Serving God and expanding His kingdom has always been an essential part of my life. In 1890, my ancestors were evangelized by American missionaries in Korea. Since then, my relatives and family have emphasized the importance of religion. This story is just a little glimpse of how religion has helped me form my aspirations and accomplish my successes.
When I was four, my family moved from Korea to the United States where my father began studying at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. It was a big sacrifice for the whole family. My parents did not want to leave the stable, successful life they had built back in Korea, and I did not want to leave all my friends and childhood memories. Moving to America meant that we would have to start over. However, my father explained to me that we were moving so he could study and become a counselor. He and my mother encouraged me to be joyful, because we were doing God’s work to expand His kingdom.
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My father could not work outside of the school, because he was not a US citizen. Tuition was expensive, and he only received a minimum wage pay at his job as a custodian. Because of our financial difficulties, we had to crowd together in a cramped, one bedroom house to save money. We always struggled to make ends meet, and did not even have access to very basic things such as running hot water or even a heater/AC system. Despite all this, my parents still taught me to put others, especially the less fortunate, before myself. Although it was initially difficult to follow their advice, looking back now, I am glad they shared their wisdom with