About Steve

I grew up in a Christian family. When I was 7, my mother shared the Gospel with me at home in South Korea. However, it was not a genuine conversion but rather a desire to obey and not wanting to get in trouble. A year later, I followed my parents to Mexico when God called my father to be a missionary. I continued to serve the Lord in the churches he planted, until eventually I went to Bible College because I wanted to serve the Lord. And it was after my second year in the Bible College, on September 11, 2005, when I fell under the conviction regarding my salvation, and through my pastor’s counseling, I trusted the Lord as my personal Savior. 

It was during my fourth year in Bible College. I knew that the Lord had called me, but now that graduation day was approaching, my heart began to fill with doubts, whether I truly was ready and able to lead a congregation. During my junior year, the Lord had led me to begin a Spanish ministry within Bible Baptist Church, which was predominantly a Korean church. In one of the “senior events” of the college, Dr. John Goetsch challenged the seniors to remain pure and faithful. And the Lord used 2 Timothy 2:21 to confirm my heart, teaching me that as long as I remain pure to Him, then He would use me as an instrument of honor, to be used in His good work.

If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

2 Timothy 2:21

After six years of pastoring in Gardena, CA, the Lord began working in my pastor’s, my father’s, and my heart regarding me serving the Lord in Mexico. Granted, this was always a possibility since my parents were missionaries in Mexico and I spoke fluent Spanish. However, I decided that it had to be the Lord to move me, not my background or what seemed reasonable for some. 

It was in the summer of 2014 when my father asked me to pray if God would send me as a missionary to Mexico. So my wife and I prayed. I also spoke to my pastor and he began praying for me as well. In October of the same year, in a Missions Conference, God used His Word to clarify His calling upon my life. 

During the preaching of an evening service, the pastor was challenging the church to be faithful to the Great Commission. As I listened and meditated on the message and the Matthew 28:18-20 passage, God used verse 20 to call me to go to Mexico because He was going to be with me. And there is nowhere better than to be in the center of God’s will.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:20

A year prior to being called to be a missionary, He had provided an opportunity to begin the Master of Arts Degree in Bible Exposition program in Pensacola Theological Seminary. With my church having a Bible College ministry in Mexico, and now with the new direction, we knew that our next stop would be Pensacola until I finished my studies, and from there, to head down to Mexico. So we did. 

While studying in PTS, the Lord was good with us. He used that time to mature our marriage, affirm my convictions of being a biblical, and a fundamental Baptist, and we drew closer to Him during this transitional period.

However, once again, doubt cluttered my mind months prior to our planned date to move to Mexico. I could not pinpoint the focus of being a missionary. Compassion? The poor life conditions? I considered those elements to be valid, since Jesus is the only true hope for all humankind. However, the Lord used one of the final classes of the M.Div. program, Malachi, where God revealed His desire to the prophet for Israel to magnify Him so that gentile nations can know and serve the true God. Thus, my primary purpose is that God would be magnified through my church planting and other ministry efforts in Mexico City. 

And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.

Malachi 1:5