Many Stories ... One Author

Behind every person coming to Christ is a story written by one Author. Though every story may have similarities, each one is different because the Author is creative. The following is from an interview with Kei Eun Chang, preaching minister with Manchester Korean Christian Church, Manchester, New Hampshire.

Recent Baptisms at Manchester Korean Christian Church

Min Shin is currently a college student at the University of New Hampshire. She says that now Jesus is the driver in her life, and she is seated right next to him. When asked to explain this further, she replied,  "I was a sophomore in high school when I first started going to church. Back then, church was more of a place where I could meet my friends and hang out. Then I became a Christian when I went to a summer retreat a year later. I think it was the third night into the retreat when I truly felt blessed. The message that day wasn't just a well-worded speech anymore. Something about it made me realize what I'd been missing and made me open my eyes to the truth. After I returned from that retreat, I continued to go to church, but this time for a different reason. It was to know more about Jesus, His sacrifice, and His Word.

"Then a few years passed. Although I had started to grow more and more spiritually, I felt the need to restart my life as a Christian. I wanted to be reborn. That's when, earlier this year, I decided to be baptized. I asked myself countless times if this was the right time for me, if I was ready for this whole thing or not. But as I emerged from the water that day, I couldn't be more sure. 

"However, I soon learned that being a Christian isn't just accepting the fact that Jesus died for me, but that this acceptance needs to be followed by continual effort. That was the hard part. Ever since I came to Jesus up until this time, I have struggled with my faith. There are a number of times when I see myself in the "driver's seat." I try to take control over my life and even though I know it's the right thing to do, giving up control is still difficult. I also try not to find myself in that temporary spiritual high, for when there's a high for something, it will always be followed by a low. After I return from retreats and praise nights, as do many others, it's easy to get into that spiritual high. This high may last for a week, a month or even longer. But I don't want it to slowly fade away and leave me back living a life that I control. I don't ask for much in life. I just want to live my life on earth to the fullest with Jesus in the driver's seat and me right next to him."

Another member of the Korean church is Bok Soon So, who suffers from chronic pains that come from a job-related injury some years ago. She is unable to work. At the time of Bok So's baptism earlier this year, her son, Min Cheol was dispatched to Iraq as a member of an elite American squad. Our church was in constant prayer for him.

Facing this situation, Bok Soon began to trust God and decided to believe in Jesus and was baptized. She said, "I had lots of fears for the safety of my son, but I realized that I first should stand rightly before God for particular mercy upon my son." She also thought, "If I first stand before God, then my son will follow me."

But in early April, sad news from Iraq came to her and our church members. Min Cheol had been injured from a bomb explosion and had tiny fragments all over his body. The explosion leveled a five-story building, but his life was saved. Min Cheol said this about the event: "At the bomb explosion, fire blew upon my body, but I felt something like an umbrella was also upon me; it was God's protection."  We praised God.

Min Cheol had surgery a number of times in Germany and here in the States. Physically he looks fine, but he has lost hearing in his right ear and has only about 50% in his left ear. Despite this, the American government has decided to re-dispatch him to Iraq on October 27 because his physical appearance looks fine. Recently, Sister Bok Soon told me [Kei Eun] that she now feels comfortable because she trusts the God who put the umbrella over her son at the previous explosion. The difference after her baptism is that she now has more inner peace and confidence because of Jesus in her life.