Preface
Jean Kim’s Korean name is HaeJin Kim. He led Bible-reading with young people since 2018, which has been popular. He presented it and seven of his members shared their experiences during the Founders Day on October 3, 2025. He shared his life testimony during the Sunday service at the Chicago Chapter on October 5, 2025. Below is his testimony.
Contents
- Introduction
- Part 1. An ignorant, stuttering country boy believed in Jesus and received salvation
- Part 2. I Became a Fusion Scientist boldly proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
- Reference
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16)
Introduction
Hello, my name is Jean Kim, and I work as an engineer at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Organization in France. I am also serving with UBF Aix-Marseille Eglise Nouvelle (AMEN) as a lay missionary.
Part 1. An ignorant, stuttering country boy believed in Jesus and received salvation
I was born in January 1975. In my village, there were neither shops nor churches. I didn’t know what the Bible was. Until I was invited to a Bible study at Kwangwoon UBF in 2001, I had never owned a Bible nor opened one. Naturally, I did not know who Jesus was. As a child, I had a severe stutter. In middle school, when I had to read a page aloud in class, it took me over 10 minutes because of my stutter. From then on, speaking in front of people became the most difficult thing for me. Because of this, I avoided studying. However, my older brother scolded me for being ignorant and even beat me with a stick. To avoid being beaten, I decided to study. Yet even in high school, I didn’t study but instead spent time with friends playing billiards. In my third year, I studied hard and was admitted to Kwangwoon University in Seoul in 1993. But again, I neglected my studies, spending my days playing billiards and my nights drinking and gambling with friends.
In my sophomore year, when I received three D’s in my major subjects, I fell into deep despair. I took military leave. My 26 months of military service were very difficult, and I suffered greatly. During this time, I reflected on my past and regretted many things. After my discharge, I worked hard to save money, paid my tuition for the second semester of sophomore year, and returned to school. I studied diligently and even received a merit scholarship. During my senior year, my father suddenly passed away from terminal liver cancer. I felt utterly lost and uncertain about my future. Regretting that I had started studying seriously too late, I decided to go to graduate school. Since I had no money for tuition, I used a credit card loan to pay for it. To pay back the debt, I worked part-time jobs in the mornings and evenings, and I tutored math. As a result, I had little time left for my actual graduate studies. I envied other graduate students, resented my poor parents, and even blamed my advisor for not giving me a scholarship. I always blamed others. Yet inwardly, I was full of anxiety about the future.
In March 2001, I met Shepherd Roh Taylor and began one-to-one Bible study at Kwangwoon UBF. By God’s Grace, I was Invited to Summer Bible Conference (SBC) in July 2001. At the conference, I heard the message on Mark 2:17: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” The message was gracious, but I thought to myself, “I may not be righteous, but I’m not such a terrible sinner either.” On the third day, I studied Matthew 27 about Jesus’ crucifixion. As I studied the passage of Jesus nailed to the cross, tears poured from my eyes. By the grace of the Holy Spirit, I came to understand that Jesus died on the cross for my terrible pride, lust, anger, complaints, and all my sins. In tears, I confessed to God that I was a sinner and repented, asking Him to forgive my sins. God forgave me and enabled me to believe in Jesus as my Savior and Christ. I received the grace of the forgiveness of sins and salvation. At that moment, indescribable peace and freedom filled my soul, and I was overflowing with the joy of heaven. Afterwards, I prayed to God that I might live as a campus shepherd, worshiping Him and proclaiming Jesus, who died on the cross to save a sinner like me. Praise the Lord.
Part 2. I Became a Fusion Scientist boldly proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
After the SBC, my life was completely transformed. I began to meet students at Kwangwoon University daily, inviting them to Bible studies and worship services. In March 2002, by faith, I entered the Ph.D. program. In 2002 at the Spring Bible conference, I heard John 5:6: “Do you want to get well?” This word deeply touched me, and I earnestly prayed to the Lord. After 28 years of severe stuttering, Jesus healed me. From then on, I prayed to live boldly proclaiming the gospel wherever I went. By God’s grace, in October 2003, I married a faithful woman Jeanne in faith. From 2005 to 2006, I had the opportunity to lecture on circuit theory and microwave engineering at Kwangwoon University. During that time, I invited about 10 students each year to Bible study and Sunday worship. I told my students that if you attended 2006 UBF World mission report, I would give you 5 bonus points. God accepted my unusual faith, and 48 students attended Sunday worship, and listened to God’s word.
By God’s Grace, I received Ph.D. in Engineering in February 2008. In April, at an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineer (IEEE) conference in USA, God gave me Psalm 81:10: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.” I thought it would be impossible for me to go to USA as a post-doctoral missionary. But God spoke to me: open wide your mouth and I will fill it. In obedience, on the last day of the conference, I approached a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and told him I was seeking a postdoctoral position. He handed me his business card, asking me to send him my CV. By faith, I sent my CV. By God’s grace, without even an English interview, I received a two-year U.S. visa. In October 2008, I went to MIT alone and began my work. I met students in the cafeteria one by one and invited them to Bible study. After one year, I was studying Bible with 5 – 6 MIT students and postdocs. Two years and four months later, by God’s guidance, my family and I returned to Korea in January 2011.
At that time, my year Key verse was Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” In February, a student had committed suicide in the dormitory at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Seeing the deep pain, despair, and power of death among KAIST students broke my heart. I went to campus daily at lunch and in the evenings. At my workplace, however, my team leader was displeased with me and even persecuted me. In those days, I held firmly to the Word of God as my daily bread and sought Him in prayer. By God’s grace, I was able to publish several papers in renowned international journals in the fields of physics and nuclear fusion, register patents, and even transfer technologies to companies. For seven years, God also blessed the gospel work at KAIST to grow. I give all thanks and glory to God.
In March 2017, God gave me Luke 4:43: “But he said, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’” As I prayed to obey God’s word, God led me to apply to the ITER Organization in France. By God’s blessing, I was accepted as a microwave engineer. Carried on the wings of God’s eagle, our family was sent to France in late October 2017 as missionaries. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, God gave me Isaiah 43:19: “See, I am doing a new thing!” Believing that God would do something new, I invited university students and colleagues to join worship on Skype, and we began holding Sunday worship services in French every week. Unfortunately, my contract was terminated in August 2022. I was deeply distressed. Yet, many servants of God prayed for me and my family. By God’s mercy, I was transferred to another team with a one-year contract, and in 2023, my contract was extended for four more years.
Since 2021, I have served online Bible reading meetings with young people from Europe, USA, Canada, Russia, Korea, Mexico, Brazil, and many other countries. I thank God for granting them spiritual growth, faith, and leadership. I was once ignorant and hopeless in this world. But I met Jesus as my Savior and received salvation and eternal life. For the past 25 years, God has blessed my life abundantly. God gave me Hebrews 12:2 as my 2025 Year key verse: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Whenever I am busy or weary, I look to Jesus who endured the cross, and I pray. I want to learn from Him who endured suffering for God’s glory. I meditate on Him, grow spiritually, experience the living God. Thank God and praise the Lord.
One word: “The gospel of Jesus brings salvation to all who believe in Him.”
