December 4, 2006
Dear Friends,
I am very busy in ministry with women here in Korea, thanks to
God’s help, and I would like to share my recent activities
with you.
Rev. Sook Hee Bae and another woman pastor baptize a soldier
at the Korean Army Training Center in October 2006.
The Army of the Republic of Korea conducted its annual baptism
ceremony at Army training center at Non-San in Chung Chung province,
and I participated again this year. Six clergywomen joined me
and to baptize about 3,500 soldiers on October 21.
I learned that 20 percent of them were Christians, 60 percent
had experienced Christian worship, and 10 percent hadn’t
heard of Jesus Christ before. The baptism ceremony lasted all
afternoon, and at the end of the day we were all exhausted, but
we praised God for the salvation of many people.
On October 16, Pyung-Yang Presbytery and its partner, Cayuga-Syracuse
Presbytery of the PC(USA), got together here in Seoul Korea during
General Assembly. The Cayuga-Syracuse commissioners visited two
shelters run by the Women Ministers Association, “Good News
Shelter” and “Another House.” We opened these
shelters five years ago thanks to help from Presbyterian Women,
including a grant from the Birthday Offering. Thanks to this support
we have been able to improve the facilities greatly and raise
the standard of living for the women who take temporary refuge
in the shelters.
Representatives of Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery visited one of
the shelters for battered women supported by the Women Ministers
Association.
We were especially grateful for the visit of Elder Louise Davis,
vice moderator of Presbyterian Women, joined us. We shared and
discussed current issues.
In early November I attended a two-day seminar on the social
welfare movement for women and children, which was organized by
the Social Welfare Association on Je-Ju Island. Broken families
are becoming more common in Korea. Separation and divorce cause
a great deal of suffering for parents and children. We need to
help families deal with all aspects of the problem, including
the physical, social, mental, and spiritual dimensions. Both the
Good News Shelter and Another House help families overcome and
survive their divisions, giving them meaningful assistance while
under extreme stress.
It’s Christmas time again. God blessed my family richly
this year. It is already two years since my husband KJ moved to
Korea, and he has adjusted well to life here, which is another
of God’s blessings on our family. And this year, our three
sons and their families have visited us, and in each case it was
their first visit Korea. All the grandchildren, who are Korean
American, encountered a new culture. This is a special blessing
for us and we have enjoyed all our grandchildren.
I’m very grateful to God, who has led me in my ministry
and blessed my family. I pray for all the mission co-workers around
world and that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) be led to fulfill
God’s grace.
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Sook Hee Bae
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
249 |
