As I reflect upon my father s life, a flood o f memories come to m ind. As I sort through them, I see one consistent theme which weaves through the events of our lives£¬and binds us together as a fam ily. A trait that has defined and shaped, not only my father, but our entire family is faith.

My father exhibited great faith in the ideals and dreams offered by the United States. Leaving post-war Korea in 1962 for the promise of a better life in America took a degree of faith that I can not im agine. Although the country was poor, my
father left the comfort and security of being the oldest son of a prominent fam ily and exchanged it for life as a poor foreign collge student. He endured hardships that my generation and I could never imagine or endure.

My father also exhibited his faith in the economic opportunities offered by America. He pursued the American dream through entrepreneurship. Seeking out every possible opportunity, he poured his sweat and blood into every venture he attempted. Retail, manufacturing, international trading, real estate, he never was dissuaded from an open opportunity. I even fondly remember his catfish skin leather venture, believing that it could become the next greatest fashion trend. Nothing could discourage him once he set his mind to something.

My Father exhibited great faith in his children as well. He had the kind of faith the let us each choose our own course and make our own decisions. Even when we made bad decisions, he supported us and always tried to encourage us to make the most out of the situation. Although he always had an opinion, he never forced it upon us.

Faith in worldly things are meaningless unless they are guided and shaped by a true faith in God. My father was a founding member of the first Korean church in Kansas City, he established and supported ministries and groups for the elderly, music community, foreign students and pastors. We often joke that his part time job is a funeral director because anytime there is a death in the Korean community, he would be the one assisting in making funeral arrangements. I remember one elderly widow giving him a counterfeit Rolex watch in appreciation for his help in arranging her husband¡¯s funeral. He graciously accepted it.

As my fathers faith in God grew over the years, we witnessed a transformation in our family and community. The seeds my father planted in the community are now in bloom as evidenced by the vibrant, growing Korean church community. I believe that God has blessed my father s efforts and has worked through his life in order to minister to the entire Kansas City Korean community. His growing faith has helped answer my mothers lifelong prayers, as each of her children and grandchildren inherited a legacy of serving God faithfully.

My Father has taught me that faith in God, family, and country are truly are the foundation for a blessed and prosperous life. The standard that he has set will guide and inspire me and my children, as well as the generations of Kims yet to come. I am so proud to be called his son.

Jay W Kim

 

to my father-in-law

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter about my father-in-law, Yong L. Kim. The relationship I have with my father-in-law dates back before I was bom, as my father-in-law and father have been life-long friends. They went to the same high school, college, became successful entrepreneurs, and each have three children. Lucky for me, my father-in-law had a daughter who is my age.

As a child, I remember my father-in-law coming to visit my father on several occasions, and the true friendship they have held for a lifetime. They speak to each other almost weekly, if not more often. It was also fortunate that my father-in-law, visited my family with his children on a few occasions. During a visit in 8th grade, I felt a special connection with his daughter, Jane. This connection would be rekindled later in life.

My first adult experience with my father-in-law came from my first job opportunity after graduating from Georgia Tech. I had accepted a position in Kansas City, and I did not know anyone other than my father-in-law s family in Kansas. Upon my arrival to Kansas City, my father-in-law was the first person to greet me and take me to a bbq lunch, and then welcomed me to his home. He and his wife also introduced me to a Korean church called Kansas Korean Mission Church, which ¥Ã m proud to say that I' ve attend for over 20 years, and it has become an important part of my life.

By being in Kansas City, I had the opportunity to reconnect with his daughter Jane, and we were married in 2001 and have three wonderful children: Sarah (12)£¬Grace (10)£¬and Henry (7).

I have been fortunate to see the special character of my father-in-law and draw some life lessons from him.

The first lesson I learned is that true life-long friendships are important. As I previously had mentioned, this is a principle that I have seen demonstrated by the special relationship that my father and fatherin-law have maintained their entire lives. My father-in-law has also demonstrated this in his friendships with his high school classmates in Korea and his church friends in Kansas. He regularly makes an effort to communicate with this friends and also makes the time to visit them. There is an old Korean saying that says if you have more true friends that you can count on the fingers, than you are a very lucky man. I' m certain that my father-in-law is very fortunate in this area of his life.

The second lesson I learned from him is that God and church is an important part of a successful life. My father-in-law has always been a leader in the Korean church in Kansas City. He has served the church for many decades. He along with the other leaders of Kansas Mission Church were visionary in helping create a successful Korean and second generation English Ministry. Early in the history of the English Ministry, he and the other leaders gave financial and advice support along with a freedom of decision making to the English Ministry leaders that has allowed the English Ministry to grow to almost 150 members. From my conversations with other English Ministry Pastors across the nation, having a successful English and Korean Ministry under one roof is unique. Instead many second generation Korean congregations split from the first generation churches because they wanted their independence. I believe the successful co~ministries of Korean and English speaking congregations is a result of the seeds of support and freedom given by my father-in-law and the other elders within Kansas Mission Church. My-father-in-law has made it a priority in his life to serve the church and help it prosper in Kansas City. He makes sure to spend significant time serving the church rather than only focusing on his business.

The third lesson I learned from my father-in-law is to balance work and family, and to not sweat the small stuff. Even though my fatherin-law built a successful business called QMD International, I saw that he did not often bring work home. Instead he tried to focus on living a balanced life. I believe that is one of the reasons that has allowed my father-in-law to remain in good health and live a full life.

I congratulate him on his life of faith, success, and balance.

From Michael Ylm

 

Dear Dad,
Congratulations on completing your memoir. I am very proud of you.

I am proud of your courage and perseverance to come to the United States alone and fulfill the American dream. I am proud of how you faced challenges and never gave up. I am proud of your hard work and dedication to make your company, QMD, a success. I am also proud of how you provided well for your family. I am proud of how you maintained a healthy balance of work, home, church, and fun. I am proud of how you were always willing to help others in the best way that you could. I am proud of how you helped others without expecting anything in return. I am most proud of how you made a choice to become a believer in Christ. There are studies that show that when a father changes his beliefs, his children are more likely to follow suit. I can definitively say that your positive change precipitated positive change in my life too.

I loved to hear stories of your boyhood and upbringing in Korea. You sounded like a little rascal. I have some very early and happy memories of you singing Italian and quoting Spanish phrases about too much work and too little pay around the dinner table. I also remember you laughing at my jokes even when they weren't that funny. I am so thankful that you wereri t a Dad that demanded conformity to hierarchy and formality. You were always approachable and loving. Thank you for giving me freedom when I was younger to make my own mistakes, but always being there when I needed you. I pray for enough strength for the rest of your days, and that you can impact the lives around you in Godly ways. I love you.

Jane