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“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Gen 12:2)

 

Part I: I was in the Darkness of Sin

 

My name is Maria Park. I was born August 22, 1984. Dr. John Jun gave me the name Maria according to Lk 1:38 so that I would grow to be a mother of obedience like Mary. But I was disobedient and known as a trouble-maker. In CBF I was very loud and shameless. When others didn’t obey me, I hit them. I sinned against my sister. I despised her, beating her up brutally and telling her to buy chips for me while I was lying on the floor. I couldn’t control my emotions. With my poisonous tongue, I hurt many co-workers and friends who loved me and prayed for me. The power of sin, my laziness and inferiority complex made me hopeless and useless. For years I suffered under anorexia and suicidal thoughts. Nobody could have hope in me. I thought that my life was just miserable and hopeless.

 

Part II. To his wonderful light

 

I thank God for his mercy and one-sided grace that he accepted the prayers of my parents and many servants of God. In his sovereign will he led me to Germany. Although Msn. Peter knew about my sinful habits he accepted me as I am. He gave me the name Happy Maria so that I would be happy in Jesus. Msn. Peter and all co-workers and second generations endured all my sins and weaknesses and prayed for me with the hope of God. In the mission field God never gave up on me. Through Bible study and honest conversations I could see my sins and my relationship issues and come to Jesus. God forgave all my sins. When I accepted Lk 23:34a, “Father, forgive Maria, for she does not know what she is doing.” I received true joy and peace in my heart. Got restored me as his beautiful child.

 

God blessed me an unworthy sinner with his marvelous grace to be engaged to a man of faith who is the most handsome man of faith in Germany and Europe. God allowed me to follow the footsteps of my parents and ancestors of faith. God gave me his promise according to Gen 12:2 to be a blessing and to build a God-centered and mission-centered house church for Germany and European mission. I thank God for his wonderful hope that he wants to bless our house church and use us as a blessing for the next generation and for the spiritual revival of Germany and Europe.

 

Part III. If you believe, you will see the glory of God!

 

In Germany I wanted to study vocal performance. But nobody could imagine that I could sing because my voice sounded very croaky. For the admission exam I sang before a famous professor in Cologne. She told me that I didn’t have the basics and that even in five years I wouldn’t be able to study vocal performance in Germany. At this time Msn. Peter gave me God’s word from John 11:40, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” He helped me to learn resurrection faith and to get vocal lessons. The teacher told me, “I’ll help you because you are a missionary.” God’s word from John 11:40 worked in me so that I could get up at 4am through the spiritual and practical support of Msn. Peter and our co-workers to study God’s word and to practice singing. I did this for two years through obedience that comes from faith. I prayed to God and took a vow to give my life as an UBF shepherdess and Bible teacher if God would let me enter music school. After taking the admission exam at the Cologne University of Music I was preparing for another admission exam. In the midst of my preparation I received a phone call from a professor in Cologne that she would accept me. Later I realized that she was the professor who had told me that even in five years I wouldn’t be able to study vocal performance in Germany. She was amazed at my progress. God called me out of darkness into his wonderful light to declare his praises. It was his grace alone that raised me as a royal priest for his salvation ministry. Praise God!

 

God was with me during my studies and blessed me to receive a scholarship for three years. At the graduation concert I could experience God’s presence and mercy as he helped me to declare his praises and his mercy in my life to the end. In God’s grace I graduated in 2011 top of my class.

 

God revealed his glory through our next generation through our international senfkorn music fellowship. God accepted our five loaves and two fish and blessed us to declare his praises through orchestra and choir. Msn. Peter took me on many mission journeys and created opportunities for me to sing for the glory of God. God led many music students from the Cologne University of Music to our fellowship so that we could play music together to glorify God’s name.

 

Part IV. Life as a campus shepherdess

 

After graduation my professor tried to convince me to pursue a career as an opera singer. She sent me to many auditions at agencies for opera artists. Through the prayer of Msn. Peter I could remember my vow to God and repent for my wrong life purpose to receive human recognition. I decided not to live as an opera singer but as a campus shepherdess for the music students. God gave me faith and courage to testify to my spiritual identity as a campus shepherdess to my professor and to be used as a witness of God’s grace and almighty power. Since then God worked mightily in me and in several Bible students.

 

Kyeong Ha P. studied the Bible with me for one year. After graduating in Vienna she moved to Bonn. But after one year she went back to Korea. But God’s word made her a source of blessing for her family. Her brother studies the Bible in Kwan Ak UBF and grows as a disciple of Jesus. She testified that she could start a love relationship with Jesus in Bonn.

 

Esther W. was my student. I taught her singing as she was preparing for her admission exam for a teaching position. I encouraged her with Deuteronomy 14:8-9. At the admission exam she could experience the help of the Almighty God. She is a good friend and a prayer servant for Germany and European Mission.

 

Claire B. is 20 years old and from France. I invited her to Bible study and to sing together. For one year she attended worship service and accepted Jesus as her true husband according to John 4:13-14. She was a sorrowful woman like Mary in the Bible. But she became happy in Jesus. I pray for her to be a campus shepherdess for students in France.

 

God is working in Ui Youn H. I have known her for seven years and we studied together in Cologne. Although she is very busy she supports our ministry with her violin and practical co-working.

 

God helped me to pray for Jakob B. and to share God’s word with him. I serve Jakob C. with 1:1 Bible study and he’s growing as a co-worker for world mission. I thank God for the spiritual support and prayer of Msn. Peter for always encouraging me not to look at myself or at the Bible students but to look at Jesus and grow in his image through feeding his sheep.

 

Part V. God demonstrates his own love for Maria

 

During the engagement period I found out that Sh. Samuel was living a double life. I thought that our broken relationship couldn’t be restored. I was full of hatred and anger. I wanted to go my own way. In my spiritual need God was with me and helped to accept Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God gave his one and only son for me and forgave all my sins and gave me a new beginning in Christ Jesus. As I didn’t have any hope Msn. Peter accepted me and endured all my weaknesses and shortcomings. As I didn’t have any hope Msn. Samuel Peter and Msn. Hanna gave their beloved son Samuel for me.

 

God reminded me of his wonderful love for me. I lived without the gospel in my heart like a hypocrite. God allowed me to build my life on God’s wonderful love and to prepare myself for building a God- and mission-centered house church. God’s love gave me the strength to be a witness of his love, to forgive others and to co-work with them for God’s salvation work. I thank God for helping Sh. Samuel to accept Lk 23:34 and John 19:30 and to build his new life on the forgiving grace of Jesus. I could see God’s best leading for my life and our house church and his divine training. I realized that God knows us so well and that he leads us always in his best way.

 

Part VI. You shall be a blessing

 

I thank God for giving Sh. Samuel a decision according to Mt 6:33 to serve God as a full-time shepherd. God promised us, “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” I thank God for Msn. Peter who continually prays for us with the hope of God. Seeing my parents I wanted to build a God- and mission-centered house church, too. God blessed me abundantly to build a blessed house church for Germany and the European mission with a full-time shepherd and to co-work with him for God’s kingdom. I pray that God may use us as an influential full-time shepherd house church for our next generation and for the spiritual revival of Germany and Europe.

 

One word: You will be a blessing!