I remember it was around September 1 when I received a simple KakaoTalk message: “Hello.” Later I learned that this person had seen our job posting on a portal site in mid-August and was reaching out about it. Because of our church’s circumstances, they were willing to serve as a volunteer, self-supporting piano accompanist. And astonishingly, they were reaching out from Korea.

If this were to happen, the whole family would need to immigrate. Yet I sensed immediately that this was an answer from the Lord. So we began to explore every possible path. What surprised me even more was that this volunteer was a children’s ministry pastor with a theology degree, with piano as a minor. Even more remarkable, the person communicating with me throughout the process was the pastor’s husband—a man of wisdom, clarity, and wholehearted support. His promptness and accuracy in every detail left me deeply grateful.

Through this journey, it felt as though a new light was shining into a place as deep as the ocean floor, giving me renewed strength.

After about 25 days of conversation and preparation, we submitted the religious worker visa application on the last Friday afternoon of September. Normally it takes more than 40 days, so we decided to fast one meal a day and pray until approval came. Our greatest concern was whether our church’s size and financial situation might become an obstacle. So from the very next day, we entered again into a time of prayer.

Then one day, an unexpected email arrived. Our immigration lawyer informed us that the visa had been approved. Incredibly, it took only seven business days—something I have never seen during all my years of living abroad. It felt as though God Himself had orchestrated every detail and then unveiled His plan before us.

Although I had prayed with the expectation that it would take at least a month, my heart had been asking the Lord for immediate provision. It seemed He knew how urgent our need was.

The only challenge was that the family in Korea suddenly had to prepare to immigrate much sooner than they expected—they were planning for early next year. We also discovered that once the visa is approved, they must enter within three months. Yet even this urgency feels like God-given momentum, stirring excitement for a new beginning.

Now, by God’s gracious leading, this ministry family will arrive at the end of December. And with this small yet precious community, we will begin the new year anew. Through this entire journey, the Lord reminded us again that He truly answers the prayers that seek, ask, and knock—the “ASK prayer.” Looking back over even the last 17 years of ministry, countless memories flood my mind, and one truth stands out: the Lord has always heard the prayers of my wife and me—in His time and in His way.

His ways, of course, often exceed our thoughts and sometimes stretch us more than expected. Perhaps someday I will share more about the “gap” between God’s methods and ours. But for now, I stand amazed at His leading and grateful for the story He is writing among us.