THE KUKMIN DAILY

The monthly presentation meeting of the Korea Evangelical Fellowship (KEF; Rev. Kim Myeong-hyeok, moderator), held on December 12 at Kangbyun Church (Rev. Heo Tae-seong), located on Sunhwan-no in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was organized around the theme “Jesus, Who Came in Love,” and featured mission workers’ stories of their experience in ministries of service to persons suffering under the worst conditions in Korean society.

Rev. Kim Hae-seong (Representative, Global Sarang Sharing), now in his 22nd year of service to foreign workers in Korea, working through counseling centers, hospitals and schools, told the gathering about plans to establish a “migrant women’s pregnancy, birth and childcare crisis support center.” He explained, “We are trying to share the pains of migrant women who are suffering due to unwanted pregnancies.” This is the first step in his new ministry to save “foreign babies” who are being abandoned, adding one more area to his many ministries with foreign workers.

Rev. Im Myeong-hui (head pastor, Gwangya Church), whose life has been colored by his 27 years in the field of ministry to the homeless, opened his speech with references to his memories of “smells.” “I cannot forget the smell of feet that filled our 3-pyeong square shanty worship space, or the rotten-corpse-like smell of living persons, or the horrible smell emanating from the room of a husband who had spent days holding the dead body of his wife,” Rev. Im said. “…On the Cross, there is the smell of life as well as the smell of death. The Lord overcame death; today also I meet Him and the substance of His life.”

Steve Linton, president of Eugene Bell Foundation, which supports the treatment of tuberculosis patients in North Korea, said, “Our ministry, which began at the moment when we sent medicine to treat 19 residents of North Korea who had contracted TB, will by next year have helped tens of thousands of patients…Through our small efforts, God has showed what it is to turn the Word into reality.”

On this day, the KEF sent “donations of love” to organizations carrying out ministries of support for homeless persons, Korean Chinese, North Korean defectors, handicapped persons, foreign workers, retired pastors and women church workers, and lepers. The first monthly presentation meeting of the new year will be held on the 9th of January at Bundang Hanshin Church (Rev. Lee Yun-jae) in Gyeonggi-do.

Reporter Jaechan Park (jeep@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)


Click here for the original article in Korean

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