JAC Online

Testimony - My journey to faith in Christ
by Captain Joseph Park

I was born in 1962 in Kwangju city, Korea. My parents had five children and I am the youngest of them. My family were not Christians. My father passed away in 1978 due to leakage of briquette (coal) gas during his sleep. After that time, my mother had to make a living.

I first went to a Catholic church in my first year of high school. At the time, I was very sick, so my neighbour took me to the Catholic church. However, I did not meet the Lord personally at the Catholic church.

After completing high school, I went to Cheonnam National University in Kwangju and then received the Master of Science in Engineering Degree at Seoul National University. After that, I entered the military service for about two years. I gradually started to enjoy “free life” in the world. Yet, this life could never give true satisfaction to me. As a ship without a sail would be drifting, so I was left wandering without the purpose of my life.

While looking for a job, I felt anxiety about my future, so I could do nothing. I eventually knelt before God and confessed my sins. On weeping and repenting, I felt a peace that I had not experienced ever before. I then joined a Christianity organization for laypeople, “Christ Love Fellowship” with the help of my friend who have prayed for me. There I learnt the living words of God through the Bible study, so I accepted Jesus as my Saviour.

Then I was determined to live for Jesus Christ alone as Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” The Fellowship organization served at a school for blind, deaf, and paralysed people. Through the service, I had a good experience and I was sure that God had called me to serve the marginalized people.

About six months after I had repented in 1991, I started to serve as a full time minister in the Fellowship. In particular, I undertook rehabilitation of the disabled and disciple-making ministry of university students. In November, 1992, I made a home of faith with my wife, Grace, who I met in the Fellowship.
Before we got married, we offered our heart to God that we would care for (feed) spiritual children rather than physical children.

One year later, the Fellowship organization started to prepare for Muslim mission. I also felt the strong calling of God and got ready for the mission.
In August, 1995, my wife and I were sent to Indonesia as full time missionaries. When studying in Indonesian at Indonesia National University, we kept a good relationship with university students. We were able to begin a mission in an urban slum area with the aid of the students. Our colleagues and we taught youth group in the slum area and also provided them with food. Through the close relationship with university students, we were able to lead the Bible study. While living with them, we undertook disciple-making ministry.

Like this, it seemed to take five years to understand their emotion, culture and language. As God disciplined the Israelites in the wilderness in order to obey his will after escaping from Egypt, so God trained me so as to obey his will. About two years before I came back to Korea, God allowed me and my wife to experience a new spiritual world. I then realized why I as a missionary was not able to feed God’s sheep in accordance with his own heart. God wanted me to focus on his alone and live God-oriented life.

When praying fervently one day, God gave me direction toward pastoral ministry at a local church. After that, I just kept a new calling of God in mind and prayed for it until he would open the concrete way. My wife and I eventually left the mission land and came back to Korea in December, 2003.

After my wife and I returned to Korea, we continued to pray for the new pastoral ministry. We also were finding the denomination in which a couple could together have pastoral ministry. God used the Salvation Army (SA afterwards) at which my father-in-law had served. I have thought the SA to be a charity organization.

One day, my brother-in-law invited us to attend cadets’ mission campaign held at a SA church. I was greatly impressed by their programs. Therefore, I was assured of God’s leading me to the SA. After my wife and I experienced pastoral ministry as envoys at a SA church for about one year, we entered Salvation Army Officer Training College (SATC afterwards) in Korea in February, 2006. I spent the very useful time during third session at SATC. Through Training in community as well as theology studies, I was able to form theological knowledges and experience various field practices.

Furthermore, God gave me and my wife a good opportunity to finish final session at SATC in Melbourne. We arrived in Melbourne in the 27th June. I was concerned how I communicate in English with the other people. Although I was capable of doing the written English, I thought I would have a great difficulty in talking and hearing in English. According to my experience, when I had been in Indonesia, I had studied in Indonesian for one and a half year through the regular language course. In addition, it seemed to take five years to understand their culture and emotion including the language.

As soon as the classes began at the SATC of Melbourne, I felt very tired because I just concentrated on having classes. After that time, I started to meditate the salvation of the Lord as the Matthew 24:13 says. “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” I particularly experienced difficulty in making assignments. I first felt I could not do anything. I found I was in the hopelessness. However, I began to look upon the Lord of the salvation. Thus, I could overcome these issues due to the wisdom that God gave to me. As I had difficulty in my life, I fervently closed to my God. Every time the God caused me to experience the new world of salvation. Through these processes, I realized how valuable the salvation was and kept the God in mind. Moreover, when I went walking around the park with my wife every evening, we talked about God’s leading of us till now. Therefore, I was able to give thanks to the God and get the strength again.

After staying at the SATC of Melbourne, my wife and I have had intercession prayers. We thought we should take responsibility as watchmen of this land. For this reason, we prayed loudly every night for Australia southern territory, SATC, and so on. As praying, I asked God that this land would be filled with his blessing.

Now I am preparing for commissioning and ordination. I am also waiting a new leading of God. I believe that God will make a new way for us. I would like to sing praise to the faithful God. I give thanks for his amazing grace.

Finally, I want to offer my God a confession of my heart as following lyrics: “Without him, I could do nothing. Without him, I’d surely fail. Without him, I would be drifting like a ship without a sail. Jesus, Oh Jesus. Do you know him today? You can’t turn him away. Oh, Jesus. Without him, how lost I would be!”
 

 

 

 

   

 

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