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God Strengthens and Opens

“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you because I have many people in this city’” (Acts 18:9,10)

When Paul was pioneering in Corinth, God told him “Do not be afraid.” What does that mean? It means Paul was afraid in Corinth. Even Paul was afraid in pioneering. Yet, when he heard God’s word, he could stay there for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

My family moved to Italy on July 21, 2014. Since the last Sunday of July, my family has been studying Acts for Sunday worship service. In it we have been learning about Paul’s great faith, courage, and never-give-up spirit. Furthermore, it shows that his greatness came from God, especially God’s words. God’s word helped me overcome my fear, too.

In September, my boys finished their long summer vacation, and entered school. I started to attend an Italian language course. As my house is located in the suburbs, I had to take a bus and then a tram. On the first day, I was fined over 30 Euros in the bus. Most Koreans don’t take a bus. Instead, they use the car, so they don’t know how to use the bus. Their advice was wrong.  My ticket had a problem, and the inspector fined me over 30 Euros. I couldn’t understand his Italian so I asked him about it in English. Yet, he couldn’t speak English at all since most Italians don’t use English. It made me sad. All the passengers were looking at me, and I felt ashamed as if I were some kind of criminal. On returning to the bus, I saw a young Italian who looked like a university student. According to my habit as a shepherdess, I observed him. He was tall, handsome, and stout. He walked up to a girl in the bus and hugged her. It was strange to me as a Korean. It made me sadder. I asked myself, ‘Should I serve him with Bible study? I was afraid of not serving him.”

Yet, reading one verse for my boys before going to school gave me a new power. Sometimes, through reading one chapter with my family every evening or preparing for Sunday worship service message it helped me to overcome my fear, hatred, and disbelief.

One day in the bus I received some surprising news from an Asian Muslim girl. She sat beside me in the bus. So I spoke to her in Italian in order to improve my Italian. She said to me, “Can you speak English? I’m from Taiwan. I’m not good at Italian.” Oh, good news! Later, she told me better news. There is a medical university around my house. It takes 30 minutes for me to walk there! The students have lectures in English!

My family had no intention to pioneer Italy.  My husband told me that he would have too much work in his company to live as a missionary. So, he found a house near our boys’ school. Yet to my surprise, there is a small medical university, too. We bought a second-hand car, as most Koreans do. Yet, after two week’s use, it wouldn’t work and I had to use a public bus. Using a bus was not our intention, but through it I could come closer to Italian life, and learn important news.

My family prays that each of us may grow in our relationship with God through reading the Bible, serving worship service, and praying personally. Furthermore, we pray to serve one student with Bible study and worship service in 2015.   

One Word: God strengthens and opens