“아니! 경로우대증이 나올 판인데 웬 캠핑이죠?” 로키에서 캠핑을 한다는 말에 내가 처음 보였던 반응입니다. 하지만 안 갈 수 없었습니다. 워낙에 남편이 캐나다 로키에서 캠핑을 해보고 싶어했을 뿐만 아니라 교회에서 갖고 있던 녹동 부지에 청소년을 위한 캠핑장을 만들기 위해 잘 갖춰진 캠핑장을 경험하고 벤치마킹할 필요가 있다면서, 숙소가 남편이 싫어하는 남탕 여탕이라는데도 불구하고 가야 한다는 것입니다. 하는 수없이 나는 “그래, 죽은 사람 소원도 들어주는데 산 사람 소원 한 번 들어주기 위해서 캠핑 갑니다.”라며 생색을 내었습니다.
숙박비를 줄이기 위해 남녀가 나누어 한 텐트에 세 명씩 배치를 받았고 네 조로 나누어 준비부터 식사까지 담당하기로 했습니다. 옛날 학교 다닐 때 수련회 갔던 기분도 나고 기대가 되었습니다. 아침에는 6시에 일어나서 제일 먼저 창세기를 돌아가면서 읽었습니다. “태초에 하나님이 천지를 창조하시니라.”는 말씀과 함께 하나님께서 손수 지으신 자연을 돌아보는 것은 경이로움 그 자체였습니다. “하나님께서 망쳤는데도 이 정도라니!” 캐나다 횡단투어를 하던 중로키산맥이 노아 홍수로 인한 격변에 의한 것이었다는 설명을 듣고 어느 학생이 했다는 말이 그야말로 실감이 났습니다.
곤돌라를 타고 올라간 설파 산 정상에서 사방을 둘러싼 로키 마운틴의 모습을 보는 것은 정말 대단한 경험이었습니다. 레이크 루이스 앞에 가서는 건너편에 보이는 설산과 눈이 부시도록 아름다운 에메랄드 빛 호수가 어우러진 절경에 우리 모두는 입을 다물지 못하고 감탄했습니다. 누군가가 “소름끼치도록 아름답다.”고 표현을 하기도 했지요. 아! 정말 페이토 호수를 잊을 수가 없네요. 그 코발트 푸른빛 말입니다. 요호공원에서는 그 아름다운 호수에서 보트를 타고 혹은 호수를 한 바퀴 돌아서 산책하는 호사도 누렸습니다.
사방으로 펼쳐진 경관이 정말 아름다웠지만 우리 일정의 하이라이트는 역시 밤 시간에 가졌던 라이프 스토리였습니다. 모닥불 주위에 둘러 앉아 한 분 한 분의 삶의 이야기를 들으며 우리는 울고 웃었습니다. “어떻게 성한 사람이 하나도 없노?”라고 누군가가 말했을 만큼 우리의 삶은 고단했고 상처투성이였습니다. 그야말로 ‘모든 사람이 상처를 받았으매…’였습니다. 맞습니다. “모든 사람이 죄를 범하였으매…” 때문이었습니다.
하지만 우리를 누구보다 사랑하시는 하나님의 사랑과 은혜가 그리스도 안에서 우리를 다시 회복시키시고 원래 하나님께서 의도하셨던 아름다운 인생으로, 감사와 기쁨이 넘치는 삶으로 인도해 주셨음을 볼 수 있었습니다. 그래서 우리는 며칠 사이에 서로를 더욱 알아가게 되었을 뿐만 아니라 진심으로 서로를 안아줄 수 있었습니다. 그리고 우리는 점점 하나가 되어가고 있었습니다. 처음에는 내 숟가락, 내 컵을 열심히 챙겼는데 시간이 갈수록 모두 ‘우리’의 것이 되었습니다.
후반부에는 유채꽃이 끝도 없이 피어있는 들판을 달려 ‘메디슨 햇’이라는 곳으로 이동해서 메릴린과 마가렛 아주머니 자매를 만났습니다. 그 분들은 늦게 도착한 우리에게 저녁식사를 대접한 후 버펄로 사파리로 안내했습니다. 아름다운 석양을 배경으로 말로만 듣던 버펄로 가족을 관찰한 후 아마추어 천문학 클럽으로 우리를 인도했습니다. 목사님 한 분이 우주를 창조하신 하나님이 얼마나 크신 분이신지, 우리가 얼마나 작은 존재인지, 그럼에도 불구하고 우리 한 사람 한 사람을 세심히 사랑하시는 하나님을 전해주려고 열심히 강의를 해주셨습니다.
다음날은 ‘초원의 이삭 줍는 사람들’(PrairieGleaners)이라는 이름을 가진 단체를 방문하게 되었는데 정말 감동적이었습니다. 그 넓은 땅에 대량으로 농사를 지으면서 생기는 잉여 농작물을 모아서 손질을 하고 씻어 말려서 세계에서 식량이 부족한 곳으로 NGO를 통해 보내고 있었습니다. 최근에 북한 선교에 마음을 두고 계시는 목사님과 울산에서 푸드뱅크를 하고 계시는 사무처장님께서 많은 관심을 보이셨고 샘플을 얻어 오기도 했습니다. 가난한 사람들을 위해 자원봉사자의 손을 통해 일하시는 하나님의 손길을 볼 수 있었습니다.
자연뿐만 아니라 하나님의 사람들이 얼마나 아름다운 삶을 사는지 볼 수 있었습니다. 그리고 우리 가운데에서 서로를 섬기는 헌신이 있었기에 로키 캠핑은 즐거웠고 따뜻했습니다. 이 모든 것 위에 그 분의 선하심과 인자하심이 함께 하심으로 인해 더더욱 감사했습니다.
"What? We're practically eligible for senior citizen discount cards—why on earth are we going camping?" That was my initial reaction upon hearing we were going camping in the Rockies. But there was simply no way out of it. Not only had my husband long dreamed of camping in the Canadian Rockies, but he also insisted that we needed to experience and benchmark well-equipped campsites to build a youth campsite on the church’s Nokdong property. Even though the accommodations would divide men and women into separate quarters—something he usually disliked—he insisted we must go. Resigned, I made a point of saying, "Well, people even grant the wishes of the dying, so I suppose I can grant a living man's wish and go camping with you."
To keep accommodation costs down, the men and women slept separately, three to a tent, and we divided into four teams to handle everything from preparations to meals. It brought back the excitement of school retreats from years ago, and my heart filled with anticipation. Each morning, we woke up at six and took turns reading Genesis together. Hearing the words, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," while gazing upon the creation He fashioned with His own hands was sheer wonder itself. "If it looks this incredible even after God judged and ruined it, imagine what it was like before!"—a remark someone had heard from a student on a cross-Canada tour after learning that the Rockies were formed through the cataclysm of Noah's Flood—felt utterly vivid and real.
Riding the gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain and beholding the Canadian Rockies stretching in every direction was a breathtaking experience. Standing before Lake Louise, with the snow-dusted peaks across the water harmonizing with the dazzling emerald lake, we were all left speechless in admiration. Someone aptly described it as "hauntingly, breathtakingly beautiful." And oh, how could I ever forget Peyto Lake and its intense cobalt blue? In Yoho National Park, we enjoyed the luxury of boating on that pristine lake and taking a leisurely stroll around its perimeter.
Yet as glorious as the landscapes were, the true highlight of our journey was the "Life Story" time we shared each evening. Sitting around the campfire and listening to each person's life journey, we laughed and wept together. Life had been so arduous and filled with wounds that someone remarked, "Is there really not a single whole, unscarred person among us?" Truly, it felt like "for all have suffered and been wounded..." And indeed, it was because "all have sinned..."
Yet we could clearly see how God's love and grace, loving us more deeply than anyone else, had restored us in Christ, leading us back to the beautiful life God had originally intended—a life overflowing with gratitude and joy. In just a few days, not only did we get to know one another more deeply, but we could also embrace one another with genuine warmth. We were gradually becoming one. At first, everyone guarded their own spoon and cup closely, but as time passed, everything became "ours."
In the second half of our journey, we drove through endless yellow fields of blooming canola to reach a place called Medicine Hat, where we met two sisters, Marilyn and Margaret. Despite our late arrival, they warmly welcomed us with dinner and then guided us on a buffalo safari. After observing a family of buffalo against the backdrop of a splendid sunset—something we had only ever heard about—they led us to an amateur astronomy club. There, a pastor gave a passionate presentation to share how immensely great the God who created the universe is, how small we are, and yet how tenderly and attentively He loves every single one of us.
The following day, we visited an organization called "Prairie Gleaners," an experience that deeply moved us. They gathered surplus produce resulting from large-scale farming across those vast lands, washed, cleaned, and dried it, and then shipped it through NGOs to regions facing food shortages around the world. A pastor who has recently felt a strong calling for North Korean mission, along with a secretary general running a food bank in Ulsan, showed keen interest and even brought back samples. It was a tangible encounter with the hand of God working through the hands of volunteers on behalf of the poor.
We saw not only the majesty of nature, but also the beauty of lives lived by God's people. And because of the mutual devotion and service among us, our camping trip in the Rockies was delightful and heartwarming. Above all, knowing that His goodness and steadfast love were with us throughout made our hearts overflow with gratitude.
"Wat nou! Ons kwalifiseer omtrent al vir senior burger-afslagkaarte—hoekom op aarde gaan ons kampeer?" Dit was my heel eerste reaksie toe ek hoor ons gaan in die Rotsgebergte kampeer. Maar daar was eenvoudig geen ontvlugting aan nie. Nie net wou my man nog altyd baie graag in die Kanadese Rotsgebergte gaan kampeer nie, maar hy het ook volgehou dat ons goed toegeruste kampeerterreine moes beleef en as maatstaf gebruik om 'n jeugkampterrein op die gemeente se Nokdong-perseel te ontwikkel. Selfs al sou die verblyf mans en vroue in afsonderlike tente verdeel—iets waarvan hy glad nie hou nie—het hy aangedring dat ons moes gaan. Moedeloos maar met 'n titseltjie eiegeregtigheid het ek gesê: "Nou ja, 'n mens vervul selfs 'n sterwende se wense, so ek sal maar 'n lewende man se wens vervul en saamgaan kampeer."
Om verblyfkoste te bespaar, is mans en vroue afsonderlik ingedeel, drie per tent, en ons is in vier groepe verdeel om alles van voorbereiding tot maaltye te behartig. Dit het my laat terugdink aan die opgewondenheid van skoolkampe jare gelede, en 'n warm verwagting het in my opgekom. Soggens het ons sesuur opgestaan en beurtelings Genesis saamgelees. Om die woorde te hoor: "In die begin het God die hemel en die aarde geskape," terwyl ons uitkyk oor die natuur wat Hy met Sy eie hande gevorm het, was 'n wonderbaarlike ervaring. "As dit só asemrowend lyk nàdat God dit geoordeel en verwoes het, dink net hoe dit vantevore moes gewees het!"—'n opmerking wat 'n student glo tydens 'n toer deur Kanada gemaak het nadat hy gehoor het die Rotsgebergte is deur die katastrofe van Noag se vloed gevorm—het skielik heeltemal lewendig en werklik geword.
Om met die gondel tot bo-op Sulphurberg te ry en die Rotsgebergte na alle kante toe te aanskou, was 'n onvergeetlike belewenis. Toe ons voor Lake Louise staan, waar die sneeubedekte berge oorkant die water saamgesmelt het met die verblindend mooi smaraggroen meer, was ons almal stom van verwondering. Iemand het dit beskryf as "rillend mooi." En o, hoe kan 'n mens ooit Peyto-meer vergeet met daardie diep kobaltblou skakering? In Yoho Nasionale Park het ons die weelde geniet om op daardie pragtige meer te roei en 'n rustige stappie om die oewer te neem.
Maar hoe manjifiek die omringende landskappe ook al was, was die ware hoogtepunt van ons program die lewensverhale wat ons saans gedeel het. Terwyl ons om die kampvuur gesit en na mekaar se lewenspaaie geluister het, het ons saam gehuil en gelag. Die lewe was so swaar en vol wonde dat iemand opgemerk het: "Is daar dan werklik niemand onder ons wat heel anderkant uitgekom het nie?" Dit was waarlik 'n geval van "want almal het seergekry..." En inderdaad, dit was omdat "almal gesondig het..."
Nogtans kon ons duidelik sien hoe God se liefde en genade—Hy wat ons inniger liefhet as enigiemand anders—ons in Christus herstel het en ons teruggelei het na die pragtige lewe wat Hy oorspronklik bedoel het: 'n lewe oorlopend van dankbaarheid en vreugde. Binne enkele dae het ons mekaar nie net baie beter leer ken nie, maar mekaar ook met opregte deernis omhels. Ons het gaandeweg een geword. Aanvanklik het elkeen sy eie lepel en beker angsvallig opgepas, maar soos die tyd verloop het, het alles "ons s'n" geword.
In die tweede helfte van ons reis het ons verby eindelose geel velde vol blomkoolsaad gery op pad na 'n plek genaamd Medicine Hat, waar ons twee susters, Marilyn en Margaret, ontmoet het. Hulle het ons, wat laat aangekom het, hartlik op aandete getrakteer en ons daarna op 'n buffelsafari geneem. Nadat ons 'n familie buffels teen die agtergrond van 'n pragsonondergang aanskou het—iets waarvan ons nog net gehoor het—het hulle ons na 'n amateur-sterrekundeklub geneem. Daar het 'n leraar met groot oorgawe 'n lesing gegee om te getuig hoe groot die God is wat die heelal geskape het, hoe klein ons is, en tog hoe intiem en getrou Hy elkeen van ons liefhet.
Die volgende dag het ons 'n organisasie genaamd "Prairie Gleaners" besoek, 'n ervaring wat ons diep geraak het. Hulle het die surplusoeste wat uit grootskaalse boerdery op daardie uitgestrekte lande ontstaan het, bymekaargemaak, skoongemaak, gewas en gedroog om dit deur middel van NRO's na voedselarm gebiede wêreldwyd te stuur. 'n Leraar wat tans 'n groot hart vir Noord-Koreaanse sending het, en 'n hoofsekretaris wat 'n voedselbank in Ulsan bedryf, het groot belangstelling getoon en selfs monsters saamgebring. Dit was 'n tasbare getuienis van God se sorgsame hand wat deur vrywilligers se hande vir die armes werk.
Ons kon sien hoe mooi nie net die natuur is nie, maar ook die lewens van God se mense. En danksy die opofferende diens aan mekaar in ons midde, was die kampeertog in die Rotsgebergte vreugdevol en hartverwarmend. Bo dit alles was ons harte vol dankbaarheid omdat Sy goedheid en guns ons op elke tree vergesel het.