Deaconess Mugunghwa Kim
(1-4 Parish, 2-5 Women's Mission)

It was March of 1991, when I worked as a middle school teacher. I had been very busy and tired because it was the beginning of the new semester. On one particular day, I had laid my baby down by my side and was feeding him with his bottle. Before I knew it, I was nodding off to sleep. When I woke up, my baby had turned black, and he was twisting his entire body. What in the world was happening?! This was 100 days after the birth of my first son, Myungsung (20, of 1st grade autistic mental retardation).
Since that time on, everything in my life changed. Myungsung had to be hospitalized for over six months in a year. He almost lived in the emergency room, growing ever older, year by year. I remember wishfully thinking every December, "If only this year would just disappear from my memory…" with my eyes full of tears.
One day in 1997, when I lived in Muan Gun, Jeonnam Province, on our way back from the hospital, near the entrance to our apartment, I spotted a dropped leaflet with information about a Revival Meeting of Manmin Central Church. I came to know that the Muan Manmin Church was in Haeje Myeon. I immediately strapped my son into our car and visited the church, and this is when I began a life of faith.
I could listen to Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee's messages and receive his prayers through satellite TV at Muan Manmin Church, which is a branch church of Manmin Central Church. As I heard the messages and received his prayer, I felt truly alive. I previously thought my son's life was wretched, but this thought disappeared as I came to know about heaven and New Jerusalem, which is the best place in heaven. I became so happy when I thought of my son who will become beautiful and smart in heaven.
On Friday, my son and I went to Seoul and received Senior Pastor's prayer. Having no perception, my son was all over the place, was often exposed to dangerous situations. But little by little, he began to change.
When I moved to Seoul and started attending Manmin Central Church in 2004, instead of receiving hospital treatment, I had my son meet the Senior Pastor. I always had to be careful, because he had convulsions even with the slightest fever. I often took him to the Senior Pastor. While standing in line to receive the Senior Pastor's prayer, I could feel the fever leaving from Myungsung's hand. Even though he couldn't sleep for several days at a time, he was able to sleep after receiving the handkerchief prayer (Acts 19:11-12), or the Senior Pastor's prayer. Now, it's been a while since he had a fever or couldn't sleep. I'd like to confess that all of this is by the grace of God and the blessing of meeting the true shepherd.

The short-necked clam that Myungsung swallowed on last November 10, stuck in his neck

One day in November of 2005, I left home after making sure Myungsung was asleep. But when I came back, Myungsung's mouth was covered with blood, and he was trembling in great pain. When I opened his mouth I saw that his two front teeth were almost pulled out. The hospital recommended that he wear a brace and receive treatment until his teeth were firmly fixed in place. But on our way back home, he lost the brace and couldn't find it. I couldn't help but shed tears when I thought that my autistic son might lose his teeth, too. The only treatment was for him to wear the brace, but I knew well that this was impossible for my son.
So I went to the Senior Pastor and received his prayer with my son. Myungsung recovered, and his teeth were fixed without ever going to back to the hospital again.
On October 10, 2009, on the the eve of the church anniversary, Myungsung swallowed a short-necked clam while eating seafood noodle. When he had an X-ray taken at the emergency room of The Korea University Guro Hospital, we saw the clamshell spread wide open at the bottom of his neck. The hospital said that he should receive surgery. I received the Senior Pastor's prayer for the sick with my son through ARS (Automatic Response System) via cell phone and had him drink Muan Sweet Water. Suddenly, he coughed out the short-necked clam. The doctors and nurses in the emergency room said surprisingly, "This is unbelievable!" because it was impossible for such a thing to happen. My husband was also amazed and rejoiced. I give glory to God and give thanks to the Senior Pastor who always prays for us by harboring us in his heart.
Previously I was always nervous and uncomfortable thinking of my son, but now I am peaceful and happy with hope for heaven because the Lord always protects him.