Deacon Gwangdong Kim (2-19 Parish, South Korea)

In 1994 I started working in the 7th level of civil service in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Because of it I had to live separately from my family who had lived in Hampyeong, Jeonnam Province. I could make it home once a week or every other week. Senior Deaconess Junghee Yang, my wife, was working as a middle school teacher in Hampyeong.
My wife started to attend Muan Manmin Church in September 1998. I learned about the incident of the plotting of the broadcasting company in May, 1999 and I began persecuting my wife. After transferring to the Gangdong-gu Office in Seoul in June, 1999 I led an unrestrained life drinking and smoking.
While I was going astray in early 2006, my wife came to me. She told me to forgive her saying she had not served me well. I was struck with surprise because I knew without question it was me who had done things wrong. 'How could she tell me to forgive her like this?'
I thought it was the power of faith and I came to look up to the one who taught her to change in such a way. I also wanted to be taught by him and lead a Christian life in his teaching. Not long after, I registered in Manmin Church on February 26, 2006.
In the services, I was amazed by bright and joyful faces of the members. I was touched by Dr. Jaerock Lee's messages. He was teaching them what sins are and leading them to manage proper Christian lives in goodness and love. Above all else, I was given grace to repent that I had persecuted my wife without knowledge of the church and the shepherd. However, I still attended only the Sunday Morning Service making excuses that traveling to Hampyeong every Sunday tired me a lot.
However, an occasion changed me in June 2009. I was sleeping at home after offering up Sunday Morning Service at the Muan Manmin Church. I had a dream in which Dr. Lee was preaching in a holy robe and he approached me with a smile. His hands were soft shining like gold, and he laid them on my knees and watched me. I was surprised and woke up. The dream was so vivid.
Afterwards, I came to keep whole Sabbath and give whole tithe. Then, God blessed me with healing and I received blessing. I was healed of chronic otitis media that had lasted since in high school. As a result of the Children's Food Safety Inspection done by Food and Drug Administration when I worked for Sanitation Office in the Songpa-gu Office, I received the Civil Servant Award of Excellence from the Mayor of Seoul.
I was transferred to Performance Management Team in the Ministry of Planning and Budget on January 1 in 2012. I had never even imagined it. My district, Songpa-gu received Grand Prize in the 8th Balanced Score Card Award Ceremony co-hosted by The Korea Economic Daily and Wesley Quest and an individual award was given to me, so I gained the opportunity to study planning work in Europe.
I have prayed in Daniel Prayer Meeting every night from the beginning of 2013. And I was blessed to be selected as 2013 Exemplary Civil Worker and won commendation from the Prime Minister. I give all thanks and glory to God who has allowed me to realize the good will of God and for leading me to lead a life in Light.