August 30, 2007

Trips to North Korea and the United States

See that you also excel in this grace of giving.
II Corinthians 8:7b

Dear mission Supporters,

Sue took her sixth trip this year to North Korea from August 18  to 25 and was able to gauge the destruction from the floods there in early August, which caused the postponement of the summit meeting of the two heads of divided Korea. First she went to Hoeryoung where she saw a donated ambulance, incubators, and other medical equipment in operation. She also inspected the floor tiles that Lighthouse had sent more recently. While monitoring the delivery of the donations, Sue received the appreciation of the doctors of the women’s and natal care hospital along with the thanks of Hoeryoung’s mayor.

Sue boarded the plane for Pyongyang with seven large bags of medicine, clothes, and towels for flood victims, and she was able to see that the many tons of wheat and ingredients for her two milk plants and bakeries had been delivered.

The Pottonggang Sheltered Workshop had been inundated by flood waters one meter in height, causing some damage in the workshops, but they had been cleaned up well and because the materials and furniture sent in by Lighthouse were durable the workshops were receiving customers again.

Kim Young Cheol of the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled watches as balls and athletic uniforms are delivered to pupils at a school for the deaf.

Seeing how high the floods had come and hearing reports that it was not possible to accurately count the many casualties and those made homeless with their crops destroyed, Sue felt pain in her heart for what the people were going through. Because bridges, roads, and railroads were damaged in the flooding, Sue was not able to visit any of the eleven special education schools for the visually and hearing impaired she is beginning to assist.

A special highlight of this trip was taking a letter from someone physically challenged in South Korea about her plans to send wheelchairs to the North. Ms. Lee, Hae Ya was born with a total of only four fingers and, having lost her legs below the knee, she stands only three feet high. But at the age of 23 she has become known as a pianist. She is giving a concert on September 1 to raise funds to send 1,004 wheelchairs to challenged persons in North Korea. (In the Korean language “1,004” is pronounced the same as “angel.”) Sue not only delivered the letter that contained this news, but she brought back an answer from a disabled girl in the North. “This shows that the peace and reunification of the South and North is coming in our hearts,” said Sue. “By our love and sharing of God’s blessings there is power!”

Both of us, Sue and Art, will be in the United States participating in the October Mission Challenge ’07 of our Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Forty-seven missionaries will be visiting 143 presbyteries (80 percent of the total) so you can see why Art and Sue will be itinerating as a single person for three of the four weeks, as all 47 of us share with the churches our stories of ministry to focus on our denomination’s world mission program. Hopefully, some kind of meeting will be held in 700 churches in total.

Mission Challenge ’07 is a chance for us to tell the story that, thanks to your faithful support, every day lives are being saved, the physically and spiritually hungry are being fed, wells are being dug, partner churches’ ministries and outreach are being enhanced, and hope is being given to people in need around the world. Another part of Mission Challenge ’07 is a request made to the approximately 11,000 congregations of the PC(USA) to support Presbyterian missionaries like us. We appreciate all the support that has come for us and our work as we reach out in North and South Korea, but looking at the history of Presbyterians in world mission and the needs around the world, it is clear that if Jesus’ call for world mission is a priority for every congregation. A lot more can be done.

Together with you in Christ’s mission,

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 249