Before I Knew Love

“God, please have mercy on me and lead me to the truth.”

This was the prayer I offered every night with my hands clasped. Although I had belonged to the Catholic Church for many years, I never felt that I was truly following God or walking in the truth.

I longed for an answer to my prayer, but I never expected to find it on an ordinary street. Everything changed the day I happened to meet a member of the Church of God who invited me to listen to the Bible. When I first entered the Church of God in Budapest—a church I had never even realized existed—I discovered the unmistakable truth revealed in the Bible: God Elohim, whom the Scriptures testify about; the Passover, through which we become God’s children; and the seventh-day Sabbath. My heart overflowed with joy as I became convinced that I had finally found the truth. Realizing that God had come to this earth again to reveal these truths and bring me salvation filled me with indescribable happiness.

What greater love could there be than laying down one’s own life to save those who are dying? Having received that immeasurable love from God, I found the brothers and sisters in Zion overflowing with the same love. They constantly cared for me and showed me such kindness. Even something as simple as sharing joyful meals together at church left a deep impression on me, because I had never experienced anything like it before. It truly felt as though we were one family, deeply connected to one another. After receiving the blessing of becoming God’s child through baptism, I clasped my hands in prayer once more, thanking God from the bottom of my heart for hearing my humble prayer and leading me to Zion.

I wanted to share this happiness with someone dear to me. I contacted my closest friend and invited her to Zion. I told her everything—the truths I had learned from the Bible, the God I had come to know, and the joy I had found. I could hardly believe how much I had changed. I had always kept others at a distance and rarely opened up to anyone. Thankfully, it was not long before my friend also became part of our Zion family. My joy and happiness doubled.

Before the joy and emotion of those days had faded, I was given the opportunity to visit Korea. Until then, I had known Korea only as a distant country somewhere in Asia, far from Hungary. Although I had never traveled beyond Europe, I longed to visit the country where Father restored the truth and where Mother dwells.

I left Budapest and traveled through Copenhagen, Denmark, arriving in Seoul, the capital of Korea, after a twenty-hour journey. There, I met the Mother of my soul, spent time with brothers and sisters from Korea and many other countries, visited Zions in different regions with them, and heard my favorite New Song, “Worship True God With Joyful Hearts,” sung during worship. If I were to sum up all those moments in a single word, it would be love. I had never imagined such warm love, nor had I ever known how to love others. I was simply filled with happiness. I gave thanks to our Heavenly Parents, who came to this earth to save me, and to the Korean members who had traveled all the way to distant Hungary to share God’s love and truth with me.

It still amazes me that all of this happened in just a few short months. Now I want to share with many others everything I have received in Zion. The love I received from Father and Mother has awakened in me a heart for other souls. The members I met in Korea also gave me confidence and courage. Because of all that I have received, I believe I can faithfully carry out this work. My heart is already filled with excitement as I think about the blessings and grace that await me on the path ahead.