ⓒ 2006 WATV

I was very eager to go overseas to preach the gospel. My heart leaped up when-ever I heard the word “overseas preaching.” Without knowing when I would be able to go abroad to preach, I earnestly asked God to send me, like Isaiah who said, “Here am I. Send me!” God answered my prayer, and now I am preaching God’s love here in Mandaluyong City in the Philippines.

I came to Mandaluyong a year ago. When I first heard the name of this city, I did not know where it was, and when I found out that it is a city in the Philippines, I thought it would be a small town. However, Mandaluyong is located at the center of the capital of the Philippines. The capital of the Philippines is Metro Manila which is a city composed of four cities and 13 municipalities. Among them, Mandaluyong is a dense residential district with many people who have come from rural areas to find a job.

Many people here live a hard life because of their work, and they miss their hometown. When they hear about the spiritual world, they are very delighted at the news. I give thanks to Father and Mother for allowing me to preach this good news in the Philippines, a vast land for preaching.


As If We Write Anew on a Clean Sheet of Paper

ⓒ 2006 WATV

When I arrived here, nothing was easy. I thought all I had to do would be to find our brothers and sisters, but sacrifices and patience were required until I was accustomed to a new environment. I was always healthy in Korea, but I often got sick here and faced many difficulties because of the different culture, habits and the language barrier.

I wondered how I would be able to overcome all the difficulties I was facing here. But I believed that God sent me here because I would overcome all these, and I earnestly prayed to God, making efforts to overcome the unfavorable conditions both physically and spiritually.

I decided to get rid of all my old habits and fixed ideas, and started all over again. I couldn’t preach with the same attitude that I had in Korea. Like Paul who became like a Jew to the Jews and became weak to the weak, I needed to preach in a different way in the Philippines. It was as if I erased every-thing written on a piece of paper and started writing anew on a clean sheet. I learned new things and overcame the differences between the Philippines and Korea.

I also remembered what Mother told me before I came here:
“New brothers and sisters will grow to be gospel workers when you give them much love.”

Mother told me to give much love. Many things change according to the situation, but love does not change. Believing that I would find many Filipino gospel workers if I preach Mother’s love, I was determined to preach Mother’s love through sacrifice. After I made up my mind, I concentrated on studying the language.

A month later, I was able to preach in English though it was not good. It is said that it takes people more than a year to learn a foreign language, but I was able to learn it very quickly. I believed it was because God wanted me to preach the gospel as soon as possible.
Filipinos like Koreans a lot. Two to three Korean dramas are televised a day. Along with the Filipinos’ favorable impression of Korean stars and singers, Korea and Korean people are very popular in the Philippines. I believe this is also the will of God to preach the gospel of the new covenant in the Philippines, which started in Korea. In this land prepared for harvesting fruit, I was able to meet many brothers and sisters who had been missing the truth and the love of God.


Souls Are Gathering in Zion for the Truth
The Philippines is a nation of Catholics, but there are a lot of sects and people do not know much about the Bible. In the English Bible there are many difficult words to understand, and most Filipinos do not speak English even though English is their official language. However, we are not able to use the Tagalog Bible either because there are too many difficult words in the Tagalog Bible. I heard that it was once announced by the Catholic Church, “Do not bring the Bible to church.”

ⓒ 2006 WATV

For such reason, most people here lack a knowledge of God’s word. And it is not easy for them to convert their religion. They would not accept the truth because they are afraid of losing their friends and everything they have gained in their Catholic life. Actually, many give up the truth if someone persecutes them.

However, the souls who have been long-ing for the truth come back to God. Let me tell you about a sister. When she was a student, the Catholic Church announced that women didn’t have to cover their heads dur-ing mass any longer, and she didn’t under-stand why. From that time on, she stopped attending the Catholic Church and began to look for the true church which follows the Bible. She said that she finally understood what joy means after she found the Church of God. Whenever she preaches the savior of this age to other brothers and sisters, she confidently testifies about Christ who came from the east. Her confident faith astonishes us.

A middle-aged sister became God’s child as soon as she heard the words of God. When she learned the new covenant, she was very excited and said, “I’m very happy to know what I’ve wanted to know.” She also volunteered to teach the brothers and sisters in Tagalog. Even though many Filipinos speak English, it’s impossible to have a conversation with everybody in English, so we needed someone who was capable of translating the truth in Tagalog. We were very happy when she volunteered to teach the truth in Tagalog. While learning the truth from us, she asked us how and what to teach to the new comers. We were very touched to see her sharing the truth with new brothers and sisters in Tagalog.

Those who have received the truth with delight always bear fruit. There is no one who hasn’t borne fruit. Our brothers and sisters study very hard to get stronger faith and better understanding. They are making every effort to put on the full armor of God.


Humility and Unity Produce Good Fruits
In April, many Korean brothers and sisters came here to preach the gospel. Because of their fervor for the gospel, they became easily accustomed to the new environment in the Philippines and bore a lot of fruits as soon as they arrived here. After the Day of the Pentecost, they led over 100 souls in three months from June to August. In Janu-ary, the church was built a month after we began to preach, and in September we had to move to a bigger temple as the number of the brothers and sisters increased. There were only 10 members including Korean brothers and sisters at the beginning, but now there are more than 100 Filipino broth-ers and sisters.

I thought we would be able to move to a bigger temple next year. I never imagined that so many brothers and sisters would be found in such a short time. We don’t need the ability to speak languages to lead souls to God. When we are approved by God, we are given many good fruits.

ⓒ 2006 WATV

God said that we can bear fruit when we are united. The words of God are effective the same whether in Korea or in other countries. When we united with each other with a kind and humble mind rather than insisted on our own opinions and ways of preaching, God gave us abundant fruits.

It is not easy for Korean brothers and sisters, who are from many different regions, to preach the gospel with one mind in one place. However, when we unite with a humble heart and are determined to find gospel workers, God gives us great results.

The Mandaluyong Zion is being filled with pure souls who love God’s words. It’s not easy for Filipinos to change their religions, but many souls are coming back to God.

I feel very touched to see the Filipino brothers and sisters trying to receive bless-ings from God. Many people here do not go to church even though they say that they believe in God. So they do not know how to serve others and receive spiritual blessings. However, our brothers and sisters are dif-ferent. No one taught them what they should do to be blessed by God, but they all began to work for the church voluntarily.

When we expanded the temple, they put all their efforts into cleaning Zion and decorated it beautifully. When I saw them helping one another, I felt that they are truly our heavenly brothers and sisters, and that we would bear fruits through our unity and humble mind.

They are still helping each other and shar-ing food joyfully. This brings overflowing joy to Zion.


We Are Happy to Have Met Our True Mother, the Free Woman
Our brothers and sisters are most amazed by the truth of our heavenly Father and Mother. In the beginning, I was a little worried when the brothers and sisters saw Mother through the videos. However, even the members who had learned about Moth-er only once were moved to tears when they saw Mother through the videos. When we teach the truth of our heavenly Mother through the Bible to the new comers who ask us about the secret of the heavenly Mother the new Jerusalem, they are deeply touched and long for Mother. They feel Mother’s love through the videos and be-come very eager to meet Mother.

ⓒ 2006 WATV

Usually, brothers and sisters accept the truths as knowledge at first, and then they begin to understand the truths one by one through practicing them. But the secret of the new Jerusalem is an exception. They receive the truth of Mother, being deeply touched, as soon as they hear of it.

Filipinos have said to a statue, “Mother,” from their birth. So, they are amazed and overwhelmed when they learn that the Bible testifies about our Mother, the reality of the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven. After they understand the truth of our heavenly Mother, they come to realize even what they’ve not been able to under-stand.

Many people in the Philippines do not have the Bible because it is very expensive, and although they have one, they are unable to read it because it is translated into difficult words to understand. Most people live a tiring and hard life, whose bodies and souls are bound in the yoke of sin and death. So, when we preach to the weary souls about the secret of the soul hidden in the Bible and the fact that our home is the eternal kingdom of heaven, they are very delighted. It’s because they’ve been longing for their spiritual home unknowingly, though living busy and tiring lives every day. After they learn the reason why they were destined to suffer and die, and realize the fact that they were the heavenly angels before they came to earth, they become bright with the hope for heaven. They feel truly blessed to know that they are the children of our heavenly Mother, the free woman, not of the slave.

Although they are busy working every-day, they do their best to preach the words of life to the people around them. The love towards God and the fervor for the gospel that I felt from Korean brothers and sisters, I now feel here from the Filipino brothers and sisters. Though we are different in appear-ance, our way of thinking and behaving in faith is amazingly the same. I truly believe it’s because we are the children of God.

There is a big and thriving city called Makati near here. We have to cross a river to get there. I’m happy when I cross the river by ship to preach to the people in Makati, because it is a unique way which can be experienced only through overseas mission. God allows us to bear fruit in Makati as well. There are still many places around to preach the gospel. I want to cross the river and even climb the mountains to preach the gospel throughout the Philippines.

We heard the news that the Korean broth-ers and sisters are fervently preaching, being filled with the Holy Spirit of latter rain which God poured out on us through the Feast of Tabernacles. The members in the Mandaluyong Zion will also arise like a fire, keeping pace with the prophecies and shine the glory of the new Jerusalem here in the Philippines. We will keep spreading the fragrance of Zion to the whole world.