사실 새로 시작하는 목회칼럼에 제주도를 다녀온 것을 쓰는 이유는 첫 제주도 집회를 갔던 기억 때문입니다. 집회는 월요일부터 수요일 오전까지였기에 집회가 끝날 때쯤에 아내를 제주도에 오도록 했었습니다. 사실 살다보면 마음뿐이지 15년이 넘도록 못 챙겨준 결혼기념일을 핑계해서 집사람을 오게 한 것입니다. 막상 오도록 했지만 속으로 은근히 걱정이 되었습니다. 어디서 어떻게 시간을 보낸다? 제주도 지리를 잘 아는 것도 아니고 차가 있는 것도 아니고 그래서 그 주간에 집회를 인도하면서 마음속에 하나님께 기도를 드리고 있었습니다. “하나님, 모처럼 아내를 위한 시간을 마련했는데 남편 체면 한번 세워 주이소.” 말하자면 나의 계획에 하나님을 매니저로 끌어들이려고 한 것입니다.
그 때 마침 제주항에 선교선 둘로스가 도착해 있었기에 거기를 먼저 가기로 하고 첫 발을 둘로스 호에 막 올려놓는데 그 배를 타고 있는 선교사 한 사람이 나를 세워두고 하는 말이 자기가 정근두 목사를 잘 안다고 하는 것이 아닙니까? 그도 그럴 것이 우리는 이전에 가까이에서 서로 만난 일은 없었고 게다가 반바지 차림인 내 형색으로 보아 자기가 멀리서 보았던 사람이라고 생각할 수가 없었을 것입니다. 하여간 그날 밤 우리 부부는 둘로스 호에 초대되어 만찬을, 그것도 한국에 와서는 한 번도 먹은 일이 없는 남아공화국 음식으로 대접을 받았습니다.
뒷날 등반길을 물어보려고 제주 서광교회에 연락을 했더니 그날 마침 당시 내가 속해 있던 서울노회 목사님들이 내려와서 한라산에 모셔다 주기로 했는데 같이 가면 되겠다고 하는 것이 아닙니까? 무언가 일이 잘 풀리는 조짐이 계속되고 있었습니다. 길 걱정 없이 한라산을 정복하고 그분들이 준비한 음식과 과일, 입장료까지 다 부담을 해 주어서 즐거운 시간을 보내고 하산한 다음 택시를 타고 서귀포를 갔습니다. 하지만 나를 초대했던 집사님의 안경점이 어디 있는지도 모르고 시내에 들어서자마자 내렸는데 바로 길 건너 그 안경점이 보이는 것이 아닙니까?
만나서 반갑게 인사를 나누고 잠깐 기다리라며 숙소를 마련하기 위해서 여기 저기 전화를 돌리는데 순간적으로 불안했습니다. 지나가는 인사말로 초청했는데 내가 진지하게 받아들이고 나타나서 실례를 하는 게 아닌가 하는 생각이 들었습니다. 하지만 지금껏 인도하신 하나님을 생각할 때 그럴 리 없다고 마음으로 부정하고 기다리기로 했습니다. 곧 <한국콘도>가 준비되어 거기서 일박을 하게 되었고, 그날 밤 그 지역에 있는 몇 분들을 모시고 공식 집회에서 나누지 못한 뒤풀이 은혜시간을 가졌습니다. 그리고 뒷날 사랑의 선물과 함께 배웅하는 분들을 뒤로하고 서울로 돌아왔습니다. 그 때에 하나님께서 내 마음속에 이런 도전을 하시는 것이 아닙니까? “내게 맡길 때 놀라운 일정을 선물로 주지 않았느냐 앞으로 남은 날도 나에게 부탁하지 않겠니?”라고.
The reason I am writing about our trip to Jeju Island in this newly launched pastoral column is because of the memories from my very first conference there. Since the meetings ran from Monday to Wednesday morning, I asked my wife to join me on Jeju Island as the conference was drawing to a close. To tell the truth, life often gets in the way of good intentions, so I used the excuse of our wedding anniversary—which I hadn't properly celebrated in over fifteen years—to invite her out. But once she actually came, I began to worry deep down. Where should we go, and how should we spend our time? I didn't know the lay of Jeju Island, nor did we have a car. So throughout that week, while leading the meetings, I was quietly praying in my heart: "Lord, I've finally arranged some time for my wife; please help me save face as a husband." In a manner of speaking, I was trying to enlist God as my personal tour manager.
Just then, the missionary ship Doulos happened to be docked at Jeju Port, so we decided to visit it first. But as soon as I took my very first step onto the Doulos, one of the missionaries aboard stopped me and asked if I wasn't Rev. Keun-Doo Jung! And understandably so; we had never met up close before, and seeing me casually dressed in shorts, he probably never imagined that I could be the person he had only seen from afar. In any case, that evening my wife and I were invited to dinner aboard the Doulos, treated to authentic South African cuisine—something we had not tasted once since returning to Korea.
The next day, I contacted Jeju Seogwang Church to ask about hiking trails, and to my surprise, they told me that pastors from the Seoul Presbytery—the very presbytery I belonged to at the time—had just arrived and were going to be driven up Hallasan Mountain, so we were welcome to tag along! Signs that things were falling wonderfully into place just kept coming. Free from worrying about directions, we climbed Mount Hallasan, and our companions generously covered everything—the food, fruit, and even the admission fees. After enjoying such a blessed time and descending the mountain, we caught a taxi to Seogwipo. However, I didn't know where the optical shop owned by the deacon who had invited me was located. Yet the moment we arrived downtown and stepped out of the cab, right across the street was the very optical shop!
We exchanged warm greetings, and as he began making phone calls here and there to arrange lodging for us, a fleeting wave of anxiety swept over me. Had his invitation merely been a polite pleasantry, and was I being rude by taking it seriously and just showing up? But reflecting on how God had guided us every step of the way, I dismissed those doubts and chose to wait in faith. Soon, a room at the Hankook Condo was arranged for our overnight stay. That evening, we gathered with a few local believers for a blessed time of fellowship and grace that we hadn't been able to share during the formal conference. The next day, sent off warmly with loving gifts, we headed back to Seoul. And in that quiet moment, the Lord challenged my heart with a gentle question: "When you entrusted it to Me, did I not gift you with a marvelous itinerary? Will you not entrust the rest of your days to Me as well?"
Die rede waarom ek in hierdie nuwe pastorale rubriek oor ons besoek aan Jeju-eiland skryf, is weens die herinneringe aan my heel eerste konferensie daar. Aangesien die byeenkomste van Maandag tot Woensdagoggend geduur het, het ek my vrou genooi om na Jeju-eiland te kom teen die tyd dat die konferensie tot 'n einde geloop het. Om die waarheid te sê, gaan die lewe dikwels met goeie voornemens verby, en daarom het ek ons huweliksherdenking—wat ek vir meer as vyftien jaar nie behoorlik kon vier nie—as verskoning gebruik om haar te laat kom. Maar toe sy eers daar was, het ek binnekant begin bekommerd raak. Waar en hoe gaan ons die tyd deurbring? Ek het nie die omgewing van Jeju-eiland geken nie, en ons het ook nie 'n motor gehad nie. Terwyl ek daardie week die byeenkomste gelei het, het ek stilweg in my hart tot God gebid: “Here, ek het eindelik tyd vir my vrou ingeruim; help my tog om my eer as eggenoot te behou.” Eintlik wou ek God as my eie reisbestuurder intrek.
Net op daardie tydstip was die sendingboot Doulos toevallig in die hawe van Jeju geanker, en ons het besluit om eers soontoe te gaan. Maar toe ek my heel eerste tree op die Doulos gee, het een van die sendelinge aan boord my voorgekeer en gevra of hy nie dalk vir ds. Keun-Doo Jung sien nie! Dit was te verstane; ons het mekaar nog nooit vantevore van naby ontmoet nie, en geklee in my kortbroek sou hy beslis nie verwag het dat ek die persoon was wat hy net van ver af geken het nie. Hoe dit ook al sy, daardie aand is ons as egpaar genooi vir 'n dinee aan boord van die Doulos, en ons is bederf met egte Suid-Afrikaanse kos—iets wat ons nie weer geëet het sedert ons na Korea teruggekeer het nie.
Die volgende dag het ek met die Jeju Seogwang-gemeente in verbinding getree om uit te vind oor staproetes, en tot my verbasing het hulle gesê dat predikante van die Seoel-ring—die einste ring waaraan ek destyds behoort het—pas aangekom het en na Halla-berg geneem sou word, en dat ons gerus kon saamgaan! Tekens dat alles wonderbaarlik in plek val, het net bly kom. Sonder enige sorge oor die pad het ons Mount Halla geklim, en hulle het boonop vir alles gesorg—die padkos, vrugte en selfs die toegangsgeld. Nadat ons 'n heerlike tyd geniet het en van die berg afgedaal het, het ons 'n taxi na Seogwipo geneem. Ek het egter nie geweet waar die brilwinkel van die diaken wat my genooi het, geleë was nie. Maar net toe ons die middestad binnekom en uitklim, was daardie einste brilwinkel reg oorkant die straat te sien!
Ons het mekaar hartlik gegroet, en terwyl hy heen en weer begin bel het om vir ons verblyf te reël, het 'n oombliklike angs my bekruip. Was sy uitnodiging dalk net 'n terloopse hoflikheid, en was ek onbeskof om dit ernstig op te neem en net so op te daag? Maar toe ek dink aan hoe God ons tot dusver gelei het, het ek daardie twyfel dadelik verwerp en besluit om in geloof te wag. Kort daarna is 'n kamer by die Hankook Condo gereël waar ons kon oornag, en daardie aand het ons saam met 'n paar plaaslike gelowiges byeengekom vir 'n geseënde tyd van gemeenskap wat ons nie tydens die amptelike konferensie kon deel nie. Die volgende dag is ons met liefdevolle geskenke gegroet en het ons na Seoel teruggekeer. En juis toe het die Here my hart met hierdie uitdaging aangeraak: “Toe jy dit aan My toevertrou het, het Ek jou nie met 'n wonderlike reisplan geseën nie? Wil jy nie ook die res van jou dae aan My toevertrou nie?”