_Do you remember when you first went to Manaus?
“When I was first called to go to Brazil, I was really happy. Since this is a prophetic age, I used to always think that I should go overseas to preach the gospel according to the prophecy. However, Manaus was a place which I had never imagined going to, so I was somewhat worried. Manaus is the capital of the state of Amazonas, which probably reminds you of the Amazon jungle. Aside from the language problem, I had no information about Manaus, and I thought that when I went there, I would go preaching to a village in the jungle, where there are crocodiles and lions. However, when I arrived there, I saw that it was a city where people were living ordinary lives, like most other cities, even though it had a different climate and culture. Of course, we could only see animals in the zoo. The weather was hot as I had expected it would be. Since Manaus is located near the equator, the average temperature of the city is 33 degrees Celsius. When it rains, the weather is a bit cool, but sometimes the temperature goes up to 40 degrees C. The hottest temperature I have ever experienced in Manaus was 49 degrees C. However, I think that there is a problem or difficulty caused by the temperature— whether it is hot or cold—in any country in the world.”

_How much had the gospel progressed when you arrived in Manaus?

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“When I first went to Manaus in December, 2008, Zion had already been built in Sao Paulo, Manaus, Brasilia, Salvador, and Curitiba. The gospel work in Brazil had just started in earnest. The Manaus Church looked very small both inwardly and outwardly. The Church was too weak to be said to have been built on the solid foundation of the rock. In February, 2010, God started to send the short-term and long-term mission teams to Manaus, so we could carry out the gospel work vigorously from then on.”

_You mean it took about a year for the gospel to start to be spread actively in Manaus. What kind of difficulty did you go through?
“It seems that when we start something, there are always difficulties in the early stages. In Brazil there is a variety of Christian denominations and most of them are very large in size. Zion seems relatively small compared to those churches. So, even the members called Zion ‘your Church’ or ‘Korean Church’ as if it had nothing to do with them. In actuality, however, there was a fundamental inner problem. I found out later that the members had thought in their hearts, ‘The missionary will leave us anytime.’ Although I visited them frequently to deliver the Word and to have a heart-to-heart talk with them, they would not easily open their minds. It made me think a lot about Father.”

_In the hot weather, you probably felt worn out both physically and spiritually because of those who had not opened their minds for a long time.
“I should not be exhausted; for there were many things I had to do continuously. If I felt tired, it was because the members did not realize God’s love no matter how much I tried to deliver it to them. However, it was also a result of my excessive desire; I was always expecting something in return, thinking to myself, ‘I’ve been continuously preaching God’s word to them, and I’ve also been giving them love. Although I’ve done so much for them, why don’t they understand me . . .?’ However, if I think of Father and Mother, I cannot and must not think that way. No matter what kind of suffering Father went through, He endured to the end. No matter how slow His children were in understanding, He did not give up on them and continued to teach them. Mother also teaches Her children the same thing over and over again—even hundreds of times, because they cannot understand it, but She never rebukes them for that. Although She must have been much more tired than us, She is working without rest until now. I believe that Mother has personally set us an example of patient endurance because the best way to accomplish the gospel is to preach continuously, enduring patiently till the end, although we feel frustrated and distressed. Of course, I have to follow that way. I kept teaching the members, and if they did not understand, I started again from the beginning. Then I came to feel that the members were gradually able to discern the truth. When their faith had become strengthened to some degree, a short-term mission team from Korea came to Manaus. From that time on, we started to bear good fruit. As a result, the barn of Zion was broadened and the members also awoke completely.”

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_I wonder what infl uence the short-term mission team had on the members.
“It was a very special turning point for them. As I told you earlier, the weather in Manaus is really hot. Because of the hot weather, I started to worry when I first heard that a short-term mission team would come from Korea. It was so hot that even the local members, who joined the short-term mission team to help them, had a hard time dealing with the hot weather. Despite the extreme heat, the short-term mission team preached the gospel so fervently, even extending their stay. There are many existing big churches around Zion, so we can see many Christians from Korea and other countries visit those churches. Most of them visit just to experience the culture of Brazil. So, it must have been a surprise to the members when they saw the short-term mission team preaching so eagerly. Now, some Korean brothers and sisters are on a long-term mission trip to Manaus. They are preaching the gospel without rest, always giving thanks to God, although they are sweating profusely. So, our members in Manaus cannot help but be moved by them. Among the long-term mission team members, there are young people and also male adults older in age. They came all the way to Manaus to preach the gospel. Seeing them work hard until late at night for the gospel while going through all kinds of hardships in the far-off land, the local members clearly realized this: ‘They came here for me—to save a soul like me, not to help expand the Church outwardly.’ They became convinced that the Church of God is the true Church. More than anything else, they felt an abundance of Mother’s love. They came to understand this: ‘Mother loves us so much that She never forgets us and has sent us the mission teams from Korea.’ They used to feel worried, thinking, ‘The missionary will leave us,’ but their worry completely disappeared. Since that time, they have all been very eager for the gospel, loving Zion so much and always calling it ‘our Church.’ ”

_Brazil is dominated by religion—especially by Catholicism. You’ve said that there are many churches around Zion. It means that you have many difficulties in finding the lost brothers and sisters there.
“Yes, I do. There are numerous false churches, and many people are chained to them. So we cannot help but always pray earnestly to find our lost heavenly family members. Actually, because of the infl uence of Africans who were once sent to Brazil as slaves, Brazil has a mixture of religions—indigenous African religions, Catholicism, and Christianity. Most people seek miraculous signs and physical blessings. Unless they see those things in their church, they simply go to another church. Among them, we have to find our heavenly family members. Of course, there are also miracles in the truth, but what is important is to have sincere faith in God’s word. We had to find God’s children who would follow the words of God absolutely without wavering because of the atmosphere or visible things. There are surely such sincere people. The members who dwell in Zion now are all those faithful children of God. We must preach the gospel more diligently and quickly to everyone.”

_Some members from the Manaus Church joined the 52nd Overseas Visiting Group, and they returned after receiving the blessings of the Holy Spirit abundantly from Mother. How did you feel when you saw them during their stay in Korea?
“Last November, a sister from the Manaus Church visited Korea—she was the first person among the members of the Manaus Zion to visit Korea. She returned with strong faith, and became a great gospel worker to guide the souls of other members. Even now, while my wife and I are absent from Zion, she is probably taking care of the members. Although she knew Mother only through the Bible, her mind toward Mother has turned into absolute faith in Mother since she met Her in person and experienced Her love directly. It is the same with the members who visited Korea this time. I believe that they’ve been able to become good gospel workers to carry out the gospel work with firm faith, because they followed the prophecy that people from all nations would fly into the arms of Jerusalem.”

_I think you felt many things while staying with the overseas members.
“I’ve heard how Mother takes care of hundreds of Her children from overseas whenever a visiting group comes to Korea, but this was the first time I saw it with my own eyes. Mother truly served the members all the time. She took great care of even the little details, and took all Her children by the hand so that none of them would feel hurt. It is not really easy to do so. That is impossible for me. Surely Mother wants to take care of each and every one of Her children throughout the world and to give them Her love directly. However, She has entrusted that work to us. I believe that Mother has allowed me to join this visiting group in order to teach me what I have to do. Since I’ve seen and learned what Mother does, I, too, will do the same when I go back to Manaus.”

_Preaching the gospel overseas requires suffering and sacrifice. What do you think is the reason why we have to do it despite the suffering?
“Well . . . I think it is natural for us to do it. Since there are our lost heavenly family members, we should find them. Moreover, it is our obligation to carry out overseas mission in order to shorten the days of Mother’s suffering as quickly as possible.
Of course, we must be ready to suffer. In Manaus, I also had a hard time. However, now I only see hope. Being filled with the love of Mother, the members in Manaus are always talking about Mother and preaching Her. Although we look different outwardly, I feel that we are one family. From a wider perspective, I can feel that all the members of Zion throughout the world have become one. That’s because we all think of Mother and prepare for the kingdom of heaven together.”

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_You seem happy when you think of the Manaus Church and the members there. Do you feel that your efforts have been rewarded?
“The Church, which seemed like it would fall even by a breeze and be shattered quickly, has now grown up. Manaus is located in the northern part of Brazil, and it is isolated from the rest of Brazil—especially from the cities in southern Brazil where Zions are concentrated, although they are all cities in the same country. God has personally reclaimed the gospel in Manaus, which is a very isolated city in the far-off land of Brazil. For this, I myself am so happy, and I think God must be much more pleased.
God is now reclaiming the gospel in other parts of Brazil through the Manaus Church. Manaus is an economically rich city, where there are a lot of world-famous enterprises. Many people from other cities come to work in Manaus. Among them, there are some people who have heard the truth and understood it. They preach the truth to their family and relatives in their hometown. Since they have done that, a branch Church has now been established in Belem, the capital city of the state of Para. In the state of Roraima, located on Venezuela’s border with Brazil and Guyana, there are already some members who hold worship services together. I believe that a branch Church will soon be established there as well, if we earnestly ask God for it.
Brazil is such a large country with a vast land area, so it is not easy to walk around preaching the gospel. When I first came to Brazil, there were only five regions where Zion had been established, but now it has been built in twenty regions. This time, Zion will be established in three more regions; I was very surprised to hear that. The prophecies of the Bible are being fulfilled so quickly.”

_I can feel that the members have a strong sense of mission to preach the gospel to other regions.
“Yes, they are now fully committed to that mission. They always say that they have to go preaching the gospel here and there as well. I am truly thankful to God for that. I believe that they have clearly discerned this present time. Brazil was a relatively
peaceful country where it was rare to see natural disasters. Recently, however, there was an incredible amount of rainfall in southern Brazil, and an earthquake also occurred. Although Manaus was not directly influenced by the earthquake, all people in Manaus, including the members, came to feel a sense of crisis. Two years ago, the Amazon River dried up. It was perhaps the first time in history that the Amazon dried up. The members are eager to quickly preach the new covenant—the good news of salvation from disasters.”

_Brazil is a country of passion. I think that the passion has a great influence on the gospel as well.
“Yes, Brazilians are very passionate by nature. I believe that they will show their passion for the gospel, too; once they arise, they will be so enthusiastic about the gospel. Just as the gospel spread from Korea to all other parts of the world so rapidly, the fervor of the members in Brazil will heat up the entire region of Brazil with the fire of the Holy Spirit in a very short period of time. With a goal to establish Zion in each region of Manaus and in every state of Brazil, the members of the Manaus Church will all work hard together.”

_Is there anything else you would like to say before finishing the interview?
“Our dreams in faith will come true for sure. To those who have a dream of going overseas to preach, I want to say this: Please take a courageous step towards it. As for the members of the Manaus Church, at first they kept hesitating to visit Korea to see Mother because of various difficult situations. However, once they made up their mind and started to prepare to go to Korea, everything went smoothly, just as the water of the Jordan River was completely cut off once the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the covenant touched the water’s edge. If we keep in step with the prophecy, God will open all doors for us. When every prophecy is fulfilled, the gospel of the kingdom of heaven is accomplished.
Everyone lives while thinking about their future. Heaven is our true home, where our real life will begin. For the eternal things in heaven, I want all the members to participate in the completion of world evangelism, keeping in step with the prophecy, together with Mother. All we need to do is take a step forward without hesitation. Worrying really doesn’t achieve anything. When we follow the prophecy, God will accomplish everything for us. If we have a dream, we have to work on it. Dreams exist to be fulfilled.”