This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel "Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing. Seek the LORD and live. (Amos 5:4-5)

Part1. I was dying in my sin

In 2007, by the grace of God I met Jesus personally through God¡¯s word in Jeremiah 2:13 " My people have committed two sins; They have forsaken, me, the Spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

In February 2008, God answered my prayer and I was admitted to the University of Gun-Kook. Soon after I forgot his grace and abandoned God by living a pleasure seeking sinful life. After one and a half years of wandering, my life felt empty and meaningless. However, my heart was not ready to repent and instead of repenting I decided to focus on studying for the CPA exam to provide future security. This plan did not work because I couldn't escape from my sinful way of life or the bad company that I kept. My soul was withering like a plant and I was dying in my sin but at the same time I was crying out to God for help in my inner being. Finally I remembered God's plentiful grace and my mother's tearful prayers for me. Finally, through one to one bible study with Joshua Suh and the bible conference, I repented of my ugly sins and committed my life to God. God forgave me and accepted me just as I am.

Part 2. God¡¯s great mercy and God¡¯s leading through the Holy Spirit.

In the midst of my new commitment to God, I was determined to take the CPA study class again starting in March 2010. Then, unexpectedly, Sh. Spurgeon urged me to go on a short term mission trip to Nigeria.

This did not appeal to me because I had wanted to finish the CPA study class for a long time. If I went to Nigeria, I had to give up my plans and the money I paid for the five month CPA study class. Furthermore, after five month study class I needed to take classes for seven more months just to finish the study. When I looked at my situation, I saw that I was 28 years old and I urgently needed a job so that I could get married. I could not delay the CPA study class any longer. Due to this I couldn't obey the direction of God's servant.

Then after much prayer, I decided to trust my future to God by going to Nigeria as a short term missionary. When I boarded the airplane I poured out many tears because of God's one sided grace for calling me to be a short term missionary even though I was a wretched sinner.

My first impression was that Nigeria is a humid, dirty and chaotic place but I thanked God for sending me there as a short term missionary. I also thanked God for unexpectedly providing filtered water, a fan, water service and wide rooms. Most of all I thanked God for Msn. Andrew and Rebecca Yoon and for their lovely children who loved me by serving me.

Though I didn't have many skills to help Msn. Andrew Yoon's family I gave my heart to help them in small ways. I thought God was pleased through my small acts and I realized what a meaningful mission trip this was for me. I helped by packing the ppungtuki snack, peeling onions, teaching the children learn how to ride a bicycle, weeding the flower garden, helping with accounting, grocery shopping, dish washing and having conversations with the children in Korean among other things. Even though I helped in small ways I was happy just to be co-working with the Yoon family. Most of all I desired to feed one sheep by sharing the gospel message. So I went to the dormitory at the campus to invite students to group bible study every week.

At first, many students responded to my invitation but they never actually showed up. Then when I persisted and didn't give up, God greatly blessed my invitations by sending 30 students. Among the students, Joshua and Prince have been faithful to GBS as well as one to one Bible study. Keny who is a worker at the Ppungtuki factory, which Msn. Andrew Yoon owns, accepted my invitation to the bible conference. At first he was unsure if he could come but surprisingly he showed up to the conference place with four of his friends. During the Bible conference I served them as a friend and good shepherd by having good fellowship and helping them with their testimony writing. After the conference Keny's heart was opened and he began one to one Bible study with me. He humbly confessed his past sinful life before God. He also wanted get counseling about his girlfriend, his inferiority complex, his future life direction.

He had a great desire for the word of God so he came to one to one Bible study twice a week. He had been preparing for a college entrance exam and the day before the exam I went to visit his home and encouraged him through Philippians 4:13 " I can do everything through him who gives me strength." God heard our prayers for his exam and he passed it with a good grade and he was accepted by the best school in Nigeria, UNILAG. The time passed quickly and the time for to return to Korea was near. I planned to apply myself fully to my CPA study. The suddenly, Msn. Andrew Yoon urged me to stay for one more month. In my prayer I struggled to know what God wanted me to do. I realized that in my mind I love my life more than God himself. I wanted to finish my CPA study as soon as possible and become a great success for my own glory so that I could enjoy a rich life in the world. But God wanted me to commit my life to God and to love God more than anything else in the whole world. I repented of my sin and prayed, "God, help me to love you with all my heart." After this, I decided to be an excellent Bible teacher and to finish whole Bible reading within one month.

In order to finish the Bible reading within one month I had to overcome daytime sleepiness, my desire to play with kids and many dinner invitations. But by the help of the Holy Spirit I finished the entire bible on the last day, before I returned to Korea. Through this Bible reading I realized that God is the almighty and sovereign God. God was listening to my prayer and I could deeply accept his unconditional and everlasting love for sinners like me, through the precious blood of Jesus. God came to me and filled my heart with his everlasting love through Proverbs 8:17 "I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." Because of his great love I poured out many tears during the bible reading.

God greatly blessed my one to one bible study ministry with six bible studies a week. Among the six were three brothers who attended the Sunday worship service weekly, including Jacob and Jeremiah. Because of these bible studies my ability to speak and understand English was enhanced tremendously. My time staying at the Yabatech center in Nigeria felt very precious. I had wonderful and loving fellowship with the ministry and God gave me a time of learning, spiritually and physically. I saw the grace of Jesus through the sacrificial lives of Msn. Andrew and Rebecca Yoon. I thank God for their lives of faith and their parent-like love for me and for their Bible students. I praise and thank God for granting me such a great opportunity, I was privileged to stay at the Yabatech center for three months.

Through this short term mission training I met my Lord Jesus personally. Even more, God healed my heart that was wounded eight years ago by my parents divorce. I have been praying for my parents to be reconciled for many years holding on to Acts 16:31 "They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household." God has shown me that the word of God is true. Just one week before I returned to Korea my parents were dramatically reunited in Jesus.

I praise God for who came to me when I was wandering in my sin through Amos 5:4-5 "This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel "Seek me and live; do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing. Seek the LORD and live."

I pray that I may not seek a worldly sinful life again but instead come near to God through reading God¡¯s word like daily bread and by living for the glory of God.