| |
Bob and Grace Shim are project missionaries
serving under the Department of World Mission
of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Shims
work in the areas of medicine and community
development.
Bob’s journey of faith began at age
five when his family left post-war Korea
and moved to South America. Born into a
generation of predominantly Confucian and
Buddhist traditions, he had little exposure
to the Gospel. Bob considers it God’s
grace that in Brazil, he began attending
a Korean immigrant church and says, “I
believe God used this time of adjustment
and turmoil to inject faith into my life,
and it defined my life’s direction
and calling. I recall a slow process of
accepting Christ as my Savior through Sunday
school attendance, reading the Bible, and
being discipled. I was moved by hearing
missionaries speak at our church, and was
eight years old when I made the commitment
to someday be a missionary for Christ. My
deepest desire is that I would be able to
glorify the God of Psalm 33 and 34 in every
context of my life.”
As a pastor and Christian professor, Grace’s
father set the foundation for her faith,
and at the age of five Grace accepted Christ
into her heart. God used Sunday school teachers,
youth pastors, and her parents to deepen
her understanding of God’s character.
During college, Grace attended a conference
for Korean leaders and recalls, “My
eyes were opened to the need for the gospel
beyond my sheltered college walls. I began
to see God’s heart to reach the lost,
and the lack of resources available to accomplish
this task. I heard missionaries whose testimonies
gripped me, and began to ask if God would
have me on the mission field someday.”
Through Urbana conferences and a short-term
trip to China, Grace told the Lord that
she was open to His will concerning international
missions. She admits, “I could easily
settle into suburban life in the US, but
I sense God wanting our family to step out
in faith and the gospel to those who have
not yet heard.”
Bob and Grace are in Central Asia as humanitarian
workers, traveling to villages to provide
basic healthcare, promote public health
awareness, and share the Gospel through
lifestyle evangelism. They will staff an
established medical clinic, and participate
in the work of the local community development
center. In anticipation of their work, Grace
says, “We look forward to this experience
as a family, and to seeing people come to
know Christ. Central Asia is slowly opening
to the Gospel, and we would like to see
a church planted in areas where none exist.”
Bob received his BA from Johns Hopkins
University (Biology, 1988, Baltimore MD),
his MD from the U of Virginia (1992, Charlottesville
VA), and completed his internal medicine
residency in Evanston, Illinois. Grace received
her BA from Virginia Tech (Math Education,
1990, Blacksburg VA), and her MA from Trinity
International University (Counseling Psychology,
2002, Deerfield IL).
Bob and Grace are members at Parkwood Community
Church in Lombard, Illinois. |
| |
Current prayer requests:
- Please pray for hearts of worship. We
are learning that worship is why we are
here and the context in which the Father's
power is manifest.
- Please pray for God to send more workers,
raise up new leaders, and strengthen the
existing church here. This is an exciting
time in Central Asia as God is reconciling
many people to Himself.
- Pray for loosened bonds to Islam, animism,
shamanism, and alcoholism. |
