[Special] Family Month - We are so happy to be living in the midst of God's love!
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June 4, 2006 |
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It is a well-known fact that a bright and healthy society depends on the happiness of individual families. Yet, the skyrocketing divorce and suicide rates plainly reflect the state of our families and society today. Even many Christians are tormented by problems pertaining to marriage, raising children, and evangelization of families. With messages proclaimed by Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee during a variety of worship services and through the "Marriage Seminar," many members of Manmin Joong-ang Church have formed and are living in joyful family environments, and this issue of Manmin Joong-ang News features some of their accounts.
 "After having been set free from the torment of infertility, our family could not be happier!"
Deacon Moon-hong Kim (2-8th Parish; President, Athletic Mission)
My wife and I were married in 1994 but we were unable to have a baby. We tried expensive Chinese herb medicine and consulted a famous obstetrician, but no efforts of ours proved helpful. Then we were led to Manmin Joong-ang Church and on October 17, 1999, we prepared an offering with our whole heart and went before Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee to receive prayer so that we might conceive. At the time of the prayer, my wife felt a fire of the Holy Spirit entering her from the head and she soon became pregnant. On August 21, 2000, our son Soo-hoon was born. Hallelujah!
Our beautiful and healthy Soo-hoon is now 7 years old, and to this day he has never taken medicine.
We give all thanks and glory to our Father and our Lord!
 
 "The secrets to a happy family were in service and sacrifice."
Deaconess Jin-hee Kim (3-12th-1 Parish; Vice President 2-3rd Women's Mission)
I met my husband Deacon Moon-hak Mah through a friend and married him. As my husband did not like my habit of retorting and because of my inability to tolerate and understand his fiery temper and shortcomings, our marriage was not an easy one.
Then after receiving much grace from the messages proclaimed during "The Special Two-Week Revival Meeting with Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee" in May 1998 and hearing that "All the wrongdoings are found in oneself," I rent my heart in repentance. After the Revival Meeting, I was able to discover my shortcomings through the messages proclaimed from the pulpit and comprehend the heart of my husband who had to support our family.
I also began tidying up the house and serving my husband and children from the heart so that they could be more peace at home. Of course, I did my best to become a faithful daughter-in-law and become one with my husband's family.
As much as I was transformed, my husband grew warmer and more loving towards me. He had only attended the Morning Services on Sundays but he now began attending the Sunday Evening Service and other worship services. He has also been helping me in carrying out God's work with the purchase of a car for me to use when visiting other souls.
Then God filled my family with blessings and joy as my husband's business thrived while our children, instead of becoming tainted with the worldly ways, have been brought up in faith.
 "In His love, Our Lord has nurtured our beautiful children."
Deaconess Ok-hee Lee (7-30th Parish; Sunday School Teacher)
My husband and I were married on October 9 – Hangul Day – 1990, and named our son "Hunmin" and our daughter "Jeongeum."
We always prayed that our children would not become imbued with the worldly ways but only grow up in faith. After each worship service on Sundays, we made sure that they paid close attention to the messages and sometimes explained the messages in simpler terms to help them better understand. The four of us also took turns in leading worship services at home.
My husband Deacon Joon-taek Kim always kept his promises with our children, paid heed to their stories, and often gave them counsel. Whenever I was going out, I always left the children snacks and letters filled with love and built trust with them by calling to let them know where I was. If I were to punish them, I straightened my posture and knelt before them, and helped them understand their wrongdoings and acknowledge them.
Today, Hunmin is doing so well at school without going to any after-school programs or receiving tutoring and is an exemplary student and friend to his teachers and peers. We could not be more thankful as Jeongeum is also growing in the truth.
 "I will grow up to be a man of the Lord!"
Kwang-sup Lee (6th Grade, Sunday School)
My name is Kwang-sup Lee, a child who has been healed of an injured leg after receiving the Senior Pastor's prayer twice last year.
My family is poor but because I wanted to testify to God, I had promised the Senior Pastor last year that I would become president of the Student Association in 6th grade. After receiving the Senior Pastor's prayer, I became the hall monitor of my class on March 7th of this year and returned home with the "Application for Candidacy for President of the Student Association."
My mom, however, said we would need KRW 1,500,000 (about US$1,600) as a sponsorship fee to enter the presidential election, and being keenly aware of the desperate financial state at our home, she urged me to quit the race.I wanted to magnify God by showing to the people that even a poor student could become president but I cried and cried in trying to fathom the fact that our poverty was forcing me out of the race.
On Sunday, March 12, my mom was reading the "School Newsletter" when she suddenly collapsed on her knees and began wailing loudly. She had been reading the "Information on Illegal Contributions," which in sum said that the school would not accept any kind of financial contributions from either the parents or the hall monitors.
I no longer had to prepare or needed any money to be in the race. Only then did I realize why my mother had been wailing earlier: if she had only obeyed, I could have become president and given glory to God.
God blessed me and my mom after we had repented of our disobedience. In 5th grade, I had received from my teacher a book titled A Joyous Antique Shop, and written a book report on it because the difficult situation in which the main character found himself was so similar to my own. Then the book's author contacted us, said that he had seen what I had written, and asked me if he could include my writing in the new printing of his book.
I will grow up to be a man who pleases God, a man for whom the Senior Pastor prays, and a man of the Lord!
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Manmin News 
