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YOU WILL BE A BLESSING

"I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2)

I am humbled and honored to share a mission report in the presence of God’s people.  

Part 1. You will be a blessing

I was born 1949, one year before the Korean War, in Seoul.  I entered Seoul National University, College of Fine Arts in 1968. On the way out from freshmen orientation, someone handed me an invitation card to English Bible study. In fact, it was God's answer to my prayer. When I was a freshman in high school, I realized that God exists. I was greatly touched by this amazing truth. So I prayed, "God! I thank you for letting me know you! I want to study the Bible. After I complete my college entrance exam, I will." Certainly God heard my prayer. I followed the map on the invitation card and found a yellow building. It was the first SNU Bible center. I met a man there and asked him "I want to study English Bible. How much do I have to pay?" He smiled and said, "Bible study is so precious that you don't need to pay money." Two weeks later, I took a taxi to get there on time by 8 a.m. There were around 15 students, and Msn. Sarah Barry led the English Bible study every morning. I was so happy to hear that Jesus is the truth and he is the true love. Every day Dr. Samuel Lee was writing Daily Bread in a small room in Jongro Center. With joy, he also welcomed me. He would give me a cup of milk. One day, he wrote Phil 1:6 on my Bible during a meeting: "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

During summer vacation, he appointed student shepherds as messengers for a weeklong Genesis Bible school. He suggested that all the students write what they learned. He then read each testimony, gave detailed comments, even grades, such as A and B. After the 7th lecture,"God who was with Joseph", he told us to remember this beautiful story for ourselves and our future children. Then we raised our right hands and made a vow saying "In the future I will tell the story of Joseph to my children more than 100 times."

During my college days, I led the campus group Bible study inviting my friends. At the same time, I participated in campus drama club.

During the winter of my freshmen year, I received Genesis 12:2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." Dr. Lee said, "There are many kinds of callings in the world. But these words 'you will be a blessing' is the highest calling given to men by God." I realized God also called me to be a blessing. My heart was deeply touched by the promise of God since it was the exact answer to my search for the meaning of life.

When I was in high school I spent my summer vacations, in the countryside helping farmers. During the school year, I helped out in an orphanage. But I was surprised that even though I did these good things, within me there was no real lasting love for these people.  Through Genesis 12:2 God revealed to me the ultimate meaning of life is to be God’s blessing to others. I made a decision to offer my life to God as a blessing. Practically, I quit my drama club in college, and my joy was to participate in the UBF Christmas Drama. I became the Director from 1979 until now. God’s calling provided me with happiness in my soul. However, God’s word exposed my deeper inner thirst as well. I found myself merely seeking and enjoying human recognition for my devotion. I did not know what to do with this sense of despair and guilt. In my sophomore year, God gave me Romans 7:24-25 through Daily Bread." What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!"  Through these verses, I saw myself as a sinner.  I received Jesus' forgiveness and confessed that Jesus is my Savior. When I depended on Jesus’ grace, I became free from my desire for human recognition and served the Lord with peace and joy.

At Christmas, in my sophomore year, one shepherd brought a cake to my house from Dr. Samuel Lee. On the card he wrote, "I thank God that sister Yoon-sung (that’s me) is a precious daughter of God and of this great nation, Korea." His words showed me the deep love of God who treasures my life. At that time, one senior student shepherdess was about to leave the ministry because of her boyfriend. Because of her influence many freshmen left the ministry one by one. She also tried to contact me. Sensing my struggle, Dr. Lee counseled me and said, "Dear Yoon-sung, please stand on the side of God. Then you will live and this work of God will stand firm." I repented of my desire for human love and cut my long hair short. Seeing me in the center Dr. Lee asked, “What made you cut your hair that short?” I just smiled at him and didn’t answer him. In fact it was a sign of my decision not to seek a boyfriend and rather to marry a man of God who was dedicated to our mission of 'Bible Korea and World Mission'.

Upon my graduation God called me to be a staff shepherdess serving the Graduate Fellowship. There were 18 members including Dr. James H. Kim and Dr. Sarah S. Kim who graduated in 1972 from SNU and from Korea University’s medical school.

Dr. Samuel Lee trained us staff shepherds in order to teach us to love the word of God.  He counted the number of pages of our Daily Bread notebooks for 6 months and even the number of characters on each page. He checked our handwriting styles, measured the weight of our notebooks, and graded them. Any staff shepherds who omitted daily breads too many times received special training. They went outside and cried out to God in prayer all night, "Lord, please let me love the word of God." It was during the year-end staff conference, and it was very cold outside.

Staff shepherds prepared their Bible study teaching notes for the Gospel studies and wrote their own lecture notes for individual lessons. We also made teaching notes for the book of Acts in English, and wrote personal testimonies. Sometimes there were pop quizzes based on daily bread passages. One morning we had to write down in detail the images of Daniel’s vision he saw in his dream. One day, Dr. Lee told us to bring our Bible to him and checked whether we read the Bible diligently with underlines. We had to memorize the titles of the paragraphs from 1 and 2 Kings and were tested on them. He told me to make detailed questions from Genesis Ch 1 to Ch 50 working together. I thank God for training us to love the Bible and made us into servants of God's word.

In my early staff life, without really knowing Jesus’ shepherd heart, I made demands on others and pushed them out of my zeal for the Lord. So the members in Graduate Fellowship were quite burdened and joyless. Dr. Lee said, “Dear Yoonsung, you need a break.” He sent me to Pusan with Maria Ahn for one week. Sh. Maria Ahn was a good example to me for loving God and loving Jesus’ sheep. Dr. Lee said, ‘Please learn to love God first everyday. Offer even one penny’s worth of your love first to God instead of trying to do many things with sense of duty as a shepherdess. In spite of all my good intentions and great efforts, my sense of weaknesses and shortcomings as a shepherdess made me feel quite helpless and hopeless. Then, God spoke to me through Romans 5:8 in Romans Bible school in 1972: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." God's absolute love saved me and motivated me to live a life for God with confidence. This wonderful love of God enabled me to serve many sheep--up to 19 one to one’s per week. One graduate brother whom I served with one to one Bible study told Dr. Samuel Lee that he wanted to marry me. Dr. Lee prayed with a broken heart in our united prayer meeting, "Lord, Shepherdess Yoon-sung is viewed as a mere potential marriage candidate by her sheep.Please have mercy on her and transform her to be God’s holy servant.” His prayer helped me to recognize the sins of my human influence on Jesus Sheep.And I accepted 1Corinthians 2:1-5. “for I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified(1Cor 2:2)".  Then I prayed that only Jesus and his crucifixion might be revealed through me. God changed my inner heart and gave me spiritual power. God enabled me to help others to believe and obey the word of God. Then through my one to one ministry God himself raised up his servants including Dr. Sam Zun, Peter and Mary Song (NY), Mary Yoon (LA), Caleb Hong, Markus Keum, Jimmy Lee, Chong Aie Choi, and Samuel Choi. Before they went out to their mission fields, they all received training as messengers for Genesis and Romans Bible schools.  

Part II. Yon Hee Pioneering Ministry

On June 1976, God blessed me to marry Shep. David Kim who preached the word of God bravely to his fellow Korean soldiers, on the Vietnam battlefields. Dr. Lee’s wedding address for us was based on 2 Timothy 2:2: "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." Dr. Lee told Sh. David Kim to take care of campus students wholeheartedly. In obedience he visited Korea University and met Kyung Ho Park, who later became Dr. Henry Park. He had taken a year off from his school study because of tuberculosis. He was searching for truth because of the emptiness in his heart. Through Bible study he accepted Jn 1:4 and grew as a man of God.  

In 1977, Dr. Lee moved to Chicago as a missionary to the United States. He told Sh. David Kim to pioneer Yonsei and Ewha Universities all by himself leaving me at Jongro Chapter III. In September 1977, Sh. David Kim began to pioneer Yonsei and Ewha with his young sheep, Dr. Henry Park, and three other students. He thought he would perish if he would not serve the pioneering ministry well.  So, Sh. David Kim prayed desperately and loudly under the Underwood Statue at Yonsei at 5 a.m. every morning. God heard his prayers and sent 10 sheep through Dr. Henry Park. Sh. David Kim taught them Genesis everyday. They invited Moses Hur, Kyu-yeon Um and other students from Yonsei Univ. After six months of Yonsei Univ. pioneering ministry, 14 student messengers were raised for a Genesis Bible School. Hearing this news, Dr. Lee told me and 18 graduates of the Jong-ro graduate fellowship to join the Yonsei pioneering ministry.

In 1978, I invited Msn. Joshua W. H. Yoon. He came to the spring conference and received Mark 2:4. He received Jesus’ forgiveness very personally as he overcame his long habit of stuttering by faith. Then he invited Duk-Young Jang from Yonsei. Bro. Jang accepted Jesus as his savior and became a new creation. Surprised by Bro. Duk-young's remarkable change, his sister, Angela Kim in Hong Kong, came to Yonhee center and studied Genesis. She received Genesis 12:2. At every prayer meeting, Sh. David Kim encouraged her to pioneer mainland China starting from Hong Kong. She received missionary training for three months and was sent to Hong Kong. Within 2 years of pioneering Yonhee, Dr. Samuel Zun, and Dr. John Lee were sent to the US and Caleb Hong and Markus Kum to Germany as missionaries. After his military service, Dr. Henry Park was sent to Jong-ro center to be trained as an intern shepherd. In 1981, God blessed him to establish a house church with Msn. Pauline Park who was serving US campus pioneering ministry.

In the early Yonsei pioneering days, many students came to my house for lunch almost everyday.  I carried my son David Jr. (1 year old) on my back and served these students with Ramen for lunch. It was very difficult for me with all the burdens of a pioneering ministry (e.g., housework, raising two sons, serving sheep, and moving 14 times to different rented houses). I needed God's grace anew. One day Dr. Lee wrote my name as Sarah Kim on an envelope. He advised me to first be a good co-worker to Sh. David Kim, and support him with much prayer. I prayed and struggled and  accepted my identity as a prayer mother and my important role as the wife of Sh. David Kim. Then, God strengthened Sh. David Kim as God's servant and blessed many leaders to grow as faithful and reliable disciples of Jesus. Sh. David Kim devoted his heart to prepare Bible study and Sunday worship service messages. Trusting the power of God's word, he trained student shepherds to be messengers for the Bible schools and conferences. In particular, I thank God for two shepherd families, Samuel/Jongae Choi and Daniel/Mibang Baek, who served the pioneering ministry with us so faithfully and sacrificially as very fruitful one to one Bible teachers.

The first crop from the first three years of pioneering ministry to be sent as missionaries were Henry Park, David Hong, Mary Cowen, Moses Hur and Joshua Yoon. Next, the second team of leaders Young Lee (Chicago), Petra Lee (Moscow), Helen Kim (Germany), Mark Kim (Hong Kong), Moody Kim (Chicago), Helen Kim(Chicago), William Shin (New York), Pauline Chang(Hamilton), Hannah Yoon(Waterloo) were sent to the US, Germany, Canada, CIS, and Hong Kong.

From 1987 we prayed to send 10 missionaries each year. God heard our prayers. In 1987 through the Hyundai company, Jimmy Lee and Maria Lee were sent to India to pioneer Indian campuses. In 1988, four women from Yonsei and Ewha were sent to Paris, France. Through them God raised the ancestor of France, Sh. Bruno. Every year God blessed us to send missionaries to North America, Europe, China, Hong Kong, India, and CIS. Until now, God has sent 160 well-trained missionaries to 15 nations and 41 regional campuses. God has used them as faithful and reliable disciples of Jesus. God established 80 Bible-loving faithful House Churches and faithful student shepherds at Yonsei, Ewha and Aviation Universities. In 2000 Sh. Ki-sung Um’s family and 20 coworkers pioneered Shinchon Center. In 2009, Sh. Seung Won Kim with 11 coworkers pioneered Aju University. God blessed us and now Yonhee chapter is four chapters.  Altogether we are 40 fellowships and 240 worship service attendants and 120 JBF and CBF secondgenerations.

Part III. Serving the Second Generation

  During the past 14 years, God has sent more than sixty second gens. from many countries to Yonhee center. When they come, I welcome them and ask them to write down their prayer topics and what they want to do in Korea. When I ask them, "What do you want to do? and What do you want to eat?" They answer me, "I want to eat Dduckbockki, and SoonDae, and Odeng, and Kimbob at the street vendor," or "I want to eat Soondoobu Chigae, Cchajangmyun, Patbingsu!" "I want to go to a beautiful mountain and sandy beach, to the big Shopping center, to the Korean spa (Zzimsilbang) and to Kwangju to visit the First UBF Pioneering Center!" "I want to exercise to lose weight." "I want to learn Korean!” “Um... and of course, I want to study the Bible!" they answer me in excitement. Then, I say to them, “Yeah, Good! You have many prayer topics!" Let's eat and do these things together!" "Let's go to beautiful mountains and sea shores! Korean Spa (Zzimzilbang) is fun and good. Surely we will serve you with tasty food!". Hearing my response, they exclaim “Wow~!Really?!”

Then I say, “We also have things we would like to recommend. Do you want to know what they are?” They replied to me in one voice. "Yes~","Wow~!” “We have early morning prayer meeting at 5:30 every day. You can have a sweet hour to talk with Jesus." They say, "5:30 in the morning everyday? But can I join it only three times? Can I miss it if I'm too tired?" "Of course you can.!" Then they say, "I will do my best!" I suggest to them, "How about writing daily bread everyday and sharing it together five times a week?" Then they ask me, "How can we write everyday?" I say to them. "No problem. It does not need to be long. If we write everyday, God will bless us to have independent faith. Those who eat daily bread every day never go astray." Then they answer me "Alright, for one month, I will try." "Lastly I have one more recommendation. It is the best!" "The best?! "They ask me with curiosity. I answer, “It is one to one Bible study and writing a six page testimony." They ask me back, "Did you say six pages? So far I have written one or two page testimonies with one point. How can I write six pages?" I reply, "By meditating on the Word verse by verse and praying. If you keep doing it then the Holy Spirit will move your heart at a certain point and you can write six pages." "Really? Um, this is interesting. Alright. I will try six pages." Their one to one Bible teachers pray for them a lot and serve them with Jesus’ love and patience so that they may open their hearts and meet "My God and My Savior Jesus..!" When they have intensive one to one Bible study, at first, they struggle to write six page testimonies. Then devoting more and more time meditating on God’s words, they experience the spiritual joy of accepting God’s words in their hearts. Almost all second gens. are considerate and faithful before the word of God.

They complete Genesis Bible study. They attend our summer Bible conference and participate in one program only to help them concentrate on listening to God’s word. At the conference they attend English group Bible study, meditate on the Word of God sincerely and write three testimonies. Listening to the lectures, God blesses each of them to receive God's great love who sacrificed His only son to give us forgiveness. When they write testimonies sincerely during the conference the Holy Spirit works in their hearts to bring all their burdens of sin to Jesus. They repent and accept the love and grace of God revealed on the cross with thankful hearts and with tears. God blesses them to confess love to Jesus more than anything else in the world.

While they are staying at Yonhee for five weeks, Yonhee coworkers voluntarily serve them with delicious food inviting them to their houses or good restaurants. They serve them Korean food, Chinese food, American food, and Italian food. The second gens have good fellowship and receive prayer support. Sh. Maria Sagel serves them with unceasing translations during Sunday worship services, conferences and meetings. I thank God for the precious shepherds and shepherdesses who served our second gens whole heartedly.  I thank God who blesses many second gens to be a blessing in their ministries and to be shepherds after they return to their university.

Thanks and glory be to God who changed me from an artistic and romantic girl who bore the fruit of sin, into a blessing and a mother of nations. I pray that I may have the heart of Jesus by accepting Philippians 2:5 deeply so that I may co-work well with Sh. David Kim. I pray that I may serve co-workers in Yonhee and in other Korea chapters and missionaries with the heart of Jesus. Amen

One word: Praise God who makes me a source of blessing!