September 2004

Gateways

Dear Friends,

Greetings from Korea! In addition to our many activities directly related to our service as professors at Ranil University and Presbyterian Theological Seminary and as co-pastors of the Jeonju English Church, we also serve as volunteer tour guides for the Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS). Hanil University encourages its faculty to engage in some form of community service, and for many years our involvement with the RAS has been one way in which we have done this. Occasionally we are called upon to lead groups of foreign visitors to places of historical and cultural interest within Korea. As we visit old stately homes, Confucian shrines and academies, and Buddhist temple complexes, we often come across picturesque gateways such as the one shown in this photo. Such gateways often open up into the inner quarters of stately homes to reveal beautiful gardens, or they lead to the inner court of Confucian academies or to isolated hermitages at mountain temples. Beyond the gateways lies a world that is closed to the general public—a world of privilege, a world of educational opportunity, or a world of religious devotion.

Some of these funds came from you, our faithful supporters. Other gifts came from mission funds and bequests. Still others came from our own personal funds. Some donations were large, others small, but all were the keys that unlocked the gateways of opportunity for our students.

One student who entered Hanil University this year came from an extremely poor family. He was unable to go to high school, and it seemed that all of the gateways to opportunity were closed to him. Scholarship aid, however, enabled him to study for the high school equivalency examination. After a year of study he passed the examination, and this opened the gateway for a university education, also provided in part by scholarship aid. Now he is a student at Hanil University—something that he never dreamed would be possible.

Another student, who completed his undergraduate theological studies, felt called to the ministry, but with family obligations it appeared that the gateway to theological seminary was securely locked. A scholarship came at just the right time, the gateway was opened, and now he is successfully working toward the completion of his M.Div. degree. The call of God to the ministry is being answered.

Two women students who graduated from Hanil a number of years ago—and who received scholarship aid at that time—have recently been appointed, along with their husbands (one of whom also received scholarship aid for his graduate study), as missionaries. One family will be going to Taiwan and the other to India. In recent weeks both have come to express their appreciation for the gateways that were opened making missionary service a possibility.

International students from throughout Asia and Africa have all come to study at the Asia Pacific Graduate School of Theological Studies because of scholarship aid. Without these scholarships the gateway to graduate study and further Christian service upon their return home would remain closed. Over and over again we have heard these words, “Because of my degree from Hanil University I have been able to fill a position of leadership in my church and in its theological college.”

Scholarship aid sometimes covers items other than tuition fees. Gateways to knowledge have been unlocked by book scholarships. Scholarships for field trips and study tours have opened gateways to experiences never believed possible by students whose only previous frame of reference was a small rural village. Work scholarships enable students to enhance their computer skills while at the same time serving as faculty assistants, thus opening the gateway to better opportunities for employment following graduation. Scholarships for class retreats have provided possibilities for deepening spiritual insight and understanding within the framework of Christian community life.

Yes, there is no doubt about it. Scholarship aid has been the key that has unlocked the gates and opened the way for so many students at Hanil University and Presbyterian Theological Seminary. To all of you who have helped to provide this scholarship aid, we and our students say “Thank You.” If you have not yet given a gift to help provide a scholarship for a student in need, we challenge you to help open the gateway of opportunity to Christian service for yet another generation of young men and women from Korea and around the world. Your gifts are the keys that can unlock the gateways!

Faithfully in mission,

Carol Chou Adams / Daniel J. Adams

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 89