지난 화요일 새벽 4시 40분에 집을 나서서 인도네시아의 먼따와이 목회자들을 섬기기 위해 빠당이란 곳에 준비된 숙소에 도착하니 그날 자정 (현지 시간)이었으니 한국 시간으로는 새벽 2시였습니다. 참으로 긴 하루였습니다. 우리 부부와 김희웅 목사님은 자카르타에 도착해서 네 시간 정도 기다려 국내선 항공기를 타고 나서도 한 시간 넘게 이륙을 기다렸다는데 그것은 제가 전혀 모르는 이야깁니다. 저는 빠당행 비행기 좌석에 앉자마자 잠들었으니까요. 빠당에 도착해서 대합실을 빠져나오는데 선교사님 한 분이 “한 시간 연착”했느니 하는데 정시에 탑승한 저로서 는 이해할 수 없었습니다.
공항에는 홍수희, 정필녀, 배성운 선교사님이 기다리고 계셨습니다. 여러분이 잘 아시는대로 홍수희, 정필녀 선교사님은 먼따와이 섬에서 미리 오셔서 우릴 기다리고 계셨습니다. 홍 선교사님은 2001년 정 선교사님은 2002년에 각각 선교지로 오셔서 15년 긴 세월이 흐른 후 지금은 마치 ‘영혼의 친구’인 것처럼 아름다운 동역을 하고 있는 분들입니다. 물론 그동안 어려움이 없었던 것은 아닙니다. 홍 선교사님이 첫 번째 안식년을 사역 때문에 제때에 갖지 못하고 있다가 탈진된 상태에서 선배들의 권유로 안식년을 가졌습니다.
어느 날 펑펑 울면서 주님 앞에 섰을 때 하나님께서 찾아와 주셔서 “내 사랑하는 딸아 지금까지 참 수고 많았다. 그런데 네가 행복하지 않으면 나도 행복하지 않단다. 내가 너에게 어떻게 해주면 네가 행복하겠니?”라고 말씀하셨습니다. “결혼을 하면 행복하겠니?” “아닙니다 주님!”이 답이었습니다. “그럼 다른 선교지로 보내 주면 행복하겠니?” 역시 아니었습니다. “그럼 정선교사와 따로 사역하면 행복하겠니?” 그러면서 정선교사가 얼마나 좋은 사람인지 사역을 얼마나 잘 돕고 있는지 생각하게 되었고 정 선교사를 보내 주신 하나님께 감사하게 되면서 다시 모든 것을 점검하게 하시고 그 땅 먼따와이와 그 백성을 사랑할 수 있는 힘을 주셨습니다. 그리고 두 분이 서로 사랑하며 사역을 아름답게 잘 감당하고 계십니다.
하지만 배성운 선교사님은 아직 이곳 인도네시아 빠당에 온 지 2년이 채 되지 않는 신임입니다. 물론 러시아에서 4년 있다가 옮겨왔으니 선교사로서는 초임은 아닙니다. 우리 교회 김임자 집사(은퇴)님의 큰 아들입니다. 선교사님의 딸 하영이는 고2, 아들 은형이는 중2, 진욱이는 초5였는데 러시아와 인도네시아가 다른 점이 무엇이냐고 물었더니, 기후, 언어, 방학이라는 겁니다. 방학은 러시아가 길었던 모양이라 아쉬워하는 눈치길래 인니에 와서 좋은 점이 뭐냐고 물었더니, 춥지 않아서 좋고, 언어가 쉬워졌고, 물가가 싸서 과일이나 채소를 자주 먹을 있어서 좋고, 상대적으로 러시아에 비해서 주거공간의 여유가 생겨서 좋다고 기뻐하며 먼 내 일을 위해 준비하는 은형이를 보면서 새로운 기대를 하게됩니다.
Last Tuesday at 4:40 a.m., we left home to serve the pastors of the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia. When we finally arrived at our prepared accommodation in Padang, it was midnight local time—2:00 a.m. Korean time. It was truly a long day. My wife, Pastor Hee-Woong Kim, and I arrived in Jakarta, waited about four hours for our domestic flight, and were apparently kept waiting on the tarmac for over an hour before takeoff. Yet, that was entirely news to me; I had fallen fast asleep the moment I sat down in my seat bound for Padang. As we were walking out through the arrival lobby in Padang, one of the missionaries mentioned that the flight was "an hour late," which completely puzzled me since I thought we had boarded right on time.
Waiting for us at the airport were Missionaries Soo-Hee Hong, Pil-Nyeo Jung, and Sung-Woon Bae. As many of you know well, Missionaries Soo-Hee Hong and Pil-Nyeo Jung had traveled ahead from the Mentawai Islands to welcome us. Missionary Hong arrived on the mission field in 2001 and Missionary Jung in 2002. After fifteen long years, they now share a beautiful partnership, much like true 'soul mates.' Of course, their journey was not without its trials. Missionary Hong was unable to take her first sabbatical on time due to ministry demands; completely burned out, she finally took her sabbatical only after the urging of senior colleagues.
One day, as she stood before the Lord weeping bitterly, God came to her and spoke tenderly: "My beloved daughter, you have labored so hard until now. But if you are not happy, I am not happy either. What can I do for you to make you happy?" "Would you be happy if you got married?" "No, Lord!" was her answer. "Then would you be happy if I sent you to a different mission field?" That wasn't it either. "Then would you be happy if you ministered separately from Missionary Jung?" This question led her to reflect on what a wonderful person Missionary Jung was and how wonderfully she supported the ministry. Filled with gratitude to God for sending Missionary Jung, she was led to reexamine everything. God renewed her strength to love the land of Mentawai and its people once more. Today, the two of them love each other deeply and carry out their ministry with wonderful grace.
On the other hand, Missionary Sung-Woon Bae is still a newcomer who has been here in Padang, Indonesia, for less than two years. Having previously served in Russia for four years before relocating, he is certainly not new to missions. He is the eldest son of Deaconess Im-Ja Kim (retired) from our church. Missionary Bae’s daughter, Ha-young, is in eleventh grade; his son, Eun-hyung, is in eighth grade; and Jin-wook is in fifth grade. When I asked them what differences they felt between Russia and Indonesia, they mentioned the climate, the language, and the school vacations. Eun-hyung seemed a bit disappointed, probably because vacations were longer in Russia. When I asked him what he liked best about living in Indonesia, his face brightened as he shared that he loved that it wasn't cold, the language was easier, the cost of living was lower so they could enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables often, and their living space was much more generous compared to Russia. Seeing Eun-hyung joyfully preparing for his distant future filled my heart with a fresh sense of hope.
Verlede Dinsdag om 04:40 het ons die huis verlaat om die leraars van die Mentawai-eilande in Indonesië te gaan bedien. Toe ons uiteindelik by ons voorbereide verblyfplek in Padang aankom, was dit middernag plaaslike tyd—02:00 die oggend volgens Koreaanse tyd. Dit was waarlik 'n baie lang dag. My vrou, ds. Hee-Woong Kim en ek het in Jakarta aangekom en sowat vier uur op ons binnelandse vlug gewag. Hulle sê ons moes daarna nog meer as 'n uur op die aanloopbaan wag voor opstyging, maar dit was vir my heeltemal nuus, want ek het aan die slaap geraak die oomblik toe ek in my sitplek op pad na Padang gaan sit het. Toe ons by die aankomsportaal in Padang uitstap, het een van die sendelinge genoem dat die vlug "'n uur laat" was—iets wat ek glad nie kon verstaan nie, aangesien ek betyds aan boord gegaan het.
By die lughawe het die sendelinge Soo-Hee Hong, Pil-Nyeo Jung en Sung-Woon Bae op ons gewag. Soos baie van u goed weet, het sendelinge Soo-Hee Hong en Pil-Nyeo Jung vooraf vanaf die Mentawai-eilande gekom om ons te verwelkom. Sendeling Hong het in 2001 na die sendingveld gekom en sendeling Jung in 2002. Na vyftien lang jare deel hulle vandag 'n pragtige vennootskap in die bediening, nes ware 'sielsgenote'. Dit beteken natuurlik nie dat daar nie beproewinge was nie. Sendeling Hong kon weens dringende bedieningswerk nie haar eerste sabbatsverlof betyds neem nie; heeltemal uitgeput het sy uiteindelik op aanmoediging van senior kollegas verlof geneem.
Eendag, toe sy bitterlik huilend voor die Here gestaan het, het God na haar toe gekom en teer gesê: "My geliefde dogter, jy het tot nou toe so hard gearbei. Maar as jy nie gelukkig is nie, is Ek ook nie gelukkig nie. Wat kan Ek vir jou doen sodat jy gelukkig kan wees?" "Sal jy gelukkig wees as jy trou?" "Nee, Here!" was haar antwoord. "Sal jy dan gelukkig wees as Ek jou na 'n ander sendingveld stuur?" Dit was ook nie die antwoord nie. "Sal jy dan gelukkig wees as jy apart van sendeling Jung werk?" Dit het haar laat besef wat 'n besonderse mens sendeling Jung is en hoe wonderlik sy die bediening ondersteun. Met 'n hart vol dankbaarheid teenoor God wat sendeling Jung gestuur het, het die Here haar gelei om alles opnuut te oordink, en Hy het haar nuwe krag gegee om die land van Mentawai en sy mense lief te hê. Vandag het hierdie twee mekaar innig lief en dra hulle die bediening op 'n pragtige wyse.
Aan die ander kant is sendeling Sung-Woon Bae nog 'n nuweling wat minder as twee jaar hier in Padang, Indonesië, woon. Aangesien hy voorheen vier jaar lank in Rusland gedien het voordat hy hierheen verhuis het, is hy egter glad nie nuut in die sendingwerk nie. Hy is die oudste seun van diakones Im-Ja Kim (afgetree) uit ons gemeente. Sendeling Bae se dogter, Ha-young, is in graad 11; sy seun, Eun-hyung, is in graad 8; en Jin-wook is in graad 5. Toe ek hulle vra wat die verskille tussen Rusland en Indonesië is, het hulle gesê: die klimaat, die taal en die skoolvakansies. Eun-hyung het 'n bietjie teleurgesteld gelyk, waarskynlik omdat die vakansies in Rusland langer was. Toe ek hom vra wat die lekkerste van Indonesië is, het sy gesig opgehelder: hy geniet dit dat dit nie koud is nie, die taal is makliker, die lewenskoste is laag sodat hulle gereeld vars vrugte en groente kan eet, en hulle het baie meer leefruimte in vergelyking met Rusland. Om te sien hoe Eun-hyung met blydskap gereedmaak vir 'n verre toekoms, het my hart met nuwe verwagting en hoop gevul.