The Netherlands, the land of tulips and windmills, is well-known for having expanded its territory by filling wetlands and lakes with earth and building levees. The Netherlands literally means “low countries.” There are many low-lying lands there, so the Netherlands reclaimed land from the sea to prevent chloridation of farmlands by sea water. The newly reclaimed territory of the country is one sixth of the total area. So the Dutch people are very proud of themselves, saying, “God created the world but the Dutch created the Netherlands.”
After we were sent to the Netherlands as prophets, we diligently preached the gospel together with the local members orshort/long-term mission members, to seek the souls who were waiting for the truth and salvation. Unfortunately, it was difficult to find people interested in the Bible with sincere faith in God. Despite disinterest and poor treatment from the people, we did not give up, but continued to preach the gospel with one mind; then eventually we could meet souls more beautiful than jewels and flowers. One of them is Brother Benjamin.
The brother studied in depth about the truth in Zion after hearing the message about God the Mother. The next day, he received a new life and became a child of God. The brother said he had been curious about whom the word “us” referred to in Genesis 1:26,“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness . . .’ ”From the brother’s perspective, God was more than one. He couldn’t understand why Christians would insist that there is only one God. After witnessing frequent discords and disputes among church members, he became even skeptical about them, and in the meantime, he met us, the members of Zion.
The brother’s faith daily grew as he accepted God’s word just as sponge absorbs water until the COVID-19 spread. As it became difficult to gather together in Zion, we were worried whether the brother would be able to keep worship services graciously at home.
However, our worries were unfounded. The brother graciously kept the Passover at home, and the Sabbath worship services as well. After each worship service was over, he sent realizations he got from the sermon through text messages to us, and shared ragrances of Zion. After the restriction on gathering got lifted, he diligently studies the Bible again. It must not be easy for him to visit Zion because it takes about one hour from his home to Zion on public transport, but whenever he comes to Zion, he cannot hide his joy and gratitude for being in Zion. Before he returns ome, he always greets us in Korean in a very humble manner. When he tried to preach the gospel to his family, he first asks those who came into faith earlier than him for wisdom, and says, “I’m really worried if I can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, because I’m so arrogant.” Then, at that moment, I get reminded of God’s word, “I will save the downcast” (Job 22:29).
In Dutch language, “Ne’derig” means “low,” and also means humble.” My heart races just by imagining how many souls must be waiting for the truth of God humbly like Brother Benjamin in the Netherlands, a low-lying country. Even though we live in a difficult time, we should exert ourselves even more to planting hopes and courage in the people around us. We will surely do our best with one mind to fulfill the mission God entrusted to us. All the embers of Zion around the world, including Amsterdam in the Netherlands, animo!