Elder Candidate Jongseo Lim (Parish 11, Representative of The First Printing Company)

True happiness began in my family on the first day of July of 1990. On that day my wife, Senior Deaconess Mihwa Jeon, registered at Manmin Central Church. She guided me and our two children to the same church.

My Wife Met the Living God and Gave Birth to a Daughter We So Earnestly Desired

On that day my wife's heart was touched as she entered the sanctuary and climbed the steps to the second floor balcony. After sitting in the pews she said, "Lord, at last I've come to You" and then many tears welled up in her eyes. Before she went to the church, she threw away the Buddhist hymnal book she had bought when we were on our honeymoon. I believe God saw her throwing it away and gave her grace on that first day of her attending church. She experienced the love of God so greatly that she guided me to the church the following Sunday. That was July 8, 1990.
While attending church my wife recovered her health and became strong in body and spirit. She always tried her best to speak positively and sing praises to the Lord. Four years after she gave birth to our son, we wanted to have a daughter, but she could no longer become pregnant. We prayed and believed she would be able to conceive a daughter if we received the prayer. At that time we received Dr. Jaerock Lee's prayer for the sick by faith whenever he prayed from the pulpit. Four months later she was found to be pregnant and after 9 months we had a lovely daughter.


Keeping the Lord's Day Holy and the Prospering of Our Souls

Despite those blessings, I was slow in spiritual change. I attended church every two weeks because of my work, and I even did that reluctantly. In the winter of 1990, I felt severe pain in my waist. Even though I took Korean traditional medicine, it was not effective. My wife asked Parish Leader Pastor Hyukhee Cho to visit our home and he prayed for me. I felt something like fire coming upon me and began sweating. All pain was gone and I was completely healed. From that time on, I've been attending church every Sunday.
In 1998, I listened to the message titled with 'Significance of Keeping the Lord's Day Holy' and I was determined to attend Sunday every evening service. In addition, I eventually quit smoking, which I had not been able to do for a long time. When I kept the Lord's Day holy I actually abhorred the odor of cigarette smoke and completely quit smoking. I also received blessings in my business. Sales increased and I was able to pay off most of the debt I had assumed when I bought our business. We also moved into a new house near the church, and my faith changed greatly.
In the August of 2001, I first attended a summer retreat and fervently volunteered for an event even under the scorching sun. Later I found some problems from the sunburn on my face that caused my face to look really bad. But with the passing of time, my facial skin looked much better than ever before. Through this experience I could possess strong faith and began serving the Men's Mission as a group leader. When I served as a sub-district leader, I picked up a few elderly people and enjoyed the joy of service. In 2004, my wife and I joined in the ministry of Shalom Choir.


Comprehensive Blessings Came upon Us in the Midst of Longing Hearts for Sanctification

In summer of 2010, my family had a chance to meet with the Senior Pastor, Dr. Jaerock Lee. After that meeting, my desire for sanctification and love for the Lord became more fervent. In my business I received unexpected orders from a few clients who had not contacted me for a long time. My son Hwantaek Lim and daughter Bora Lim received scholarships from their colleges. My daughter participated in the missionary journey to Japan hosted by MMTC (Manmin Missionary Training Center) and later she was chosen as a member of Heavenly Dance Team of the Performing Arts Committee. She accompanied Dr. Jaerock Lee and glorified God with beautiful dancing as a member of the Joint Performance Team when he conducted the 2010 Estonia Miracle Healing Crusade. My wife was appointed as a senior deaconess and I as an elder candidate and manger of Shalom Choir. For all these blessings I give my heartfelt thanks and glory to God. I also appreciate my wife because she has played the part of the spiritual householder on my behalf.
She patiently endured me even when I smoked and drank, and she served me with love without being provoked when I returned home exhausted and complained about even the smallest of things. I often saw her patiently and quietly praying for me. That's why there was no reason for us to fight with each other and how she formed a happy and peaceful family. We also have two children who are obedient to their parents and united in love because of her.

With a Longing Heart to Become Children Glorifying God When my wife was pregnant with my daughter, my wife and I prayed for her to grow up to be used in accomplishing the world mission with dance and performance. After she was born, she enjoyed dancing and singing. In middle school she didn't attend a middle school of performing arts, but she always participated in many activities of singing and dancing in the church so that she could enter the National High School of Traditional Arts. She majored in dance at the Hansung University and she has served the church in the White Stone Choir and Sweet Rain Chorus. She is now serving as a member of the Artistic Dance Mission Team and Heavenly Dance Team. My son Hwantaek, was once quite stubborn. But, after he began attending church early in his childhood he became mild-tempered and more obedient. He didn't love the world and didn't seek meaningless things, either. During his military service, he never drank despite his seniors' persistent urging. In 2005, he entered Chungwooon University. and, after Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee said that GCN ministry would need more broadcasting workers in the future, he majored in broadcasting media. He has completed the 6-month broadcasting course at KBS (Koran Broadcasting System), and is volunteering at the church broadcasting center as a filming man. I am so happy to see him practicing that job even at home. I give thanks to the Lord for allowing this joy and hope, and precious duties and also to Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee who has led us to grow up in faith with the gospel of holiness and the manifestations of God's power.

Manmin Newspaper   NO.221   February 06, 2011