Dear Friends and Family,

This is already the sixth Christmas we have spent away from home; in Quebec, Canada, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and now in Kathmandu, Nepal. We know that our faithful God is present in all these places, but not everyone experiences the comfort and joy during this season of Advent and a new hope for the New Year. At first we thought it was due to the harsh life dealt to them, but we know that is not true. We sang and danced in celebration with the poorest of the poor and praised God for his gift of eternal life with the dying. We also sat in anguish with people who have much material and other tangible wealth and yet are deprived of peace and filled with bitterness and anxiety. It seems the critical difference is whether we have been freed by the truth of Jesus Christ.

Simon also tries to share his faith and joy while working with Nepali staff of the UMN projects, as they prepare for their future as independent institutions. Management and accountability are often misunderstood as very calculating and cold-hearted. When our management and stewardship practices are grounded on mutual respect, compassion for the needy and humility before the Lord and the disciples, we have a system demanding good performance and responsibility, yet caring and building-up relationship with each other. This is not to lecture, but to share that, after questioning the purpose of our lives here in Nepal during the early months of the year, we are now at peace. We came to realize and accept that God allows us enough struggles and challenges as we grow in Him, and we are at the right place where He wants us to serve and grow closer to Him. We try to walk with Christ in our daily lives and we hope and pray that we become a little bit more kind to those dear to us, far and near.

When we were traveling through Tibet under quite primitive conditions, Simon was concerned about his glucose levels, as the choice of diet was quite limited and his routine was interrupted. What a surprise! Throughout the week the glucose level was about thirty points lower than the previous week, comfortably in the normal range. Perhaps the moral of the story was that as long as we stay on vacation mode, Simon is OK. Haejung corrected Simon by saying that the vacation was beneficial precisely because we had work responsibilities in other weeks. There went the early retirement idea, and we thanked God once again for using us in His ministries.

John and Kevin are busy with their own lives in Boston, and we remember the joy of having Kevin in Nepal during the year. We hope to see each other during 2004 wherever it may be. Although we do not have a permanent house, wherever we are together is our home. When we gave up a house, we gained homes around the world.

May you also have a wonderful Christmas complete with the joy of receiving the King into your lives once again, and knowing that our God is the truth! Let us also pray for peace on earth and in the hearts of all who suffer physically and spiritually.

In His peace,

Haejung & Simon

The 200 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 203