<주님께서 사랑하고 기뻐하시는 울산교회 정 목사님, 주님의 이름으로 인사드립니다. 어제 성탄선물 받고 생각을 많이 하게 되고 즐거운 감사를 하고 싶었습니다. 무엇보다도 정 목사님께서 직접 쓰신 글이 선교사인 우리의 마음을 따뜻하게 하였습니다. 일반적으로 작은 카드에 인사말과 선물을 보냈는데, 이번에는 정말 다르다는 생각이 들었습니다. 선교사 자신이 잊혀져가는 사람처럼 느껴지지 않도록 만들어 주셨습니다. 마음이 담긴 격려이면서 우리에 대한 애정을 느끼도록 하였습니다.
동시에 우리 자신과 사역을 돌아보게 하는 책 “복음의 씨앗”까지 선물로 주셨습니다. 저는 정 목사님께서 연말과 새해를 앞두고 매우 분주하고 살펴야 할 일이 분명 많았을 것인데 이렇게 선교사를 생각하고 배려해 주셨다는 사실에 적잖은 감동을 받았습니다. 그래서 고마운 마음을 전하고 싶었습니다. 그리고 선물 자체도 고국을 느낄 수 있는 정성이 가득했습니다. 과자, 김, 미역, 북어 등 식품류, 커피와 라면, 고무장갑까지 등등 세밀히 말하지 않지만 받는 선교사 입장을 생각한 선물이었습니다. 준비하고 발송하며 수고하고 봉사해주신 담당 선교부와 교우님들께 진심으로 고마운 마음을 가지고 감사드립니다.
선교사를 위해 이렇게 정 목사님으로부터 시작해 당회와 선교위원들, 교우님들이 일사불란하게 기도하며 사랑을 쏟아 부어 주셔서 어떻게 감사해야 할지 모르지만 진심으로 감사합니다. 살아계신 하나님께서 예수님 오신 계절과 새해에 울산교회 정 목사님과 교우님들에게 풍성한 은총과 사랑으로 함께해 주시고 날마다 일마다 하나님의 놀라우심과 신실함을 풍성히 체험하는 역사가 일어나기를 기도합니다. 감사합니다. 임마누엘!!! 구주 대망 2015년 11월 26일 목, 인도네시아 발리 강원준, 허경 애 선교사 드림>
<목사님, 안녕하십니까? 카자흐스탄 남성택 선교사 문안드립니다. 정성스러운 성탄 선물 잘 받았습니다. 하나하나 사랑과 정성이 담긴 선물에 마냥 감사할 뿐입니다. 또 목사님의 편지에 감사드립니다. 목사님의 편지를 받아 보니 정말 기쁩니다. 보내주신 책 내한 선교사들의 삶과 사역들을 읽어 보니 저의 부족함이 느껴지면서 더욱 분발해야겠다는 생각을 합니다. “그 나라를 위하여! 그 왕을 위하여!” 더욱 힘을 쏟고자 합니다. 목사님의 설교를 통하여 격려를 받는데, 직접 편지로 격려해 주셔서 더욱 감사합니다. 남은 한해도 건강하시고 평안하시기를 아뢰며, 감사와 사랑으로 드립니다. 카자흐스탄 남성택 선교사 올립니다>
(선교부에서 보낸 선물을 받고 그 외에도 옥기철, 권효상, 신나라 선교사님께서도 감사의 편지를 보내왔습니다. 함께해 주신 여러 구역원들, 수고하신 선교부원들께 특별한 감사를 드립니다.)
<Dear Pastor Jung of Ulsan Church, beloved and cherished by the Lord, I greet you in the name of our Lord. Yesterday, upon receiving the Christmas gift, my heart was filled with deep reflections and joyful thanksgiving. Above all, the personal letter you wrote yourself, Pastor Jung, deeply warmed our hearts as missionaries. Typically, we receive a small card with a brief greeting alongside a gift, but this time felt genuinely different. You made us feel that we, as missionaries, are not forgotten souls. It was a heartfelt encouragement that allowed us to truly sense your deep affection for us.
At the same time, you gifted us the book Seeds of the Gospel, which prompted us to reflect upon ourselves and our ministry. I was deeply moved by the thought that, amidst your undeniably busy schedule leading up to the year-end and the new year with countless matters to attend to, you took the time to remember and care for us missionaries so thoughtfully. That is why I wanted to convey my heartfelt gratitude. The gifts themselves were also filled with such loving devotion, evoking warm memories of our homeland—snacks, seaweed, dried brown seaweed, dried pollock, coffee, ramen, and even rubber gloves; though I need not list every single detail, each item showed how carefully you considered the missionary’s perspective. I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to the mission committee and church members who labored and served with dedication to prepare and send these packages.
Seeing how Pastor Jung, the session, the mission committee, and the entire congregation have united seamlessly to pour out their prayers and love for missionaries, I hardly know how to adequately express my gratitude, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I pray that during this season of Christ's advent and in the coming new year, the living God will richly bless Pastor Jung and the congregation of Ulsan Church with His abundant grace and love, and that in every day and every circumstance, you may richly experience God's wonder and faithfulness. Thank you. Immanuel! Thursday, November 26, in the year of our Lord 2015, from Missionaries Won-Jun Kang and Kyung-Ae Heo in Bali, Indonesia>
<Dear Pastor, warm greetings. This is Missionary Sung-Taek Nam from Kazakhstan. I safely received your thoughtful Christmas gift. I am simply overwhelmed with gratitude for each present, packed with so much love and care. I also thank you dearly for your letter. Receiving a personal letter from you brought me immense joy. Reading the book you sent about the lives and ministries of early missionaries to Korea made me feel my own shortcomings and inspired me to strive all the harder. "For His Kingdom! For His King!"—I resolve to dedicate myself even more fully to this cause. While I am always encouraged by your sermons, being personally encouraged through your letter fills me with even deeper thanksgiving. Wishing you good health and peace for the remainder of the year, I send this with love and gratitude. From Missionary Sung-Taek Nam in Kazakhstan>
(In addition to these, after receiving the gifts sent by the mission department, Missionaries Ki-Cheol Ok, Hyo-Sang Kwon, and Na-Ra Shin also sent heartfelt letters of thanks. A special word of appreciation goes to all the small-group members who joined in this effort and the mission committee members who worked so devotedly.)
<Geagte Ds. Jung van Ulsan Gemeente, geliefd en gekoester deur die Here, ek groet u in die Naam van die Here. Gister, toe ons die kersgeskenk ontvang het, was ons harte vervul met diep nadenke en vreugdevolle dankbaarheid. Bowenal het die brief wat u self met die hand geskryf het, Ds. Jung, ons harte as sendelinge innig verwarm. Gewoonlik ontvang ’n mens ’n klein kaartjie met ’n kort groeteboodskap en ’n geskenk, maar hierdie keer het waarlik anders gevoel. U het gesorg dat ons as sendelinge geensins soos vergete siele voel nie. Dit was ’n hartlike bemoediging waardeur ons u opregte geneentheid teenoor ons kon beleef.
Bowendien het u aan ons die boek Saad van die Evangelie geskenk, wat ons aangespoor het om opnuut oor onsself en ons bediening na te dink. Ek was diep geraak deur die wete dat, te midde van u ongetwyfeld besige skedule voor die jaareinde en nuwe jaar met soveel sake wat u aandag vereis, u die tyd geneem het om met soveel deernis aan ons sendelinge te dink. Daarom wou ek my innige dank aan u oordra. Die geskenk self was ook oorvloedig gevul met liefdevolle sorg wat herinneringe aan ons vaderland opgeroep het: versnaperinge, seewier, gedroogde kelp, gedroogde vis en ander kruideniersware, koffie, noedels en selfs rubberhandskoene—sonder om elke fyn besonderheid te noem, was dit duidelik met die sendeling se behoeftes in gedagte voorberei. Ek spreek my opregte dank en waardering uit teenoor die betrokke sendingafdeling en gemeentelede wat met soveel toewyding gearbei het om alles gereed te kry en te versend.
Om te sien hoe die gemeente, beginnende by Ds. Jung, tesame met die kerkraad, die sendingkomitee en al die gelowiges eendragtig bid en hul liefde oor ons as sendelinge uitstort, laat my sonder woorde om my dankbaarheid behoorlik te betuig, maar ek dank u van ganser harte. Ek bid dat die lewende God tydens hierdie koms van ons Here en in die nuwe jaar vir Ds. Jung en die lidmate van Ulsan Gemeente met oorvloedige genade en liefde sal omvou, en dat u elke dag en in elke faset van die lewe Sy wonderbaarlike dade en trou ryklik mag ervaar. Baie dankie. Immanuel! Donderdag, 26 November in die komsverwagting van ons Verlosser, 2015, van Sendelinge Won-Jun Kang en Kyung-Ae Heo in Bali, Indonesië>
<Goeiedag, Dominee. Groete vanaf Sendeling Sung-Taek Nam in Kazakstan. Ek het u deurdagte kersgeskenk in goeie orde ontvang. Ek is eenvoudig oorweldig van dankbaarheid vir elke geskenk wat met soveel liefde en sorg verpak is. Ek sê ook baie dankie vir u brief. Dit het my werklik groot vreugde verskaf om ’n persoonlike brief van u te ontvang. Toe ek die boek lees wat u aangestuur het oor die lewens en bedieninge van die vroeë buitelandse sendelinge in Korea, het ek my eie tekortkominge diep besef en die behoefte gevoel om my nog meer in te span. “Vir Sy Koninkryk! Vir Sy Koning!”—ek wil my kragte selfs nog voller hieraan toewy. Waar ek altyd deur u preke bemoedig word, is ek nou des te meer dankbaar vir die bemoediging wat u my persoonlik per brief gebring het. Mag u die res van die jaar in goeie gesondheid en vrede deurbring; dit wens ek u toe met innige dank en liefde. Van Sendeling Sung-Taek Nam in Kazakstan>
(Benewens hierdie briewe het Sendelinge Ki-Cheol Ok, Hyo-Sang Kwon en Na-Ra Shin ook dankbriewe gestuur nadat hulle die geskenkpakkies van die sendingafdeling ontvang het. Ons betuig ons besondere dank aan al die wykslede wat meegehelp het, asook die lede van die sendingafdeling wat so getrou gearbei het.)