Deacon Soo Kim
(The 6th Parish, the Criminal Investigation Department of Geumcheon Police Station)



I am Sergeant Soo Kim. I work in the Criminal Investigation Department of Geumcheon Police Station. I want to tell you about the happy changes that came upon our family since I met God.
My wife was a Catholic and was baptized when she was 2 years old. She didn't go to Catholic church regularly from the time of her high school graduation but she kept St. Mary's statue and the cross in her room. When I began to go to church, she said, "I am not opposed to your going to church but don't tell me to go there with you." When I came back home from the church saturated with the first love of the Lord, I listened to the sermons on the Internet and read Dr. Jaerock Lee's books. Being uncomfortable about this, she often said, "Will you listen to them alone!" or "Please, turn down the volume!" Whenever she said that, I just answered, "Okay, I am sorry."
Because I had a quick and hot temper, I often had quarrels with my wife. And I spoke in a way that sounded like I was commanding or instructing others and easily lost my temper. However, I deeply realized how wrong I was as I heard the word of life. I began to change into a gentle person. With respect to my wife, I changed the way I spoke like, "What do you think?" or "How about this way?"
As I was changed, my wife began to open the door of her heart. Even though she didn't go to church with me, she attended Sunday worship services on the internet at home. How thankful I was! My wife was becoming a Manmin member listening to Senior Pastor's sermons and watching the powerful works of God.
However, we had one concern that nobody knew. It had been a long time since we were married and we were still childless. At first I wasn't so concerned thinking, 'We could have a baby anytime.' But as my brother had a baby after marriage and when it had been over 10 years since our marriage, I became nervous. My wife didn't have any problem in her body at the medical examination. By the help of modern medicine, we tried to conceive when there was a high possibility. But, it didn't work.
But, I heard many cases of healing by the power of God every week since I was led to this church and registered on August 29, 2007. I also heard a testimony that one of our members who had been childless for 22 years but gave birth to a son after receiving the prayer. Particularly, I heard the happy news from Deacon Busam Kim who is a reporter in The Sisa News and a member of our district. Deacon Kim's wife also received the blessing of conception through Senior Pastor's prayer after she couldn't get pregnant for years after their marriage. I used to sit on the same row with this couple during the worship services. Seeing his wife's belly getting bigger with a child, I came to have hope.
When it had been about 4 months since I attended the church, I learned the importance of paying the whole tithe from the Parish Leader Pastor Mikyung Hwang. From that point on, I paid the whole tithe and tried to live by the word so I had faith that we could receive the blessing of conception by Senior Pastor's prayer.
Soon after we received the Senior Pastor's prayer for the blessing of conception on January 25, 2008, we were blessed to conceive a baby. At last, on January 24, 2009, when it had been 12 years since our marriage, our pretty daughter So-eun was born. In August of the year, my joy and happiness doubled as my wife started attending the church with me.
There is a person to whom I am very thankful. He is Elder Joong-ik Chun, who guided me to this church and lead a happy life in the Lord. In early March 2007, when I was assigned to the Control Center of Geumcheon Police Station, he was working as the Head of the Center.
Though I hadn't worked with him except having worked with him in the neighborhood patrol only once a few years ago, I felt comfortable whenever I saw him. And he tried to lead people to the church whenever he could. He once told me, "When you look around, there is many an evidence of creation. For an easy example, consider the tremendous number of people on the earth. Regardless of race, everyone has two eyes, two ears, one nose with two nostrils, and one mouth. Even though each animal has slight differences according to its species, it has the same facial structures as well."
As time passed, my heart was moved, and I finally thought I surely had to accept the Lord. One day Elder Chun handed me over Senior Pastor's testimonial memoirs Tasting Eternal Life before Death. It was so interesting that I finished reading it quickly and read The Message of the Cross, Heaven, Hell, and The Measure of Faith as well. The more I read these books, the more I came to have faith so eventually I registered in the church. I'd like to express my sincere thanks to Elder Joong-ik Chun through this testimony. For the Lord's love and grace was so great, I decided to guide my parents and Brother Myungsup Chang, one of my colleagues, to the church. A year after I started praying, Brother Myungsup Chang registered the church on March 22, 2009.
Brother Chang belongs to the Moonsung Region of the Geumcheon Police Station. He is leading a diligent Christian life, and even though his work as a policeman is very demanding, he attends worship services to live by the word of God. In October of last year, Brother Chang rushed into the flames and rescued Mrs. Lee who was 90 years old at that time. This was reported on KBS News and he received the citation from the Korean National Police Agency (see the related article on Manmin News Issue No. 157).
My Parents' registering as members brought me great joy and happiness. My Father was a stubborn-hearted person. When I told him about the gospel, he strongly refused saying 'I would rather go to hell than to go to church.' After I was certain of the existence of Heaven and Hell, I always thought about my parents. I prayed that God would move my father's heart. He was lukewarm at first, but as good things happened—he had a granddaughter after we received blessing of conceptions in the 12th year of our marriage—I felt the door to his heart opened.
One day, his heart was burdened by inheritance issues. Even as the eldest son, I empted my heart and pleaded with him saying, "Father, I don't mind whether I receive the inheritance or not. It's your decision. But I want you to go to church with me because I love you." Surprisingly, he answered, "Okay, I'll go to church." Eventually, in April 2009, he began to attend the church, and my mother who was attending a different church also registered in May. I give all the thanks and glory to God and I also want to thank Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee for leading me with love and prayer.