The Philippines is a country consisting of about 7,000 islands. The major islands are Luzon in the northernmost part, Visayas in the middle, and Mindanao in the southernmost part. Last summer, I went on a short-term mission to Roxas City in Visayas.
In Roxas City where I preached for a short-term mission, there were many Catholics. In a square nearby Zion, there was an old Catholic Church; every Sunday evening, there was a crowd of people attending mass. Due to their strong religious sentiment, people in Roxas City were closed-minded. They insisted that God is only one, and strongly denied God the Mother though seeing definite testimonies of the Bible.
One day, a middle-aged man who studied the truth asked, “How can I receive eternal life?” I let him know the Spirit and the Bride, the Saviors in this age, and recommended him to keep the Passover which contains the blessing of eternal life. Then he acknowledged that the Spirit and the Bride exist and he wanted to keep the Passover, but he said that he would continue to live the way he’d lived. His inconsistency in words and actions deeply frustrated me and reminded me of the similar situation at Jesus’ first coming. Two thousand years ago, one man asked Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus let him know the way to receive eternal life, he couldn’t give up on his possession and in the end foolishly gave up on eternal life. How disappointed Jesus must have felt!
However, there were always heavenly children who listen to the voice of God. While we diligently preached the truth tens and hundreds of times, people came to Zion one by one to receive the truth. No pastoral staff member had been sent to the branch church in Roxas City, so it took time for baptism to be conducted, but the brothers and sisters realized the value of salvation and regarded every situation as thankful and joyful. Brother Joshua adjusted his schedule multiple times for God, and Brother Karl, who rarely expresses himself as an introvert, dressed up neatly on the day of his baptism, saying that it was a special day. They were all very pure in heart.
Actually, people in Roxas City spoke in Tagalog or Visayas rather than in English, so we had much difficulty in talking to them. However, that was not the case for the new brothers and sisters. As we were connected with each other in one Holy Spirit, we didn’t have much difficulty in communicating with one another. We talked not with words but with heart and we could realize how precious each member was.
After finishing my short-term mission, I returned to Korea and now I am constantly thinking about what I can do to receive much blessing from God. There must be a clear reason why many events and gatherings are held for young adults. I believe it’s because young adults like the dew of the dawn are the prophetic tool necessary for accomplishing God’s gospel work.
I truly give thanks to God Elohim for making us the protagonists of the prophecy and granting us the strength and conditions good enough to carry out the Gospel. I will devote my youth and passion to preaching the Gospel in order to repay God for His grace of salvation.