2014 LA Christmas Cantata

The Christmas Cantata that was held in Los Angeles for the first time was held in the biggest stage named ‘Shrine Auditorium’. An hour and a half before the start of the performance people began to line up. As the time for the House Opening neared, in front of the Auditorium a large crowd was formed.

The Cantata started with the representative of the LA mayor, Eric Garcetti, delivering the Letter of Appreciation. The IYF and the Gracias Choir was thanked greatly for conducting the 4^th Christmas Cantata tour and asked them to continue the ongoing activities.

As the audience who travelled to Bethlehem together, did not hesitate to applaud when they saw the name of Christ of Jesus’ genealogy.

When the song, “Hallelujah” came out, one by one, the audience began to stand up and salute Jesus with their hearts, listening to the song of the choir.

Pastor Young Kook Park of Good News New York Church started delivering his Christmas message with the story of John who took part of the Korean War. Just like John who did not know his mother’s heart and committed suicide, we do not know the heart of Jesus. But God sent Jesus to this land for us and because of a Christ like so we were able to become a clean, righteous person.

“God said that a sinner cannot enter His country. But through Jesus Christ, He said that we have been cleansed and received the holiness and righteousness of God. And by believing in that fact we can go to heaven! You do not have to do anything. All you have to do is believe!”

From here and there shouts of “Yes!” and “Amen!” were heard.

“I am the Director of the music in the church that I attend, and we do a similar type of performance but we cannot follow the class of the performance today. It was literally the voice from God…! It is a miracle that there is such a performance. Please continue to do Cantata performances! I think I should write to the president to say that this performance must be ongoing. It was truly a wonderful performance, and it truly is a wonderful night. -Rosamy

Jesus was born in a smelly manger. But no one in the audience remembered the smelly and dark manger. They only remember it as a place full of light and hope. As the smelly manger became a place filled with hope as Jesus was born, the audience’s hearts were filled with light as their dark and despairing hearts met Jesus.

There are numberless souls of LA who are struggling to find a path, only following the way of pleasure and debauchery. In order to give these people true happiness God sent His only Son to this land. Today God had given the readied present to the citizens of LA. This was something that is so much greater than any Christmas present that they have ever received. Now the bus is headed to the second city, San Jose.

About Good News Mission

WEC International, which was founded by Charles Studd, – who worked with D. L. Moody and Hudson Taylor and was celebrated as the “Pioneer of Student Gospel Movement” – dispatched Missionary Kays Glass to South Korea for the first time in 1956. Glass and his associate evangelists established a mission school, where Pastor Ock Soo Park was the 1st class graduate. In 1972, Pastor Park founded Good News Mission, and after foreign missionaries returned to their home country in 1975, he was entrusted with the mission school and managed it since 1976.
At present, Good News Mission is carrying on its mission activities with 178 churches in South Korea and has dispatched 214 missionaries to 80 countries worldwide. It has established the Mahanaim Bible College educating and training Korean and foreign missionaries and has established over 760 churches in Korea and abroad.

The Good News Mission preaches the Gospel through Bible seminars, winter and summer retreats, and student camps in Korea and abroad. In addition to missionary activities, NGOs have been founded in over 30 countries to develop youth and young leaders through youth mind education, cultural exchange programs, educational academies, and social service activities.

Moreover, domestic university students have been dispatched abroad as overseas volunteers.
The Good News Mission has also actively set about missionary work in Africa, Central America, and South America through medical volunteering, founding schools, and establishing broadcasting networks.
As of now, the followings are the statistics of Good News Mission’s Global presence:

- 178 Korean Churches
- 582 International Churches (182 churches established by Korean missionaries)
- 214 missionaries dispatched from the Korean mission’s headquarters
- Approximately 400 ministers dispatched by international churches (2013. 7.)
- 4,442 short-term missionaries dispatched from 2002 until now
- 29 Mahanaim Bible Colleges

USA Cantata Tour, Craze about the Cantata in Participating Cities

Cities which are holding the Christmas Cantata establishing “Gracias Christmas Cantata Day.” “I, Richard T.Berry Mayor of City of Albuquerque, do hereby proclaim October 2, 2014 as “The Gracias Choir Christmas Cantata Day”

▲ The City of Albuquerque proclaimed 2nd of October as “Gracias Choir’s Christmas Cantata Day

LA and many other cities which are busy in preparation for the Christmas Cantata is already heating up with great expectations about the up coming performance. Especially the west coast cities which are participating in this Christmas Cantata Tour for the first time cooperated strongly with each city councils which established certain days as ‘Christmas Cantata Day,’ and helped greatly in promoting the event. Through this one could feel a different phase for the Gracias Choir.

▲ Albuquerque’s City Council’s letter of Appreciation

 Pastor Sung Deuk Park in Albuquerque, was very thankful as things which seemed so difficult was being solved one by one through God and, as he was receiving the unexpected letter of appreciation from the city council he was able to introduce about the Cantata and the Gracias Choir in front of 300 city council members. “Everyday after we hand out invitations to each house as we return home, we receive many calls. They say ‘I sincerely thank you for inviting us to this event,’ and also calls which ask ‘I want to invite more friends and family are you able to send more tickets?’ “Many people after having opened the envelope we sent out are unable to hide their joy and express their gratitude.” Pastor Sung Deuk Park (Albuquerque) “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:14)

▲ San Antonio also has 5th of October established as Gracias Christmas Cantata Day It is not just Albuquerque. The mayor of San Antonio also proclaimed the performance date of 5th of October as ‘Gracias Christmas Cantata Day.’ Also the city of Cupertino officially sent their congratulatory message and gratitude for the performance happening on the 27th of September at Flint Center which is famous for the new release of Apple products. And separately they also sent a letter of appreciation to Pastor Ock Soo Park for his contribution to the city of Cupertino.  

▲ Letter of Appreciation from the city of Cupertino for the Gracias Choir

▲ Separate letter of appreciation for Pastor Ock Soo Park from the city of Cupertino 

Steven Cohen (Democrat, Tennessee) a member of the House of Representatives, sent a letter of appreciation stating, “I welcome with great joy the IYF and Gracias Choir’s Christmas Cantata happening in (Memphis) Canon Center.” and also expressed his gratitude about the great contribution to society.

▲ The letter of Steven Cohen, Democrat Member of the US House of Representatives 

The west coast of America as well as the east coast is busy in preparation for the Christmas Cantata. We are thankful as God works according to his great plans of wanting to preach the Gospel all over America through this Christmas Cantata. Now starting from the 26th of September in LA, we will be able to see the work of the Gospel which will happen in 20 different cities precisely with our eyes.

A Letter from Swaziland – Experience Learned From WCLW In Korea

A Letter from Swaziland

Dear Pastor Ock Soo Park

EXPERIENCE LEARNED FROM WCLW IN KOREA

Let me congratulate you and the entire church leadership together with its administration for a well prepared program for the 1st WCLW held in July 2014 at Busan city and at the Lincoln English village.

The program was prepared by the Almighty one indeed as his presence could be felt in the testimonies and in every word that was delivered. Through the items that were in the program I deduced that the Lord has called me to be present so that I could be strengthened in my faith and come to understand fully some things which had been hidden to me for a long time. It was good to hear the pastors speaking one language and having one mind on the everlasting kingdom. Our Saviour’s prayer was not in vain.

On Monday 21 July 2014 my mum came to my house to welcome me from Korea and I could not hold myself from telling her what the Lord told me in Korea. When I told her about the forgiveness of sin and being born again she could not believe me. She said there was no way she could be righteous like Christ because she was not a person who had not been good and had no good deeds. I then told her the story of the woman who had been caught in the act of adultery who had her sins forgiven without any good deeds. She was very surprised and told me that it is strange teaching and wondered why this had not been brought to her attention when she was young. I told her that her time was set by the Lord long time ago that she would hear of her forgiveness of sins on my return from Korea.

 I can’t wait to break the good news to those that the Lord has called. Thank you for being a loyal servant of the Lord, May the Lord bless you and Pastor Hun Mok Lee and all the other pastors too.

Pastor Mfomfo Nkhambule Swaziland