I remember the day I first met Rose and Lana. As COVID-19 started to get under control, social distancing restrictions were being lifted, so the Joys decided to host a vespers meal at their house. I had heard how Rose, Lana, and Lana’s boyfriend, Forest, had recently come to the church through a pastor they met through Zoom seminars. When the ladies arrived, they came in with energy, excited to join an in-person worship gathering. With curiosity, they listened to the story of Jesus healing the man at the pool of Bethesda, and they squealed with delight at being able to play with the Joy’s children.

As we interacted more, I learned that Rose initially became a Christian by studying the Bible with a Korean woman. Then, during the lockdown, she came across a Zoom seminar on life skills held by a pastor working as a social worker. He invited his attendees to a Bible study, and she joined and met Lana and Forest.

Only a few months later, knowing that Rose and Lana wanted to be baptized, I invited them both into Bible studies. I asked Nang to join also, knowing she would be an excellent asset. Rose and Lana were eager to learn more. When Rose heard that I was studying Daniel chapter by chapter with Lana and Forest, she demonstrated such clear interest I invited her to study Daniel one-on-one.

Rose is the kind of individual who chooses to see the best in people. She rarely casts negative judgment on anyone but often gives grace and the benefit of the doubt. In most situations, she offers a word of cheer and support; the approbation of others comes naturally to her. However, such a strength does come with its shadows, as it can make her indecisive and view things with rose-colored glasses rather than practical reality.

As we studied the Bible together, reading about the bravery of Daniel and his three friends, she recognized she had a dilemma with her work. She was still working on Sabbaths, but her work situation was that as long as she finished her tasks, she could leave the office in time to make it for worship. She knew through knowledge that she needed to keep the Sabbath, but I could tell there was still much she did not know. The more we studied, the more she understood about Jesus and God.

“It is easier for me to understand and believe there is a God. I can understand He is like a Father who goes with us every day and cares for us. But I did not understand what Jesus did. I just thought He was someone who came and lived like a human being. But now I understand more clearly that He did not just come to suffer like a human being, but He came to share in our sorrows, in our trials, and atone for our sins. I understand more now that Jesus actually sacrificed by dying for us and taking our sins. I love Jesus now, and I thank you. I thank you for coming to Sinim to teach people about God.”

She had been learning the Bible for more than a year, but it takes time to understand and change your entire worldview. By the grace of God, in this friendship, I have been able to support her as God changed her lifestyle when she was afraid she might have breast cancer. God eventually gave her the strength to quit her job so she would no longer have to work on Sabbaths, and she was hired for a job she had always wanted.

Rose said my sharing of Psalm 37 gave her the courage to keep going. Had she never stepped out of her safety zone, she would still be sitting at her old job, working on Sabbaths. She now knows God as her Maker, the Healer, and the Almighty by genuine experience. Please keep praying for her growth in Christ and as a leader.

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