지난 22일(목) 밤 11시가 넘어서 몽골 울란바타르 공항청사를 나서는데 시원한 에어컨이 가동되는 공간으로 들어가는 것 같았습니다. 피서(避暑), 제대로 온 느낌이 들었습니다. 그러나 뒷날부터 시작된 일정은 만만치를 않았습니다. 금요일 오전에는 성경학교를 하고 있는 산사르 교회를 방문하고, 울란바타르 한인교회와 연합신학교, YMCA와 MK스쿨, 그리고 독일 오순절 계통의 서양 선교사가 운영하는 자선단체인 헬프 인터내셔날을 방문했습니다.
오후에는 셀빅교회당을 둘러보고 그리고 밝은미래학교 농장 터에 있는 벨휘암교회로 갔더니 이웃 주민들을 초청한 전도집회를 갖고 있었습니다. 그리고 집에 와서 저녁을 먹은 다음 타운보탈 교회당에 가서 우리 청년 1부 몽골선교팀과 함께 여름 성경학교를 봉사하고 있는 몽골인 교사 20여명을 만나 한 사람 한 사람의 간증을 들었습니다. 정말 감동적인 시간이었습니다. 사라가 이삭을 낳고 기뻐하면서 “사라가 자식들을 젖을 먹이겠다고 누가 아브라함에게 말하였으리요?”(창 21:7)라는 말씀이 기억나는 시간이었습니다. 토요일도 바빴습니다. 지면 상 일일이 열거할 수는 없지만 선교지 몽골의 많은 곳을 보여 주고 싶어 하는 최성봉 선교사님의 열정이 인도하는 대로 밤이 늦도록 최빌립, 김사라 선교사님이 울란바타르에 개척한 여섯 교회들뿐만 아니라 여러 다른 교회와 선교 사역지들을 둘러보았습니다.
지난주일 오전에는 산사르 교회에서 예배했습니다. 산사르 교회는 장로님 부부가 일찍 개척한 교회인데 다른 교회와는 달리 아직도 자체 건물을 가지지 못하고 아파트를 하나 빌려서 모이고 있었습니다. 그러나 현재 어른만 해도 40여명이 모이기에 모임장소로 비좁기도 하고 또 그 계약이 9월 초에 끝나서 다음 예배처소를 지금 바로 구해야 하는 절박한 상황이기 때문에 기도가 꼭 필요한 곳입니다. 그날 김사라 선교사님의 딸들 같은 세 자매가 산사르 교회 주일학교를 인도했는데 탁월한 교수법으로 어린이들을 장악하고, 뛰어난 순발력으로 위기 상황을 극복하는 내가 만나본 “금세기 최고의 교사 팀”이라고 칭찬하고 싶습니다.
오후에는 최빌립, 김사라 선교사가 지난 5년간 수고한 열매를 한 눈에 보는 시간이었습니다. 차로 6시간이 걸리는 운드르쉬르트 성도들까지 7개 교회 약 300여 명이 함께 참석해서 세례를 베풀고 성찬을 나누며 하나님의 말씀을 듣고 각 교회마다 준비한 특별순서를 가지는 축제였습니다. 이 지면을 빌려서 아름다운 여름사역을 펼친 청년 1부 몽골선교팀과 현지 교사들에게 감사를 드리고 싶습니다. 양정금 강도사님을 팀장으로 4인 한 팀으로 첫 주간동안 여섯 교회에 성경학교를 하고, 또 현지 교사들과 함께 약 40여 명이 지난 월요일부터 3박 4일간 운드르쉬르트에서 선교사역을 잘 감당했기 때문입니다.
Stepping out of the Ulaanbaatar airport building in Mongolia past 11:00 PM on Thursday the 22nd, it felt as though I was entering an air-conditioned room. It truly felt like a genuine summer escape from the heat. Yet the schedule that unfolded the following day was anything but leisurely. On Friday morning, we visited Sansar Church, which was holding a Vacation Bible School, followed by visits to the Ulaanbaatar Korean Church, the United Theological Seminary, the YMCA, the MK School, and Help International, a charitable organization run by Western missionaries of German Pentecostal heritage.
In the afternoon, we toured Selbe Church and then proceeded to Belkhiam Church, located on the farmland site of Bright Future School, where they were hosting an evangelistic outreach for neighborhood residents. Afterward, we returned home for dinner and then visited Town Botal Church, where we met around twenty Mongolian teachers serving in the summer Bible school alongside our Young Adults Division 1 Mongolia Mission Team. Listening to each of their testimonies was a truly touching experience. It brought to mind Sarah's joyful exclamation after giving birth to Isaac: “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children?” (Gen. 21:7). Saturday was equally packed. Though space does not permit me to recount everything in detail, guided by Missionary Sung-Bong Choi’s passionate desire to show us as much of the Mongolian mission field as possible, we visited late into the night not only the six churches planted in Ulaanbaatar by Missionaries Philip Choi and Sarah Kim, but also several other churches and ministry sites.
Last Sunday morning, we worshipped at Sansar Church. Founded early on by an elder and his wife, Sansar Church—unlike the other churches—still lacks its own building and meets in a rented apartment. However, with more than forty adults gathering, the space has become far too cramped. Moreover, because their lease expires in early September, they find themselves in urgent need of a new place of worship right away, making it a place truly in need of earnest prayer. That day, three young sisters who are like daughters to Missionary Sarah Kim led the Sunday school at Sansar Church. Engaging the children with outstanding teaching methods and handling unexpected challenges with remarkable presence of mind, they truly deserve praise as “the finest teaching team of this century” I have ever seen.
The afternoon offered a panoramic view of the fruitful labor sown by Missionaries Philip Choi and Sarah Kim over the past five years. Around three hundred believers gathered from seven churches—including members who had traveled six hours by car from Öndörshireet—to hold a festival of baptisms, Holy Communion, the ministry of God’s Word, and special presentations prepared by each congregation. Through this column, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to our Young Adults Division 1 Mongolia Mission Team and the local teachers who carried out such beautiful summer ministries. Led by Pastor Jung-Geum Yang, a team of four conducted Bible schools across six churches during the first week, and together with around forty local teachers, faithfully carried out mission work in Öndörshireet for four days and three nights starting last Monday.
Toe ek verby 23:00 op Donderdag die 22ste by die lughawegebou in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolië, uitstap, het dit gevoel asof ek 'n koel, lugversorgde ruimte binnegaan. Dit het gevoel soos 'n ware toevlugsoord teen die somerhitte. Die program wat egter die volgende dag begin het, was geensins lig nie. Vrydagoggend het ons Sansar Gemeente besoek, wat besig was met 'n Bybelskool, en daarna die Ulaanbaatar Koreaanse Gemeente, die Verenigde Teologiese Kweekskool, die YMCA, die MK Skool, en Help International—'n liefdadigheidsorganisasie wat deur Westerse sendelinge uit die Duitse Pinkster-tradisie bestuur word.
In die middae het ons Selbe Gemeente besoek en daarna na Belkhiam Gemeente gegaan, wat op die plaasgrond van die Helder Toekoms-skool geleë is, waar hulle 'n evangelisasiebyeenkoms vir die buurt se inwoners gehou het. Nadat ons tuis geëet het, het ons na Town Botal Gemeente gegaan om sowat twintig Mongoolse onderwysers te ontmoet wat saam met ons Jongvolwassenes Afdeling 1 Mongolië-sendingvereniging in die somerbybelskool gedien het, en ons het na elkeen se getuienis geluister. Dit was werklik 'n diep roerende tyd. Dit het my herinner aan Sara se vreugdevolle woorde toe sy aan Isak geboorte gegee het: “Wie sou vir Abraham kon sê dat Sara kinders sou soog?” (Gen. 21:7). Saterdag was net so bedrywig. Al laat die ruimte dit nie toe om alles breedvoerig te beskryf nie, het ons tot laat in die nag—gelei deur die vurige ywer van sendeling Sung-Bong Choi wat ons soveel moontlik van die Mongoolse sendingveld wou wys—nie net die ses gemeentes besoek wat deur sendelinge Philip Choi en Sarah Kim in Ulaanbaatar geplant is nie, maar ook verskeie ander kerke en sendingwerkterreine.
Verlede Sondagoggend het ons by Sansar Gemeente aanbid. Sansar Gemeente is vroeg al deur 'n ouderling en sy vrou geplant, maar anders as ander gemeentes beskik hulle nog nie oor 'n eie gebou nie en kom hulle in 'n gehuurde woonstel bymekaar. Aangesien daar tans meer as veertig volwassenes saamkom, het die lokaal baie beknop geraak. Boonop verstryk hul huurkontrak vroeg in September, wat beteken dat hulle dadelik 'n nuwe aanbiddingsplek moet vind—'n dringende saak wat voorwaar ons gebede vra. Daardie dag het drie susters, wat soos eie dogters vir sendeling Sarah Kim is, die Sondagskool by Sansar Gemeente gelei. Deur hul uitmuntende onderrigmetodes om die kinders te boei en hul uitsonderlike vaardigheid om uitdagende situasies te hanteer, verdien hulle lof as “die beste span onderwysers van hierdie eeu” wat ek nog teëgekom het.
Die middag was 'n geleentheid om die vrug van sendelinge Philip Choi en Sarah Kim se toegewyde arbeid oor die afgelope vyf jaar in oënskou te neem. Ongeveer 300 gelowiges uit sewe gemeentes—insluitend lidmate wat ses uur per motor vanaf Öndörshireet gereis het—het saamgekom vir 'n fees waar die doop bedien is, die nagmaal gevier is, die Woord van God verkondig is, en elke gemeente 'n spesiale bydrae gelewer het. Ek wil van hierdie geleentheid gebruik maak om my opregte dank uit te spreek teenoor ons Jongvolwassenes Afdeling 1 Mongolië-sendingvereniging en die plaaslike onderwysers wat so 'n pragtige somerbediening verrig het. Onder leiding van leraar Jung-Geum Yang het 'n span van vier gedurende die eerste week Bybelskole by ses gemeentes aangebied, en saam met ongeveer veertig plaaslike onderwysers het hulle vanaf verlede Maandag vir vier dae en drie nagte met groot toewyding die sendingwerk in Öndörshireet behartig.