Tourist Guide Turned
Evangelist
Adv A M Mathew
Francis Kim is a prominent
merchant in S. Korea. He has been working for several years in the Catholic
Charismatic movement of the Teigu diocese. All the same there was an acute
problem that troubled Francis. There were two lumps on his head that kept
growing. It was too risky to be removed by surgery as the brain had come
to be affected. Francis decided to seek the intercession of the blessed
Virgin Mary and go on a pilgrimage to Naju in Korea. Francis joined the
pilgrimage group that came from various parts of the world to pray with
Julia Kim whom our blessed Mother had blessed with her apparition several
times. It was at this time that I came to know Anita Choo a tourist guide
based in Singapore. Anita acquainted Francis with the Bible conventions
that took place in September-October 1996 in Singapore and the numerous
instances of miraculous conversions and healing that occurred there. With
the zeal of the Samaritan woman, Anita made arrangements for similar Bible
conventions in her own land of S. Korea. She had invited Fr. Augustine
Mundackatt and team for this purpose.
Francis too was one of the
organisers. I n the following days Francis participated in the closed retreat
at the Teigu charismatic centre. He forgot his own ailment and kept praying
for his bed-ridden brother. "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will
be saved, you and your family"(Acts 16:31). This word of God filled
Francis' mind. During the hour of adoration, Francis happened to run his
hand over his head. The lumps were no longer there. He then understood
that the Lord had touched him. "I am the Lord of all nations. Is there
anything impossible for me?"(Jer 32:28). These words seemed to be fulfilled
in the life of Francis. When he surrendered himself fully to Jesus, the
anxiety and worries about his family and business were swept away.
That evening Fr Mundackatt
and I accompanied Fr Vincent Lee to the house of Francis' brother. During
the prayer, two paralysed persons, including Francis’ brother were healed.
There were several other ailments too from which the Lord delivered his
people. Francis' joy knew no bounds.
Though Anita Choo had come
for this retreat as a travel guide giving the tourists information about
interesting places and events, she returned as a great evangeliser and
witness to Jesus. She is now busily engaged in organising another retreat
in Korea next May!