local members. With the hopeful thought that people might listen more because we came all the way from Korea, we went out to preach. But, to be honest, most people just walked past us, as if they had met many people like us before. Still, it helped me realize how pitiful they were and how faithfully the Helsinki members must have been planting seeds of the gospel for a long time.
On our way back, I shared my thoughts with a local sister and asked her how the members in Finland kept sharing the gospel so quietly yet persistently. She smiled and said, “We believe what Father said: ‘You will reap what you sow.’ ”
That simple answer touched my heart deeply. Even though I live close to Heavenly Mother in Korea, I had hesitated and doubted before coming on this trip. I felt ashamed. Then I realized—maybe God sent me to Finland to help grow my own faith, and to let me be part of the blessing that comes from what the local members had patiently sown. I began to look forward to meeting the brothers and sisters in Oulu, who must be shining the light of truth with the same mind.
The gospel in Oulu started with a member who first received the truth in the United States. Now, in a small pre-branch church with about six or seven members, including a devoted manager couple, the words of life are quietly spreading. When we arrived at Oulu Zion, the manager couple welcomed us with such warmth and joy.
On our first day of preaching in Oulu, we met Heidi. She told us that she had once heard the truth from a Korean while on a work trip to Helsinki. She had been interested back then, but too busy to learn more. This time, she came with us to Zion without hesitation. After studying the Bible further, she wanted to be baptized. We said to her, “We don’t know the Koreans you met before, but if they heard this news, they’d be so happy!” Then something amazing happened. When the pastor couple from Helsinki came to perform the baptism, they saw Heidi and were stunned—they were the very same people who had first shared the truth with her. All of us were overwhelmed by how God connected us across Helsinki, Oulu, and Korea.
We met Erika, while only Korean members were preaching. She watched a video about Heavenly Mother with deep focus, and even though communication was a bit hard, she didn’t want to leave. So we invited her to Zion. There, she confirmed through the Bible that Heavenly Mother truly exists, and she became a child of God. Right after, she called her friend and said:
“I am saved today. It’s really like a miracle! You have to be baptized too and be saved.”
The next day, her friend Erika came to Zion with an open heart, studied the Bible, and was also born again. That evening, Erika and Heidi joined us in worship with pure and joyful hearts. The grace of the moment was overflowing. We also met other precious souls. Sister Inga had been praying for over a year to meet the true God. Sister Laura made time despite her busy schedule to study and receive baptism. In total, we found nine beautiful souls during the trip.
I believe this blessing came through everyone’s efforts—Oulu members who never stopped sowing seeds, Helsinki members who came all the way to help, and our Korean team working together in unity. I’ll keep praying that each of these new family members walks the path of salvation with joy and strength.
My time in Finland made a deep impact on my faith. Except for meal times, we spent every moment sharing God’s word. At night, I’d fall asleep as soon as I lay down—completely exhausted but fulfilled. Even though my legs hurt and my voice was sore, I kept going with the desire to find our lost brothers and sisters in Oulu. Compared with the love and sacrifice of our Heavenly Father and Mother—who came down from heaven to this earth to find us—it was nothing. Through this mission, I experienced even just a small part of the path They walked. And I came to truly believe the words: “You will reap what you sow” and “Things go well when you are united.”
One member said that the reason they were born Finnish was to “Finish” the gospel in Finland. Though we live in different countries, we are all “Heavenish”—heavenly people born to complete the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Wherever we may be, we will continue walking in the footsteps of our Heavenly Parents to find our heavenly family.