Han-min Cho, an avid sports fan, grew up in the church and was familiar with FCA as his father Yonghun Cho is a Korea FCA board member and a Tom Landry Associates supporter. But faith was never in the forefront of his mind; sports and other teenage interests taking priority.
Cho attended an FCA Camp two summers ago not with the hopes of drawing closer to God but playing catch with his favorite ball players in the Korean Baseball Organization. However, God knew how to capture the heart of Cho, and it began with a baseball.
The family-like atmosphere may have been an initial draw once Cho arrived at camp, and the group games broke the ice between campers. But what really sparked his interest was the chance to meet KBO stars Josh Lindblom, Jake Brigham and Tyler Wilson. He hoped to hear inside tips on how to be a better ball player and what it’s like to play at the country’s highest level. What Cho didn’t expect was to who these players attributed their athletic success and gave the glory.
The players’ testimonies shifted Cho’s thinking and made him think more about the God his favorite players looked up to.
“I didn't understand at first what it meant to meet Jesus through sports,” Cho admitted. “But after meeting my favorite players and heard their testimony, they confessed that they could go through difficult circumstances as children of God.”
At the evening worship service, Mid Atlantic Region International Advancement Coordinator Mark Stephens shared what it takes to be All In (that year’s theme). The words from his baseball icons still ringing in his ears and heart, Cho connected the spiritual dots and let the Lord into his life.
Said Cho, “I realized that God is at the center of their lives. Many thoughts changed and I realized that life without Jesus was meaningless.”
After camp, Cho spent time sifting through his old life to shift priorities and piece together what his life in Christ would look like moving forward. He dedicated his days to setting goals, growing his faith and living for something more.
“Meeting Jesus personally after camp, my attitude of the Christian life changed a lot. I decided to stick to the basics, making both attending church and prayer a habit,” he said.
Last fall, Cho had the opportunity to speak in front of his church and publicly share his faith, as well as at an FCA Korea Tom Landry Associates event. He is eager to attend camp again, this time not only to enjoy the baseball aspect, but to experience more of God. Cho’s taking bold steps to live his life transformed by Jesus, and it started with God surprising a young athlete at camp with His mercy and the influence of professional athletes willing to use their platform for God’s glory.
“We are proud of him and thankful to God for using FCA Camp to impact kids like Cho,” said Yongin City Area Rep Chris Kim.
FCA is grateful for how God is using the ministry and influence of coaches and athletes to transform lives around the world, and we are excited to see what God has in store for this year.
Please pray for staff and volunteers in Korea as they continue to obey the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all nations and live to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
Support FCA Korea by giving a financial gift here. Visit www.fcaworld.org to learn more about what God is doing around the globe through FCA.
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Photos courtesy of Chris Kim