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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