[A Letter from Abroad] To Dr. Jaerock Lee Who Has Opened for Me a New Door
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7536 |
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September 10, 2007 |
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Deborah (16, Belgium) had attended church since childhood but without experiencing the living God, she befriended delinquents and ended up finding herself a hooligan and a gangster. After attending "The Message of the Cross: Camp Europe" held July 2-5, 2007, Deborah has come to fathom the true love of Our Lord, has been reborn, and sent a letter of gratitude to Dr. Jaerock Lee.
Going astray as a "hooligan" and a "gangster"
"A camp? That sounds fun!"
The message of the cross! Where has this kind of message been? "Lord, I will not repeat my past, never."
July 13, 2007
Dear Dr. Jaerock Lee,
I never attended any of the overseas crusades Dr. Jaerock Lee had conducted but had heard a great deal about him and the news of his ministry was a great source of encouragement and touched my heart deeply while I was going through difficult times. I had learned God's Word from the time I was very little but starting one day, my head was overcome by confusion and I ended up going astray from the right path. I had prayed to God every day but I was no longer able to pray and soon found myself listening and dancing to secular music that is like the tune of Satan. Associating myself in Brussels with "hooligans" and "gangsters," I dove deeper and deeper into the world. I ignored the urgings of my brother and sister and no longer bothered to keep God's commandments. I was not home much and indulged myself in such pleasures as secular music. There were times when I hated not being home but I had no other choice. Until I attended "The Message of the Cross: Camp Europe," hosted by Brussels Manmin Church in Switzerland with Dr. Esther K. Chung in early July this year, I was zealously pursuing the pleasures of the world. I was told that the camp would be a time for prayer, not fun. Still, I thought there would be some worldly pleasures to be had and thought that after listening to some lectures for 2 or so hours, I there would be time for "fun." Then I was shocked to learn that the site of the camp was on a remote mountain, that the camp would be without any worldly fun, and that only faithful brothers and sisters would be in attendance. After arriving at the camp site and dinner, I was unpacking in my room. When someone came into my room and said, "Come on! It's time for prayer!" all I could only muster was, "What? Already?" and follow the others reluctantly. At first, I was really uncomfortable with the prayer time and when Dr. Chung began her lectures, I could not have been more uninterested. As time passed, however, the messages became increasingly fascinating and I felt like I was hearing loud explosions going off nearby. As someone who had grown so accustomed to worldly pleasures, I became utterly confused. My mind had always been filled with negative thoughts and I no longer had any desire to live this disgusting life. That is why I had even denied the Lord who had given me everything and extended my life day after day. The Word of God was very touching and I came to realize that I could no longer live the way I had lived in the past; I realized that all the things I had done were great sins and evil to the One who had given up His life for a mere creature like me, and I repented of them in tears. "The Message of the Cross: Camp Europe" turned my life upside down. Today, I no longer have any delinquent or "gangster" friends. That is because I no longer live a worldly life and am no longer a child of Satan but a child of God. In me is the family in Christ and God whom I serve. As I feel His constant presence, the patterns of my thoughts have also changed.
The mission team from Korea I was able to meet at the camp was filled with joy, emanated the aroma of Christ that showed their sincere faith in God, and was of tremendous help to my spiritual growth. The Deborah before the transformation would have been stubborn and corrupt that even after attending the camp, I would have so easily ridiculed and made fun of such people. Yet, I have changed and I am testifying to that to every one I meet. On account of my old habits, there are still things for which I still must receive God's answers and those things continue to make my life uneasy. I will not, however, tread the same path again. I rejoice in God and I will drive out all negative thoughts remaining by the name of Jesus Christ. That will be done by God's power and it will strengthen me even further. Dr. Jaerock Lee, I am thankful for having learned about the grace of God and about who He is. I am also grateful for God's grace by which my eyes have been opened. I also thank God's faithful mission team from Korea for bringing back laughter to my life.
Deborah Dubrecq
Brussels Manmin Holiness Church
*Hooligan: Originated in the United Kingdom, this term used to refer to delinquents or juvenile vagrants but the meaning has changed over the years to signify those who display disorderly behavior at soccer (football) games. A "hooligan" was usually reserved for a fanatical soccer fan in England but today is used to signify troublesome soccer fans in different countries.
*Gang: The word originally referred to a "group" of such people as slaves, criminals, and day laborers but is today used to refer to groups of criminals. A "gangster" is a member of a gang.
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