[New York] Preaching the Gospel to All Social Standings (September 12, 2012)

North America, the Door of Gospel Widely Opened – New York World Camp News

Preaching the Gospel to All Social Standings

This New York World Camp took was at Mahanaim. “The World Camp is not a one-time event. Let us prepare for the next 10 years. If we have it 10 times, wouldn’t people come at least once?” With such heart, Korean brothers and sisters as center, we prepared the World Camp, running on their feet, and got many companies as sponsors. More than anything, we could preach the gospel to various groups of people as the World Camp progressed with active participations of the neighbors.

Preaching the Gospel to the Personages Such great people came for the Special Lecture at the World Camp. Susan Francia, 2-time Olympic Champion (Gold Medalist at rowing from 2008 and 2012 Olympics), Kelly Wright, FOX news reporter, Steve Lavin, a head basketball coach at St. John’s University, and Congressman Jaekyung Kim from Korea were the speakers for the lecture. Among them, the Fox news reporter and the basketball coach of St. John’s University heard the gospel and received salvation.

FOX news is one of channels with great importance in the United States. There is a sister who works for their internet. One day, the news reporter, Kelly Wright had an internet issue; as she was helping him, she introduced him the World Camp and Pastor Ock Soo Park. He said that he would like to come, and that was how he came. Kelly Wright is a very prominent reporter who was awarded the prestigious Emmy Awards twice – Emmy Award is the best Television production award in America. Originally he didn’t come for the Special Lecture, but as he attended the Camp all day long, he heard the gospel from Pastor Ock Soo Park and received salvation. He went back after the Cantata in the evening; he said that he had been to Kenya GBS broadcasting station when he went to Kenya in 2009. He was really surprised when we told him that we were running the broadcasting station.

In the United States, college basketball is very active and popular. Steve Lavin, who previously served at UCLA, a prestigious team in the West, and currently is a head basketball coach at St. John’s, came as the guest for the lecture and received salvation through a fellowship with Pastor Ock Soo Park. He had also been a coach for Samsung in Korea.

The Academy with the Volunteers from New York City For the Academy, a very important program in the World Camp, we invited professionals for each class. With the professionals working in the field, we prepared the each Academy can be substantially helpful to the students – so they could apply what they learned to their lives. When choosing volunteers for the World Camp, we did not only recruit students but also the adult volunteers so they can contribute their talents and participate. Last year, the number of adult volunteers was lower because not many of them were aware, but this year many have volunteered and helped the camp. Even the local newspapers published many articles concerning the World Camp.

Preaching the Gospel to the Korean War Veterans Through an unexpected encounter, we could invite the president of Korean War Veterans Association in Long Island along with 10 other veterans. Just like the short-term missionaries cannot forget the countries they had been, the veterans still remembered in their hearts the country they had protected with their lives. They were proud of Korea being well and develop; they even said that they buy products from Korea. Thought only Koreans are patriotic, but we could feel the heart of love toward Korea from the veterans. They also came for the Cantata. We are planning to continue to keep in contact and preach the gospel.

Preaching the Gospel to Hispanic Pastors About 20 pastors attended the Hispanic Pastors’ meeting. One of them was from Nashville, Tennessee which is 3 hours from Atlanta that is 12 hours from New York. Atlanta Church went witnessing and met him, and he already knew Pastor Ock Soo Park. He had heard Pastor Ock Soo Park’s sermon on Enlase Channel and was impressed that the Pastor was not just ordinary. When he heard that Pastor Ock Soo Park was coming to New York, though it is not so easy, he drove 12 hours with 10 of his church students and attended the World Camp. He was overwhelmed as he had a fellowship in person with Pastor Ock Soo Park. He asked us to visit his church during the Cantata Tour in the States. He was a pastor of a church with more than 1,000 members and was in charge of 15 churches in the region. Though he was a pastor of a big church, he humbly received the words into his heart.

Music Concert with the Neighbors For the second Christmas Cantata about 400 neighbors came to see. One of them was who sent his son to the World Camp after invited by a sister. He saw how her son was being changed during the World Camp so he came for the Cantata. His heart was opened through the Cantata; he said that he is a certified plumber (plumber is one of highly professional occupations in the States) and that he would like to help with plumbing if given a chance.

Happy World Camp, Students and Teachers Together

Among the last year participants, there were about 40 students from a church in Winnipeg, Canada to where Missionary Kim Jihun went on no-money witnessing trip last year. Though it was a difficult time, with the faith that God who has raised the man with infirmity for 38 years would have prepared students for the World Camp, the missionary invited them, and 40 of them came. These students were 2nd generation Native Americans. Having lived life without order, the students were hard to be in control last year. It was unimaginable for them to wake up 5:30 in the morning. This time 60 of them attended the camp; they were much more adaptive to the programs than the ones last year, and they listened to the words well – about 10 of them received salvation. Some students also questioned if they were to live a difficult life, waking up early in the morning and following the rules, in order to believe in God, but most of them were happy and said that they would like to come back next year. Pastor Ock Soo Park told them to see each other again next year and complimented the students who followed the camp well.

The rest of the students enjoyed very much as they listened to the words. The teachers were lacking in many aspects, but as they preach the gospel, their hearts revived. They were strengthened as they experienced God saving the students.

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Through San Diego, Mexico City, and New York World Camp, God opened the way for so many people to hear the gospel and receive salvation. In the West, they have had 5 English Camps, recruiting volunteers. The volunteers who were connected through the English Camps attended this world camp; they got closer to us, and some also received salvation.

In Mexico, most of the students who have been coming to the Academy regularly attended the World Camp, volunteering and helping. The World Camp has been the fruit of the past activities.

– God allowed the helping hand for getting the venue for the San Diego World Camp, the weather during the Mexico World Camp, etc. – There were 3 VIP receptions: after the opening ceremony of Mexico World Camp, outdoor concert at Zocalo Plaza, and Cantata. We could preach the gospel to about 30 VIPs including a deputy of mayor and vice president of UNESCO. At each table, missionaries sat with the VIPs and preached the gospel in detail. – “God had a special grace on me to save me; that is how I came to attend.” (A deputy of Mexico City Major, Alverto Esteva) – During the Mexico World Camp, we had time to meet up with 13 pastors. We could preach the gospel, and they all assured salvation. – On the 4th day, the Cantata was held at Zocalo Plaza with about 20,000 people, as a sequel to the outdoor concert.

Wherever the World Camp is held, there has been the works of preaching the gospel and receiving salvation. Various activities and the faith of sowing the seeds of gospel till the due time were the foundation of such works.

This year’s World Camp made us hopeful to see what sort of works of Gospel will take place in the next year World Camp here.