Mirai's Personal Testimony

Mirai's Personal Testimony 

 I was originally born in a little town in South Korea from a very stable and educational family. Both of my parents were teachers in public school, and most of our close neighbors were all teachers, but they did not go to church. Instead, we went to the Catholic Church, where I never personally met Jesus.  From my very early years of young age, I was a very talented and smart kid at school and our town. I often heard I am brilliant, learned very quickly, and did great compared to other kids. I started playing piano from the age of 4, and I did pretty well and grew up as a musician throughout my life. I enjoyed myself very early age without knowing Jesus. But my happiness did not go so long because of many personal reasons. Since I was a pretty outstanding student in my school years, I was always proud of myself, and this pride led me to fall off almost in everything. Like any other nonbelievers usually did, I complained and was frustrated about my life, and I did not even realize this pride put me in that dangerous situation. I was suffering from my depression, and even at that young age, I already felt I would not be a success in my life in my high school year. I was aiming to go to one of the top three universities in my country. But I could not enter that University because I could not make enough Score of the National standard exam, which was also called the university entrance exam in South Korea. How tragedy is that many students In South Korea felt that frustration and treat themselves as a failure because of that one exam that seems to decide almost everything about people's lives in South Korea. This is a tragedy, especially to non-Christian, that their hope and dependence is their success in earthly life. I was one of them before I came to the states a few years later. My life seemed to end, and I thought I was a failure in my life. I did not have anyone to rely upon, and even my parents could not give me any comfort. And I wish I knew Jesus, whom I perfectly rely upon, but I did not know him at that moment.

My life was so dark and gloomy those years, and I thought I never had a light in my life. But God led me, which I never imagined before, and I went to the University of Kansas in the States for my Bachelor's degree in Piano and Organ performance. I know exactly when I felt the holy spirit when I was in one Church in Chicago when I visited my friend right before I went to Kansas. I am sure God came to meet me and let me know his name at that time. I never truly believe in Jesus, but I was born again later in my college year at Lawrence. From that moment, I was born again. Every word in the Bible was a blessing for me and touched my heart and made me cry almost every day. And God gradually led me to continue my degree in Church music at South Western Theological Seminary in Forthworth, and I met my husband at the Seminary. I worked as a Church organist at a local church in Hurst/Dallas while studying at the Seminary, and I loved working there and having relationships with Church members. But  It was a challenging moment and crisis to put down my work as a church organist at a local church in Hurst/Dallas and my doctoral degree from the Seminary and came to South Korea for the church ministry. As I was married to my husband, who was already called to the church in South Korea, I decided to come back to South Korea. I did not know about God's plan for my future except that I am a wife of a minister working at a small church in South Korea. God suddenly put me in a different environment I never have experienced, and my career as a Church music organist seemed useless here. I struggled and complained about what I have been facing and wanted to run away from reality. But even in all those moments, God allowed me to teach music and English to Korean students. I have met and experienced many students and parents, which enabled me to learn about education and ministry. Through those experiences, God gradually led me to be here as a beginning leader at Christian School. I might be the one from the book 'Biblical Leadership' by  Ken Collier and Matt Williams. A person who happened to become a leader without any desire or preparation because no one else will do this work except for my husband and me. Actually, It was My husband's conviction to start Christian School for those young generations in the public education system.  We realized that the public school system too often goes against Christianity.  I refused to follow his vision and suggestion for starting Christian School because of "too many reasons." I had no resources to start school, except I have been homeschooling my son. But Finally, God encouraged me to take a step to begin his work. We are beginning Christian school only by faith here in Sejong City. We have a small place and very few students to start with. It is our new journey to follow God's plan. I now have more empathy in the story of Moses and his journey following God's way and put down his ordinary and familiar environments.

As starting Christian School here in South Korea, I start to feel God's purpose and hand why he brought me back to Korea a few years ago and pushed me to put down what I have done and accomplished in the States as I look back about my self who was in desperate help without knowing Jesus. My heart still hurts when I think about the number of students in South Korea who have no hope and feel depressed and frustrated like me over 15 years ago. I have the vision to give those students the truth and hope for eternal life. I want to let them know there is so much uncomparable beauty and prosperous life with Christ Jesus. I pray that Our School will take that role as a messenger of God to share his love and give them the truth and disciple them to have a truly biblical worldview to grow as a Godly people and be a "light and salt" in the world.