May 3, 2007
Dear Friends,
We are in May already, and the unpredictable weather of spring
is beginning to yield to warm weather. Here in Daejeon we’ve
had some truly wonderful sunny days with the trees filled with
flowers and leaves. On Easter Sunday we did not have lilies, but
enjoyed forsythias and cherry blossoms. These days the campus
is full of white dogwood blossoms contrasting with pink and red
blankets of azalea.
Haejung at the flower bed.
We have been here for more than three months already, and we
are greeted by many smiling faces belonging to students who know
us from chapel services and Bible studies. Haejung earned the
endearing title “yimo,” maternal aunt, from the students,
and consequently Simon is called a “yimobu,” the husband
of yimo. As we assimilate into the community we realize our tourist
or honeymoon period is ending, and the differences in culture
and values begin to bother us. We know that this is a crucial
period for us to rely on the wisdom and compassion of God, as
we walk with the people we came to serve, sharing Jesus Christ
without being judgmental or accepting what’s wrong as culture.
It is always a struggle when we start again in a new culture,
but we know eventually we will be able to find our role and place
with God’s help.
Simon and Haejung in front of a dogwood on campus. Here at Hannam, they call the dogwood the “cross tree” due to the shape of the flower.
The Talmage house is one of the six houses remaining in the original
mission station and the only one currently occupied by PC(USA)
missionaries, us. Others are being used as offices and housing
for other organizations. Daejeon has grown, and this one-time
pear orchard is full of high-rise apartment buildings. The mission
station is a designated site for cultural preservation, with green
spaces and a stretch of unpaved road.
As spring came and the grasses and weeds began to grow, the grounds
around our house were invaded daily by neighborhood ladies harvesting
herbs and edible greens. At first, they were hesitant, unsure
whether we would be offended by their presence. Trying to put
them at ease, we struck up conversations asking what types of
greens they are harvesting. When we learned the list included
dandelions, we assured them that they are not taking any valuable
resources from us and encouraged them to take all the dandelions
from us, roots and all. One lady thanked us and showed how earth-friendly
she was. She said “We only take the leaves and leave the
roots alone. This way the dandelions will all grow back next year!”
Our work here at Hannam is mostly the “ministry of presence.”
We are not here to do anything of our own but to be helpful in
anyway we can in the ministries of Hannam University. One niche
we found is the “innkeeper ministry.” We have three
bedrooms in the house, and most of the time there are only two
of us. We want to offer hospitality to the visitors who come to
take part in the programs of the chaplain’s office. It is
good stewardship to save hotel charges and also an opportunity
to meet people serving in different ways. It frees up the staff
from providing limousine service to the visitors since we live
on campus. For English-speaking guests, it is a time for them
to converse freely in English without wondering whether they were
understood correctly. It has been a blessing for us. For night-owl
guests, we bid them good night at our bedtime and leave the whole
house to them. We have not had any complaints yet.
The “innkeeper ministry” has another dimension to
it. As we all know, the innkeeper in the parable of the Good Samaritan
(Luke 10:25-37) has only a non-speaking minor part, yet the story
is not complete without the innkeeper’s obedient service.
We want our work here in Korea to be exactly like the role of
the innkeeper. We pray to faithfully assist in the ministry of
mercy the Samaritan shows. We want to be faithful innkeepers,
starting with the ones who spend a night in our guest room.
At the end of this month, Kevin and Sariah plan to come to Korea,
their delayed honeymoon. We plan to travel in Japan with them,
extending our time together. Simon, however, will travel to the
States for ten days, leaving Haejung more time to be with the
kids.
Take care of yourselves in this season of change.
Haejung and Simon
The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, 259 |
