12월 24일, 새벽을 깨운 선물배달입니다. 오전 5시 21분, “의식 돌아왔어요” 일곱 글자가 얼마나 기쁜 성탄선물이었는지 모릅니다. 어제밤 8시에도 GBT 선교사님과 주고 받은 카톡입니다. “평안하시지요! 건강하시길 … 홍정희 이사님 건강을 위해서 GBT 맴버들은 비상으로 기도하고 있습니다” 우리 성경번역선교회에서 역할은 이사이지만 에젤선교회에서는 대표이시니 에젤선교회에서는 얼마나 기도했을까요? 에젤선교회를 통해서, 홍정희 권사님을 통해서, 어머니처럼 누님처럼 도움을 받은 그 많은 선교사님들은 얼마나 애절하게 부르짖었을까요~~ 하나님 아버지 감사합니다^^ 미국에서 지난 3일 귀국해서 격리 중에 PCR 검사가 음성으로 나오다가 8일엔 양성이 나왔답니다. 간절재수술 후라 백신접종을 한 번도 못한 터에 기저질환도 많아 걱정이 되었지요. 17일 금요일에는 기도삽관에 들어가서 며칠 의식이 없을 것이며 이 며칠이 고비라는 소식을 접하고 기도하는 중이었는데, 의식이 돌아왔다는 연락을 카톡으로 직접했으니 얼마나 기쁜 선물인가요^^
두 번째 선물도착입니다. 오전 5시 53분, “두 분, 백만년만에 연락을 드리는 것 같습니다. 올해 저희는 넘치는 감사의 시간을 살았습니다. 무엇보다도 저희에게 집을 주신 하나님의 놀라운 축복, 큰아들 앤드류의 도움으로 집을 살 수 있었습니다. 두 분이 주신 헌금은 집을 사는 마지막 과정에서 closing payment 로 사용되었습니다. 자녀들이 올 수 있는 집! 열쇠를 받고 첫 날 집에 왔을 때 아무 것도 없었지만 심리적으로 우리집에 있다는 것이 너무도 기쁘고 감사했습니다. 이 곳에 온지 한 달 정도가 되어 갑니다. 지금은 침대도 있고 밥을 먹을수 있는 식탁도 있고,…갑자기 부자가 되었습니다.” <거처를 주신 하나님을 찬양합니다 거기서 사는 동안에 드나드는 모든 사람들이 좋으신 우리 하나님을 알아가는 복을 받게 하여 주옵소서 기쁨 기도 감사 찬양의 거처가 되게 하여 주옵소서> “아멘!!! 이제는 두 분 오셔도 주무실 곳이 있습니다. ㅎㅎ” <지금껏 집이 없어 하와이 못갔는데 ㅋㅋ> “이제는 거하실 집이 있습니다! ㅎㅎ” <이 아름다운 소식은 (저에게 도착한) 성탄선물입니다^^> “네, 저도 온 마음을 다해 동의합니다!”
세 번째 선물입니다. 오전 6시 36분, “존귀하신 주님의 삶을 살아가시는 목사님 ! 아기예수님의 성탄을 우리 함께 기뻐해요^^” <저희 어제 울산 왔습니다^^ 복된 성탄을~~> “즐거운 성탄이 되세요 목사님 존경합니다^^” <오늘은 김경애 사모님과 함께 하는 시간을 꼭 내세요~~ 저도 아내와의 시간을 갖겠습니다.> “옙 목사님! 충성!” <인증샷 기다릴께요^^> “확실하게 하시네요 명령 받들어 모시겠습니다” <숙제를 내어주는 선생님보다 숙제검사를 확실하게 하는 선생님이 좋은 선생님입니다ㅎㅎ> “선생님도 급수가 다른 모양 입니다 ㅋㅋ”
김병진 선교사님은 젊은 날 울산에서 교회개척(현 울산신정교회)과 그 시절 일찌기 <십대들의둥지>라는 청소년 사역을 울산에서 시작해서 대한민국 곳곳에서 둥지를 틀다가 중년을 넘어서면서 우즈베키스탄에서 선교사역을 하시다가 몇년 전에 귀국하셔서 인천에서 선교사님들을 위한 쉼터사역을 하고 계십니다. “이러므로 너희가 주 안에서 모든 기쁨으로 그를 영접하고 또 이와 같은 자들을 존귀히 여기라”(빌 2:29, 개정)
네 번째 선물 2021년 오전 6시 53분입니다. “베들레헴에 드리워졌던 주의 영광이 온 가족들 위에 가득하기를 빕니다. 가족들 방문중인 시애틀에서 윤혜자&류영기드림” <시애틀에서 가족들을 방문하고 계시다니 듣기만 해도 아름다운 성탄 선물입니다 저희는 어제 울산으로 내려왔습니다 이제 아들들은 미국으로 캐나다로 떠났고 한국에, (아니) 울산에 남아있는 신앙의 형제자매들과 이번 성탄을 보냅니다.> 아내의 이름을 먼저 기록한 수준있는(?) 선교사 류영기 님은, 오랫동안 일본선교를 하고 은퇴하신 분입니다. 그 오랜 세월이 알게 모르게 조용한 음성이나 매너있는 몸짓도 때로는 일본 사람처럼 느껴질 때도 있습니다. 우리 교단에서 일찍 선교사케어 사역을 시작해서 지금처럼 자라게 한 존귀한 은퇴 선교사입니다. 늘 인생의 선배처럼 지혜로운 조언을 주시는데 은퇴 후 거처를 울산근교에 잡았으니 얼마나 감사한지요. 그날 모인 네 가정의 공통점은 자녀들이 외국에 있다는 것이었고 대화의 주제는 우리 중 누구라도 먼저 떠나면 남은 자들이 어떻게 장례예배를 집례할 것인지도 논의했으니 죽마고우가 아니라 천국을 향한 좋은 친구이기에 네 번째 소식도 선물처럼 감사했습니다.
On December 24th, gifts arrived that awakened the dawn. At 5:21 a.m., the brief message, "She has regained consciousness," arrived as an overwhelmingly joyful Christmas gift. Just last night at 8:00 p.m., I had exchanged KakaoTalk messages with a GBT missionary: "Peace to you! We pray for your health . . . The members of GBT are in emergency prayer for Board Member Jeonghee Hong's health." While her role in our Global Bible Translators (GBT) is that of a board member, she serves as the representative of Ezer Mission—so how fervently must Ezer Mission have been praying! Through Ezer Mission, and through Senior Deaconess Jeonghee Hong, so many missionaries have received care as if from a mother or an elder sister; how desperately and earnestly must they have cried out to the Lord~~ Thank You, Heavenly Father!^^ Returning home from the United States on the 3rd of this month, she tested negative during quarantine PCR tests, but tested positive on the 8th. Because she had undergone liver resection surgery, she had not been able to receive a single dose of the vaccine and had several underlying conditions, which made us deeply anxious. On Friday the 17th, she was intubated and placed on a ventilator; we were told she would remain unconscious for several days and that this period would be the critical turning point. While praying through this trial, she personally sent a KakaoTalk message telling us that her consciousness had returned—what a wondrous gift that was!^^
Then came the arrival of the second gift. At 5:53 a.m.: "To both of you, it feels like it's been a million years since we last reached out. This year has been a season overflowing with gratitude for us. Above all, through God's astonishing blessing of giving us a home, and with the help of our eldest son Andrew, we were able to purchase a house. The offering you two gave was used as the closing payment in the final step of buying the home. A home where our children can come visit! When we received the keys and stepped inside on the first day, there was nothing in it, but the heartfelt comfort of being in our own home filled us with such profound joy and gratitude. It has been about a month since we moved in here. Now we have beds and a dining table to eat at… suddenly, we have become rich!" <Praise God who provides a dwelling place. May everyone who comes and goes while you dwell there receive the blessing of knowing our good God, and may it be a sanctuary of joy, prayer, thanksgiving, and praise.> "Amen!!! Now, when both of you visit, there is a place for you to sleep. haha" <Until now, we couldn't visit Hawaii because we had no place to stay, lol> "Now you have a home to stay in! haha" <This wonderful news is truly a Christmas gift (delivered to me)^^> "Yes, I wholeheartedly agree!"
Here is the third gift. At 6:36 a.m.: "Pastor, living the precious life of our Lord! Let us rejoice together in the birth of the baby Jesus^^" <We arrived in Ulsan yesterday^^ Have a blessed Christmas~~> "Have a delightful Christmas, Pastor. I respect you deeply^^" <Be sure to make time today to spend with Mrs. Kyung-ae Kim~~ I will also spend time with my wife.> "Yes, Pastor! Loyalty!" <I'll be waiting for a verification photo^^> "You certainly make sure of things; I will follow your orders faithfully." <A teacher who thoroughly checks homework is a better teacher than one who merely assigns it, haha> "It seems teachers belong to different leagues as well, lol"
Missionary Byung-jin Kim, in his youth, planted a church in Ulsan (now Ulsan Sinjeong Church) and pioneered the youth ministry called 'Teens' Nest' in Ulsan early on. After spreading nests across the country, he went on to serve as a missionary in Uzbekistan in his later years. Returning to Korea a few years ago, he has been ministering a shelter retreat ministry for missionaries in Incheon. "So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men" (Philippians 2:29).
And the fourth gift came at 6:53 a.m. in 2021: "May the Lord's glory that shone upon Bethlehem abide abundantly upon your whole family. Warm regards from Young-ki Ryu & Hye-ja Yoon, visiting family in Seattle." <Hearing that you are visiting family in Seattle is a beautiful Christmas gift in itself. We came down to Ulsan yesterday. Our sons have now departed for the United States and Canada, so we are spending this Christmas with the brothers and sisters in faith who remain in Korea—or rather, in Ulsan.> Missionary Young-ki Ryu, a cultured gentleman who thoughtfully wrote his wife's name first, is a retired missionary who served in Japan for a long time. Over those many decades, his quiet tone and courteous demeanor have naturally come to resemble those of the Japanese. He is an esteemed retired missionary who established the missionary care ministry early on in our denomination and helped it flourish into what it is today. He always offers wise counsel like an elder mentor in life, and we are so grateful that after retirement, he settled near Ulsan. The common thread among the four families gathered that day was that our children were all living abroad. Our conversation even turned to how those left behind should officiate the funeral service when whichever of us is called home first. Because they are not merely lifelong childhood friends, but cherished companions journeying toward Heaven, this fourth message arrived as a deeply treasured gift.
Op 24 Desember het geskenke opgedaag wat die dagbreek wakker gemaak het. Om 05:21 vm. was die kort boodskap, "Sy het haar bewussyn herwin," 'n oorweldigende vreugdevolle Kersgeskenk. Gisteraand om 20:00 het ek nog KakaoTalk-boodskappe met 'n GBT-sendeling uitgeruil: "Vrede vir u! Ons bid vir u gesondheid . . . Die lede van GBT is in dringende voorbidding vir die gesondheid van Raadslid Jeonghee Hong." Alhoewel haar rol in ons Bybelvertalingsending (GBT) dié van 'n raadslid is, dien sy as die verteenwoordiger van Ezer-sendinggenootskap—hoe vurig moes Ezer-sending dan nie gebid het nie! Deur Ezer-sending, en deur Senior Diakones Jeonghee Hong, het soveel sendelinge bystand ontvang soos van 'n moeder of 'n ouer suster; hoe hartstogtelik en dringend moes hulle nie uitgeroep het nie~~ Hemelse Vader, ons dank U!^^ Sy het op die 3de van hierdie maand uit die Verenigde State teruggekeer en tydens kwarantyn negatief getoets met die PCR-toetse, maar op die 8ste het sy positief getoets. Omdat sy lewerreseksie-chirurgie ondergaan het, kon sy nie 'n enkele entstofdosis ontvang nie en het sy talle onderliggende kwale gehad, wat ons baie bekommerd gemaak het. Op Vrydag die 17de is sy geïntubeer en onder sedasie geplaas; ons is meegedeel dat sy vir 'n paar dae bewusteloos sou wees en dat hierdie dae die deurslaggewende krisis sou wees. Terwyl ons in gebed verkeer het, het sy self per KakaoTalk laat weet dat sy haar bewussyn herwin het—wat 'n wonderlike geskenk was dit tog nie!^^
Toe breek die tweede geskenk aan. Om 05:53 vm.: "Aan julle twee, dit voel soos 'n miljoen jaar sedert ons laas van ons laat hoor het. Hierdie jaar het ons 'n seisoen van oorvloedige dankbaarheid beleef. Bowenal, deur God se wonderbaarlike seën om vir ons 'n huis te skenk, en met die hulp van ons oudste seun Andrew, kon ons 'n huis koop. Die offergawe wat julle twee gegee het, is as die finale sluitingsbetaling ('closing payment') gebruik om die huis aan te skaf. 'n Huis waarheen ons kinders kan kom! Toe ons die sleutels ontvang en die eerste dag ingestap het, was daar niks binne-in nie, maar die gemoedsrus om in ons eie huis te wees, was 'n bron van onbeskryflike vreugde en dankbaarheid. Dit is nou sowat 'n maand sedert ons hierheen verhuis het. Nou het ons beddens en 'n etenstafel om aan te sit,… skielik het ons ryk geword." <Prys die Here wat 'n woonplek voorsien. Mag elkeen wat daar in- en uitgaan die seën ontvang om ons goeie God te leer ken, en mag dit 'n toevlugsoord van vreugde, gebed, danksegging en lofprysing wees.> "Amen!!! Nou, as julle twee kom kuier, is daar 'n slaapplek vir julle. haha" <Tot nou toe kon ons nie Hawaii toe kom nie omdat ons geen blyplek gehad het nie, he-he> "Nou het julle 'n huis om in te vertoef! haha" <Hierdie lieflike nuus is waarlik 'n Kersgeskenk (wat vir my aangekom het)^^> "Ja, ek stem met my hele hart saam!"
En hier is die derde geskenk. Om 06:36 vm.: "Leraar, wat die kosbare lewe van die Here leef! Laat ons saam bly wees oor die geboorte van die Kindjie Jesus^^" <Ons het gister in Ulsan aangekom^^ 'n Geseënde Kersfees vir u~~> "'n Vreugdevolle Kersfees vir u, Dominee, ek het groot respek vir u^^" <Maak seker dat u vandag tyd deurbring saam met mev. Kyung-ae Kim~~ Ek gaan ook tyd saam met my vrou deurbring.> "Ja, Dominee! Tot diens!" <Ek wag vir die bewysfoto^^> "U maak dinge deeglik seker; ek sal die opdrag getrou uitvoer." <'n Onderwyser wat huiswerk noukeurig kontroleer, is 'n beter onderwyser as een wat net huiswerk gee, haha> "Dit lyk of onderwysers ook in verskillende kategorieë val, he-he"
Sendeling Byung-jin Kim het in sy jonger jare 'n gemeente in Ulsan geplant (tans Ulsan Sinjeong Gemeente) en destyds vroeg reeds 'n jeugbediening genaamd 'Tienernes' in Ulsan begin. Nadat hy dwarsoor Suid-Korea neste gebou het, het hy op sy ouer dae as sendeling in Oesbekistan gaan dien. 'n Paar jaar gelede het hy na Korea teruggekeer en bedryf hy nou 'n toevlugsoord vir sendelinge in Incheon. "Ontvang hom dan in die Here met alle blydskap en hou sulke manne in eer" (Filippense 2:29).
Die vierde geskenk het in 2021 om 06:53 vm. aangebreek: "Mag die heerlikheid van die Here wat oor Betlehem neergedaal het, ryklik oor u hele familie rus. Hartlike groete vanaf Seattle waar ons familie besoek, van Hye-ja Yoon & Young-ki Ryu." <Om te hoor dat u familie in Seattle besoek, is op sigself 'n pragtige Kersgeskenk. Ons het gister na Ulsan afgekom. Ons seuns het nou na die VSA en Kanada vertrek, en daarom bring ons hierdie Kersfees deur saam met ons geloofsbroers en -susters wat in Korea—of liewer, in Ulsan—agtergebly het.> Sendeling Young-ki Ryu, 'n beskaafde heer wat bedagsaam sy vrou se naam eerste geplaas het, is 'n afgetrede sendeling wat jarelank in Japan gedien het. Deur daardie baie jare heen voel sy stil stem en hoflike maniere soms selfs soos dié van 'n Japannese persoon. Hy is 'n gewaardeerde afgetrede sendeling wat vroeg reeds die sendelingversorgingsbediening in ons denominasie gevestig en laat opbloei het tot wat dit vandag is. Hy gee altyd wyse raad soos 'n lewensmentor, en ons is so dankbaar dat hy na sy aftrede naby Ulsan kom vestig het. Die gemene deler van die vier gesinne wat daardie dag bymekaargekom het, was dat ons kinders almal in die buiteland woon. Ons gesprek het selfs gehandel oor hoe die oorblywendes die begrafnisdiens moet behartig wanneer een van ons eerste huis toe geroep word. Omdat hulle nie net jeugvriende is nie, maar getroue vriende wat saam op pad is na die hemel, het hierdie vierde tyding soos 'n kosbare geskenk van dankbaarheid gevoel.