12월 29일 출국하여 샌프란시스코를 경유, 토론토 인근 리조트에서 두 아들 가족과 2박 3일을 보냈고, 가까운 킹스턴의 둘째 아들 집에서 역시 2박 3일을 보냈습니다. 감기에 걸려 입원하고 싶었지만, 약속을 지키기 위해 캐나다 수도 오타와 한인교회에서 금, 토, 일 3일간 새해 말씀 잔치를 인도했습니다. 그리고 1월 6일 월요일, 시카고의 절친한 친구인 명 목사님 댁으로 가서 파자마 파티를 하는 셈 치고 일주일을 쉬다가 1월 12일 주일, 시카고 펠로우십 교회(심창섭 목사 담임)에서 시차로 몽롱한 가운데 두 차례 말씀을 전했습니다. 며칠 지내는 동안 심 목사님 내외가 바쁘신 중에도 정성을 다해 우리를 섬겨주셔서 고마웠습니다. 마지막 날은 날씨가 매우 춥고 건강도 좋지 않았지만, 시카고에 왔으니 스타벅스 리저브 로스터리와 아름다운 건물이 즐비한 시카고 시내 관광을 놓칠 수는 없다며 함께 해주셨습니다.
그리고 1월 15일, 추운 시카고를 떠나 따뜻한 샌프란시스코 큰 아들 집으로 가서 2주 정도 머물 수 있어서 감사했습니다. 도착한 다음 날부터 점심 식사 후 가까운 그레이 폭스 트레일을 따라 산책을 시작했습니다. 주일에는 아이들이 다니는 교회에서 예배를 드렸고, 첫 주일 오후에는 며느리가 단원으로 있는 샌프란시스코 심포니 코러스를 관람하고, 다음 주일 오후에는 오페라 산호세 홀에서 열린 작은 음악회에 며느리 덕분에 참석하여 문화인이 되었습니다. 옛날 시골 마을에 순회 영화가 들어오면 갑자기 “문화와 예술을 사랑하는 면민 여러분”이 되는 것처럼, 이번 방문은 주일 오후마다 “문화와 예술을 사랑하는” 어르신 역할을 했습니다.
미국에 머문 마지막 주간에는 텍사스 포트워스에서 <세계로 제자 교회>를 목회하는 신현우 목사님을 방문했습니다. 신 목사님은 제가 울산 교회 담임으로 사역할 때 늘 기쁨을 주었던 사역자였습니다. 식탁 대화나 산책하며 나눈 이야기를 떠올리면, 같은 공간에서 함께하면서도 서로에게서 얻는 교제의 유익은 사람마다 다르다는 생각을 합니다. 주보에 소개된 <정근두 목사님>이라는 제목의 칼럼에서, 제 설교를 떠올리고, 시간 관리 숙제를 했던 것, 그리고 황송하게도 청빈한 청교도적인 삶의 향기를 언급했습니다. 돌아오는 날에는 이번 4월 50주년을 기념하여 이탈리아, 스페인 한 달 여행을 후원하고 싶다며 아내와 저를 위해 각각 봉투를 만들어 후원해 주었습니다.
“받을 자격이 없는 우리에게 상상할 수 없는 엄청난 선물을 받은 것을 이제야 깨달았습니다”라고 텍사스를 떠나며 메시지를 보냈더니 다음 날 이른 아침 답장이 왔습니다. “늦은 시간에 도착하셨네요. 피곤함을 뒤로하고 또 새 아침을 여시고, 스쿼트와 산책하실 것을 상상하게 됩니다. 충분히 선물 받으실 자격이 되시고, 더 많이 해 드리지 못해서 죄송하지만, 먼 훗날 또 다른 선물을 준비해 보겠다는 마음으로 위안을 삼습니다. 두 분의 존재와 사랑만으로도 깨질 수 있는 우리 가정이 버티게 되었고, 흩어질 뻔한 교회가 사랑으로 변화되었습니다. 많은 후학들에게 빛이 되시니, 90세, 100세가 되시기까지 건강하시길 바라고, 계속 빛으로 남아 주세요.” 이번 여행의 마무리를 해 주시는 하나님의 음성처럼 듣고 싶습니다.
On December 29, we departed Korea and, flying via San Francisco, spent three days and two nights with the families of our two sons at a resort near Toronto. We then spent another three days and two nights at our second son's home in nearby Kingston. I came down with a severe cold and almost felt like checking into a hospital, but to keep my promise, I led a three-day New Year's Word festival from Friday through Sunday at the Korean Church in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Then on Monday, January 6, we traveled to Chicago to the home of our dear friend, Pastor Myung. We spent a restful week there as if having an extended pajama party, and on Sunday, January 12, despite feeling groggy from jet lag, I preached twice at Chicago Fellowship Church, where Pastor Chang-seop Shim ministers. During our stay, Pastor Shim and his wife generously cared for us with genuine devotion, despite their busy schedules, for which we were deeply grateful. On our final day, though the weather was bitterly cold and our physical condition wasn't at its best, they insisted that coming to Chicago meant not missing the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and a tour of downtown Chicago’s stunning architecture, graciously accompanying us all along the way.
Then, on January 15, we left chilly Chicago for the warmth of our eldest son's home in San Francisco, deeply thankful for the opportunity to stay for about two weeks. Starting the day after our arrival, we took leisurely walks along the nearby Gray Fox Trail after lunch. On Sundays, we worshiped at the church our children attend. On our first Sunday afternoon, we attended a performance by the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, of which our daughter-in-law is a member. The following Sunday afternoon, thanks to her thoughtful invitation, we enjoyed an intimate concert at the Opera San José hall, embracing our inner culture lovers. Just as villagers in old rural Korea suddenly became "cultured art lovers of the township" whenever a traveling movie came to town, our visit turned us into "art- and culture-loving seniors" every Sunday afternoon.
During our final week in the United States, we visited Pastor Hyun-woo Shin, who shepherds the Segyero Disciple Church in Fort Worth, Texas. Pastor Shin was a fellow worker who always brought great joy to my heart during my tenure as senior pastor of Ulsan Church. Recalling our conversations around the dinner table and during walks, I reflected on how, even when sharing the exact same space, the mutual benefits of fellowship vary meaningfully from person to person. In the church bulletin, he featured a column titled "Rev. Keun-Doo Jung," reminiscing about my sermons, recalling the time-management assignments he once received from me, and graciously noting the fragrance of a simple, puritan lifestyle. On the day of our departure, celebrating our upcoming 50th wedding anniversary this April, he presented separate envelopes of generous support for my wife and me, hoping to sponsor our planned month-long journey across Italy and Spain.
Upon leaving Texas, I sent him a text message: "Only now do I realize that we, who are so undeserving, have received an unfathomably generous gift from you." Early the next morning, his reply arrived: "You must have arrived quite late. Yet I imagine you setting aside your weariness, welcoming the new dawn, doing your squats, and heading out for a morning walk. You are more than worthy of such a gift, and my only regret is not being able to do more for you, though I comfort myself with the thought of preparing another blessing for you someday in the future. Just through the loving presence of you two, our family—once fragile enough to shatter—stood strong, and our church, on the verge of scattering, was transformed by love. You remain a guiding light to so many of us younger ministers; may you stay healthy until you are 90 or even 100, and please continue to be that light." I wished to receive those words as God's own gentle voice, bringing our entire journey to a beautiful and grace-filled close.
Op 29 Desember het ons vertrek en, via San Francisco, drie dae en twee nagte saam met ons twee seuns se gesinne by 'n vakansieoord naby Toronto deurgebring. Daarna het ons nog drie dae en twee nagte by ons tweede seun se huis in die nabygeleë Kingston vertoef. Ek het 'n hewige verkoue opgedoen en het eintlik gevoel asof ek in 'n hospitaal opgeneem moes word, maar om my belofte gestand te doen, het ek van Vrydag tot Sondag 'n driedaagse Nuwejaars-Woordfees by die Koreaanse Gemeente in Ottawa, die hoofstad van Kanada, gelei. Op Maandag 6 Januarie het ons na Chicago gereis na die huis van my hegte vriend, pastoor Myung. Ons het 'n week lank gerus asof ons 'n uitgerekte slaapklerepartytjie gehou het, en op Sondag 12 Januarie het ek, hoewel nog dynserig van die vlugvoosheid, twee keer die Woord bedien by Chicago Fellowship Church, waar ds. Chang-seop Shim die leraar is. Tydens ons verblyf het ds. Shim en sy vrou ons ten spyte van hul besige skedules met opregte toewyding bedien, waarvoor ons innig dankbaar was. Op ons laaste dag, hoewel die weer bitter koud was en ons gesondheid nie van die beste nie, het hulle volgehou dat 'n mens Chicago nie kan besoek sonder om die Starbucks Reserve Roastery en die pragtige argitektuur in die middestad te sien nie, en hulle het ons getrou vergesel.
Op 15 Januarie het ons die koue Chicago verlaat om vir sowat twee weke in die warm San Francisco by ons oudste seun se huis te bly, waarvoor ons baie dankbaar was. Vanaf die dag ná ons aankoms het ons elke middag ná etensuitstappies langs die nabygeleë Gray Fox-wandelpad begin stap. Op Sondae het ons saam met ons kinders in hul plaaslike gemeente aanbid. Op ons eerste Sondagmiddag het ons 'n uitvoering van die San Francisco Simfoniekoor bygewoon, waarvan ons skoondogter 'n lid is. Die daaropvolgende Sondagmiddag het ons danksy haar 'n intieme konsert in die Opera San José-saal bygewoon, waar ons ons kulturele horisonne kon verbreed. Net soos plattelandse dorpenaars in die ou dae skielik "kuns- en kultuurliefhebbende burgers" geword het wanneer 'n reisende bioskoop die dorp besoek het, het hierdie besoek van ons elke Sondagmiddag "kuns- en kultuurliefhebbende seniors" gemaak.
Tydens ons laaste week in die Verenigde State het ons ds. Hyun-woo Shin besoek, wat herder is van die Segyero Dissipelgemeente in Fort Worth, Texas. Ds. Shin was 'n medewerker wat my altyd baie vreugde verskaf het tydens my bediening as leraar van Ulsan Gemeente. Wanneer ek terugdink aan ons gesprekke om die etenstafel en tydens ons staptogte, besef ek weer dat selfs wanneer mense dieselfde ruimte deel, die wedersydse vrug van gemeenskap vir elkeen verskil. In 'n rubriek in die gemeenteblad met die titel "Ds. Keun-Doo Jung", het hy herinneringe aan my preke opgeroep, die tydsbestuurstake wat ek destyds gegee het, en tot my verleentheid selfs die geur van 'n eenvoudige, puriteinse leefstyl genoem. Op die dag van ons vertrek het hy, ter viering van ons 50ste huweliksherdenking aanstaande April, afsonderlike koeverte met finansiële ondersteuning aan my en my vrou oorhandig om ons beplande maandlange reis deur Italië en Spanje te borg.
Met ons vertrek uit Texas het ek vir hom 'n boodskap gestuur: "Ons besef nou eers dat ons, wat dit glad nie verdien nie, 'n onvoorstelbaar groot geskenk ontvang het." Vroeg die volgende oggend het sy antwoord gekom: "U moes seker baie laat aangekom het. Tog stel ek my voor hoe u die moegheid afskud, die nuwe oggend verwelkom, u hurkoefeninge doen en gaan stap. U verdien hierdie geskenk ten volle, en ek voel jammer dat ek nie nog meer kon doen nie, maar ek troos myself met die gedagte om eendag in die verre toekoms weer 'n ander geskenk voor te berei. Deur bloot u teenwoordigheid en liefde is ons gesin, wat maklik kon verbrokkel, bewaar, en ons gemeente, wat amper uitmekaargewaai het, is deur liefde vernuwe. U is 'n ligbaken vir soveel jonger kollegas; mag u gesond bly tot 90 of selfs 100 jaar, en hou asseblief aan om 'n lig te wees." Ek wou hierdie woorde graag hoor as die stem van God self, wat ons reis met sulke besondere genade afgerond het.