Reflecting the Hearts of Our Father and Mother

“Father and Mother, please allow us to understand Your love and sacrifice during this mission trip.”

This is the prayer we shared before departing for our short-term mission in Kenya last summer. Although we were united in one heart—longing to complete the gospel in Africa and ultimately, the world gospel—none of us, except for one member, had ever done mission work in Africa. So along with our excitement came a fair amount of nervousness. Would we adjust well? Would the food suit us? Whenever these concerns crept in, I prayed that Father and Mother would help us feel Their sacrifice and love even more deeply. With that prayer engraved in our hearts, we set out for Kenya.

After a bumpy ten-hour bus ride from Nairobi, we arrived in Homa Bay. Because most of the population there is Christian, we had heard that many of the people we would meet on the streets would likely already have faith in God. My heart raced with the desire to share the truth with them as quickly as possible.

As expected, many listened to the gospel. Yet meeting them again proved challenging. Some arrived long after the appointed time, while others never came at all, which was disheartening. Still, the person I met on the Sabbath stood out from all the rest.

She was deeply intrigued by the truth of God the Mother and sincerely wanted to learn more. After we shared the church’s location, she began coming every day, studying the Bible for up to four hours at a time. Worried she might grow tired, we often asked whether she wanted to continue—but each time she simply said, “Continue.” Before long, she expressed her desire to receive the sign of salvation. After carefully studying the words of God for seven days, she was baptized on the Sabbath and accepted God Elohim as her Savior. She attended worship with reverence and devotion. Filled with gratitude, she said that no words could describe the joy of finally becoming a child of God. She even shared her hope to spread the truth in her hometown, where Zion had yet to be established.

She continued coming to Zion each day to study and faithfully observe God’s ordinances. As the day of our departure drew near, she approached me.

“You preached the truth to me,” she said. “Now, help me make sure I’ve understood correctly.”

Holding Feed My Sheep in her hands, she testified to the truth with calm confidence. At the end of each topic, she would say with conviction, “We must believe in both our Heavenly Father and our Heavenly Mother.” Those words remain engraved in my heart.

Since then, I have believed that among the people I meet, there would be others like her—souls truly longing for the true God. I began to wonder how I could lead them to Zion and feed them with the words of God. In His wisdom, God revealed the answers to me through simple moments in daily life.

Where we stayed, there was no washing machine, so all laundry had to be washed by hand. Embarrassingly, I had never done this in Korea. After finishing our day, we returned to the lodging and began washing clothes. Even a small load took considerable time, and I soon felt exhausted. Yet as I struggled to prepare clothes for the next day, one sister asked, “How could our Father have finished His long, tiring days and still manage to accomplish other work?” In that moment, I felt ashamed for having regarded the laundry as a burden. My heart ached for Father, who—despite long, grueling days—labored in the flesh every day to write Truth Books for the salvation of His children.

One day, while we were preaching, I saw a goat running and bleating loudly. At first, I thought it was acting strangely, but the sister beside me explained that it was a mother searching for her lost kid. The sight reminded me of our Heavenly Mother, who came to this earth without hesitation to seek Her lost children—calling out to them every day with deep longing, lest they fail to hear Her voice. I asked myself whether I was preaching the gospel with that same earnest, loving heart, but the answer did not come easily.

A few days later, I saw a mother hen and her chicks peacefully gathered on the lawn. One little chick, however, had wandered away and was crying out alone. My heart ached, and I wished I could tell it, “Your family is right there.” Looking closer, I realized the chick seemed unable to see and wandered in circles. Even though its mother was nearby, it continued crying—reminding me of myself before I received Heavenly Mother. In that moment, a deep desire welled up within to share the truth quickly with those whose spiritual eyes are still veiled—those who cannot yet see Mother and feel alone—so that they too may know She has come to seek them.

With each passing day, I began to truly understand what it means to preach the gospel with the heart of Mother and to share the truth with the heart of Father. I immediately put these realizations into practice, striving diligently to share the words of God with even one more soul. Even on days without scheduled Bible studies, I would send a message or make an extra phone call, praying that the person would hear the news of salvation. Though our efforts were small, God recognized our earnest hearts, and so many people came to Zion to study the Bible that there were not even enough desks to accommodate everyone.

The local members taught the words of the Bible for as long as anyone wanted—thirty minutes, two hours, or even four. Their dedication reminded me of Father’s love, who stayed up late into the night, teaching His children as much as they needed.

Our three weeks in Kenya were brief, yet the lessons we learned were profound. I am grateful that through the living conditions, the love of the members, and the work of preaching the gospel, we were able to catch a glimpse of God’s heart. From now on, I will strive to sacrifice for my brothers with the heart of Father, love my sisters with the heart of Mother, and run wholeheartedly toward the goal of completing the world evangelism.