우리 울산교회와 키르기스스탄은 특별한 관계를 맺고 있습니다. 키르기스스탄의 나른 지역을 입양했기 때문입니다. 특정한 선교지를 입양한다는 것은 그 지역에 대해서 지속적인 관심을 갖고 돌보기로 한다는 뜻입니다. 물론 우리가 특별한 관심을 갖고 지속적으로 선교 지원을 하는 곳은 몽골, 인도네시아도 있습니다만 입양 관계를 맺고 섬기는 곳은 키르기스스탄이 유일합니다. 거기서 사역하다가 주님의 품에 안긴 김순자 선교사는 더 이상 만날 수가 없었고, 이베라 선교사 역시 학위공부로 인해서 귀국했기에 바로 만나지는 못했습니다. 공항에서 영접 나온 선교사님은 장에밀 선교사, 김노아 선교사 내외와 황새벽 선교사 내외였습니다.
이번 키르기스스탄 사역은 황 선교사님이 주선을 했습니다. 첫 주간의 현지인 사역자들을 위한 연합신학교의 강의도, 둘째 주간의 한인사역자 수련회도 주도적인 위치에는 황 선교사가 있었고, 장 선교사님이 보조적인 위치에서 협력하고 있었습니다. 황 목사님은 거기에 간지 3년 6개월을 넘긴 정도였고, 아직 사역이 깊은 뿌리를 내리지 못한 상황으로 보였습니다만 특히 중앙아시아를 엮어서 다른 선교사들과 함께 선교를 하고 싶은 마음은 누구보다 컸습니다. 황 선교사님 덕분에 고신 출신이자 연합신학교에서 대학원장으로 섬기는 이주형 선교사님을 만나게 된 것은 이번 사역의 기쁨이기도 합니다.
여러 가지 면에서 우리 교회 키르기스 사역의 중심에 있는 이는 장에밀 선교사입니다. 대학을 그 나라의 수도 비슈케크에서 다녔고, 키르기스스탄 선교 초창기부터 사역을 해 왔기 때문입니다. 최근 한 순간에는 유치원 건물주인 다른 선교사와의 관계에서 어려움도 있었지만 지금은 오히려 더 든든하게 자리를 잡고, 꿈 어린이집 사역을 아내인 율리아가 맡아서 잘 잘하고 있습니다. 게다가 장에밀 선교사는 작년까지 한 달에 한 번 나른에 가서 사역을 하던 것을 올해부터는 격주에 한 번씩 가서 6가정과 함께 토요일 오전마다 제자훈련의 기초를 놓고 있었습니다. 그 일에 배야곱 선교사가 함께하고 4시간을 달려가는 길동무가 되어서 감사할 조건이기도 했습니다,
그리고 김노아 선교사님은 올해 84세의 나이지만 어떤 젊은 선교사 못지않게 열심히, 바쁘게침술로 선교활동을 하고 계셔서 보기에 감동적이었습니다. 그리고 당신의 나이가 은퇴할 시점을 지났기에, 우리 교회 외에는 별로 후원하는 교회도 없어보였고 노력하지도 않는 것 같습니다. 다만 사모님께서 부지런히 손으로 노력해서 가꾼 농산물로 자비량 선교를 하고 계셔서 안타깝기도 했지만 존경스럽기도 했습니다. 두 분 다 건강은 좋은 편이고 마음은 키르기스스탄을 떠나지 못하여, 한국 귀국은 마음을 접고, 끝까지 거기서 사역하다가 주님께로 갈 각오를 하고 계신 것처럼 보였습니다.
Our Ulsan Church shares a special bond with Kyrgyzstan, having adopted its Naryn region. To adopt a specific mission field means committing to keep a continual interest in and care for that area. While we provide ongoing missionary support and show special interest in places like Mongolia and Indonesia as well, Kyrgyzstan remains the only land we have formally adopted and served. Missionary Soon-Ja Kim, who went to be in the arms of the Lord while ministering there, could no longer be met, and Missionary Vera Lee had returned home for degree studies, so we could not meet right away either. The missionaries who came to welcome us at the airport were Missionary Emile Jang, Missionary Noah Kim and his wife, and Missionary Saebyeok Hwang and his wife.
This ministry in Kyrgyzstan was coordinated by Missionary Hwang. He took the lead both in the lectures at the United Theological Seminary for local workers during the first week and in the Korean workers' retreat during the second week, while Missionary Jang cooperatively assisted him. Pastor Hwang had been there for just over three years and six months, so his ministry did not yet seem deeply rooted; however, his heart to unite Central Asia and work in partnership with fellow missionaries was greater than anyone else's. Thanks to Missionary Hwang, meeting Missionary Joo-Hyung Lee—an alumnus of Kosin who serves as the dean of the graduate school at the United Theological Seminary—was also a delightful fruit of this trip.
In many respects, the heart of our church's Kyrgyz ministry is Missionary Emile Jang. He attended university in the nation's capital, Bishkek, and has ministered there since the early days of Kyrgyz missions. Although there was a difficult season recently concerning the relationship with another missionary who owned the kindergarten building, they are now even more firmly established, and his wife, Yulia, runs the Dream Daycare Center admirably. Furthermore, while Missionary Jang used to travel to Naryn once a month until last year, he began visiting every other week this year, laying the foundations of discipleship training every Saturday morning with six families. It was also a great cause for thanksgiving that Missionary Jacob Bae joins him in this work, serving as a companion for the four-hour journey.
Moreover, Missionary Noah Kim, though already 84 years old this year, was diligently and actively engaged in medical mission work through acupuncture just like any young missionary, which was truly moving to witness. Having passed the typical age of retirement, it seemed no church other than ours supported him, nor did he appear to seek extra support. It was touching yet deeply respectable to see them sustaining self-funded missions through the agricultural produce his wife diligently cultivated with her own hands. Both appeared to be in relatively good health, and their hearts were so anchored to Kyrgyzstan that they had set aside any thought of returning to Korea, evidently resolved to carry on ministering there until they are called home to the Lord.
Ons Ulsan Gemeente het 'n baie spesiale band met Kirgisië, aangesien ons die Narin-streek as sendingveld aangeneem het. Om 'n bepaalde sendingveld aan te neem, beteken om te onderneem om 'n voortdurende belangstelling in daardie gebied te hê en getrou daaroor te waak. Alhoewel ons ook met spesiale toewyding deurlopende sendingsteun aan lande soos Mongolië en Indonesië bied, is Kirgisië die enigste plek wat ons formeel aangeneem het en bedien. Sendeling Soon-Ja Kim, wat daar gearbei het totdat sy in die Here se arms opgeneem is, kon ons nie meer ontmoet nie, en Sendeling Vera Lee het vir verdere graadstudies na haar vaderland teruggekeer, sodat ons haar nie dadelik kon spreek nie. Die sendelinge wat ons by die lughawe kom verwelkom het, was Sendeling Emile Jang, Sendeling Noah Kim en sy eggenote, en Sendeling Saebyeok Hwang en sy eggenote.
Hierdie besoek en bediening in Kirgisië is deur Sendeling Hwang gereël. Hy het die leiding geneem sowel met die lesings by die Verenigde Teologiese Kweekskool vir plaaslike werkers gedurende die eerste week, asook met die kamp vir Koreaanse bedieners in die tweede week, terwyl Sendeling Jang getrou in 'n ondersteunende rol saamgewerk het. Ds. Hwang was maar pas meer as drie jaar en ses maande daar en dit het gelyk asof sy eie bediening nog nie diep wortel geskiet het nie, maar sy begeerte om Sentraal-Asië te verenig en in vennootskap met ander sendelinge te werk, was groter as enigiemand s'n. Danksy Sendeling Hwang was dit ook 'n groot vreugde tydens hierdie bediening om Sendeling Joo-Hyung Lee—'n Kosin-gegradueerde wat as dekaan van die nagraadse skool aan die Verenigde Kweekskool dien—te ontmoet.
In baie opsigte staan Sendeling Emile Jang in die middelpunt van ons gemeente se Kirgiese bediening. Hy het aan die universiteit in die hoofstad, Bisjkek, studeer en arbei reeds sedert die vroeë dae van sendingwerk in Kirgisië. Hoewel daar onlangs 'n moeilike tydperk was rakende die verhouding met 'n ander sendeling wat die eienaar van die kleuterskoolgebou was, staan hulle nou selfs sterker gevestig, en sy vrou, Yulia, behartig die Droom-dagsorgsentrum uitstekend. Boonop het Sendeling Jang, wat tot verlede jaar een keer per maand na Narin gereis het, vanjaar begin om elke twee weke te gaan om elke Saterdagoggend saam met ses gesinne die fondamente van dissipelskapopleiding te lê. Dat Sendeling Jacob Bae hom in hierdie taak vergesel en 'n reisgenoot vir die vier uur lange rit geword het, was eweneens 'n groot rede tot dankbaarheid.
En Sendeling Noah Kim, wat vanjaar reeds 84 jaar oud is, was net so ywerig en besig soos enige jong sendeling met sendingwerk deur middel van akupunktuur—'n gesig wat 'n mens diep roer. Omdat hy die gewone aftree-ouderdom lankal verbygesteek het, het dit gelyk of geen ander kerk buiten ons eie hom nog finansieel ondersteun nie, en hy het ook nie daarna gestreef nie. Sy vrou het egter met haar eie hande vlytig gewasse verbou om hulle tentmaker-sending te onderhou, wat 'n mens tegelyk deernis en diep respek ingeboesem het. Albei geniet goeie gesondheid en hulle harte kan Kirgisië eenvoudig nie verlaat nie; dit het gelyk asof hulle die gedagte om na Korea terug te keer heeltemal laat vaar het, vasbeslote om tot die einde toe daar te dien totdat die Here hulle eendag huis toe roep.