지난 7월 19일(목)부터 7월 28일(토)까지 진행된 키르기즈 단기선교 사역을 은혜가운데 마치고 팀원 12명 모두가 건강하게 귀국하였습니다. 키르기즈 단기선교 기간 동안에 아프카니스탄의 피랍 사건이 있었기에 우리 선교팀을 위해서 더 간절한 기도로 섬겨주신 성도님들께도 감사를 드리며 지금도 아프카니스탄에 억류된 21명의 형제와 자매들이 빠른 시일 내에 가족과 교회와 고국의 품으로 돌아올 수 있도록 계속해서 기도의 끈을 놓지 말아야 할 것입니다.
우리는 우리 울산교회가 후원하고 있는 김순자 선교사님의 유치원을 먼저 돌아보았습니다. 키르기즈의 수도 비쉬켁에서 차로 40분 정도 떨어져 있는 샤뽀깝에 있는 말르쇽 유치원은 8월 27일에 50명의 원생과 함께 유치원 개원을 하게 됩니다. 우리 울산교회 선교팀의 땀과 헌신과 키르 기즈 민족을 향한 사랑이 곳곳에 숨어 있는 것을 보면서 복음의 불모지요 척박한 땅인 키르기즈에서 기독교 교육을 시작하는데 우리 교회를 사용하시는 하늘 아버지께 한 번 더 감사했었습니다.
한국을 출발하여 중국 북경을 경유하여 카작스탄의 알마타를 거쳐 육로로 키르기즈의 싸뽀갑까지 32시간 만에 도착한 후 여독이 풀리기도 전에 이틀간 진행된 이혜경 집사와 김창선 사모의 강의는 말르쇽 유치원에서 일하게 될 4명의 정교사 포함 9명의 직원과 싸뽀갑 지역민들의 좋은 반응 속에 마쳤습니다. 주일에는 유치원 개원예배와 박수진 목사의 중보기도 세미나가 있었고, 우리 교회가 후원하고 있는 선교사와 만남을 가졌습니다. 오후에는 김도범 선교사의 교회와 이** 선교사의 학사, 현지인 차 콘스탄틴 목사의 교회와 김순자 선교사의 교회가 개척하여 현지인 지도자 밀란이 섬기고 있는 샬탸교회를 돌아보았습니다.
그 후 키르기즈 수도 비쉬켁에서 차로 8시간 정도 거리에 있는 우리교회가 입양한 나른 시를 방문했습니다. 키르기즈는 80여 종족으로 구성된다 민족국가지만 나른 시는 99.9% 키르기즈 종족으로만 구성되어 있고 앞으로 장성필 강도사가 본격적으로 사역을 하게 될 지역입니다. 나른 시민 99.9% 이상이 모슬렘인이며 그들의 핍박과 테러의 위협 속에서도 믿음을 지키며 고아원을 운영하고 있는 고아원의 원장인 아클 목사님 댁에서 나른 시의 종교적 상황에 대해서 듣고 목사님의 간증을 듣는 시간을 가졌습니다.
캄보디아 비행기 추락사고로 인해 한국과 키르기즈 직항이 없어진 관계로 전체 일정이 이틀 더 길어지게 되었기에 이스쿨에서 하루 더 숙박을 하였습니다. 그리고 선교사님 댁에서 하루를 보내면서 한때 공산당원들만 갈 수 있었다는 수도 비쉬켁에 있는 알라아르차산에서 시간을 보내었습니다. 키르기즈 입국 때의 힘들었던 우리의 몸과 영혼에 편안 안식과 충전을 주신 하나님께 감사했었습니다. 키르기즈와 단기선교팀을 위해서 기도해주시고 후원해 주신 모든 분들께 다시 한 번 더 깊은 감사를 드리며 현지 선교사들이 가지고 있는 비전을 위해서 우리교회가 계속해서 최대한 후원할 수 있길 바랍니다.
Having completed our short-term mission to Kyrgyzstan, which took place from Thursday, July 19, to Saturday, July 28, all twelve of our team members have returned home safely and in good health under the abundance of God's grace. Because the tragic hostage crisis in Afghanistan unfolded during our time in Kyrgyzstan, we offer our deepest gratitude to all the church members who upheld our mission team with even more fervent and earnest prayers. At the same time, we must continue holding fast to the cord of prayer so that the twenty-one brothers and sisters still held captive in Afghanistan may soon be restored to the embrace of their families, their churches, and our homeland.
Our first visit was to the Malyshok Kindergarten in the village of Shopokov, situated about a forty-minute drive from Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. This ministry is supported by Ulsan Church and led by missionary Soon-Ja Kim. Set to open on August 27 with fifty young children, the kindergarten bears witness in every corner to the sweat, dedication, and heartfelt love of our Ulsan Church mission team for the Kyrgyz people. Seeing this, we gave thanks once more to our Heavenly Father for choosing and using our church to sow the seeds of Christian education in Kyrgyzstan—a spiritually barren and demanding soil.
Departing Korea, we flew via Beijing, China, to Almaty, Kazakhstan, and then traveled overland to reach Shopokov in Kyrgyzstan—a journey that spanned thirty-two exhausting hours. Yet before the weariness of travel could even settle, Deaconess Hye-Kyung Lee and Mrs. Changsun Kim led a two-day seminar. It was warmly received by the nine staff members, including four certified teachers who will serve at Malyshok Kindergarten, as well as by local residents of Shopokov. On the Lord's Day, we held a kindergarten opening service and Pastor Su-Jin Park led an intercessory prayer seminar, after which we spent precious time meeting with missionaries supported by our church. In the afternoon, we visited missionary Do-Bum Kim's church, missionary Lee's student hostel, the congregation led by local Pastor Konstantin Cha, and Shalta Church, an outreach planted by missionary Soon-Ja Kim's ministry and currently shepherded by local leader Milan.
Afterward, we traveled to the city of Naryn, approximately an eight-hour drive from Bishkek, a city spiritually adopted by our congregation. Although Kyrgyzstan is an ethnically diverse nation made up of around eighty distinct peoples, Naryn is 99.9% ethnic Kyrgyz. This is the very region where Licentiate Sung-Pil Jang will soon begin his full-time ministry. More than 99.9% of Naryn’s population is Muslim. In the home of Pastor Akyl—who directs an orphanage and has faithfully persevered in his faith amid persecution and threats of terrorism—we listened to a sobering overview of Naryn’s religious climate and were deeply moved by his personal testimony.
Due to the suspension of direct flights between Korea and Kyrgyzstan following an earlier plane crash in Cambodia, our overall itinerary was extended by two days. Consequently, we spent an extra night near Lake Issyk-Kul. We also stayed a day at the missionary’s home and visited Mount Ala-Archa near Bishkek, a mountain sanctuary once reserved exclusively for Communist Party elites. We praised God for granting restful peace and spiritual renewal to our bodies and souls, which had been worn thin upon first arriving in Kyrgyzstan. I express my profoundest thanks once again to everyone who prayed for and supported our short-term mission team, and I pray that our church will continue to extend its fullest support to realize the vision shared by our missionaries on the field.
Nadat ons korttermyn-sending na Kirgisië, wat van Donderdag 19 Julie tot Saterdag 28 Julie geduur het, onder ryke genade voltooi is, het al twaalf ons spanlede gesond en behoue huis toe teruggekeer. Aangesien die ontvoeringskrisis in Afganistan juis tydens ons sendingtydperk plaasgevind het, wil ons ons innige dank betuig aan al die gemeentelede wat ons sendinggroep met nog groter erns en vuriger gebede gedra het. Terselfdertyd mag ons nie die tou van voorbidding laat vaar nie, sodat die een-en-twintig broers en susters wat steeds in Afganistan aangehou word, spoedig na die boesem van hul gesinne, die kerk en ons vaderland kan terugkeer.
Ons het eers die Malysjok-kleuterskool in die dorpie Sjopokof besoek, sowat veertig minute se ry vanaf Bisjkek, die hoofstad van Kirgisië. Hierdie bediening word deur Ulsan Gemeente ondersteun en staan onder leiding van sendeling Soon-Ja Kim. Die kleuterskool open amptelik op 27 Augustus met vyftig kleuters. Toe ons sien hoe die sweet, toewyding en liefde van ons sendinggroep vir die Kirgisiese volk in elke hoekie weerspieël word, het ons ons hemelse Vader opnuut gedank dat Hy ons gemeente gebruik om Christelike onderwys te vestig in hierdie geestelik dorre en onbegaanbare landstreek.
Ons het uit Korea vertrek, via Beijing in China na Almaty in Kazakstan gevlieg, en daarna per pad gereis om ná ’n uitputtende reis van twee-en-dertig uur in Sjopokof aan te kom. Nog voordat ons van die reismoeite kon herstel, het diakones Hye-Kyung Lee en mev. Changsun Kim ’n tweedaagse opleidingsessie aangebied. Dit is met groot waardering ontvang deur die nege personeellede—insluitend vier gekwalifiseerde onderwyseresse wat by die Malysjok-kleuterskool sal dien—asook deur die plaaslike inwoners van Sjopokof. Op die Sondag het ons ’n inwydingsdiens vir die kleuterskool gehou, waarna ds. Su-Jin Park ’n seminaar oor voorbidding gelei het, en ons het kosbare samesyn gehad met die sendelinge wat deur ons gemeente ondersteun word. Die middag het ons die gemeente van sendeling Do-Bum Kim, die koshuis van sendeling Lee, die plaaslike gemeente van pastor Konstantin Tsja, en die Sjalta-gemeente besoek—’n uitreik wat deur sendeling Soon-Ja Kim geplant is en tans deur die plaaslike leier Milan bedien word.
Daarna het ons na Naryn gereis, sowat agt uur se ry vanaf die hoofstad Bisjkek—’n stad wat geestelik deur ons gemeente aangeneem is. Alhoewel Kirgisië ’n veelvolkige staat is met nagenoeg tagtig verskillende bevolkingsgroepe, bestaan Naryn vir 99,9% uit etniese Kirgisiërs. Dit is juis die streek waar proponent Sung-Pil Jang binnekort met voltydse bediening sal begin. Meer as 99,9% van Naryn se inwoners is Moslems. By die huis van pastor Akyl—wat ’n weeshuis bestuur en te midde van vervolging en die dreiging van terreur standvastig in die geloof bly—het ons ’n nugter oorsig van die godsdienstige toedrag van sake in Naryn ontvang en diep geraak geluister na sy getuienis.
Omdat regstreekse vlugte tussen Korea en Kirgisië opgeskort is ná ’n vliegramp in Kambodja, is ons totale reisplan met twee dae verleng, sodat ons ’n ekstra nag by die Issik-koelmeer oorgebly het. Ons het ook ’n dag by die sendeling se huis deurgebring en tyd verwyl in die Ala-Artsja-berggebied naby die hoofstad Bisjkek—’n plek wat vroeër slegs vir lede van die Kommunistiese Party toeganklik was. Ons het die Here gedank vir die rustige verkwikking en herlaaiing van liggaam en siel, nadat die strawwe aankoms in Kirgisië sy tol geëis het. Aan elkeen wat vir Kirgisië en ons korttermyn-sendingspan gebid en ons ondersteun het, sê ons nogmaals van harte dankie. Mag ons gemeente voortgaan om die visie van ons veldsendelinge na die beste van ons vermoë te bly dra.