Passing Through Korea on the Way to Heaven

“When I make enough money someday, I’ll go to Italy and live in style.”

As a child, Italy was the country of my dreams. In my hometown of Matara, a beautiful coastal city in Sri Lanka, there was a restaurant run by Italians in a Western-style building. I worked there part-time, and I was captivated by its foreign architecture and the tempting dishes it served. Though I had never been to Italy, it felt like a heavenly place in my imagination.

When I became an adult, I chose to go to Korea, believing I could save enough money there to eventually move to Italy. My father tried to dissuade me, saying, “Why would you go to a country where it’s so hard to make money?” Korea was still recovering from the IMF financial crisis at the time, but I was young and unafraid. I reassured my father that I would return soon and boarded the plane, unaware that Korea would become a place of trials far beyond anything I had imagined.

I could not speak the language, and the looks people gave me were often cold and distant. Earning money was far more difficult than I had expected. One hardship followed another, and nothing seemed to go my way. I had believed that if I endured suffering for a short time, wealth and a brighter future would surely follow. Instead, after seven years of labor, I was barely making ends meet. I needed to support my family back home, yet I could not even fully support myself. With no one to confide in and nowhere to rest my heart, loneliness and despair overwhelmed me. In desperation—clutching what felt like my last lifeline—I turned to Jesus. Though I had practiced Buddhism all my life and knew little about who Jesus truly was, I cried out to Him, asking for help and for the chance to live with dignity.

Around that time, a coworker I happened to meet in the neighborhood felt like an angel sent by God. She shared with me the message of life. At first, I went with her to church simply because she invited me. Soon after, I began meeting with church members in the evenings after work to study the Bible. They explained the truth in English, while I followed along using my Sinhala Bible. Because my grandfather, a devoted Buddhist, had always warned me never to touch the Bible or bring it into the home, everything felt unfamiliar at first. Yet as I continued studying, the truths written in the Bible gradually became clear. When I learned about the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, I became fully convinced of God’s existence. I also came to understand that the new covenant is the truth of salvation that every soul must seek.

Only then did I realize why my coworker had invited me to church in the first place. One day at work, overwhelmed and distressed, I had murmured, “This is giving me a headache.” Seeing my suffering, she had hoped that I would find true comfort and hope in God. I was deeply grateful that she remembered even that small remark and cared enough to guide me to the truth.

By relying on God in Zion, I found the comfort and courage my coworker had hoped I would discover. It was not Italy—the place I once imagined as heaven—but Korea, a country I had planned merely to pass through, that became the place where I encountered a true and incomparable heaven. There, I also learned the sure path that leads to it. Though I was a foreigner, the members in Zion welcomed me with warmth, easing the loneliness of life in another country and helping my Korean improve day by day. That I later married the coworker who first shared the gospel with me and found stability after a life marked by hardship is nothing short of the grace of Heavenly Father and Mother.

Although repaying the blessings I had received would require more than all my strength, there were times when I struggled even to keep my own faith. While learning electrical work at construction sites, meeting deadlines often meant working on weekends, making it seem impossible to keep God’s regulations fully. I worried that my requests for understanding would not be accepted and feared that refusing work might threaten my livelihood. Yet when it came to God, compromise was never an option.

After much prayer and reflection, I chose to trust God. I began completing my work in advance by staying late on weekday evenings. Each night, I returned home exhausted, but my heart was filled with gratitude and peace because I was able to keep the Sabbath. Over time, my supervisors came to trust my efficiency and reliability, and my schedule was adjusted so that I could observe God’s regulations without concern. Around that same period, my family back home also experienced noticeable improvement in their circumstances, easing a long-standing burden on my heart. Just as God’s word teaches—that obedience brings blessings—I received grace far beyond what my efforts could ever deserve.

By that point, I believed I was doing well enough—providing for my family and faithfully keeping God’s regulations. Yet that confidence was completely shattered about two years ago at a Zion event. I had attended gatherings at the Okcheon Go&Come Training Institute many times before, but that day felt different. As I watched Mother—unceasingly searching for Her lost children while tenderly caring for those already in Her arms, never resting and never free from tears—She appeared deeply worn. In that moment, I finally saw the pain our Mother bears—though She has no sin—because of me, and I could not hold back my tears. I realized how much I had received—blessings, stability, and happiness—yet how little I had done for Mother in return. I often felt sorrow when thinking of my earthly hometown, but I had never once considered how deeply Mother must long for Her heavenly home. From that moment on, a strong sense of responsibility took hold of my heart. I felt compelled to act immediately and to do everything within my power to lighten Mother’s burden.

What I could do—and what I should have done long ago—was to preach the gospel. Until then, I had been content simply letting others know that I had faith, without truly thinking about leading those around me to Zion. To be honest, I had regarded evangelism as someone else’s calling and had kept myself at a distance. Though sharing the words of the Bible felt awkward at first, I began speaking the truth to the people at my workplace, one by one. Some rejected it, but others came to Zion with open hearts. After receiving the blessing of new life, several younger coworkers told me,

“We followed you because we trust you.”

Hearing those words filled me with deep joy. I came to realize that my efforts to practice Mother’s teachings in daily life—long before I ever spoke openly about the truth—had not been in vain. Construction work is demanding and often dangerous, and the atmosphere can be blunt and impatient. Stress and conflict are common. Because of this, I made a conscious effort to become someone warm and considerate, following Mother’s example. To uphold the truth I believed in, I knew I had to live with integrity and never bring shame to God’s glory. I greeted everyone respectfully, put others before myself, and responded with patience rather than anger when mistakes occurred. Over time, people’s attitudes began to change. Those who had once looked down on me as a foreigner began to treat me with respect. Though enduring difficult moments was not easy, those efforts ultimately led many souls to Zion. Once again, I was reminded of God’s promise: When we live according to His word, He opens every situation and allows us to stand out among many.

Just as I was beginning to experience the joy and fulfillment of evangelism, I received exciting news. I was given the opportunity to take part in the construction of Zion in Colombia. At the time, Zion members in the Gwangju region were faithfully supporting the mission work there. Many local members had already been found, and the need for a large temple had become increasingly urgent. I realized then that the skills I had gained through years of labor at construction sites—working through heat and cold, day and night—could also be used for the gospel. I had already been grateful that God allowed me to make a living through those skills, but being able to use them for the construction of Zion felt like a special blessing. There was no reason to hesitate. I boarded the plane without looking back.

After two full days of travel, we arrived in Engativá, Bogotá. With only one month allotted to us, I immediately felt pressed for time. Then something unexpected happened. Due to local circumstances, construction could not begin right away. I had believed everything would move forward smoothly once we arrived, but instead, there was nothing we could do. As the days passed, my impatience grew, and it became difficult to hide my unease. At one point, I even considered returning to Korea if the work could not begin. The other members were surely just as troubled, yet they gently reassured me, saying, “Let’s be patient a little longer.” In that moment, I realized that patience was exactly what I lacked. It was not the situation itself that troubled me most, but my own impatience. God’s plan was already in motion, yet I had been anxious as though everything depended on my own efforts.

After a long period of patience, we finally received the keys to the building that would become the temple—two weeks after our arrival. With only two weeks left to complete work that had originally been planned for an entire month, we devoted ourselves fully to construction, even minimizing our breaks. Simply being able to work for God and for our brothers and sisters filled our hearts with gratitude. United as one, our team completed the work on time. When we saw the finished temple, both we and the local members smiled with deep joy. Through this experience, I learned that God’s gospel work requires not only passion, but also obedience and patience.

I was also deeply moved by the times we preached together with the local members in the evenings after construction, or during spare moments following worship. As we went out, I noticed one thing they all had in common. They preached Heavenly Mother with wholehearted devotion, testifying that Heavenly Mother exists and that She came to this earth to save us. Knowing this to be the most important message anyone could hear, they shared it whenever they found an opportunity, even while busy with their daily work. Their love for God and reverence for His regulations were evident in their lives. Even after riding bicycles or motorcycles through the rain, they arrived at Zion with bright smiles. Witnessing the Colombian members give thanks in every circumstance and faithfully fulfill their mission deeply moved my heart. Following their example, I too boldly preached about Heavenly Mother, despite my limited language ability, and I was blessed with abundant fruit. It was truly a fresh and meaningful experience.

After returning to Korea, something within me changed. What I once shared only with acquaintances, I now share with everyone I meet. In the past, I felt hesitant and afraid to speak about the truth to people I did not know well. Now, that hesitation and fear are gone. The value of this gospel and the depth of God’s love are far too great to keep to myself. I want to share the overflowing love I have received with as many people as possible.

Looking back, I realize that my understanding came slowly compared with the blessings I received. Even keeping God’s regulations often felt difficult, and it took me a long time to truly grasp the value of the gospel. Yet God treasured even my small and imperfect efforts, and in every situation and every moment, He granted me deeper understanding and abundant grace. I offer my deepest thanks to God, who shone the light of life upon my soul—one that was both spiritually and physically no different from death—and who waited patiently for me to be born again. Determined to repay that love, I resolve to share it and put it into practice with all my strength. So that this resolve may never fade, I will continually reflect on the words and realizations that Heavenly Father and Mother have granted me thus far, striving to become a son fully devoted to the gospel.