이번 중남미지역 선교대회를 통해서 만나거나 듣게 된 선교사 자녀(MK)들의 소식은 가장 고무적인 것이었습니다. 많은 선교사 자녀들이 목회나 선교를 꿈꾸고 있다는 사실을 확인했기 때문입니다. 배성학 선교사님 댁의 둘째 아들은 이곳에서 신학을 공부하고 있으면서 한인교회 전도사로 섬기고 있고, 큰 아들은 선교단체 간사로 섬기고 있는데 신학을 공부해서 목회자가 되기를 원하고 있습니다. 현재는 음악대학 3학년으로 앞으로 신학대학원에서 공부를 하고 목사가 되기를 원하고 있는 손 성수 선교사님 댁 아들은 선교대회 이틀 저녁 은혜로운 찬양을 인도했습니다. 그리고 이상석 선교사님 아들 역시 선교사 지망생이며 파라과이의 이정건 선교사님 아들도 지금 칼빈대학에서 심리학을 공부하는데 졸업하면 신학공부를 하고 선교사가 되기를 원한다고 합니다. 그 외에 도 김현수 선교사님, 선교사로 헌신하시다가 암으로 소천한 배봉규 선교사님의 자녀들도 선교에 헌신한 자들이라고 합니다.
이 이름들은 다만 중남미 선교사들 가운데 우리가 소식을 접한 사람들이고 다른 지역에 있는 선교사 자녀들 가운데서도 틀림없이 더 있을 것입니다. 사실 나이가 들어서 선교사로 오신 분들은 해가 지나가도 언어가 어느 정도까지만 되는 것이지 모국어처럼 할 수는 없다는 한계가 있습니다. 거기에 비해서 선교사님들의 자녀들은 어릴 적부터 현지어를 배워서 거의 본토인처럼 언어를 구사하는 이점이 있습니다. 단지 언어뿐만 아니라 현지인과 동일한 환경에서 자랐기에 문화 간격도 없는 등여러 가지 유익한 점이 많이 있습니다. 이처럼 선교사님 자녀들 가운데 목사로, 선교사로 헌신하는 자들이 나오는 한 고신 선교의 미래는 밝아 보입니다.
다만 모국의 교회가 기억해야 할 것은 이처럼 좋은 선교 자원들인 MK가 갖는 어려움은 모국에서 후원교회를 발굴하기가 어렵다는 점입니다. 본국에 강한 뿌리가 이미 없어졌기 때문에 선교사 자녀들을 지원할 교회를 찾기가 어려운 점이 이들이 갖는 한계입니다. 그러므로 선교부나 후원교회에서는 선교사 자녀를 위한 지원방안을 마련할 필요가 있어 보입니다. 그 가운데 하나는 이들이 신학을 공부하는 동안 특별 장학금도 마련하고 신학을 하는 동안이라도 본국에서 목회를 배울 수 있는 장을 열어줄 필요가 있습니다. 사람을 키우는 일, 그것은 하나님의 나라가 우리 당대에 모두 완성되지 않기에 꼭 유념해야 할 첫 번째 과제입니다. 앞으로 울산교회는 더욱 사람을 키우는 일에 관심을 갖고 이곳에 있는 선교사 자녀뿐 아니라 지금 우리 가운데서 자라는 자녀들, 그리고 선교지의 인재양성을 위해서 좀 더 체계적인 계획을 세워야 할 것으로 보입니다.
The news of missionary kids (MKs) whom I met or heard about during this Latin America Mission Conference was truly the most encouraging part of all. It was heartening to confirm that so many missionary children are dreaming of pastoral ministry or missions. The second son of missionary Sunghak Bae is studying theology locally while serving as a junior pastor in a Korean diaspora church, and the eldest son serves as a staff member in a mission organization, hoping to study theology and become a pastor. The son of missionary Sungsoo Son, currently a junior in music college who aspires to study at a seminary and become an ordained pastor, led gracious praise services on two evenings of the conference. Furthermore, the son of missionary Sangseok Lee is likewise an aspiring missionary, and the son of missionary Junggeon Lee in Paraguay is studying psychology at Calvin University with the hope of pursuing theological studies after graduation to become a missionary. In addition, the children of missionary Hyunsoo Kim and the late missionary Bonggyu Bae—who faithfully dedicated his life before passing away from cancer—are also said to have committed their lives to missions.
These names are merely those we heard among the missionaries in Latin America; surely there must be many more among missionary children in other regions as well. In truth, those who go out as missionaries later in life face the limitation that no matter how many years pass, their proficiency in the language reaches only a certain level and rarely matches that of a native speaker. By contrast, missionary children have the immense advantage of having learned the local language from an early age, speaking it almost like native locals. Beyond language alone, because they grew up immersed in the very same environment as the local people, there is virtually no cultural gap, among countless other strengths. As long as committed servants emerge from among our missionary children to become pastors and missionaries, the future of Kosin missions looks bright.
However, what the church in our homeland must remember is that the very hardship these invaluable mission resources—our MKs—face is the difficulty of securing sponsoring churches back home. Having already lost deep roots in their home country, finding churches willing to sponsor and support them presents a real obstacle. Therefore, mission boards and supporting churches need to prepare concrete support plans for missionary children. One such step would be providing special scholarships while they study theology, and creating opportunities for them to gain practical pastoral experience in their homeland even while pursuing theological studies. Raising and nurturing people—because the Kingdom of God will not be fully completed in our own generation—is the primary task we must keep firmly in mind. In the days ahead, Ulsan Church ought to take an even deeper interest in nurturing leaders, establishing more systematic plans not only for the missionary children here, but also for the children growing up among us and for emerging talents on the mission field.
Die nuus oor die sendelingkinders (MKs) wat ek tydens hierdie Latyns-Amerikaanse Sendingkonferensie ontmoet of van gehoor het, was waarlik die mees bemoedigende aspek van alles. Dit was 'n vreugde om te sien dat so baie sendelingkinders droom van pastorale bediening of sendingwerk. Die tweede seun van sendeling Sunghak Bae studeer teologie ter plaatse terwyl hy as jeugleraar in 'n Koreaanse gemeente dien, en die oudste seun werk as personeellid by 'n sendingorganisasie met die begeerte om teologie te studeer en 'n predikant te word. Die seun van sendeling Sungsoo Son, tans 'n derdejaarstudent aan 'n musiekkonserwatorium wat beplan om daarna aan 'n teologiese kweekskool te studeer om predikant te word, het op twee aande van die konferensie genaderyke lofprysing gelei. Verder is die seun van sendeling Sangseok Lee eweneens 'n voornemende sendeling, en die seun van sendeling Junggeon Lee in Paraguay studeer tans sielkunde aan Calvin Universiteit met die voorneme om ná graduering teologie te studeer en sendeling te word. Daarbenewens het die kinders van sendeling Hyunsoo Kim en wyle sendeling Bonggyu Bae—wat homself aan die sending gewy het voordat hy aan kanker oorlede is—hul lewens ook aan die sending toegewy.
Hierdie name is slegs dié waarvan ons onder die Latyns-Amerikaanse sendelinge verneem het; daar is ongetwyfeld nog baie meer onder die kinders van sendelinge in ander streke. In werklikheid staar diegene wat eers op 'n latere leeftyd as sendelinge uitgaan die beperking in die gesig dat hul taalvaardigheid, ongeag die jare wat verbygaan, slegs tot op 'n sekere vlak ontwikkel en selde soos dié van 'n moedertaalspreker word. In vergelyking daarmee het sendelingkinders die geweldige voordeel dat hulle die plaaslike taal van kleins af aangeleer het en dit feitlik soos boorlinge praat. Nie net wat taal betref nie, maar aangesien hulle in dieselfde omgewing as die plaaslike bevolking grootgeword het, is daar feitlik geen kulturele gaping nie, benewens talle ander voordele. Solank daar uit die geledere van ons sendelingkinders toegewyde persone opstaan wat predikante en sendelinge word, lyk die toekoms van Kosin-sending baie rooskleurig.
Wat die tuiskerke egter moet onthou, is die uitdaging waarmee hierdie kosbare sendinghulpbronne—ons MKs—te kampe het: dit is moeilik om ondersteunende gemeentes in die vaderland te vind. Omdat hul diep wortels in die tuisland reeds vervaag het, is dit 'n wesenlike struikelblok om kerke te vind wat bereid is om hulle te ondersteun. Daarom blyk dit nodig te wees dat sendingrade en ondersteunende gemeentes doelgerigte maatreëls tref om sendelingkinders by te staan. Een so 'n stap sou wees om spesiale studiebeurse beskikbaar te stel terwyl hulle teologie studeer, en om vir hulle geleenthede te skep om praktiese bedieningservaring in die tuisland op te doen terwyl hulle met hul teologiese studie besig is. Om mense toe te rus en te kweek—aangesien die koninkryk van God nie in ons eie leeftyd ten volle voleindig sal wees nie—is die heel eerste taak wat ons altyd voor oë moet hou. Voortaan behoort Ulsan Gemeente met nog groter toewyding te fokus op die toerusting van mense, en meer sistematiese planne te beraam, nie net vir die sendelingkinders hier nie, maar ook vir die kinders wat tans in ons midde opgroei, sowel as vir die ontwikkeling van talent op die sendingvelde.