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To Save Your Lives By a Great Deliverance”

Genesis 45: 7-8a

 “But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.””

My name is Sarah Hong, from Heidelberg, Germany. I came to Germany October 21, 1970. I was young, and I wanted to improve the living situation of my family. I worked at a hospital in the south of Germany and work was no problem. Each month, I wired my income to Korea. But the more time went by, the more difficult the condition of my heart became. I thought, if I fulfilled my plan, everything should be fine. But I realized, that my life was empty and without purpose. Nobody knew my condition and I didn’t tell anybody about it either. But there was one who knew me above all. April 1971 brought a change into my life. One Missionary, Jeong Ae, who worked with me at the same hospital, invited me to Genesis Bible study. During our first Bible study, God revealed through Genesis 1:1 that he is my creator and through 1:28 he allowed me to know my purpose of life. When I accepted the truth of God for my life, the meaninglessness disappeared. I continued Genesis Bible study with great enthusiasm. Many words from Genesis appealed to me. When we studied Joseph in chapter 45, I identified with him. Up to this point, I thought about my life fatalistically. Joseph could have thought fatalistically about his life as well. Why he was hated by his brothers, and sold into a foreign country. But how wonderful it is that God has a great plan with my life! God wanted to save my family in Korea through me and God wanted to use me for a great deliverance in Germany.

After the gracious Genesis Bible study, I continued to study John’s gospel. God deeply moved me through John 3:16. How immeasurable the love of God, that He sent his only Son into the world for me to save me from my sins! How great was the joy of God that filled my heart. The joy of God opened my mouth and I began to share the good news. Through faith in the Son of God, one gets saved, but without faith, one will be lost forever. I couldn’t bear to know that my parents and loved ones would be lost forever. Therefore I prayed without ceasing for my family in Korea and wrote letters with the word of God to them. God heard my crying-out prayer and helped them that they could come slowly but surely to personal faith in the living God. In Germany, I approached Germans and asked if they believed in God. They mostly said yes, but they had no personal faith in a living God. I developed a shepherd heart for them. December 1972, I decided before God to live for his mission in Korea, Germany and throughout the world. Around this time, I met Dr. Lee in Korea. He rejoiced in my decision of faith and prayed a lot for me and wrote personal letters to encourage me in my faith.

November 1973, I moved to Cologne. I studied the Bible personally and also with the Korean nurses. In the summer of 1974, Dr. Lee visited Germany and held a Summer Bible Conference. He visited me in Cologne and helped me a lot. First, he served us with the Word of God. Second, he gave me my new name Sarah so that I would live as a mother of faith. Third, he gave me direction to continue my education, meaning, to attend the three-year nursing school. Fourth, he gave me a stuffed animal dog that looked up smiling, named Vision. This was my first encounter with Dr. Lee. But he understood my situation and helped me which I am thankful for to this day. After finishing my education in 1978, I flew to Korea to found a house church. God blessed me with a believing husband, Msn. Kaleb Hong. At our wedding, Dr. John Jun, gave us the blessing from Genesis 12:2 and prayed for us that we would pioneer Heidelberg University. February 1979, Msn. Kaleb came to Germany. In God’s time we moved to Heidelberg and served the discipleship ministry. I worked at the hospital and visited the students to invite them to Bible study. Some of them came to 1:1 as well as to Sunday Worship Service. But they did not want to give their life to God. Four years went by without visible fruit. But when God’s time came, He sent us Birgit Steger, who now is Birgit Pierce, and Birgit Steller, who both studied law at Heidelberg University, and Reiner Schauwienold. They came regularly to Bible study. I studied John’s gospel with Birgit Steger. One day when we studied John chapter four, I talked about the Samaritan woman, who left her water jar and went back into the village. Suddenly, she asked me, “Do you want to make me into a MISSIONARY??” I didn’t hesitate and said, “Yes”. I thought how wonderful this would be. Unfortunately, her response was to quit Bible study. I accepted it and invited her to Sunday Worship Service. Even though she didn’t study the Bible one to one, she liked to come to Sunday Worship Service so that we could have personal fellowship. Later, when Msn. Kaleb invited her to personal Bible study again, she was ready. She has a good character. Once she makes a decision she can keep it. She is very faithful. When it was God’s time she was ready to go out as a missionary to Chicago. God directs our life!

When those three students decided to follow Jesus, others remained as well. God sent faithful coworkers as harvest workers from Korea, who could serve the discipleship ministry devotedly. I thank and praise God, who saved me for the great deliverance of my entire family in Korea, and who used me in Germany as a Joseph. God entrusted me with four children, Enoch, Lydia, Johanna, Esra. God raised them himself since we sought first the kingdom of God. God blessed our Bible study with the children. Once I studied Genesis 12 with Enoch, I told him, “Without God’s mission there is no blessing of God”. He accepted this personally, and lives for God’s mission, and became a blessing. What God worked in me through his word, and how much he has blessed me I cannot tell all of it. I thank and praise God, who made me according to his absolute will and granted me a meaningful task. I am joyous and happy because God has made me happy. I thank God with all my heart that he has given us opportunity to visit Chicago. I have learned a lot. And I am glad that I found my mission for the rest of my life. I want to go back to the Bible and diligently share the Word of God. The people in Germany and in Europe need the word of God. God wants to use me as Bible teacher and prayer servant, and mother of faith for innumerable people.

 One Word: I didn’t want to but God brought me to Germany in his sovereignty.