우리 교회가 지난 2003년 11월에 입양한 키르기즈스탄을 돌아볼 기회를 가지게 되어서 감사합니다. 해마다 여름 제주도 새생명훈련과 기간이 겹쳐서 올해는 아예 여름 새생명 훈련을 한해 쉬고 다녀올 마음을 먹었습니다. 일행은 저희 부부와 선교위원장 성보경 장로님, 선교위원인 조상복 장로님, 김홍주 장로님을 비롯하여 백은찬 총무, 박경수, 김성주, 이옥자, 김정애 집사님, 장성필 간사 등이 함께 참여했습니다. 출발은 지난 7월 27일(수) 밤에 인천을 떠났고 도착은 8월 3일(수)오후 늦게, 꼭 한 주간 동안의 비전트립이었습니다.
저도 여러분들처럼 키르기즈스탄에 대해서는 막연한 정보 외에는 없어서 그동안 우리가 키르기즈스탄의 키르기즈 종족을 입양한 경위부터 다시 한 번 살펴보며 족집게 과외를 선교부 백은찬 총무와 장성필 간사를 통해서 받고 떠났습니다. 다행히 우리가 후원하고 있는 김순자 선교사님이 모든 일을 주선해서 숙소며 일정에 동행을 해 주어서 아무런 불편 없이 다녀올 수 있었습니다. 하긴 비행기부터가 워낙 낡아서 생명을 주님 손에 의탁하지 않았다면 불안할만 했습니다. 그래도 작년에 비해서 훨씬 좋아져서 좌석번호대로 올해는 앉아갔다는 것이 대단하게 여겨지는 부분입니다.
키르기즈스탄 어디에나 그리고 언제나 들을 수 있는 닭 우는 소리가 마치 우리를 깨우는 것처럼 느껴졌습니다. 수도 비쉬켁의 숙소든지 나른 의 숙소에서든지, 새벽만이 아니라 한 낮에도 울어대는 닭 울음소리에 비해서 그곳은 영적으로 아직 잠든 상태였습니다. 한편으로는 핍박이 완화된 상태지만 다른 한편으로는 교회지도자들이 세상을 사모하여 떠나는 영적인 해이가 일반적인 모습이라 앞날이 걱정됩니다. 주의 사역의 새벽을 알리는 닭 울음소리는 시도 때도 없이 계속되지만 거기에 있는 현지 영적 지도자들은 얼마나 심각하게 듣고 있는지 기도해야 할 부분입니다.
우리교회가 품은 키르기즈 족이 대부분인 도시 나른은 인구 5만 정도의 도시입니다. 도시를 가로지르는 큰 길 좌우에 펼쳐진 마을들, 확연하게 구별되는 양편의 풍경이 인상적이었습니다. 한 쪽은 풀 하나 나무하나 보이지 않는 민둥성이 바위산이고 반대쪽 산은 풀도 있고 나무도 자라는 대조적인 모습에 왜 그렇냐고 물었더니 한 쪽은 아브라함이 사는 산이고 다른 쪽은 롯이 사는 산이라고 서슴치 않고 대답하는 재치에 감동했습니다. 풀 한 포기, 나무 한 그루 자라지 않는 그 바위산은 우리가 시작해야 할 도시 나른의 영적인 상태를 보여주는 상징적인 그림처럼 다가왔습니다. 언젠가는 새들이 깃들고 짐승들이 노니는 곳이 되기를 바라며…
I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to visit Kyrgyzstan, whom our church adopted in November 2003. In previous years, the schedule had always clashed with our summer New Life Training on Jeju Island, so this year we made up our minds to pause the summer training for a season and embark on this journey instead. Our team consisted of my wife and me, Elder Bo-kyeong Seong (Chairman of the Mission Committee), Elders Sang-bok Cho and Hong-ju Kim (committee members), General Secretary Eun-chan Baek, Deacons Gyeong-su Park, Seong-ju Kim, Ok-ja Lee, and Jeong-ae Kim, as well as Staff Worker Seong-pil Jang. We departed from Incheon on the night of Wednesday, July 27, and returned late in the afternoon of Wednesday, August 3—a meaningful vision trip that spanned exactly one week.
Like many of you, I had only vague information about Kyrgyzstan before this journey. So, before leaving, I reviewed how we came to adopt the Kyrgyz people and received intensive briefings from General Secretary Eun-chan Baek and Staff Worker Seong-pil Jang of the missions department. Thankfully, Missionary Soon-ja Kim, whom our church supports, arranged all our accommodations and accompanied us throughout our itinerary, allowing us to travel without any inconvenience. In truth, the airplane itself was so old and worn that one might have felt genuinely anxious had we not entrusted our lives entirely into the Lord's hands. Yet, we were told it was a vast improvement compared to last year—so much so that being able to sit according to our assigned seat numbers felt like a remarkable achievement.
Everywhere and at all times in Kyrgyzstan, the crowing of roosters could be heard, almost as if urging us to awaken. Whether at our lodging in the capital city of Bishkek or in Naryn, roosters crowed not only at dawn but even in the middle of the day; yet, in contrast to their persistent cries, the land itself still seemed to slumber spiritually. While outright persecution has eased, a spiritual laxity has set in—church leaders are forsaking their calling out of longing for worldly pursuits—casting a shadow of concern over the future. Though the roosters crow incessantly as if heralding the dawn of the Lord’s work, one cannot help but wonder how earnestly the local spiritual leaders are taking this wake-up call to heart. It is truly a matter for our fervent prayers.
The city of Naryn, where the Kyrgyz people adopted by our church predominantly reside, is home to about 50,000 residents. The villages spread out along both sides of the main road cutting through the city presented a striking contrast in scenery. On one side stood completely barren, rocky mountains without a single blade of grass or tree, while the opposite mountains were green with grass and growing trees. When I asked why there was such a stark difference, someone wittily answered without hesitation, "One side is the mountain where Abraham dwells, and the other is where Lot lives." I was touched by their thoughtful humor. That desolate rocky mountain, barren of even a single blade of grass or solitary tree, struck me as a symbolic reflection of the spiritual condition of Naryn, where our mission must begin. With prayerful hope, I envision the day when birds will nest and creatures will roam peacefully upon those hills...
Ek is baie dankbaar vir die geleentheid om Kirgisië te kon besoek, wat ons gemeente in November 2003 aangeneem het. Aangesien die datum elke jaar oorvleuel het met die somer se Nuwe Lewe-opleiding op Jeju-eiland, het ons besluit om vanjaar die someropleiding vir 'n jaar te laat rus en op reis te gaan. Ons reisgeselskap het bestaan uit my vrou en my, ouderling Bo-kyeong Seong (voorsitter van die sendingkomitee), ouderlinge Sang-bok Cho en Hong-ju Kim (sendingkomiteelede), asook algemene sekretaris Eun-chan Baek, diakens Gyeong-su Park, Seong-ju Kim, Ok-ja Lee, Jeong-ae Kim, en personeellid Seong-pil Jang. Ons het op die aand van Woensdag, 27 Julie vanaf Incheon vertrek en laatmiddag op Woensdag, 3 Augustus teruggekeer—'n visietoer van presies een week.
Soos die meeste van u, het ek voorheen maar vae inligting oor Kirgisië gehad. Voor ons vertrek het ek dus weer gekyk na hoe ons die Kirgisiese volksgroep aangeneem het, en intensiewe voorligting van algemene sekretaris Eun-chan Baek en personeellid Seong-pil Jang van die sendingkantoor ontvang. Gelukkig het sendeling Soon-ja Kim, wat deur ons ondersteun word, al die reëlings getref en ons vergesel met verblyf en die reisprogram, sodat ons sonder enige ongerief kon reis. Om die waarheid te sê, die vliegtuig was so oud dat 'n mens werklik benoud kon raak as ons lewens nie in die Here se hande toevertrou was nie. Tog was dit glo reeds baie beter as verlede jaar—die feit dat ons vanjaar volgens ons eie sitpleknommers kon sit, is al as 'n groot prestasie beskou.
Oral en te alle tye in Kirgisië kon 'n mens hane hoor kraai, asof hulle ons wou wakker roep. Hetsy by ons verblyfplek in die hoofstad Bisjkek of in Naryn, het die hane nie net teen dagbreek nie, maar selfs helder oordag aanhoudend gekraai. In skrille kontras daarmee het die landgees egter steeds in 'n diep geestelike slaap verkeer. Aan die een kant het die vervolging afgeneem, maar aan die ander kant het wêreldgesindheid onder kerkleiers posgevat en lei geestelike laksheid daartoe dat leiers hul roeping verlaat, wat ons diep besorg maak oor die toekoms. Terwyl die hane onophoudelik kraai om die dagbreek van die Here se werk aan te kondig, bly dit 'n ernstige saak van gebed of die plaaslike geestelike leiers hierdie wekroep werklik ter harte neem.
Die stad Naryn, waar die Kirgisiërs wat ons gemeente aangeneem het hoofsaaklik woon, het 'n bevolking van ongeveer 50 000 mense. Die dorpies weerskante van die hoofpad wat deur die stad sny, het 'n merkwaardige kontras in die landskap getoon. Aan die een kant was daar 'n heeltemal kaal, klipperige bergreeks sonder 'n enkele grassprietjie of boom, terwyl die teenoorgestelde berge groen was met gras en bome. Toe ek vra waarom daar so 'n reuseverskil is, het iemand sonder huiwering gevat geantwoord: "Die een kant is die berg waar Abraham woon, en die ander kant is waar Lot woon." Ek was diep getref deur daardie vindingryke humor. Daardie barre rotsberg, waar nie 'n sprietjie gras of 'n boompie groei nie, het soos 'n simboliese spieëlbeeld gevoel van die geestelike toestand van Naryn, waar ons sendingwerk moet begin. Mag dit eendag 'n plek word waar voëls nesmaak en wild rustig rondbeweeg...