Hyun Shik Kim

His Story

Childhood Memory

In his childhood, he resided in the suburbs near Seoul, surrounded by neighbors who cultivated peanuts, fruits, and vegetables on small farms. One cherished memory from this time is sneaking into his neighbors' fields with friends and stealthily making off with raw peanuts, along with as many fruits and vegetables as they could carry. Despite the peanuts emitting an unpleasant odor, the savory taste when they munched on them made it all worthwhile. Another recurring event in his childhood was the downpour season, causing the nearby river to overflow and flood their house. He fondly recalls his brother carrying him, while family members joined forces to gather essentials and seek refuge in their uncle's three-story house, conveniently located nearby.

Childhood Dreams

Throughout his formative years, he harbored a dream of becoming a pastor. His youthful optimism led him to believe that all would be well if he followed the path of a pastor and shared the word of God. Weekly church visits and services held at home continually inspired him to pursue a religious vocation. His grandmother's unwavering faith further stoked his connection to the church and bolstered his determination to become a pastor in the future.

Shifting Perspectives on Happiness

His childhood was marked by living in a large family home with seven siblings, parents, and a grandmother. However, when his father's business faced bankruptcy, the family had to disperse, each member seeking separate places to live. During his childhood, happiness was synonymous with unity and togetherness within the entire family. He cherished the times when his older sisters cooked for him and his younger siblings, whether they succeeded in preparing a proper meal or found themselves creating delightful chaos in the kitchen. Family was the core of his happiness as a child. Now, after marriage and the creation of his own family, happiness takes the form of making memories with his wife and children. The joy of seeing his children getting married and embarking on their own family journeys with their significant others brings him profound happiness. His life's happiness revolves around his children, now all grown up and forging their own paths.

Immigration Journey

In 1988, his initial immigration to America was motivated by the desire to obtain a green card, driven by the fact that his mother was already living in the United States. After this first immigration journey, he returned to Korea, where he brought back his wife, Sarah Soon Kim, to start a family in America. Here, he envisioned living the "American Dream" in a vast country compared to the smaller South Korea.