Moondo Kim
It is a great honor to attend the celebration of Canada’s sesquicentennial and Korea’s National Foundation Day as a representative from Calgary, Alberta.
As I reflect upon my 42-year long journey in Canada, I can see that it is a story of seeking opportunity, finding purpose, facing adversity, and succeeding against all odds. It really is a true story of the Canadian dream.
Seeking Opportunity
I was born in South Korea and grew up during the post war period in Korea. The hardship of my childhood had created in me a great question of what was the purpose of this life. I had committed myself to education and eventually graduated with a degree in chemical engineering. However, the prospects in Korea in those days were very bleak and I knew that if I really wanted to find opportunity, it would have to be in a country like Canada. Leaving my whole life behind and armed with only $200 and hope, I arrived in Canada in 1975.
I discovered that finding a skilled career would prove to be very difficult for an immigrant like me, so I was forced to look for any job that would hire me. My first job was sweeping a broom in a shopping mall, but I was happy to do it because it paid me three times what I would have earned as a chemical engineer in Korea. I was totally amazed, Canada was truly a land of opportunity and the Canadian dream was achievable if I put in the effort to pursue it.
After moving to Calgary from Thunder Bay in 1977, I had saved enough money to buy a small convenience store. It marked the beginning of my life as a businessman. From the business, I was able to enjoy an average Canadian living for a number of years and felt like I was on my way, but in spite of this relative success, I could not shake the nagging questions from my childhood regarding what was the purpose of this life.
Finding Purpose
I happened to attend a bible seminar in 1981. The pastor said that if you wanted to know something about an automobile, the maker of the automobile would be able to tell you everything about it; likewise, if you wanted to know about a person, the Creator would have all the answers. This was very meaningful to me because even though I did not believe in God, perhaps He could provide the answers I was never able to find elsewhere.
As the seminar went on, I could see His Story throughout History, particularly through the history of Israel. I became convinced of the authenticity of the Bible as a reliable and factual historical book, but I still could not believe in God. I found myself challenged as when God challenged Job to “prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? … Who determined its measurements?” Job 38:3-5
Instantly, something big hit my brain and I said to myself, “Oh my God, there is a God.” From that moment, all the words He said I knew to be true, but I also came to realize that I was not worthy to come into His presence. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” Romans 1:28 He was talking about me, and my conscience became extremely burdened and troubled.
In the Old Testament, Jewish people worshiped God by offering the blood of lambs or goats as a sacrifice for their sin. Jesus came as a Lamb for all people, to shed His blood on the cross. “Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:12 Once for all. Eternal redemption. For me.
This very moment, my conscience was freed from its burden. I was born again. The answer to my lifelong question as to the purpose of life was realized at 1 am September 12, 1981.
Facing Adversity
My convenience store business did not go so well, but still I was so happy. In 1989, I founded a Video Rental Store chain with 3 partners. By 1992, we had seen some success and had opened many locations across Alberta, but we were not able to compete against the entrance of big box competitors like Blockbuster and Rogers Video. As our business situation grew bleaker and the prospect of failure became more of a reality, my partners agreed that instead of us all going down together, it would be better to split the business in such a way that three could be saved and only one would go down. I thought that if anyone had to be that man, it should be me. I ended up with $400,000 of debt, of which I had no capacity to repay, and the expectation that I would declare bankruptcy before the end of the year. If I had sold my house before declaring bankruptcy, I would be left with $60,000 cash to start over. All I had to guide me during this very difficult time was my faith in God’s words of promise, specifically, “… there is no one who has left house … or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time … and in the age to come”. Mark 10:29-30
Success Against All Odds
Miraculously, as I moved forward by faith alone, the situation began to change… for the better. I survived the first year by the skin of my teeth. In 7 years, I paid off all my debts and could save enough money to start a new gas station convenience store in 2000, a resounding success. Opportunity came quickly after this and I led an explosive expansion of my business in gas station convenience stores and in commercial real estate. I now own 7 gas stations and over $24,000,000 of commercial real estate. I truly believe that it was God who has blessed me with this success so that now I can give back for the purpose of spreading the gospel. With my remaining time, I will be setting aside a large portion of my income to do His work.
This is the true history of my 42 years of life in Canada. A wonderful country where I came with nothing but a dream and was given opportunity, purpose, and overwhelming success. I have dreamed the Canadian dream and was blessed to achieve it.
Thank you very much Canada.
Respectfully,
Moondo Kim