The 2008 Inauguration Service: Precious Duties of Heaven
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October 27, 2008 |
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 What is a more precious duty: a President of a country or a Sunday School teacher? Wouldn't being a President of a nation be more important than being a Sunday School teacher?
When asked this question, however, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, without skipping a beat, said he would choose being a Sunday School teacher on any given day. The term of a U.S. President is 4 years but the duty of Sunday School teacher God had given him is a duty that will receive eternal recognition in the heavenly kingdom. No matter how precious a worldly duty, fame, or reward may seem at present, they will all perish. Former President Carter was well aware of the eternal rewards and glory for all those who are assigned heavenly duties.
In the Main Sanctuary of Manmin Central Church on Sunday, September 21, new 90 workers were inaugurated. Among those glorious and proud faces, Manmin News sat down with Senior Deaconess Duk-Boon Jang, mother of a popular boy band "Super Junior" member Hyuk-Jae (stage name "Eun-Hyuk") who has been a spiritual guardian for her son's fans, and Elder Joong-Ik Jang, who had fallen from the top of a 15-meter-ladder attached to a fire truck while quelling a protest at Jogyesa (chief temple of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism) but was protected by the grace of God and is now living a new life marked by his love for neighbors and evangelization effort. [Editor]
Interviews
 "Before they are my son's fans, each of them is a precious sheep of the Lord."
~ Senior Deaconess Duk-Book Jang (9th Parish)
Q: What grace have you received from God?
Ten years ago, I saw how my husband (Deacon Gang-Hyun Lee) was leading a joyous life in Christ at Manmin Central Church. I began accompanying him and realized how good the messages were and I was especially touched by praising before the Services and special performances. I was also deeply moved by God's healing of Deacon Yoon-Sup Kim, who had been in a wheelchair as a first-degree disability citizen.
My husband, a social welfare worker, suffered from a severe case of xerophthalmia. He was forced to quit his job and because of that, there was a time when the four of us lived in a one-room apartment, but not one of us felt burdened or weary. I'm still delighted whenever I recall those days when we would share with each other the testimonies and grace in the car on the way home from church.
My husband was completely healed of xerophthalmia through the Muan Sweet Water (Exodus 15:25) and the Senior Pastor's prayer for the sick towards the end of each service.
Q: You take care of your son Eun-Hyuk's fans?
When my son Hyuk-Jae made his debut as "Eun-Hyuk" of Super Junior and received enthusiastic support and love from his fans, I have become a manger spiritually caring for his fans.
It all began when I first started dining with a few fans who had come to the church to see my son and began planting faith in their hearts.
To this day, more than 200 people have joined Manmin on account of Hyuk-Jae.
On their birthdays, I make certain to send them text messages and during the week, I visit them at their homes. At times, I counsel them on family matters and their future. Some days, I receive more than 100 text messages but I do my best to respond to every one of them in gladness. Before they are my son's fans, each of them is a precious sheep of the Lord.
Regardless of the reason they first set their foot at Manmin, I hope each of them to meet the Lord and grow up to be the salt and the light of this world. You have no idea how delighted and proud I am of some of those kids who have adjusted so well to the church, become workers, and lead faithful lives of prayer. Perhaps this is how our shepherd feels when he looks upon Manmin members. I realize that while taking care of them, the depths and widths of my heart have also expanded.
Q: What are your goals and hopes?
When I found out that I was to receive the duty of senior deaconess, I asked my husband to crate a list of things I ought to fix in my everyday life, and those items are my prayer topics these days.
I vow to become a senior deaconess beautiful both in spirit and in flesh, molded by the teachings of Our Lord whose footsteps people could not hear. This is such a big yet precious duty for me.
 "I will make my body and my face the frontier of evangelization."
~ Elder Joong-Ik (12-1 Parish)
Q: We heard there was a turning point in your life.
In November 1993, after reading the Senior Pastor's Tasting Eternal Life Before Death and listening to "The Message of the Cross" series, I received teeming grace and joined Manmin Central Church. I was baptized the following year and I saw a vision in which dark clouds cleared up and a new light took their place. From that point on, I diligently kept up with my life in Christ and passed the police lieutenant promotion examination.
It was precisely at this point, oddly enough, that I began to think I had earned all of that by own might and to befriend the world.
December 23, 1998, was the turning point of my life. While quelling a protest at Jogyesa, I plunged to the ground from the top of a 15-meter (49-foot) ladder atop a fire truck. My colleagues were gravely injured but I walked away unscathed. I still cannot forget the feeling of an enormous hand supporting and embracing me as I was falling to the ground. This was a moment of momentous change in my life.
Q: We know you have led many souls back to God. Do you remember to this day anyone in particular?
When working, I come across many different types of people and many people in different situations, including people who are dead drunk, complaining of some injustice that had been done unto them, or schizophrenic. At times, I become offended and upset but I am grateful for the opportunities to discover and transform myself. As the Lord has even forgiven someone like me whose heart is unclean and like a thorn bush, I believe that anyone can be transformed when he or she meets God. When I was a Team Leader in the Criminal Investigation Section, I came across the likes of burglars and murderers and in order to evangelize to them, sometimes I went into a lockup and held their hands to pray with them.
I particularly remember Deacon Dong-Sun Lee, who had been a head priest at a Buddhist temple but has since converted; Deacon Gi-Ok Park, who had come to the brink of giving up his life from the debt incurred from gambling; and Soo Kim, who has received the blessing of pregnancy through the Senior Pastor's prayer.
Q: What are your goals and hopes?
I am thankful to be a part of my church that has planted in my heart faith and a hope for heaven. I am only grateful even more for the duty of elder. I will strive to be a model both in flesh and in spirit by becoming the salt and the light of this world with more mature faith.
I receive abundant grace whenever I see the Senior Pastor serving even the littlest of children, just as Our Lord had shown Himself as an example of service.
With a humble attitude and thinking of my body and my face as the frontier of evangelization, I will make every effort to be a true witness of Our Lord by giving thanks and rejoicing under any circumstances.
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Manmin News 
