ⓒ 2010 WATV

This is Phoenix, the capital city of the U.S. state of Arizona, located in the southwestern region of the United States. Since Phoenix is a city built on the desert, it is known for its hot weather. Even when autumn comes, it is stuffy almost to the point of being suffocating, which reminds me of Korea’s mid-summer heat and humidity. Amazingly, however, the city is heating up even more. It is because the members of the Phoenix Church, who are armed with the frontier spirit of the prophets, are radiating their burning enthusiasm for the gospel every day.

The spring of the water of life wells up in the arid desert

I carried out the gospel work in the Los Angeles Church in obedience to the will of Elohim, and in 2007 I came here with the mission to fulfill the gospel in Phoenix. At that time, Deacon Malon’s family from San Diego was preparing the ground for the gospel. As soon as we met, we embraced each other with delight; since there were only our two families in that vast area, the joy of our reunion was beyond words.

A large and spacious temple, an established system of the gospel, many gospel workers, and the members filling Zion . . . I had taken all of these blessings for granted until I arrived in Phoenix. Phoenix was like an arid and desolate desert both physically and spiritually, and it awakened my spiritual senses. In these circumstances, the only thing I thought about was preaching the gospel as quickly as possible. It means that God gave me the circumstances where I could devote myself only to the gospel work and helped me go back to my first love. Putting our minds together, we started to knock on the doors of people’s minds in Phoenix.

The United States was founded on Christianity. Probably because of that, most Americans are very proud of their faith, and there are also many conservative minded people. This situation made it hard for them to receive the truth of the new covenant that we Asians delivered.

However, we firmly believed that it would surely be done according to God’s words, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Mt 24:14). Above all, we have the best truth through which we can open the doors to people’s souls, so the gospel in Phoenix can never fail.

“Have you ever heard about Heavenly Mother?”
Even the people, who kept insisting on their own opinions and views one-sidedly using all their knowledge of the Bible, became speechless when we asked them that question.

A young man told us later that when we said we wanted to deliver the good news to him, he doubted at first: ‘How can these people teach me the Bible?’ Since he had known Korea as one of Buddhist countries in Asia, he was probably confident that he knew the Bible better than us. However, he was very surprised to hear the truth and came to Heavenly Mother right away. Truly, Heavenly Mother is the master key of the gospel and the secret of salvation hidden from eternity.

The state’s name “Arizona” comes from the Indian word “Arizonac” meaning “place of the small spring.” Finally, the spring of living water is welling up in Phoenix, Arizona, too. The water of life coming out from Heavenly Mother flows continuously, drenching thirsty souls and blooming the flower of life in a bleak desert.

Mother, the Love that they have never seen, heard or conceived

“Individualism” is one of the characteristics of Western culture. In fact, most Americans go back to their homes after work to have their own time. They do not want to be interrupted by others, nor do they stick their noses in other people’s businesses. However, I don’t think that they have chosen themselves to live that kind of life because they like it, but that they have no choice because they have only observed the individualistic culture while growing up.

Everyone wants to be loved. Who on earth would hate to receive heartfelt concern and consideration? Since they haven’t received that kind of love, they are just living such an empty life in their own world. Even though they want to fill their empty hearts, they do not know how. Now, these weary souls get the answer in Zion: That is the eternal love of Heavenly Mother.

The gentle love of Mother, who always serves and takes care of each and every one of us, comforting our hearts! The members receive the great love they have never seen, heard or conceived, and enjoy the spiritual richness in Zion every day. Moreover, following the example of Mother’s love, they are considerate of each other and take care of one another as well as sharing their love.

So, those who come to Zion for the first time are moved not only by the words of truth but also by the cordial atmosphere of Zion which they have never experienced before. That’s because they feel the love of Mother, which exists solely in Zion and can never be experienced anywhere else in the world. This love of Mother is the driving force of the gospel in Phoenix.

There are so many Protestant churches in Phoenix. It seems that all sects of Christianity are gathered here together. Even in this situation, many souls are continuously coming to Zion because it is the cozy nest full of Mother’s love and the only place of salvation.

ⓒ 2010 WATV

The members of the Phoenix Church are very proud of the truth and Heavenly Mother. Each and every one of them has sincere and firm faith. They also have a great yearning for Mother, and many of them have had the opportunity to visit Korea. After seeing Mother with their own eyes, whom they realized through the Bible, and experiencing Her love personally, they came back with a more mature faith. They are eager to follow the example of Mother’s sacrifice, so they try to take care of one another wholeheartedly, complimenting each other. While doing so, we are becoming one in Zion, even though we look different and have different ways of thinking.

Reclaiming the gospel in America with the indomitable frontier spirit

As I said before, the weather in Phoenix is very hot. In summer, the mercury goes up to 45°C [113 °F]. Of course, people who are inside the buildings equipped with air conditioners have no problem, but the outside is totally different. Despite that, the members of the Phoenix Church never stop preaching the gospel, walking under the scorching sun, with an ardent desire to find our lost brothers and sisters. The sweltering heat of the sun is not a problem to them at all, who are radiating their burning enthusiasm for the gospel. Now their fervor goes beyond Phoenix and is spreading to the uncultivated lands for the gospel.

Last November, some of our members went on a short-term mission trip to New Orleans in Louisiana, which is 25 hours away from Phoenix by car. New Orleans is the hometown of Brother Jonathan; it was hit by the super hurricane Katrina a few years ago. In a short period of time, God allowed us to find precious souls there every day. Now there are many souls who are eagerly waiting for the good news of salvation, longing to study the Bible. So we’re preparing to plant the banner of Zion also in New Orleans while earnestly praying to Mother. The state of Louisiana is still trying to recover from Katrina. I earnestly hope that people there will be healed both physically and spiritually and come to salvation.

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ ” (Ro 10:14-15)

Amen! How can people hear this gospel without someone preaching to them? The Phoenix Church was also established through the members of the San Diego Church, who came here to carry out the short-term mission. Depending only on Mother, they reclaimed this barren land where the light of the gospel had not been shown at all.

However, it is not really easy to cultivate the barren land of the gospel; we need to give up all the familiar and comfortable things that we have enjoyed and submit to unfamiliar and uncomfortable surroundings. Moreover, living in another state in America is as hard as changing their nationality. However, it doesn’t matter to the Zion members; many of them are widening the territory of the gospel by sowing the seed of God’s word with an indomitable spirit.

In fact, it was the frontier spirit of Americans that enabled the United States to become a strong nation within a short period of time after it was founded. It is the same with the gospel of the new covenant; it is spreading so rapidly because Heavenly Father and Mother have personally come and cultivated this barren world. The members who have inherited this frontier spirit both physically and spiritually are continuously running to every region in America, without just staying in the present.

White clouds floating lightly in the endless blue sky, the sunset tinged with red like a picture, and the Phoenix Church members being together under the beautiful sky in Phoenix! Whenever I see the members who have been led to the truth one after another according to the prophecies of the Bible, I give thanks to God and feel how precious each and every member is.

“Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the LORD Almighty and to entreat him” (Zec 8:22).

I always read this prophecy and believed it. However, only after seeing the prophecy being amazingly fulfilled before my very eyes can I feel the power of God. Though our beginning was humble, the gospel in Phoenix has now become prosperous, so the temple which God granted us in 2009 has already become small for us.

In the hopeful year 2010, we will preach the gospel more fervently, so that Zion will be established throughout Phoenix, in all the cities of Arizona and in the state of Louisiana as well. Believing the prophecies absolutely, we will quickly accomplish the gospel in North America by spreading the love of Mother with the indomitable frontier spirit.