Meeting with Kukmin Daily on April 18 at a cafe on Baekbeom-no in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Kim Mi-gyeong (56, shown with her sister in photo) slowly described the mother of her memory. “She was very small and frail, but she carried me to school on her back every day, rain or snow, until I graduated from college. I wasn’t able to understand how much she suffered. I simply thought it was natural for me to receive help, because I was physically handicapped.”
The death of her mother, her absolute supporter, made Kim reflect on her life. “I had never thought about giving help to anyone. But I wanted to remember my mother. Recalling how she always cared for others before looking after herself, I thought a good plan would be to help my neighbors in difficulty, in my mother’s name.”
She resolved to do this. In 1999, in the name of her mother, who had yearned for her North Korean homeland, she became a long-term supporter of World Vision projects for fellow Koreans in the North.
She also began helping others with disabilities. “My husband was very interested in reforming the system for disabled persons. He, too, was disabled. He had brain damage as the result of a traffic accident he suffered in his late teens.”
From 2002, her husband was the district head of an organization that supported disabled persons by providing them with shelter, free meals, and other services. Kim Mi-gyeong did not readily take part in this work. “The disabled persons’ miserable, weak image was what I saw when I looked in the mirror, so it depressed me. I was disabled, too, but I didn’t want to meet other disabled persons.”
Her thinking changed when she fully accepted her faith. “Though our family had been Christians from my grandmother’s time, I was a ‘Sunday Christian.’ I was pessimistic about my situation, and couldn’t believe God really existed. I even reproached my mother for her daily attendance at dawn prayer meetings.”
Kim met God personally when she was in her mid 40s. “I was awakened to how much God loves me. Jesus did not just pass by those who could not walk, those who could not see, those who could not hear. He had compassion on them and gave them love. Looking back, I realized that his love had been conveyed to me through my mother.”
Attending Eunkwang Church (Rev. No Myeong-jae) in Seoul, Kim joined wholeheartedly with her husband in caring for disabled persons. But five years ago, her husband died and her ministry faced crisis. Missing him, and troubled by economic and other difficulties, she wanted to give up on everything.
But she could not leave those persons alone with their discouragement over their disabilities and their unawareness of themselves as precious beings. She braced herself and went on with her caring ministry. Last October she opened a sujebi restaurant, and is providing free meals to disabled persons. The profits likewise are used to support persons with disabilities.
“All persons in this land who have disabilities, including me, are beings who can be loved and at the same time can share love. Until this recognition is widespread, I will continue to use my small powers to help them. Please pray and root for us.”
Reporter Lee Saya (Isaiah@kmib.co.kr), with Marion Kim (marionkkim@icloud.com)
Photo by senior reporter Kang Min Seok
Original Article in Korean:
“사랑·나눔에 장애는 장애물이 아니더군요”: 제37회 장애인의 날, 18년째 북한·이웃 후원하는 김미경씨
