[Kiribati] 40 Years of Prayer for the South Pacific, the Work of the Gospel in Kiribati

MOU between the Police and the IYF, Mind Lecture at the BATIO Sports Complex

“God, who lives in the small islands of the South Pacific? What do they eat? What do they wear? Who preaches the gospel to them?”

The prayer of Pastor Ock Soo Park 40 years ago was filled with the unknown. Who lived in the South Pacific, how they live and who will preach the gospel to them… there was nothing that anyone knew but God had given Pastor Ock Soo Park the heart of wanting to preach the Gospel to the small islands of the South Pacific, and everything is clear now as God is accomplishing that promise.

Following the meeting with the President of Kiribati in Fiji on the 16th, on the morning of the 18th, Pastor Ock Soo Park and company arrived for the first time in the island located at the end of the world, Kiribati. The plane landed in Kiribati after a three-hour flight from Nandi International Airport in Fiji. It seemed like a beautiful island that was so detached from this world, but despite its outward appearance, there were a lot of people who were far away from hope because of a variety of problems such as the sinking of the island, difficult economy and the lack of infrastructure.

Pastor Ock Soo Park and company, who had arrived at the Bonriki International Airport, located in the capital city of Kiribait, Tarawa, were greeted by the Minister of Youth, who came as a representative of the government and was taken to the Good News Mission Tarawa church by the transport provided from the government. The youth of the Tarawa church welcomed them with their traditional dance, and this was followed by the performance from the Gracias Choir and the hymns sung by Missionary Tae Hyun Yun and the Missionary’s wife, filling the church with joy and happiness.

Recalling the prayer in which he had received the promise of God 40 years ago in cold and hunger, Pastor Ock Soo Park was so touched to have come to the small island in the South Pacific’, Kiribati. Moreover, he added that, just as South Korea became wealthy when the Gospel was preached, Kiribati will also become wealthy through God as the power of the Gospel works powerfully throughout the whole country, delivering hope and faith to the listeners.

After a small gathering at the church, there was a signing of the MOU between the Police Force of Kiribati at the police station. Ioena Tokawiziaake, the Police Commissioner, in his welcoming speech, showed his excitement at the potential of the Mind Lecture of the IYF to change people. Pastor Ock Soo Park, in the Mind Lecture that followed, spoke about the world of the heart that was revealed through the Bible and preached the Gospel to the police constables that were gathered there.

“When sister Yun Ok Kim laid down her own thoughts and accepted God’s heart as it is, the heart of God was able to enter her and defeat her cancer. We cannot do it but God can. In Romans 3:23, it says that we have sinned but in verse 24, it says that we have been made righteous. If God says that we are righteous, then we are righteous.”

The IYF branch in Kiribati, which had already been working very closely with the Ministry of Youth, had now been given the opportunity to work even more powerfully through the Mind Lecture.

In the evening, there was a welcoming meal that was hosted by the Minister of Youth of Kiribati. Minister David Collins, who had prepared this meal, expressed his thankfulness mentioning the work that the Mind Lecture of the IYF does by changing the youth of Kiribati, who are important resources for their country.

Once again, through the story of John Choi, who had accepted the heart of God that appeared in the Bible and defeated the poison of the scorpion, Pastor Ock Soo Park preached the Gospel, saying that we must install a new heart in order to fix and bad heart.

After dinner, at the Batio Sports Complex, there was a Christmas Cantata performance, Special Performance by the Gracias Choir followed by the Mind Lecture of Pastor Ock Soo Park.

It was so amazing to find that 2000 people from Kiribati, such a small island, had come to the Complex. The people who had come to the venue thoroughly enjoyed even the slightly lacking performance of the Christmas Cantata and were touched by the high standard of music presented by the Gracias Choir.

It was the world’s best Choir performing in the world’s best performance at the world’s most detached place. The performance by the Gracias Choir was something that could not be easily forgotten.

Then, the world’s best Mind Lecture followed. Speaking about Soo Hyun Choi, who had defeated Myelitis, Pastor Ock Soo Park spoke about how people become happier once their hearts flow with one another, just as electricity flows through wires. Just like this, he delivered his first message to the people of Kiribati by saying that if one’s heart is connected to God, that person will become the happiest.

In short space of time of a day, Pastor Ock Soo Park went to the MOU ceremony, Dining Hall and Sports Complex… Everywhere he went, he preached the Gospel. Even late at night, at the house of the Interior Minister, Atarake Nataara, before praying for the Minister’s daughter who was ill, Pastor preached the Gospel to the Minister and his wife and there was the wonderful work of them receiving salvation.

Although Kiribati has the world’s most beautiful ocean, it is a land that does not have much apart from that and continues without hope. However, these circumstances allow them to look only to God and we cannot help but be thankful when we think of God who will cover all the land with the Gospel. When considering the fact that Kiribati was in the promise of God from 40 years ago, we are full of hope at what works of the Gospel will happen in Kiribati.