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Chapter 24 - The March of the Reborn
When I started seminary the laymen’s department pastor had changed and so there was a new pastor to lead the young adult’s daily evening bible study.
I wasn’t involved in any church activities, attendance was just about it. One day a sister in Christ named HyeKyung Ha (a pastor’s wife now) and HongJu Kim (Currently resides in Chicago) visited me in the loan room near the seminary. They came to visit was what they said but they had a matter to discuss. It was that they wanted me to continue on the evangelizing movement outside the YoungNak Presbyterian Church even though I was attending the seminary. But I couldn’t think of anything special to do because I had finished my service with the young adults. The two sisters in Christ who loved God outside the church wanted me to continue evangelizing and continue grow the young adults.
With that, we started a prayer and meetings it was decided to start the ‘Youth Born Again Mission’ and on the Easter of April, 1978 had our first meeting. It was held at the Scripture Union’s director JongHa Youn who had found us a place to meet. It was held at DongBu Presbyterian Church located in Jaegi-Dong at Dongdaemun-Gu. At first there were 11 members.
After praise songs and short sermon, we had group bible study. As the group grew I thought it was getting dangerous to use the wooden structured church. I could feel the floor buckling as there are about 100 young adults gathered. The building below was the pastor’s house. I had studied architecture so I thought ‘what if this building collapses?’ and was worried. But what money would most of the college students have?
At that time if all the receipts were gathered and sent to the tax attorney, a small amount of the money would be paid back. It was done to have more accurate taxation, and because no receipts were printed back then. An Elder (female) now, but at that time sister in Christ SungNam Cho had a notebook full of receipts that were gathered. One sister who did treasury had come earlier then the gathering and had prayed holding the offering box in front of the pews. I saw that and was blessed by it. YBA’s first summer retreat was held in KyungKi Province’s Yangju-Gun ChuGye-Ri’s retreat center with the title ‘Follow Me!’ concerning the book of John.
It was during the rainy summer season but the retreat went on with the rain. From the retreat site to the dorms were about 500m apart, but even with the bad weather conditions everyone had helped in gladness. So the retreat went with full of passion to God. I always recommended at least 10% of the group to be non-believers. I had requested some of the sisters and brothers in Christ who couldn’t pay for the retreat to either have it waivered or have someone else pay for them but must have had them come. Some of the new comers wanted to go home but seeing the love and care coming from others, decided to stay. Several had converted and decided to follow Jesus which was amazing. Some of the members and the leaders of those groups would stay up all night to pray for them.
On the first summer retreat, some of the unbelievers had converted and several of them were happy to serve the Lord. But one sister had rejected it till the end. Until the last day when we had campfire she would not believe. The leaders had made the campfire but it still rained heavily. The group leader of the sister who denied Jesus said “if the rain would stop with your prayer then I will believe that Jesus is real.” We had become Elijah. It was a very foolish prayer request but we prayed to God to stop rain for the sister.
It was still raining, but everyone had a candle lit and even though getting wet, went outside. We had put some gasoline on the wet wood and lit a fire. I had put the title “Follow Me!” that was made from cotton and blanket and hung it on two poles held by wires. Then I lit the sign on fire. But something miraculous happened that I would not even believe and ever will forget! The rain had suddenly stopped and the sky opened to show the moonlight shining through! The meeting was stopped because of this miraculous happening. Someone started a song of praise and everyone joined. So in the end the sister decided to serve the Lord. We had no idea that time was going fast and that it was almost 3AM in the morning with our praise and testimonies. After we had fallen asleep it started to rain again. Of course, many people may not believe what they just read but it’s all real.
When our group grew larger we naturally wanted a place of our own. But money was the problem. I had not even been paid because this was a voluntary started group. We were not under support by any foreign or from churches around the country. It was by volunteer that everything had happened. “Faith Mission” was what we learned in person.
Several brothers and sisters in Christ had gathered to look for a suitable place. Even a good place was out of our reach. Then one day, an elderly lady who was in our YoungNak Presbyterian Church’s evangelical training course and laymen’s evening bible class had called. Her daughter was one of the members of the young adult group that I taught. Her husband was a dean of a medical school in Seoul. At that time he was a non believer. But because of his wife and children became a believer. I went to their house and she said “I had some lottery money made with friends before I had become a believer, I thought of how to use this money.” she said “I think this is the best for you to use Mr. Lee and that’s why I called you.” That is how I got the money in an envelope.
The funds had made a well use to start a center for the YBA ministry.
Some of the leaders’ faith to have a rooting place for YBA was very amazing. Some of them had invited their friends and had done college evangelism and started a small group there, some of them had taken it to their workplace. I give thanks to the director of Scripture Union and the pastor of DongBu Presbyterian Church who provided us the place to gather.
I give thanks to everyone who had gathered funds for the center and the deacon (the lady who gave some large funds) so that the YBA can gather safely sincerely. I think that lady (later became a deacon) had reserved her treasure in heaven.
(January 2011)
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Moving back to San Jose 
The March of the Reborn