Winter 2002 Rapport: Alumni Spotlight: Yong-Im Hambrick Moon—From Tribulation to Triumph

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A little Buddhist girl from Kwang-Am, South Korea, quit school to take care of her younger sisters while her parents worked to support six children. Many had low expectations for Yong-Im Hambrick Moon, but despite the many trials that were ahead, the Lord miraculously took her out of a false religion, brought her to the United States, provided for her as a single mom, and helped her go from a 4th grade education in South Korea to a master’s degree at AGTS.

As a teenager, Yong-Im moved to the city of Seoul to foster a new life for herself, but expectations quickly changed when realities set in. “I had no educational background, special training, or money. I hated my life and attempted suicide,” she said.

Yong-Im turned to Buddhism, the only religion she knew. “I went to the Buddhist temple, the superstition’s house, and the fortune teller’s house with my Buddhist landlady and worshiped different gods with sacrifice offerings, but those gods did not help me. I lived in darkness with agony and pain deeply rooted in me.”

Then, Yong-Im moved to an apartment run by a Christian landlady who worshiped God, prayed, and read the Bible every day. She compared her Christian landlady with her previous Buddhist landlady. “Both were good people and devoted in their religion. However, I saw a genuine love in the Christian lady and the power of God in her when she prayed.” One evening she shared about Jesus and Yong-Im accepted Christ. “At that moment, I began the journey of conversion from Buddhism to Christianity,” Yong-Im said.

In 1977 she married an American man and moved to the U.S. “In the United States, the sufferings of life did not pass me by but visited me without warning. Satan began to attack my family physically and spiritually.”

In 1985 Yong-Im was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Lord trained her in prayer. For three hours every morning Yong-Im prayed diligently for help, direction, and wisdom as she fervently interceded for others.

“One morning while praying, the Lord said, ‘My beloved daughter! I want you to be a full-time worker in my ministry. Go back to school and preach the gospel.’ The Lord began to deal with my heart. I said, ‘Lord, you are making a big mistake.’ The Lord did not respond to my excuses. He continued to call me and encouraged me with the Word. As a result, I said ‘yes’ to obey the call of God.”

Yong-Im continued to face many difficult circumstances. Her husband left her. “I experienced the awful and unbearable pain of a woman deserted by her husband. I felt as if a trillion cells in my body were suffocating, agonizing, and grieving.” Yong-Im begged her husband to save their marriage, but he divorced her, leaving her with nothing except their two children.

With no money, she and her children moved to a new town. She found a waitress job and started attending GED classes to attain her high school diploma, all while raising two children. “I gave it my all. However, the first time I took the GED test, I failed. The Lord kept telling me, ‘My daughter, pick up the pen and study harder.’ I failed two, three, four, five, six times, and finally the seventh time I passed and attained my high school diploma at the age of 41. I wanted to quit many times, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit kept me going and helped me to succeed.”

Yong-Im earned a B.A. degree at Central Bible College, Springfield, Mo. She continued to trust in the Lord and enrolled at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. In June 2001, Yong-Im graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. “Whenever I faced an emergency situation, the Lord always provided for all my needs. I feel like I have pressed on toward the goal to win the prize, which God has called me to fulfill in Christ Jesus.

“I have learned that all things are possible in Christ Jesus, and the Lord takes care of His people,” Yong-Im said. “When I was a filthy sinner, He provided salvation for me and took me out of a false religion. He filled me with the Holy Spirit and called me into His ministry. He has carried me through trials and tribulations. Through these situations, my pain was often like the fire of hell. The Lord delivered me, not because of my goodness but His goodness toward His people.”

Updated: Thursday, August 7, 2003 3:33 PM