LIFE AND STUDY IN KOREA By: Wen Feng

Transcription

1 LIFE AND STUDY IN KOREA By: Wen Feng I am Wen Feng from Kunming, Yunnan province of China. I graduated from the Kunming University of Science and Technology. My major is computer science. I am the only child in my family. My father is a Communist party member, who worked in a factory. My father was strict with me, and especially he was a good helper in my study. Since I was a young, I had received atheism education. Before I was not a Christian, I pursued kinds of pleasures of this world. I sought for cheering with wine; I drank a lot with my friends. I also smoked when I was playing games or writing computer programs. But I always felt empty. Because I had no idea about the purpose of my study. My parents told me, You have to study hard, so you can find a good job. I asked them, After finding a good job, and then what should I do? They told me, You have to work hard, and then you can earn large amount of money and get a good marriage. I continued to ask, And then? They told me, And then you have to have children and nurture them. I asked again, and then? With a big surprise, my parents looked at me and told me, no more. I answered, And then it is the death. I felt meaningless just according to this life style. After I read a book named The Sorrows of Young, I felt more and more empty. So I drunk and smoked more than before. Everybody is living in the same style, a circulation of studying, working, marriage and death. No meaning, no purpose, no dream. Goethe s book caused a lot of young people to commit suicide. However, I did not follow those who chose the death. I began to consider what the death is. As I was a senior student, I heard gospel and believed in Jesus. I became interested in the Christianity which was considered as a western religion. Especially a lot of football players whom I like are Christians. After I came to know that their moral life is different from non- Christian players, it was attracted by Christian faith and desired to be a Christian. Besides, the graduation pressure and meaningless daily life made me deeply considered that I indeed needed to live a religious life. Therefore I bravely entered church and then I encountered Jesus my Lord. After I graduated from the university, I moved to Beijing to work in java software development. Then I served as a member of a youth choir in Beijing Hai Dian Christian church. From that time, my spiritual life got to be strong and mature. I think that at that time God put the theological seed into my heart. Some months later, I met a Koran missionary and shared spiritual changing in my heart. He helped me a lot on my spiritual life like a father. He also taught me the Bible. Little by little, I became interested in the Bible. Especially, I was attracted 1

2 by the book of Ecclesiastes. I felt the book of Ecclesiastes totally describing my life, even the most people s life. Everything is meaningless; what does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecc.1:3; 9). These words touch my heart a lot and the phenomenon that the book describes is very real. I really wanted to know what the meaning of the book of Ecclesiastes is, even the whole Bible at that time. I had too many questions about the Bible, but I could not get a satisfied answer from the missionary or other Christians. My church always emphasizes a good moral life that we need; my spiritual teacher emphasizes an obedient life and to do QT daily; some of my Christian friends emphasizes that how to get the power of Holy Spirit. After one year, I told the missionary that I wanted to study theology. The missionary was very surprised and said to me, what is your purpose to study theology? I answered him, I want to know the truth. I want to study the Bible in details. He told me, You have to pray seriously. In fact, my original intention was not really to study theology, but just to evade my job. Nevertheless, I began to pray for my theological studying. Another one year later, the missionary went to Korea for attending a mission conference. He met a professor of Chinese Theological Seminary in Seoul and gave my contract information. When he came back to China, he told me about this Seminary in Seoul. However, I did not want to study theology at that time, because I just changed my job from small company to a foreign company. I could earn more money than before. I hesitated to give up my job at that time. So, I prayed to God: Father, I really want to know the truth; I know only the Bible is the truth, but I am not sure whether it is your calling. In fact, I am sure that my father will not allow me to go to Korean for studying theology, which got me much pressured. Heavenly father, please give three signs to me for proving that you have called me to study theology. After my praying, nothing happened. About two month later, the economic crisis erupted in Asia and spread across IT industry at The company decided mass layoffs. But I had never thought that I would be dismissed. Unfortunately, I was dismissed at last. I was so depressed at that time. This was the first time that I was dismissed in my life. I opened the Bible, suddenly a sentence jumped into my eyes--- The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised (Job.1:21). I recalled my former praying. I know this was the first sign. God would close one door and open another. But still I was not sure whether it was God s calling. 2

3 Two days before being dismissed, the missionary went to Kun Ming and visited my family. He shared gospel to my father. On that day, my father decided to accept the gospel. It s amazing that a firm atheist has accepted Jesus Christ. I knew God answered my prayer. When I moved to Beijing, I had been praying for my family. Therefore, I wanted to try to talk about studying theology with my father. However, my father did not give the permission. I prayed to God, Lord, if my father does not allow me to go to Korea, I will have many pressures. But I do believe you are the Almighty God. If this is your calling, please change my father s mind. After two weeks, my father asked me about the studying in details and said to me, You are no longer a child, you are a mature man. You have the freedom to choose your future. In my opinion, I suggest you not go to Korea for studying theology. Nevertheless, you decided your future by yourself. At that time, I knew that God answered the second sign. So I decided to apply for the seminary. One day, I went to church, a pastor was preaching about the book of Esther. The pastor claimed, God has prepared a time for fulfilling his intention by you. This time is for you. If you don t do it, you will lose your worth. In fact, I knew the pastor s sermon was for encouraging his church members to share the gospel. But for me, I knew God encouraged me to go to Korea. This was the third sign. So, I was sure that God has called me. Therefore, I applied for the seminary. Then I got the offer and the visa.. Everything went smoothly because God opened a new way for my life. At that time I worried about nothing, because I experienced a living God. He is faithful. He will take care of my life in Korea. When I arrived in Korea, everything was fresh. I was curious about Korea. My first impression about Korean was her church. I was surprised that there were so many churches in Korean. On average, there is one church per kilometer. Red crosses are everywhere. This phenomenon is impossible in China. At least now it is impossible. My second impression about Korea was that Korean ladies are really as beautiful as in the Korean drama. But Korean men are not as romantic as in Korean drama. Since I have seen the cross, I do believe that Korea is a country full of God s blessings in this world. Korean culture is very similar to China, so it is not difficult to adapt to Korea life for me. Korea language has lots of honorific. Words differ depending on whom you are speaking with. It is a good system of culture. I think it inherits Confucianism. Thus, I discovered Korean Christian respected and obeyed their pastors very much. So Church could form a good order in this culture. Korean dramas attract many young people. Dramas include a wide range of stories, 3

4 but the most prominent among the export dramas is about romance. I like Winter Sonata, Stairway to Heaven and so on. Because I watch Korean drama, I am becoming more and more romantic. Therefore, I found my rib (my girlfriend) when I was studying in M.Div. program. Korean drama helped me to get my love. The pace of life in Korea is very fast, people always say, 빨리, 빨리. Everything is 빨리, 빨리. I don t like this life style. I like 천천히. Most of Koran people are pride, they look down upon the people in developing countries. Korea is a developed country, but it should not be a worth of pride. Anyway, I admire Korean people for creating The Miracle on the Han River. To me, however, the greatest challenge is not Korean food, but Korean language. Before coming to Korea, I haven t studied Korean. So, if I want to buy something, I could not do it by myself. I have to ask others for help. In my first year in Koran, I almost all the time stayed in my seminary. So I suggest the seminary open the Korean course with high quality for foreigners. It is very important for mission ministry. The quality of Korean theology is highest in Asia. Korea has many good theologians. They have written many good books in Korean. If we can t read Korean language, we will lose a lot of precious sources. However, foreigners who are from the developing countries have not much money, so they can t go to the language school to study as a secular student. I do believe that in the future Chinese Churches will be depending on the healthy theological education and need nurture the new generation in seminaries. The old generation will pass away; the new generation will go into the land of promise. It is very important to nurture Chinese young people. Actually, Chinese churches need not train many missionaries, but need badly train good theologians. I do believe that a good pastor must be a good theologian. It is the very reason that I am willing to continue studying theology. Indeed this dream inspires me continually, just as I desired to study theology before. I believe that the lord Himself puts this beautiful and wonderful vision into my burnt heart for His kingdom. My original intention never changes; I really want to seek for the truth. For the vision, I want a further study after my TH.M. I wish I can go to United States to study for PH.D degree. I wish I can become a good pastor and a good professor for that establishes Chinese churches. So this is my dream and my pray request as well. 4

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