~ Moon-Dae Choi (5-18 Mission; 2-4 Men's Mission)

Three decades wasted on drinking...
The suffering and prayers in tears of my wife...
Feeling queasy after receiving Dr. Jaerock Lee's prayer...
True happiness lies in life with my family and without alcohol!

Born in Youngjoo, Gyeongsangbuk-do, I had to start making money at the age of 17 because of financial difficulties at home. After giving up studies at an early age and faced with a bleak future of having to work at a factory, my only source of comfort was drinking. I began drinking little by little with coworkers on the way home but gradually I became a heavy drinker, gulping down 1-2 bottles of soju (hard liquor in Korea) and then 3-4 bottles a day.
I moved to Seoul in 1987 and began working at a dry cleaner. That is when I met my wife Deaconess Jung-soon Lee. The inferiority complex I experienced constantly tormented me and I began abusing my wife.
Starting at some point in my life, I would go to bed completely drunk and not remember a thing when I got up the following morning. I would also start screaming uncontrollably and, losing all reason, become violent towards my family. As if I were the one carrying the burdens of all the world, I became overly sensitive and would begin quarreling with anyone who came my way.
From time to time, I would hear people insulting me, saying that I was no different from a dog. Day after day I would to quit drinking but after a day or two passed, I could not endure even the thought of not drinking. I had become an alcoholic who could live without his wife and children but could never part from drinking.
It was during this horrendous period in our lives when my wife began living a life in Christ at Manmin Central Church in hopes of finding peace. As she had always been good-natured, my wife was always understanding and forgiving but I felt like she was disguising her scorn of me behind her "humility" and I refused to take her desperate pleas to my heart.
One day, my son asked me, "Dad, do you like drinking that much?" Can you imagine how much he had been hurt by my drinking and all that came with it? I felt guilty and promised my son that I would never drink again but such empty promises never lasted long.
I began attending Manmin at my wife's earnest request but I could not part from smoking and drinking. I was like chaff, only coming to church on Sundays.
Then my wife, who had been persevering by her faith, was stricken down with depression; at night, she would get up, have a blank look in her eyes, and begin crying uncontrollably.
Having spent much of my adulthood and married life in drinking, I had no idea how the rest of my family had been living and how tormented they had been. I heard later that my wife often washed my feet with wet towels in love and with care after I had passed out from drinking. Why didn't I become aware of this sooner? She probably shed endless tears in prayer for me.
In May 2007, I accompanied my wife to receive prayer from Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee. It was not easy to go before him after having attended church for 19 years and been unable to quit drinking, but I went nonetheless. After praying for my wife, the Senior Pastor said to me in the most loving way, "You just need to quit drinking," and prayed to God, asking Him to give me strength to stop drinking. Afterwards, I said, "Amen!" as loudly as I could.
When I returned home, I realized something remarkable. The alcohol to which I had long been addicted began to reek of a foul stench and I could not bring myself to even take a sip of it. It was the same with the cigarettes. I felt like vomiting when I even thought about drinking with others or looking at people drinking.
Shortly afterwards, I was able to quit drinking and smoking completely and began to enjoy coming to church to worship and pray. My boss at the dry cleaner rejoiced, saying how incredibly I had changed. Everyone else I know is astounded to see this "miracle." My wife has since been healed of depression and my son is also concentrating on his studies with zeal.
I give all thanks and glory to God who has restored the joy in my heart and my family after empowering me to quit drinking, and would also like to express my sincerest gratitude to the Senior Pastor for his heartfelt prayer.