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By Sewon Kang Choi
I am an only child born into a nonreligious family. My mother became a widow very early in life, so we were very poor. She worked hard to support me and always tried to give me the best. Mother was very sincere and diligent; she became a good model to me.
My mother did not follow any religion, but her sister was a Christian. When my aunt went to church, she invited me to go with her. I liked going to church when I was a small child because they gave out snacks. I went to church every Sunday during all my school years from primary through university. I enjoyed learning to praise God and study His Word. However, I did not believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I thought if I went to the church I would be a good person. I felt that every religion offered salvation, even though they took different ways.
One winter day, when I was 14 years old, I went to a very big Christian Assembly with my church members. I felt a bit strange in such a large gathering. It was a 100-year celebration. While I listened to the pastor’s message, I realized Jesus Christ was the only way to God. God showed me all my sins and I confessed them. I was a sinner! The pastor asked the congregation if they would accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. I responded with the words, “Yes, I will.” He prayed and I and others followed him in prayer. Everybody around me prayed with a loud voice. I found myself praying with a loud voice too. We all invited Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives.
After the prayer I realized that Jesus was my Lord and my best friend. Before that time I longed for a good friend. Outwardly I was a cheerful girl, but inwardly I was ashamed of myself and my family background. I could not say anything about my family because I could not accept myself as I was. I thought no one understood me, and I was thirsty for a true friend.
As the pastor continued his message, God revealed to me who Jesus Christ was—the true friend and Savior, and that He loved me and considered me His lovely child. He also gave me His peace in my spirit.
After I accepted Jesus Christ, I was so glad and delighted, and my life changed. I no longer envied my friends who had good fathers because God became my Father. I thanked God Who had met me and forgiven all my sins and became my Father. After I committed myself to Jesus, I served in the church as a Sunday school teacher and sang in the choir. Through those things I came to know more of God’s love for me.
I was a member of Campus Crusade during my high school and university years. I was trained as Jesus’ disciple and I knew God’s love for the lost. Because of Campus Crusade’s focus on missions, I was able to embrace the spiritual needs of the world in my prayer. When I was a freshman in the university, I went to a Campus Crusade summer camp. God strongly showed me His mind for the lost, and He called me to be a Christian worker in a foreign land.
After I graduated from the university, I worked for five years as a public servant in local government. After I stopped my government job, I became a teacher for two years. It was a very hard time for me, but God was always with me.
In 2000 I had three big events in my life. First, in February, I was married. Jaehyun and I grew up in the same church in our hometown, so we knew each other very well. We never thought we would be married, but God led us to serve Him together.
Second, in July I was involved in a traffic accident. I was crossing the street late one night after work when a taxi hit me. I suffered a concussion and head injury and lost a lot of blood. I was grateful that no bones were broken, though my body was badly bruised. I was hospitalized for the first time in my life. After four weeks in hospital recovering from my injuries, I could better understand those who were suffering.
In April 2000 I was teaching one of my students at her home. The child’s mother was a nurse. She told me that my neck was a little bit strange (a little swollen) and that I should go to the doctor. I was very thin and usually thin people have skinny necks. But I thought mine was normal.
I went to the doctor and he said I had thyroid problems. He examined me and said everything was fine, but he gave me some medicine to take. However, six months later he called to say that he needed to operate. He didn’t tell me why surgery was necessary. But an assistant doctor told me I had cancer. After the surgery I went through a treatment program. I did not have chemo; I took a radioactive medicine. It took nearly three years for my treatment. However, during that time I attended seminary. I went for examinations every three months and took my medication. The doctor tells me that no one can say a person is perfectly healed from cancer, but he says I am okay.
Before the bout with cancer, I thought I could understand people who were sick. But as I went through the treatment, I felt the experience was a kind of a cross, because I was dealing with life and death. My pastor prayed that through my treatment I would experience the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before that time death for me seemed far away. But during the surgery and treatment I wasn’t sure whether I would live or die. It was a hard time, but personally it was a good experience. After that trial, I confessed to God that He is all that matters and that our lives are up to Him.
At present my husband and I are in our final preparations for serving our Lord in an overseas country. We want to share Christ’s life, His joy, peace, power and healing wherever He sends us. We are praying that as we obey the call God has put on our hearts, He will work in the hearts and lives of our family members who do not yet know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We know we cannot change their minds, but we know that God can.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Except for Jesus Christ, nobody can lead us to salvation. If people think that no one can understand them, we can tell them of One who can understand all of us. His name is Jesus Christ. He gave His life to save us from eternal death and to give us eternal life; He took the stripes of the whip on His back to purchase our healing. Everything the devil stole from Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Jesus Christ came to restore to us. So we give our hearts and our lives to Him and follow Him. He will meet every need we have in our spirits, our souls (minds, wills and emotions) and in our bodies. I have learned that the Lord is my protector and my healer.
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