무일푼 선교사 김동권 암 극복 간증, 기적의 10년 이야기
은혜로운 10년: 무일푼 선교사의 기적적인 암 극복 간증
무일푼 선교사의 기적적인 암 치료 경험 상세 정리: 은혜로운 10년의 여정
오늘, 우리는 김동권 선교사님의 놀라운 간증을 통해 삶의 깊은 의미와 믿음의 힘에 대해 함께 알아보고자 합니다. 김 선교사님은 선교사로서 헌신적인 삶을 살아가던 중, 암이라는 절망적인 진단을 받으셨습니다. 그것도 말기 암이었으니, 얼마나 힘든 시간이었을까요? 하지만 김 선교사님은 절망 속에서 하나님의 은혜를 발견하고, 기적적인 치유를 경험하셨다고 합니다. 이 이야기는 단순히 한 개인의 투병기를 넘어, 고난 속에서 희망을 잃지 않는 용기와 믿음의 중요성을 우리에게 깊이 알려주는 감동적인 여정입니다.
2011년, 김 선교사님은 갑작스러운 다리 부종을 느끼셨다고 합니다. 처음에는 대수롭지 않게 생각했지만, 부종은 점점 심해져 오른쪽 다리에서 왼쪽 다리로, 심지어 다리 전체로 퍼져 나갔습니다. 보통의 부종과는 달랐던 것이죠. 뭔가 심상치 않음을 느낀 김 선교사님은 병원을 찾아야 했지만, 당시 소속된 선교 단체가 없어 의료 보험이 없는 상황이었습니다. 미국에서 의료 보험 없이 병원에 간다는 것은 정말 큰 부담인데요, 김 선교사님 역시 망설이고, 또 망설였다고 합니다. 하지만 더 이상 참을 수 없을 만큼 상태가 악화되자, 어렵게 저렴한 클리닉을 찾아 MRI 검사를 받게 되었습니다.
MRI 검사 결과는 충격적이었습니다. 다리 부종의 원인이 임파선암일 가능성이 있다는 소견이 나온 것입니다. 임파선암, 즉 림프종은 혈액암의 일종으로, 당시 김 선교사님은 임파선암이 어떤 병인지조차 제대로 알지 못했다고 합니다. 더욱이 건강에는 자신 있었던 49세라는 젊은 나이에 암 진단이라니, 믿기지 않았을 겁니다. 하지만 현실은 냉혹했습니다. 추가 검사 결과, 임파선암은 확실했으며, 더욱 심각한 것은 말기라는 사실이었습니다. 49세, 인생의 황금기에 말기 암 진단이라니, 그 절망감은 감히 상상하기 어렵습니다.
설상가상으로, 임파선암 말기는 골수 전이 가능성이 매우 높다고 합니다. 담당 의사는 즉시 골수 검사를 권했고, 김 선교사님은 고통스러운 골수 검사를 받으셔야 했습니다. 골수 검사는 엉덩이 뼈에 바늘을 찔러 골수를 채취하는 검사로, 마취를 해도 극심한 통증이 따른다고 합니다. 결과를 기다리는 시간은 더욱 고통스러웠을 것입니다. 제발 골수까지 전이되지 않았기를 간절히 기도했지만, 불행히도 결과는 최악이었습니다. 골수까지 암이 전이된 상태였던 것입니다.
의사는 결과를 전하며 아내의 손을 잡았다고 합니다. 말없이 손을 잡는 행위는 어떤 말보다 더 강력한 메시지를 전달했습니다. 마음의 준비를 하라는 침묵의 메시지였던 것이죠. 침묵은 때로는 어떤 말보다 강력한 힘을 지닙니다. 결과를 듣는 순간, 김 선교사님은 물론이고 아내분 역시 큰 충격과 슬픔에 잠기셨을 겁니다. 중학교, 초등학교에 다니는 어린 세 자녀를 둔 상황에서, 가장으로서, 남편으로서 감당해야 할 책임감이 얼마나 무겁게 느껴졌을까요? 부모님께 먼저 떠나게 된다는 죄송함과, 홀로 남겨질 아내에 대한 걱정, 그리고 아직 어린 자녀들에 대한 안타까움 등 복잡한 감정이 김 선교사님을 짓눌렀을 것입니다.
절망적인 상황 속에서, 김 선교사님은 밤중에 갑자기 성경 말씀을 읽고 싶은 강렬한 갈망을 느끼셨다고 합니다. 어둠 속에서 한 줄기 빛을 발견한 것처럼, 말씀을 통해 위로와 소망을 얻고자 하셨던 것 같습니다. 성경을 읽던 중, 시편 118편 17절 말씀이 김 선교사님의 마음에 강렬하게 와 닿았습니다. "내가 죽지 않고 살아서 여호와께서 하시는 일을 선포하리로다" 라는 말씀은, 죽음의 문턱에 섰다고 생각했던 김 선교사님에게 살아날 수 있다는 강한 확신과 소망을 심어주었습니다. 절망의 순간, 말씀은 삶의 방향을 제시하는 등불과 같습니다.
다음 날, 김 선교사님은 항암 치료를 시작하셨습니다. 말씀을 통해 얻은 확신은 힘든 항암 치료 과정을 견디는 데 큰 힘이 되었습니다. 첫 항암 치료를 받던 날은 공교롭게도 김 선교사님의 생일이었는데, 생일 선물처럼 강력한 항암제가 투여되었다고 합니다. 밤새도록 항암제가 몸 속에서 작용하면서, 놀랍게도 붓Assigned Documents:
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Analysis Text:
Penniless Missionary's Miracle During Cancer Treatment ✨ㅣMissionary Kim Dong-kwonㅣBe Renewed
Script
Hello, this is Saeropki Suseo, Joo Young-hoon. Hello, this is Song. Hello, this is Lee Jeong-soo. Wouldn't the most earnest prayer come out when you feel like you're facing death in life? Today's guest is a missionary who received a cancer diagnosis while fulfilling his mission. Yes, at first, he thought of this time as 10 lost years, but looking back, he confesses that it was 10 years of grace. Yes, he came from far away to share that gracious word. Let's welcome Missionary Kim Dong-kwon. Welcome, please come in. Hello, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Yes, welcome, welcome. Yes, welcome. As I just introduced, you came from Seattle, originally. What kind of ministry are you doing in Seattle? Ah, right now, after my recovery, I'm not affiliated with any ministry, but I'm writing books and based on that, I'm doing lectures. Yes, I heard in the opening introduction that you were diagnosed with cancer, when and how did it develop? Yes, it was in 2011, exactly one year after I was preparing for another ministry, my leg started to swell. In early 2011, my leg swelled up, and I thought, "Well, maybe it'll go away." Usually, leg swelling comes and goes, right? But it didn't go down, and my leg kept getting bigger. It started in my right leg and spread to my left leg, and it didn't go away for over a month. So, I thought, "This is strange, something is wrong." I thought something was wrong, so I thought I should go to the hospital for a diagnosis, but at that time, we had given up our ministry and weren't affiliated with anything, so we didn't have health insurance. Actually, it's a bit of a burden, as you know, if you don't have health insurance in the US, it's really tough. So, I hesitated and endured it, but it got so bad that I couldn't stand it anymore. Somehow, I managed to get an MRI at a cheap clinic. I got an MRI, but since it was just a leg MRI, it couldn't give an accurate diagnosis, but even just looking at the leg MRI, the doctor said there was a possibility of lymphoma. Lymphoma, or lymph node cancer, as it's called. At that time, I didn't even know what lymphoma was. I didn't know it was blood cancer, and that cancer could develop in any lymph node in our body and spread. I had no idea. But they said there was a possibility of lymphoma. Hearing the word "cancer," I couldn't believe it at first. I was 49 years old at the time, and I had never been sick before. I thought I was very healthy and had nothing to do with cancer. But one day, my leg swelled up, and the MRI showed a high possibility of cancer. Hearing that, I felt very uneasy, right? My wife was worried, but I thought, "It can't be." But it wasn't something that couldn't be. When they said "cancer," and my leg was actually swollen, I realized something was wrong. So, they referred me to a bigger hospital. Even though I didn't have health insurance, the US has a lot of benefits for low-income people. So, I went there and had blood tests and ultrasound tests, but nothing abnormal was found. But when they did a CT scan, ah, after that, the hospital told me to go back to the doctor who referred me to hear the results. That's usually bad news, right? So, I went back, and the doctor was waiting for me. He told me the CT scan results, and it was confirmed to be lymphoma. It became a reality. Yes, and then they referred me to an even bigger hospital, the biggest hospital in downtown Seattle. I went there and had a biopsy. A biopsy is done to accurately identify the disease and its name. After the biopsy, they found out it was "Hodgkin's lymphoma," a precise name. Hodgkin's lymphoma. And it was stage 4 lymphoma, right? It had spread all over, stage 4. Yes, I received that diagnosis in 2011. Actually, 49 is the prime of life, the age when you should be doing the most. When you hear such a serious diagnosis at that age, how did you feel? Ah, as you know, when you receive a diagnosis like that, it's not easy to accept. Especially for me, who had been healthy all my life, and at 49, the prime of my life, when I was about to start a new ministry, receiving such news was very shocking. I felt resentment, and many complex thoughts went through my mind. But in such a difficult situation, you heard even more difficult news. What was that? When lymphoma reaches stage 4, it's very likely to metastasize to the bone marrow. So, my doctor immediately suggested a bone marrow test. I had a bone marrow test right away. It's a very painful test. They insert a needle into the bone and extract fluid from the bone marrow. It's a very painful process, even with anesthesia. Two nurses held me down. It was so painful when the needle went in. So, they collected the bone marrow, and I had to wait for the results. The next day, I went to see the doctor with my wife. I had a desperate hope that the cancer hadn't spread to the bone marrow. Just dealing with lymphoma was already overwhelming, but if it metastasized to the bone marrow, it would be even harder. So, I went to the hospital to receive the results. The doctor's office was on the 7th floor. When we opened the door and went in, his expression was already stiff. I thought, "This is not good news." When we went in, the doctor came to us without saying a word, but he didn't come to me. He came to my wife and took her right hand and held it tightly. He didn't say anything about the results, just held her hand. He was giving a silent message, right? Yes, he was telling us to prepare. Prepare our hearts. That silent message, I realized how powerful it was at that moment. He didn't say a word, but through his actions, he gave a silent message. Then, after some time, he sat down and explained the results one by one. It had spread, right? Yes, stage 4 lymphoma had metastasized to the bone marrow. He said the prognosis was very poor. Yes, at that moment, you must have thought a lot about your family. What about your children at that time? Yes, my children were in middle school. The oldest was in 9th grade, the second in 7th grade, and the youngest in 5th grade. The oldest, being 14 or 15 and going through puberty, was usually quiet, but he must have been stressed and expressing it in his own way. The school contacted us saying he was acting out at school. He was throwing things and getting into fights, which was not like him. So, we went to the school and explained our situation to the principal. The school counselors in the US are very good at handling these situations and provided good care. When you receive such a diagnosis, the faces of your family members must come to mind. And your parents too, right? Of course. I thought about my wife and children, and also my parents. My parents were still alive at that time, although they were old. The thought of me going before them was so painful. I felt like such an unfilial son. In Korean sentiment, when something happens to a child, it's more heartbreaking for the parents. That was very painful too. Very painful. And the thought of my wife having to raise the children alone. I had seen many wives in similar situations, and I knew it wouldn't be easy. Yes, and also the responsibility, I felt like I wasn't fulfilling my responsibility. Marriage is a responsibility, right? Not being able to fulfill that responsibility and leaving everything to my wife, that sense of guilt was very hard to bear. So, I heard that cancer patients not only struggle with chemotherapy but also with depression, fear of the future, and fear of death. Yes, fighting against those emotions is also very difficult. Of course. Unless you have a very strong mind, you can easily collapse in the fight against cancer. What kind of treatment did you receive after that? After finding out that the cancer had metastasized to the bone marrow, I was in despair. I came home, and I had no will to live. It was the middle of the night, and suddenly, I had a strong longing and thirst for the Word of God. It was like God was waking me up, asking, "Why are you in despair? Are you still alive?" It felt like He was rebuking me for being in despair. So, I got up in the middle of the night and started reading the Bible. A thirst and longing for the Word welled up in me, and I started reading the Bible from Genesis. I read through Psalms 117, 118, and when I read Psalm 118, my heart suddenly became very hot. I felt a thrill, and my heart was burning. When I read verse 17 of Psalm 118, I suddenly jumped up from my seat. I was shocked by that verse. What was that verse? "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done." Psalm 118:17. That verse struck me, giving me hope and confidence that I would not die but live. That night. And then the next day, I started chemotherapy. Because I had that confidence, I felt like I had already won the battle against cancer. With that conviction of victory, I started chemotherapy. The next day. Chemotherapy is known to be very harsh and difficult. Yes, it's done in cycles. Yes, so I was admitted to the hospital to receive my first chemotherapy treatment. That day was also my birthday. My 49th birthday. A very strong chemotherapy drug was prepared as a birthday present. After all the basic tests, I received the chemotherapy infusion in the evening. Because my leg was swollen, the nurse put on a stocking for me. A compression stocking, because my leg was so swollen. So, I put on the stocking and received the chemotherapy infusion in the evening. And amazingly, the chemotherapy drug worked very well overnight. I started sweating, and my body was getting hot. And by dawn, my leg had become normal. Right then and there. In just a few hours, it had an effect. Wow, that's amazing. So, in the morning, the nurse who put on the stocking came in and was shocked. When she put it on a few hours earlier, my leg was so swollen, but now it was back to normal. In just a few hours after chemotherapy. She was so surprised. And in the morning, when the doctors made their rounds, they were also very surprised. Wow, they kept saying "amazing" and "miraculous" in English. That's how I started my treatment. Yes, how many rounds of chemotherapy did you have in total? Eight rounds. Eight rounds is a lot. Originally, it was planned for six rounds. I thought six rounds would be enough to recover completely because I saw the effect in the first chemotherapy treatment. Every time I had chemotherapy, it seemed to be working. Chemotherapy was done every three weeks. After four rounds of chemotherapy, they did a CT scan and blood tests, and the bone marrow was clear. The cancer in the bone marrow had disappeared. The doctor was very excited, and so was I, of course. We thought if I just completed the planned six rounds, I would be completely cured. So, I endured the very difficult chemotherapy with hope. Then you completed eight rounds of treatment. But you thought six rounds would be enough. Yes, after six rounds, I had tests, and there was still some cancer remaining. A small amount. So, they added two more rounds. Two more rounds. And that was tough. I thought it would be over in six rounds because chemotherapy is so hard, with so many side effects. Nausea, yes, and hair loss. I lost all my hair at that time. And constipation, diarrhea, all sorts of side effects. Fatigue, loss of appetite, etc. But I had hope that six rounds would be enough. But even after six rounds, it wasn't completely gone, so they told me to have two more rounds. I was very disappointed at that time. But I still had the two more rounds. But the result was the same after eight rounds as it was after six rounds. The two additional rounds had no effect. I was quite disappointed. I had gone through two more rounds with so much difficulty. Then, while I was feeling discouraged, I received another revelation. At that time, the word God gave me was 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Yes, the well-known verses, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances." I meditated on these verses, wondering why He gave me these verses. And then I realized, "The limit of what modern medicine can do is up to this point. The rest is up to God." God gave me this message, and I realized that if we truly rejoice, pray, and give thanks, He would heal me through my own immunity, through self-healing. So, I repented, asking myself if I had truly lived with joy, if I had prayed without ceasing, if I had given thanks in all circumstances, not just special occasions, but in all circumstances. I realized that I hadn't been doing that very well. From then on, I truly tried to give thanks in everything. After a few months, I had a check-up, and the cancer was completely gone. So, I realized that God overcomes the limits of modern medicine through His Word. Above all, you truly believed in Psalm 118:17 and had faith, right? Yes, I believed positively that God had answered me, that He had given me the answer that He would heal me from this disease. Because I lived with that faith that I would overcome it, I think I was able to overcome it. Every time I faced a hurdle, I remembered these verses, and I was confident that God would surely work. "And will proclaim what the Lord has done." I am still proclaiming what the Lord has done, so those verses are like my life verses. Very precious verses for me. But you said hospital bills are expensive in the US. How did you manage the hospital bills? Yes, I didn't have money, so I was very afraid of going to the hospital at first. But somehow, God provided. Because I had no income, I was classified as low-income, extremely poor, and I received all my treatment for free. For 10 years. Especially Washington State, where I live, has very good welfare programs. All three of my children also received scholarships and graduated from college. I received good treatment and my children received scholarships. So, I am very indebted to Washington State. And to God. But it's truly a miracle that the cancer cells that had spread throughout your body disappeared. Recovery like that can only be explained by God's work. After recovering like that, you could have rested, but you immediately jumped back into ministry. Missionaries, why do you push yourselves so hard? I always emphasize that loving your body is also something God has given you. Now I understand that fully, but at that time, when I was diagnosed with cancer at 49 and recovered around 50, I became impatient to work harder and do more. So, as soon as my treatment ended, I immediately went to Kazakhstan. I had visited Kazakhstan a few times before. And at that time, I received a request from a mission organization in the US. They asked me to serve as the representative missionary for Canada. Because I had about 10 years of mission experience. I accepted the request to serve as the representative missionary for Canada and started that ministry right away. Wouldn't that have been too much strain on your body? Yes, it was. Because I lived in Washington State, and Canada was a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. I would go to Canada during the week for ministry and come back on weekends. I kept commuting like that. In that process, I think I became very physically and mentally exhausted. I wonder if it was because you pushed yourself too hard, but you had a relapse of cancer after only four years. The news of the relapse must have been even more shocking than the first cancer diagnosis. Of course. Cancer is hard and shocking the first time, but when you hear about a relapse, most people become more despondent because they know the process so well. They know the treatment process like going through military service for three hard years and then being told to do it again. Because they know the treatment process so well. So, when I heard about the relapse after four years, it was very hard to bear. You must have seen many patients fighting cancer in the hospital ward. Yes, the ward I was in was mainly for hematologic cancers, leukemia, lymphoma, bone marrow cancer patients, blood cancer patients. They had all sorts of tubes and lines attached to their bodies. But I tried to walk around the hallways as much as I could. I would walk up and down the hallway and peek into the rooms if the doors were open. There were white people, black people, Hispanic people, Asian people, all sorts of people. Cancer doesn't discriminate by race, it can affect anyone. Young people, old people, people of all ages get cancer. I used to walk the hallways twice a day. One time, I kept running into a woman. A white woman, probably caring for her husband. She always looked tired and stood outside the room for a while. I kept seeing her as I walked by. One day, I decided to talk to her. I greeted her briefly, and she told me her name and the story of her husband's 7-year treatment. She told me briefly about their long journey. And at the end, she sighed and said, "Long journey." "Long journey." That phrase was very impactful to me. After talking to her, I went back to my room and started praying for her. I started praying, and suddenly tears started flowing. I didn't even know her, I had only met her briefly, but as I prayed for her, tears flowed. It was empathy, and my wife's image overlapped with hers. The image of that white woman caring for her husband for 7 years overlapped with the image of my wife. I realized, "I haven't seen my wife's struggles directly, but she must have gone through so much pain and tears." That thought made me cry. Even now, when I hear news about cancer patients, my heart aches. I still feel that way. I am grateful for that experience. One of the things I gained from fighting cancer is that when I see fellow cancer patients, I naturally pray for them and my heart aches. I want to empathize with them. So, you were completely cured after the relapse too? Yes, after the second relapse, because it wasn't as widespread as the first time, I had four rounds of chemotherapy, and I was cured again. You are truly blessed. Maybe "immortal." I don't know if I'm immortal, but I survived. Because you held onto the Word so firmly and had faith. Yes, because I had faith in the Word, I was able to overcome it both times. What kind of ministry did you start after that? As I spent time in the hospital, it felt like the whole world was full of patients. That's all I saw. So, I thought, "If I recover this time, I want to do chaplaincy ministry, to care for those people." Hospital chaplaincy. So, after recovering, I immediately applied for chaplaincy ministry and started working as a chaplain. You started right away, right after recovery. Yes, I really wanted to do it. More than missions or pastoral ministry, I wanted to do chaplaincy ministry. I wanted to share my story of relapse and give hope and courage to people. Especially when I saw children with cancer, their parents were in so much pain. So, I started that ministry. It was very rewarding. As I prayed for patients and shared my experiences, they were encouraged and comforted. But the hardest part of chaplaincy ministry was the on-call duty once a week. "On-call." "On-call" means being on duty 24 hours a day, once a week. Chaplaincy duty, hospital-wide chaplaincy duty, rotating among chaplains. I would be on duty overnight, and I could hardly sleep. I could only take short naps in between. Most of the time, I would get calls about emergency patients. I would have to rush to them. And when someone passed away, I would get a call. That on-call duty once a week was very difficult. It was physically and mentally exhausting. And as I interacted with patients and their families, I empathized with them. And many patients who came in through the ER passed away. Young people who died in accidents, old people who passed away from illness. I would spend the whole night comforting them, praying for them, explaining funeral arrangements. It was very exhausting. But I also found it very rewarding. To be with fellow patients and their families. Then you had another relapse. This time, it was even worse than the first time. It had spread even more. It was overwhelming. Especially this time, a tumor developed in my chest. Lymphoma usually spreads to the neck, armpits, abdomen, groin, legs. But this time, a tumor developed in my chest. And I had difficulty breathing. If breathing becomes difficult, it means chemotherapy drugs are not working well due to resistance. Right, so after the relapse, when I tried to get treatment, the drugs weren't working. The existing chemotherapy drugs weren't working anymore. They had to use stronger drugs. So, I had two rounds of regular chemotherapy, and then for the third round, they used a very strong chemotherapy drug, about five times stronger than usual, to kill all the cancer cells. But unfortunately, the two rounds of regular chemotherapy were ineffective. No effect at all. So, the third round of strong chemotherapy also failed. From that point on, I started going through clinical trials. Clinical trials. Because there were no approved drugs, I had to try different experimental drugs. As I went through this process, my body started to break down. If a drug works, it's medicine, but if it doesn't, it's poison. In that way, my body was breaking down. There was an oral drug, and it seemed to have some effect at first. For about a month or two. But after three months, side effects started appearing. Dehydration. Dehydration started to occur. My body was losing fluids. I experienced dehydration for the first time. My body was losing fluids, so I was constantly thirsty. Constant thirst. I had diarrhea constantly, eight or nine times a day. My body was losing fluids. I had no strength, no energy, I couldn't even stand. I was crawling around. My legs had no strength. Diarrhea once or twice a day already makes you weak, but eight or nine times a day. And constant thirst, I had to keep drinking water. Dehydration. I went through that for over a month. I couldn't take it anymore. One day, I got up to go to the bathroom, and suddenly I felt dizzy and collapsed. I was taken to the emergency room. That process of going to the ER was the worst moment of my life. The worst day. In that process, Job's confession came out of my mouth. I thought it would be better if God just took me away. It was too painful. Anyway, I went to the ER, but there wasn't much they could do. I received some basic treatment and came back home in the early morning. After that, I thought, "I can't take it anymore." I told my doctor, "I'm just going to go home." "Please, God, take me home." At that time, when I looked in the mirror, I saw an 80-year-old man. My appearance was so bad. I couldn't even crawl properly, let alone walk. I couldn't eat anything, food tasted like sand. I couldn't even swallow. In that situation, I thought, "Now, I really want God to take me home peacefully." My children were already grown up. They were all in college by then. But after that, you were completely cured again. Yes, I was cured. Miraculously. "Immortal." Yes, "immortal." I don't know about "immortal," but I survived. Through clinical trials for several years, my body was completely broken. My kidneys and liver were severely damaged. At that time, there was almost no hope. But my doctor made a suggestion. He said, "The clinical trials are showing some effect, but the tumor in your abdomen is not going away. The tumor in your abdomen." He said, "Sometimes it can become a variant." Lymphoma, even though it's lymphoma, there are about 50 types of lymphoma. He said, "Lymphoma can become a variant." He suggested a surgical biopsy. Not just a needle biopsy, but opening up the abdomen and taking out a tumor mass for detailed examination. It was not to remove the cancer, but just for biopsy. It seemed risky and pointless. But I thought about it, and since the doctor said there was a possibility, I decided to do it. So, I had surgery to open my abdomen. I had tried everything by then. Chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy. And as expected, it turned out to be a variant. It had become a variant of the most common lymphoma. It meant that drugs had been developed and approved for that type of lymphoma. Recently, an immunotherapy drug had been developed that was perfect for that type of lymphoma. God had changed my cancer into a type for which there was a cure. God had changed it to a type of cancer with a treatment. When I heard that news from the biopsy, I was convinced that Psalm 118:17 was still alive. It was truly a miracle. So, without hesitation, I started receiving that treatment. But the problem was that it was very expensive treatment. So, the insurance company and my doctor had a battle. The hospital and the insurance company were fighting. The insurance company tried to avoid paying for it. Because it was so expensive. It's a one-time treatment. So, the doctor had to submit all the necessary documents, explaining why this patient needed this treatment, the necessity of it. He kept sending documents, and finally, after two months, the insurance company approved the treatment. And I received the treatment, and I recovered completely. Wow, truly God's grace. To get that treatment, it was questionable whether you could even get it, but the insurance company and the doctor resolved it while you were just lying there. Yes, miraculously. So, I recovered completely, and it was all free. So, you wrote a book, "Graceful 10 Years." "Graceful 10 Years." It was about those 10 years, even though they were physically difficult, being the most graceful 10 years. Yes, that's right. That's why I titled it "Graceful 10 Years." Because I realized that the 10 years of fighting cancer were not lost years, but the most graceful years. That's the story. That's the book I wrote. Yes, you gained a realization from cancer treatment, and you wrote a book. And you mentioned three confessions in your book. What were those confessions? Yes, so I realized that cancer treatment was not lost time, but a ministry. I realized that it was also a ministry given to me, that God had given me a new ministry through cancer treatment, not as a missionary or pastor. And I realized that I had been diligently doing that ministry. And the three realizations I mentioned earlier are: first, coming to Seattle. We came to Seattle without any plan. But later I realized that the hospital where I received treatment in Seattle was a leading hospital for hematologic cancer treatment, with excellent doctors, good facilities, and good environment. And the state had many benefits, so I received treatment without any financial burden. God was in charge of everything. God was leading me. I came without knowing anything, but like the Israelites crossing the Jordan River, they had to take the first step. If they had just stayed put, they wouldn't have seen the miracle. Coming to Seattle was like taking the first step, and I experienced those miracles. I realized that God's leading was there. That was the first realization. Second, as I mentioned earlier, my children. My children were young, and I spent 10 years fighting cancer, so I couldn't take care of them properly. But they grew up well. They grew up wonderfully. They didn't go astray. They all graduated from college and are now working hard. I realized that God was raising them, that God makes them grow. That was another realization. And the last one is about the mission field. We had to leave the mission field in the middle of our ministry. In Kazakhstan. That was a burden for me. But in 2016, after recovering from the second relapse, my wife and I went back to Kazakhstan. And I saw that one of the three local leaders I had trained was taking over the ministry. And the children who were young when we were there had grown up to be young adults in their 20s, leading worship, teaching Sunday school, and the church was growing. I saw amazing growth. I realized that even without me, God was continuing the ministry through others, just like Joshua continued Moses' ministry after Moses' death. Even without me, God was working in the mission field. That's when I realized that the time of fighting cancer was not lost time, but a graceful time. I became convinced of that. Yes, truly. How did you feel listening to today's story? I learned today from the missionary's story that every day is precious. I know that, but I often take each day for granted, just going to sleep and waking up. I was losing sight of the preciousness of each day. But seeing how he fought cancer fiercely and gained each day, I realized that each day is physically precious. And Psalm 118:17, "I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done," that verse resonated with me. The reason I am alive is to proclaim what the Lord has done. I realized the meaning of each day again. It was a very grateful time. Amen. You gave a good summary. Yes, you are like a vending machine. You just say what's needed. Not a vending machine, but our Jeong. I believe that everyone is born with a purpose. A calling. Listening to the missionary's story, I hope that those who are watching this broadcast, no matter what situation they are in, will believe that there is a positive purpose for them and move forward with hope. Thank you. Pastor, many pastors and missionaries share stories from the Bible, God's Word. But I think the Book of Acts chapter 29, 30, 31, that you are writing now, the story of those lost 10 years is in your life. We gain many experiences from the Bible and books, but the patients you met in the hospital ward, the families of patients, the doctors who cared for you, the children you saw in the hospital, all those experiences, you are continuing the Book of Acts chapter 29 and beyond. God miraculously brought you to Seattle, healed you without money, and miraculously your children grew up well and succeeded in their studies. My father also received dialysis and a kidney transplant in the US without money. A taxi would come and take my father to dialysis and bring him back every day for over 10 years. We experienced truly miraculous things. And suddenly, someone appeared and donated a kidney to him. I think each person's individual experiences are continuing the story of the Book of Acts. I hope you will continue to share your story with many people and bring comfort to cancer patients and their families. I sincerely ask you, please don't push yourself too hard and rest more. I will keep that in mind. Thank you for coming from far away and sharing your precious story. Thank you. Thank you. [Music]