“I will make you a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2)
Hello, my name is Missionary Peter B. Kim. I was born in 1980 to Dr. Paul Kim and Jin Shim Kim of Daegu Center, Korea. During my childhood, both of my parents were busy serving UBF ministry. However, I had a happy childhood and did not have many worries because my parents loved me so much. In 2001, only our family began to serve Daegu UBF pioneering ministry. God was so faithful that I could participate in the pioneering work of the new Daegu chapter. God helped me to learn two things through the pioneering ministry work.
First, God had mercy on me through Bible study with Joseph Ro, my 1:1 shepherd, and helped me to hear Jesus’ voice of forgiveness for me personally as he took his cross and shed his blood on the cross. Through 1:1 Bible study, I felt free from the sense of guilt that came from fatalism and a rebellious heart towards God. Before, I thought salvation was dependent on what I did, but God opened my spiritual eyes to realize that I was saved only by faith in Jesus who died on the cross for my sins. God continued to train me as a shepherd and called me as a campus shepherd while I served Daegu UBF. I accepted his personal calling, and came to know God who wanted me to live as a campus shepherd and missionary.
Secondly, God helped me to learn pioneering spirit. God helped me to work at the Kyoungpook Nat’l University library instead of doing military service for 2 years. I worked as a librarian and served KNU ministry as a steward of faith at Daegu center. When I first saw this manger ministry, I could not understand my parents' spiritual work. However, I saw my father who lived for campus mission without human ambition as a medical doctor, and I also saw my mother’s faithfulness in going to the campus to fish sheep everyday. I also saw many Bible students who grew in faith through Bible study. I realized that only the word of God could change people’s hearts. It was the clear work of God. I opened my spiritual eyes when I experienced God’s work. I realized God was the living God, and he wanted the campus mission of the Daegu area to succeed, and he really loved Daegu ministry. Even though I became a steward at the center alone, God became my friend and he was with me all the time. I prepared for the environment of SWS, and I served it by playing the piano and as a testimony sharer. At that time, I shared a testimony before only 2 people, my parents.
In 2004, God gave me world mission vision through the MSU international conference and in 2006 he opened the door for me to be a student missionary at Baltimore UMBC chapter. As a missionary God help me to serve two Bible students such as Brother Andrew and Oga. However since I was busy with school studies, I did not serve them faithfully with a shepherd’s heart. But I believed that the words of God were still living in their hearts so that I could see the hope of God who might bring them back to God in his time. And also I thank God that I continued to pray for them during the semester, even though they stopped studying the Bible.
Moreover, God gave me wisdom so that I could experience victory over my school studies. By God's grace, I got a 92% on the DAT scores as a foreign student, and I am praying that God may grant me the best dental school on Dec. 1st for the first round of admission. Whenever I studied, I had to be humble and ask for God’s mercy. I thank God who helped me remember God's words whenever I was in trouble with my school studies.
Especially, God also blessed me to establish a house church with missionary Esther Kim on Dec. 26th of last year in Korea. It was God's amazing grace for my life. Sh. David Kim of Yonhee center gave us Genesis 12:1,2 as our wedding key verse. First of all, I thank God since missionary Esther is a beautiful woman of God and a mature servant of God sacrificing her life for many years as an intern-shepherdess with a faithful mind and attitude. I am also thankful for her deep understanding of me. I also thank God for her good mind and character to love children by serving JBF and CBF at Yonhee center. I also thank God for her diligent prayer life, and prayer support for me. I pray our house church may be used as a source of blessing for young college students in America.
I choose Exodus 4:20b as a key verse for this year, “And he took the staff of God in his hand.” Through this verse, I realized that I must have faith like Moses who just believed in God. I need faith to continue to deny my own thoughts and plan even though it is not easy for me. However, I always tried to figure out something in my own way without faith so that I could feel at ease in my heart. I trembled by practical matters such as school studies and future life direction, etc. I thought my situation was like standing on the edge of a cliff. Sometimes I suffered from stomach problems because of practical matters. Therefore, all I have to do is just believe in God and to go take the staff of God in my hand. I pray that my life of mission may depend on God so that I may taste and experience God’s love and his almighty power throughout my whole life. Amen!
