Yun’s childhood was anything but peaceful. The Korean War resonated throughout her early years, deeply affecting Yun Song Yi and her family. American Soldiers introduced her father to alcohol as a conduit of warmth in the piercing cold Korean winters. Though nearly five million Koreans lost their lives in one of the bloodiest wars in history, his life was spared.  Born a few years after the war, Yun Song was six when her father returned home from his military service. The “Cold War” raged on between North and South Korea, spilling into the Yi family home.  Nine years later, Yun’s father lost his battle against alcohol, leaving behind five daughters, two sons and their mother.

According to the Crossroads advent devotional, Shalom is the Hebrew word used to describe a specific kind of peace, experienced only through a complete, unbroken relationship with God. Yun did not yet know God nor the peace he could bring. From a young age, she had recurring dreams of escaping the hunger and chaos of war, flying away to somewhere distant. To supplement the scarce resources for her large family, Yun worked during the day and attended school in the evening. 

Following Korean custom, after high school, Yun found a better job shouldering greater financial responsibility for the family. She was twenty when she left her hometown of Gunsan (South Korea) moving to Seoul to work for the Telephone Company. She sent money every pay period for six years to help support her family.

Though she was unaware of him, God knew Yun long before she knew him. She now recognizes He has always been with her. After the loss of her earthly father, God began drawing Yun toward him. Curiosity wafted about Yun like an unidentifiable fragrance as she observed a co-worker daily consuming the contents of a Bible. “She would not share with me” Yun explains. Growing impatient, determined to learn about the mysterious book, she marched into a Catholic bookstore seeking answers.  Six months of catechism classes led Yun to join the Catholic church. 

Jeff first spotted Yun across the bustling mall in Seoul, and her radiant smile drew him in effortlessly. At twenty-one, Jeff had enlisted in the army, leaving behind two years of college and a growing fascination with technology. Seoul was a haven for tech enthusiasts, filled with the latest gadgets and innovations. It was also a popular hangout for locals, and Yun, along with her friends, frequented a cozy coffee shop in the area.

Jeff often found himself in the electronics market, his eyes wandering towards that coffee shop, hoping to catch another glimpse of Yun. Each encounter was brief and distant, but his interest in her grew steadily. One day, mustering all the courage he could find, Jeff approached Yun to say “Hello” (annyeong haseyo) in Korean.  The language barrier was immense—she didn't understand English, and he knew little Korean. Determined to bridge the gap, he signed up for Korean classes at the military base.

Their early conversations were a mix of gestures and laughter, often relying on a Korean-English dictionary. Yun giggled a lot, and Jeff couldn't help but wonder if there was something amusing about him that he wasn’t aware of. Yet, those moments of shared laughter and effort brought them closer. Seven months into their relationship, they began considering marriage.

Jeff prayed for guidance, asking God if Yun was the right person for him. The process was complicated and lengthy, and his high-security military clearance added layers of suspicion. Yun was interrogated for two hours, accused of being a Korean spy. Despite the pressure, she handled it all with grace, and a sense of peace enveloped Jeff as he watched her endure it.

Ten months later, without any ceremony, they filed their marriage paperwork in Seoul. Jeff's parents arranged a formal wedding in the Lutheran Church where he was raised in the US. Two years later, they left Seoul, relocating to Jeff’s Michigan hometown. Jeff completed his electrical engineering degree, and their two children were born. In 2000, job opportunities brought them to Arizona, where they continued to build their life together.

Nothing was familiar in America, leaving Yun feeling isolated. Intimate prayer provided a warm place of peace and understanding. God heard her and sent an unexpected answer. Her pastor’s wife in Michigan, a professional ESL teacher, offered Yun private tutoring establishing a lifelong bond through a shared love for Jesus that crosses all language barriers.

Prayer and outward expressions of praise flowed out of Yun’s heart as she worshiped. Her relationship with God deepened. Spending hours prayer-walking the perimeter of their large Michigan property, Yun poured out her deepest fears and longings to her heavenly Father. She prayed fervently for her family and their two children, facing cultural influences worrisome to her mother’s heart. God always heard and answered.

As the years passed, Yun’s relationship with her Father in Heaven continued to deepen.

Yun and Jeff felt drawn to Crossroads Nazarene Church where they found a safe place to worship God. They united with a church home filled with followers of Jesus Christ where all are invited to find his perfect (shalom) Peace and unconditional (chesed) Love.  In the biblical Hebrew understanding of shalom, there is a point in which you have so much shalom it spills out from you and is shared with others. Yun’s love for Jesus is obvious and contagious. She loves to raise her hands and sing praises in joyful worship. Her insatiable desire to share the (chesed) love of Jesus with everyone flows from her. Yun has discovered the complete unbroken peace of God that wells up and overflows from deep within.