THE KUKMIN DAILY

“That I may endlessly seek God’s will, accommodate myself to the given situation, and do my best in my ministry of service.”

A young man soon to depart to his assigned mission field, requested family members and acquaintances to pray for him in this way. Kim Su-seok (23, 3rd year student at Daejeon Theological Seminary and College, photo: with Gambian children in his mission area) was dispatched by the mission organization Commission, and began his service as a short-term missionary in Gambia, Africa, on May 5 this year. Following the words of his prayer, he was in the midst of carrying out this ministry when, on July 11, he lost his life while trying to save two young village women, Isatou (20) and Lydia (17), who had fallen into the water. He was able to save Lydia, but unfortunately Kim and Isatou were drowned in exhaustion.

Rev. Lee Seung-nam, pastor of the church to which Kim belonged, Ganggyeong Jungang Presbyterian Church in Nonsan, Chungnam-do, said, “Kim Su-seok grew up on the foundation of his parents’ education in the faith, and served the church as a teacher in the children’s department and as a member of the choir…All our church members have watched him grow up, and we grieve his loss with one heart.”

Park Rae-su, representative of Commission’s Korea headquarters, said, “Mr. Kim had a clear vision of mission…Differently from regular missionaries, who receive support from churches and others, short-term missionaries must cover their own mission costs. Mr. Kim used the monthly wages he had received while on military duty, together with income from his part-time work, to pay his mission expenses.”

Kim’s body was brought back to Korea, and on the 25th, his family, members of Ganggyeong Church, and his classmates from Daejeon Theological Seminary gathered at a funeral parlor in Nonsan, where they held a worship service to bid him farewell.

Reporter Lee Saya (Isaiah@kmib.co.kr)
Photo courtesy of Commision Korea Headquarters


Click here for the original article in Korean