A Heavenly Family Member Whom We Never Gave Up Looking for
Lee Kang-mi from São Paulo, Brazil
Many souls were led to Zion through the preaching festival in Brazil. Among them, I would like to share the stories of some brothers and sisters found in the 2nd São Paulo Church.
A few days after the preaching festival started, I heard from a sister that she met Sister Simone, who had stopped coming to church a long time ago. Sister Simone received the truth when she was young, but as she got married, we lost contact with her. At that time, the members made every effort to meet her, but they couldn’t get a hold of her. However, Heavenly Father and Mother never gave up on her. The members ran into her on the street. She gave them her address and asked them to visit her. Soon after, they visited her.
The sister shared the joy of reunion with Zion members by hugging them and said she felt so empty while she was away from God. She was very joyful to meet us again. Seeing the rapid growth of the church in the past several years, she was moved by the power of God, and now she keeps the Sabbath every week.
One Sabbath day, she brought her friend to church. After studying the truth of the Sabbath and the Passover, her friend said with tears that she had been living a religious life in vain. She even participated in the evening service. We were surprised to see her worship God with joy and concentrate on the sermon with a proper attitude and in a godly manner; it didn’t seem like she was attending worship for the first time.
After the worship service, she studied about God the Mother. When we asked her if she wanted to participate in the blessing of eternal life Heavenly Mother grants, she answered without any hesitation.
“Eu quero com certeza (I surely want it).”
The story of Sister Marilene, who led her family to Zion through this preaching festival, is also very touching. Her husband’s sisters usually didn’t talk to her. However, something happened to them and they had to stay at her house for a couple of weeks. She preached the truth to them, believing it was the opportunity God gave her. After they gladly received the truth, they even encouraged their daughters to receive the promise of eternal life. A total of five souls received a new life. Afterward, they went back home, and they have been keeping the Sabbath at a Zion that is two hours away from their houses by train.
Brother Janailson, who came to São Paulo for work eight months ago, was exhausted from work. He missed his family so much that he was having a very hard time. This was when he received the truth. He was greatly comforted in Zion where Heavenly Father and Mother dwell. As I see the brother yearning for his spiritual home now, I realize again how happy I am to have an eternal home to return to and members of the heavenly family with me.
The preaching festival finished, but the 2nd São Paulo Zion members are taking vigorous steps to preach the gospel today, too, hoping that Zion will be filled with the souls who miss heaven. We believe that our wish will surely be fulfilled because we have the love of Heavenly Father and Mother who never give up until They find all of Their lost sheep.