(Missionary's Testimony) God Changed Me And Gave Me The Dream To Be A Missionary

Pastor Joon Hyun Lee | Lomé, Togo

How could so many people not be saved?

People build rooms to live in. If a goat or chicken comes into the room, obviously, it will be removed from the room. People have a room called, the “heart.” In the room of the heart, the heart of God, who is the creator of man, must reside there. However, I often held unto dark things like: sorrow, pain, and agony in the room of my heart. I realized this after I was saved.

I liked playing, hanging out, drinking, and playing cards all night. Even in the army, I spent my nights like that. After I was saved, I started to hear the Word of God and knew that the Bible was factual and the truth which answers our questions precisely. I wanted to share this with other people.

I never went to church before, and I assumed they would believe the same way I believed. However, as I met people who attended church, I realized that was not true. They appeared to sincerely serve God with zeal and I appeared to be fake, however, it was the opposite when I got to know them.

“This is strange! How could so many people not be saved?”

I was shocked that most people who attended church were not saved.

An Amazing new heart forms in me

I thought Air Force pilots were the elite soldiers. I thought the best soldier was a pilot who flies in the sky. When I joined the air force and lived with the pilots, I realized that this was not true.

Pilots were stressed out due to large workloads and tight schedules, which often led to being roughed up, cursed at, and getting into bar fights. It was so disappointing. I realized people were different from their superficial images and true images.

I became saved while serving as a private for 18 months. After my superiors were discharged, entry level soldiers came in and I became a superior in my 25th month. From then, I often read the Bible in a boiler room next to my workplace while subordinate soldiers were on night duty. I read the Bible very much during the daytime as well. When I interacted with people, I occasionally wondered how they would react if I shared stories about the Bible.

Everyone was a pilot except for 4 privates. Most pilots believed in a religion because all aircraft accidents were lethal and resulted in death. This became an issue on the base because I suddenly shared Bible stories, but I did not attend church. The Lieutenant Colonel, who was a squadron commander, read the Bible whenever he had time. One day, He said to me.

“Hey, Sergeant Lee. Today, I want to eat with the soldiers in the cafeteria. Let’s go together.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

Although he was a Lieutenant Colonel and I was one of the ordinary soldiers, I wanted to ask him,

“Lieutenant Colonel, I didn’t go to church when I was young and I recently heard the gospel from someone. I noticed you were reading the Bible frequently. May I ask you a question? People who don’t go to church and don’t believe in Jesus are sinners. If a person goes to church and believes in Jesus, is he a sinner or righteous?”

The Lieutenant Colonel became very nervous.

“Ah, that person should be righteous.”

“Then, are you a sinner or righteous?”

“I could say I’m righteous since I believe in Jesus.”

I could see he was confused by my questions. I thought I merely just heard the gospel, but a new heart formed in me. It was like a new computer program had been installed in my life. I was able to feel the new program working incredibly in my heart. It was marvelous, amazing, and gratifying.

Brother, are you saved?

One day, I received a phone call from an older colleague who was a Master Sergeant at the firefighting squadron at Suwon Air Force Base.

“Jun Hyun, a memorial ceremony is in a few days. Now that you are superior, take a vacation at that time. I hope to meet you at home and attend the ceremony together.”

“Okay.”

I was miraculously approved for a special vacation and went to Nonsan. My friend and his wife were preparing food.

My friend started to go to church with his wife after they got married. “Are they saved?”

This question filled my heart.

“I used to not go to church. You often go to church. Let me ask you a question. Are you saved?”

“Yes, I am saved.”

“Then, do you have sins in your heart?”

“Yes, I have sins.”

“If you have sins in your heart, what do you do about them?

“When I repent before God, Jesus washes the sins away.”

“After committing sins, if you just repent, the sins will be washed?”

“Not immediately. You need to repent with a true, sincere heart, and when the sincere heart touches God’s heart, the sins could be washed away.”

My friend’s wife said the same thing. Both of them lived a different spiritual life than the one I imagined.

“This does not mean that your sins will be washed away just because you have devotion and sincerity. You may not understand, but that is truly not being born again. Even though I have never been to church, I am surely born again in my heart. I was deeply moved after reading The Secret of Forgiveness of Sin and Being Born Again and Two Kinds of Spiritual Life. My friend and his wife should read them.”

Two days later, I returned to the base. The next day, the squadron commander called me.

“Hey, Sergeant Lee. You don’t take vacations?”

“As of yesterday, I was on special vacation for 2 nights and 3 days!

I am okay now.”

“What are you talking about? Submit the paperwork and prepare to take a vacation.”

It was very unexpected.

“I just went home yesterday. Where should I go for 15 days on my vacation?” I was worried and thought, “Yes. I should get on a troop transport plane!” I asked my subordinate who worked in the base audio department if there were any troop transport planes going to the Suwon base which is where my brother worked, and there was one. All the pieces were coming together. For the first time, I got on a plane and arrived in Suwon.

When I arrived, my friend and his wife wanted to treat me to pig’s feet downtown, since it had been a long time since I visited them.

They were frustrated because they could not answer the questions from the books that I gave to them a few days ago. Afterwards, I called the pastor of the Suwon church for the address, and I went downtown and enjoyed the pig’s feet. Then, I brought my friend and his wife to the church because I told them I really wanted to go there. That day, they became saved as they had fellowship with the pastor. It was December of 1989. I was thankful to God and it made me speechless. At that time, my friend was going to resign from his job and live comfortably with a retirement allowance.

However, God amazingly moved his heart, so he decided to go to missionary school after he was discharged from the army. He is currently ministering in Eumseong Grace Church, and his name is Dae Hyun Lee.

Wouldn’t it be great to live in a country without the gospel?

I thought for a long time that my life in the army was unlucky and miserable. Yet, that changed after I met the gospel. After being discharged, I went home to my mother, who was living alone, and she was very welcoming to me. I also prepared to go back to school for the next semester. I attended a newly established church in Iksan because it was close to Gunsan.

After I was done with classes in Daejeon, I had to walk 1 km at night from the Nonsan bus station. I often asked myself as I was doing that for 2 years, ”I am really not interested in God? How could a person like me meet the gospel among so many people?”

It was mysterious. I was the only one who was saved in my home.

The gospel settled deeply in my heart. When I walked in the dark forest, often it was so dark that I could not see anything. However, when I looked up, there were countless stars shimmering. As l looked at the stars I thought; “There is life in the gospel! The gospel is amazing! How will I live my life? Wouldn’t it be so great to live in a country without the gospel?”

Since I was young, I saw on TV how diplomats met foreigners and I admired them. I wanted to live like them. I gained a new dream after being saved. The hope to live in a country without the gospel often  trembled my heart. I tried to ignore this heart, thinking that this did not make any sense and it was just a dream. This heart continued arising in me. Though I was not a pastor or a missionary, I wanted to live preaching the gospel. When I arrived at home at night, my mother was waiting for me because she was against my church, and we fought before going to bed.

“You are crazy. If you are a student, you must study. Why did you change so much? I wish you would go back to being who you used to be. You are not my son! You are making me suffer!”

Other family members spoke to me as well. ”Jun Hyun, can’t you just listen to your Mom? She is alone! Does a person who goes to church go against their parents and be disobedient? Why are you doing this to your Mom and being a troublemaker!”

When I look back at my life, many times I hesitated between two options. When I was worried and did not know what to do, God always led me to be on His side. He gave me hope that my mother would be saved. Five years later, my mother came to the airport to say farewell to my family leaving for Africa.

“Where are you going?”

“Ghana.”

“Where is Ghana?”

“It’s in Africa.”

“You are that crazy? Why would you go to a poor place like Africa and not wealthy countries like USA, France, or England?”

I bowed to my mother who was cursing at me, and she left the airport. After I spent another 5 years in Africa, my mother finally became saved. I thought God gave me a great gift while doing the missionary work.

I seemed little because I was the only one who was saved. I was often perceived as an abnormal and foolish person. As time passed, my brother became a pastor after being saved, and my mother was saved. I was so thankful when I thought about this.

Starting from tomorrow, come to work

During my senior year, most students were busy applying for jobs, but I was witnessing. Before I was saved, I used to stay in the library, but then I did not, so my friends thought I was weird. I prayed to God worrying about what to do after graduation.

“Father God, I don’t know what to do after I graduate. If getting a job is your will, I would like to get a job.”

A trading department from one company sent a request to our professor to recommend some students. The professor selected 3 students and asked, ”If you want to take this position, you need to consult with buyers in English, write faxes in English, and do office work. Who wants to do it?”

All of them wanted to get the job and they majored in English, but they were not able to answer due to lack of confidence. When the professor was asked by an assistant to recruit more students for the second round, I was called at that time. I was much burdened, but I remembered to pray thinking God might give me a job through this path.

“Can you really do it?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Could you consult with buyers in meetings?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Could you write up a report and fax it?”
“Yes, I can.”
“Really? Then, go to the company for the interview tomorrow.”

I wore my suit and went on the interview. A manager took me to the president of the company. Whatever he asked me, I spoke with confidence and did not speak from any doubt. The president of the company told me to start working at his company from the next day. I was ridiculed because I preached the gospel, but I was the first person who got a job in the English department. When I told the professor, he was very pleased. My friends who despised me also congratulated me and were envious. God rewarded my life. I was despised and called crazy, but God exalted me before them.

I wanted to preach the gospel to the international people who attended the Expo

I met my wife in the church and got married in June, 1992. I worked in Daejeon, so I moved to the East Daejeon Church and continued spiritual life. One day, my wife told me, “Honey, I really like our lifestyle. Honey, don’t even think about going to missionary school. I don’t like it.”

I never talked about missionary school, but I was starting to get tired of company work. I often went up to the roof and looked at Hanbat Central Church, thinking about the missionary school. I asked God many questions: “What should I do in the future? Why was I saved?”

There was an Expo in Daejeon for three months, starting in November, 1993. It was a grand event where 106 countries participated. Pastor Jong Duk Kim was ministering at the East Daejeon church at that time, and he was interested in witnessing to international people because he had hope to do missionary work. I worked close to a place where the Expo was held, so I sneaked out from work and stayed there. I often followed the pastor because I also wanted to preach the gospel to the international people. Most foreigners I spoke with were not interested in the Bible, but there were people from Africa and the South Pacific who were welcoming, and listened to the Word. Some of the Africans became saved. Sisters from Kenya like Detso and Dorothy opened their hearts and visited the church. They were not used to the food, so they really liked it when we boiled sweet potatoes. One year after the Expo, they invited Pastor Ock Soo Park for a grand conference at a stadium in Kenya. For the first time, our missions reached out to Africa in 1994. I was very thankful.

Tomorrow, write a letter of resignation. Resign by tomorrow

One day, Pastor Jong Duk Kim called me and said, “Brother Lee, I want to go to Kenya for a witnessing trip. Take a vacation from work.”

“Yes, sure. For how long?”
“For a month.”

I was shocked. What kind of company would allow a month-long vacation? If it were 3 nights and 4 days, that would be a lot! When I asked for a month vacation, the company flipped upside down.

“Hey, do you want to work here or not? Can you be sensible? Let me at least hear your reason! I really can’t understand!”

“I don’t understand either. However, I want to go because God gave me a heart to go to Kenya for a witnessing trip.”

The HR person could not understand and was troubled. Three days later, he approved the vacation. I was really excited and gave a testimony to pastor about getting the vacation. After that, the pastor told me something shocking again: “Brother Lee, resign tomorrow.”

I could not understand what pastor told me because it was so hard to get the vacation. I was dumbfounded but I told him that I would do it. The next day, after I submitted the letter of resignation, the company argued saying that this makes no sense, but they let me resign.

“Brother Lee, after we come back from Kenya, you will receive training in the missionary school, and I will go to Kenya as a missionary,” He said. In 1994, I went to the witnessing trip in Africa with Pastor Jong Duk Kim. The word, “missionary,” seemed good, but when I went to Africa, it was desolate. A shabby place, which was so dirty and in a poor condition compared to Korea. “If I came to this place, would I like Africa?” Africa did not look good to me. I liked the word, “missionary,” yet when I thought about living in Africa, I did not like it.

As I was in Kenya, one Word entered my heart. “And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of”(Genesis 28:15).

As I was reading this verse, the part of the verse, “… and will bring thee again into this land…,” kept churning in my heart. I had a heart that God would lead me and bring me back to this land, Africa.

After I finished with the 1 month-long witnessing trip in Kenya, I came back to Korea and went to the missionary school. God bestowed much grace upon me.