Today, like every other day, the Golden Gate Bridge, a beautiful vermillion bridge, opens its doors to the entrance of the San Francisco Bay, through a dense fog over the Pacific Ocean. San Francisco, located in western California, has achieved remarkable growth since a gold vein was discovered here 150 years ago. From this historical background came the name Golden Gate Bridge, which is a symbol of San Francisco.

By the way, there is another Golden Gate here in San Francisco as well. It is the Church of God that shines the light of the glory of God Elohim and opens its doors wide to the entrance to the kingdom of heaven, breaking the spiritual darkness which has covered the whole city. I truly give thanks to Father and Mother for allowing me to achieve the gracious work together with my precious brothers and sisters in the San Francisco Church, which is filled with the love of God Elohim.


The Gospel Work Is Achieved Through Can-Do Spirit

When I first arrived in San Francisco with a strong determination one and a half years ago, the San Francisco Church, which had started as a house church, expanded and was carrying out the gospel work in a systematic way. However, things didn’t go smoothly at first because there were only a few members and most of them were new members who were weak in faith.

Around then, the Jerusalem Preaching Festival was being actively held throughout the world. The San Francisco Zion also wanted to participate in the joy of the festival, but the brothers and sisters looked somewhat doubtful. They said, “People here are so proud that they wouldn’t even listen to the truth about the Sabbath or the Passover. We are not sure if they will show interest and listen to us if we preach the truth about Heavenly Mother.” They were caught up in “Can’t Do” thoughts from their preaching experiences.

Being very anxious and frustrated, I asked God for wisdom, praying earnestly that all the brothers and sisters would arise together and shine the glory of Jerusalem. While doing so, I came to know that they were still somewhat lacking in the ability to teach God’s word. From that time, I reminded them that the workers of the gospel should possess the ability to teach the Word, and asked them to put on the full armor of God’s word. I myself, too, tried to become a good example to them, just as Mother always sets an example for us. Even though I was not good at speaking English and the American culture was still unfamiliar to me, I boldly went out and preached Jerusalem Mother, believing that God was with me.

Then, to my surprise, God fulfilled a miraculous work, which was something that the San Francisco Zion had never experienced before. The people, who had stubbornly rejected the truth, stopped and gave ear to the good news about Heavenly Mother, and they rushed to Zion to become children of Mother. Whenever we proclaimed the glory of Jerusalem, a new life was born. At this, the brothers and sisters were very surprised.

‘Wow, there are really people who give ear to the Word. They listen to us as we preach Heavenly Mother.’

It became a turning point for them; they began to wake up one after another. Breaking out of “Can’t Do” thoughts, they came to have a “Can-Do” confidence. All the brothers and sisters arose together and participated in the Jerusalem Preaching Festival. They enjoyed the joy of bearing fruit to the fullest, which they had not been able to experience before. Being clothed with the power of God’s word and teaching the words they learned, they bore fruit abundantly. While receiving so much blessing from God, they continued to grow as the faithful gospel workers.

Now, nobody says, “I can’t do it,” or, “That’s impossible.” God has moved the hearts of brothers and sisters, so that they themselves may understand, study and preach. They are always ready to ‘study when they sit, and preach when they stand up.’ With the only desire to please God by saving a soul, they preach Mother boldly and confidently, anytime, anywhere.


A Thousand Hearings About Mother’s Love Are not Worth One Seeing of Her

There are many different races of people in the San Francisco Church. So, at first it wasn’t easy for us to put our minds together. Most of them were accustomed to a free and individualistic lifestyle and culture of the West, so they could not easily accept the culture of Zion.

In this difficult situation, there was one thing that enabled us to become one. That was preaching. Saving souls was something that we could achieve when we had one mind and spoke with one voice. While trying to bear fruit, we naturally changed for the better, and while sharing difficulties together, we came to pray for one another. As we focused on preaching, we gradually became one.

There was a decisive turning point that changed the brothers and sisters. As a Korean saying goes, “A thousand hearings are not worth one seeing.” There is a saying that is similar in America as well: “Seeing is Believing” Heavenly Mother is the One whom all the members of Zion throughout the world, including the brothers and sisters in San Francisco, long to see face-to-face and feel in their hearts. A thousand hearings about Mother’s love are not worth one seeing of Her.

Brothers and sisters in the San Francisco Zion flew into the arms of Heavenly Jerusalem one after another, as prophesied in the Bible. When they returned from Korea after witnessing and experiencing the love of Mother personally, they all shed tears and said:

“Now I’ve come to realize Mother, whom I just knew through the Bible. I saw how much She loved me and sacrificed for me. As Mother has showed so much love and sacrifice for me, I should do the same. The only way to repay Mother for Her grace is to preach Her love to people.”

After visiting Korea, they changed both physically and spiritually, resembling Mother in Her love, and they became a good example to others. They approached brothers and sisters first and served them, while humbling themselves. As they put into practice the love and sacrifice that Mother Herself showed them, the atmosphere of Zion began to change quickly.

A brother, who was so shy that he wouldn’t even talk to others or eat together with them, changed completely after he visited Korea. He said he should find the lost brothers and sisters as soon as he returned from Korea, and even approached strangers first and preached Heavenly Mother to them. A young adult took a mission trip by himself; he visited his relatives who were living in different regions of America and preached the truth to them. Thus, all the members put their minds together to preach the gospel. Even the new members accumulated blessings by participating in preaching together, saying they should also preach the Word since they realized the truth.

This was something that we, humans, had not been able to achieve through our own efforts for a long time. However, Mother achieved it within a very short time. Although we had different appearances, cultures and ways of thinking, Mother let us all become united together as members of the heavenly family. Mother was the key to everything for us. Brothers and sisters were sharing the true love of the heavenly family with one another while preaching Mother, realizing Her love and practicing Her teachings.


Yearning for Mother

In Zion filled with love and passion, when I see our lost brothers and sisters coming back into the arms of Mother one after another every day, I become overwhelmed with emotion. It feels just like yesterday that I was so weak and feeble that I depended completely on Father and Mother with tears. Now I am very thankful for all those hard times. Because I was weak and had many difficulties, I was able to rely more completely on God, and as a result I was given more blessings.

So, now I have a strong conviction and motto—“Depend only on God,” clearly engraved in my heart. It is not only me, but the brothers and sisters also depend solely on Mother since they know that all the fruits they bear every day are a gift of the gospel from God. Wherever we go, there are surely our heavenly brothers and sisters who have been waiting for us. Unless God leads us to them, how can we find them?

Now, brothers and sisters desire to visit Korea in order to become the prophetic heroes, saying, “I will go, too.” They learn Korean to directly ask Mother for the blessings of the Holy Spirit or write a letter to Her by themselves.

All these efforts come from their yearning for Mother. They cry whenever they hear about Father and Mother. Even I, who often got to see Mother while in Korea, miss Her so much. How much more do they miss Mother? Their yearning for Mother is the strength that enables them to overcome all kinds of difficulties, and it also gives them the courage to find the members of the heavenly family. They seem to live only with the yearning for Mother.

However, Mother misses us and Her children who have not been found yet, much more than we miss Her—more than we can possibly imagine. Since I know this well, as the firstborn who received Mother’s love early, I earnestly want to put all my efforts into finding our lost brothers and sisters not only in San Francisco but also in all the other regions of America. Although our beginnings were small, I believe that God will make our future prosperous. With this belief, I will faithfully carry out my mission by finding the children of heaven who will purify the world like the three percent of salt that purifies the sea.

The San Francisco Church has just taken its steps toward the gospel, realizing the love of Father and Mother. As a toddler desperately needs his or her mother’s help, so do we need our Parents’ help. By depending on Father and Mother even more, we will spur ourselves to preach the gospel throughout the vast continent of North America. We will diligently build the bridge of life to heaven and plant the treasures of eternity in the hearts of many people, with the name of love called “Mother.” I miss You, Mother, and I love You.