“우린 설을 맞이해서 연속 닷새동안 손님들이 줄을 잇는 기록을 세웠습니다.”라고 했더니 “못말리는 손님 환대의 열정은 갈수록 더해가는 것 같습니다. 한결같은 사모님의 섬김도 … ^^” 라고 우리를 아는 분이 카톡을 보내왔습니다. 그래서 그 사연을 좀 풀어보고 싶습니다. 이번 설을 전후해서 반가운 분들을 연속으로 맞이하는 신기록을 세웠습니다. 명절을 앞둔 지난 토요일 점심부터 어제 저녁까지 6팀이 지나갔습니다. 14일 토요일에 오신 선교사님 부부는 스페인 바르셀로나에서 우리를 안내한다고 수고하셨기에, 지난해 7월 11일에 오시기로 한 분들이었습니다. 그러나 그날 오전에 사고가 나서 일단 병원에 먼저 가야 할 것 같아서 그날 저녁으로 연기했는데 왼쪽 대퇴골 수술을 하는 바람에 ㅠㅠ
주일 점심 때는 우리의 치아건강을 담당한 주치의 가정이요 자주 특별한 사랑으로 챙겨주시는 분들이니 간혹 한 번씩은 보답을 하는 것이 마땅할 것입니다. 월요일에 오신 목사님 내외도 비슷합니다. 지난 수년 동안 고양에서 울산으로 내려올 때마다 손 사모님의 식탁에서 대접을 받았으니 빚이 있는 분들입니다. 마침 명절을 앞두고 우리가 집에 있는 시간을 확인하길래, 이번에는 점심을 함께 하려고 했는데 따님은 오다가 우리 동네 베이커리 바오밥에 내려두고 왔답니다. 우리를 만나는 부끄럼이 있기도 하고 사진이 찍히면 열방에 공개되는(?) 문제도 있다하니, 앞을 내다보는 식견이 있는 따님입니다. ㅋㅋ
키르기즈스탄 장 선교사님 부부와 따님과 아들이 설날 당일의 손님이었습니다. 명실공히 해외동포인 우리 두 아들 자리를 대신했으니 하나님의 세심한 배려에 감사할 뿐입니다. 게다가 장 선교사님은 한국에 부모님들이 살아계시지 않으니 부모님 찾아뵙는 마음으로 왔습니다. 그러다보니 설날 찾아왔더라도 반갑게 맞이하는 것은 당연합니다. 장 선교사님은 고등학교를 졸업하고 키르기즈스탄에서 대학 공부를 했고 러시아계 율리아를 사모로 맞이했으니 한국의 연은 별로 없는 셈입니다. 이번에는 우리를 만나서 중앙아시아에 한 번 오라는 제안을 몇 차례 했지만 오히려 명절이나 방학 때 찾아올 수 있는, 한국에 공부하는 딸과 아들의 할아버지 할머니 노릇을 하고 싶습니다.
설날 점심 식사를 준비하려고 하는데 대구에 계신 장 목사님 식구들이 갑자기 도착했습니다. 급히 커피 한 잔을 나누며 소식을 묻고 우리 마실 안집의 포토존에서 사진을 찍고나서, 기다리는 처가집으로 갔습니다. 물론 언제쯤 일지 기약이 없지만 다음에는 약속하고 오기로 했습니다. 토, 일, 월, 화 나흘동안 매일 식사 손님이 왔으니 4관왕이 된 기분이었습니다. 더 이상 예약된 손님이 없었지만 명절 마지막 날이 그냥 지나갈 리 없었습니다. 수요일 저녁에는 울산에서 영어학원을 하는 남아공 자매와 그 가족이 왔습니다. 그 자매가 모국어로 말할 수 있는 유일한 곳이니 친정에 온 것처럼 그동안 있었던 이야기를 펼쳤습니다. 누구든 오면 기본 3시간은 머물다 갑니다. 게다가 식사를 준비하고 함께 대화하고 뒷정리를 하면 하루가 지나갑니다. 그래도 찾아오는 사람들이 있으니 감사할 뿐입니다.
“We set a new record by welcoming guests for five consecutive days over the Lunar New Year,” I remarked, to which an acquaintance sent a KakaoTalk message: “Your unstoppable passion for hospitality seems to grow stronger day by day. And your wife's unwavering devotion as well... ^^” So, I would like to share the story behind this. Around this Lunar New Year, we set a new record for welcoming a continuous stream of welcome guests. From lunch last Saturday just before the holidays until yesterday evening, six different groups passed through our home. The missionary couple who visited on Saturday the 14th had kindly guided us through Barcelona, Spain, and were originally scheduled to visit on July 11th of last year. However, on the morning of that day, I met with an accident and had to go to the hospital first, so our meeting was postponed to that evening; yet, because I ended up needing surgery on my left femur, it fell through ㅠㅠ
Sunday's lunch was shared with the family of our personal dentist, who takes care of our dental health and often blesses us with special affection, so it is only fitting that we repay their kindness every once in a while. The pastor and his wife who came on Monday were in a similar position. Over the past few years, whenever they traveled down from Goyang to Ulsan, they were treated at Mrs. Sohn's table, making them dear friends to whom we owe a debt of love. As the holiday approached, they checked when we would be home, and we planned to have lunch together this time. However, their daughter was reportedly dropped off at Baobab, our local neighborhood bakery, on the way here. They said she felt a little shy about meeting us, and there was also the concern that having her photo taken might expose her to the whole world (?), proving her to be a daughter blessed with remarkable foresight. haha
On the day of the Lunar New Year itself, our guests were Missionary Chang and his wife, along with their daughter and son, serving in Kyrgyzstan. Standing in for our two sons who are bona fide overseas compatriots, they filled the void, leaving us with nothing but gratitude for God's tender care. Furthermore, since Missionary Chang's parents are no longer living in Korea, he came to see us with the heart of visiting his own parents. Thus, welcoming them warmly on New Year's Day was only natural. After graduating from high school, Missionary Chang pursued his university studies in Kyrgyzstan and married Yulia, who is of Russian descent, meaning he has few personal ties left in Korea. This time, while visiting us, he repeatedly invited us to visit Central Asia, but instead, I would rather play the role of grandfather and grandmother to his daughter and son studying in Korea, welcoming them whenever the holidays or school vacations arrive.
Just as we were preparing lunch on New Year's Day, Pastor Chang's family from Daegu suddenly arrived. We hurriedly shared a cup of coffee, caught up on each other's news, took a picture at the photo zone in our inner courtyard, and then they left for his in-laws' home where relatives were waiting. We promised to meet by appointment next time, though we cannot say for sure when that will be. Having had meal guests every day for four straight days—Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday—it felt like achieving a grand slam of hospitality. Although no further guests were booked, there was no way the final day of the holiday would pass quietly. On Wednesday evening, a South African sister who runs an English academy in Ulsan came with her family. Since our home is virtually the only place where she can converse comfortably in her mother tongue, she poured out her heart and shared everything that had been happening, just as if she were visiting her own parents' home. Whenever anyone comes, they stay for at least three hours as a rule. Moreover, by the time we prepare the meals, converse together, and clean up afterward, an entire day has quietly slipped away. Even so, we are simply grateful that there are people who seek us out.
“Ons het ’n nuwe rekord opgestel deur vyf dae aaneen gaste te verwelkom oor die Maannuwejaar,” het ek opgemerk, waarop ’n bekende via KakaoTalk geantwoord het: “U onstuitbare passie vir gasvryheid word blykbaar net al hoe sterker. En u vrou se getroue diensbaarheid eweneens... ^^” Daarom wil ek graag die storie daaragter deel. Rondom hierdie Maannuwejaar het ons ’n nuwe rekord opgestel deur ’n aanhoudende stroom welkome gaste te ontvang. Vanaf middagete verlede Saterdag net voor die vakansiedae tot gisteraand het ses groepe ons huis besoek. Die sendingegpaar wat op Saterdag die 14de gekom het, het ons destyds getrou deur Barcelona in Spanje begelei en sou ons eintlik reeds verlede jaar op 11 Julie besoek het. Daardie oggend was ek egter in ’n ongeluk betrokke en moes eers hospitaal toe gaan; daarom het ons die afspraak na daardie aand verskuif, maar weens ’n dringende operasie aan my linkerdybeen kon dit toe glad nie plaasvind nie ㅠㅠ
Sondag se middagete was saam met die gesin van ons huistandarts wat na ons tande omsien en ons gereeld met besondere liefde bederf, so dit pas ons goed om af en toe iets van daardie welwillendheid te vergoed. Die predikant en sy vrou wat Maandag gekom het, val in dieselfde kategorie. Oor die afgelope jare, elke keer as hulle van Goyang na Ulsan afgereis het, is hulle aan mev. Sohn se tafel bedien, so hulle is vriende teenoor wie ons ’n dankskuld het. Aangesien die vakansie voorlê, het hulle vooraf verneem wanneer ons tuis sou wees, en hierdie keer wou ons saam middagete geniet. Hulle dogter is egter blykbaar oppad hierheen by Baobab, ons plaaslike bakkery, afgelaai. Hulle het genoem dat sy effens skaam was om ons te ontmoet, en dat daar ook die bekommernis was dat sy dalk aan die hele wêreld blootgestel sou word (?) as ’n foto geneem word—waarlik ’n dogter met merkwaardige versiendheid! haha
Op Nuwejaarsdag self was sendeling Chang en sy vrou, saam met hul dogter en seun uit Kirgisië, ons eregaste. Hulle het die plek ingeneem van ons eie twee seuns wat immers volwaardige landgenote in die buiteland is, en ons kan God net dank vir Sy fyn versorging. Buitendien leef sendeling Chang se ouers nie meer in Korea nie, so hy het na ons toe gekom met die hart van iemand wat sy eie ouers besoek. Daarom was dit vanselfsprekend om hulle hartlik te verwelkom, selfs al was dit op Nuwejaarsdag. Nadat hy hoërskool voltooi het, het sendeling Chang sy universiteitstudies in Kirgisië voortgesit en met die Russiese Yulia getrou, wat beteken dat hy min bande met Korea oorhet. Tydens hierdie besoek het hy ons herhaaldelik uitgenooi om Sentraal-Asië te besoek, maar ek wil liewer die rol van oupa en ouma vervul vir sy dogter en seun wat in Korea studeer, en vir wie ons ’n toevlugsoord kan wees tydens vakansies en feesdae.
Net toe ons gereedgemaak het vir Nuwejaarsmiddagete, het ds. Chang se gesin van Daegu onverwags opgedaag. Ons het vinnig ’n koppie koffie gedeel, nuus uitgeruil, ’n foto geneem by die fotoplek in ons binnehof, en daarna is hulle haastig voort na sy skoonfamilie wat op hulle gewag het. Ons het afgespreek om volgende keer vooraf te reël, al weet ons nie presies wanneer dit sal wees nie. Nadat ons vier dae aaneen—Saterdag, Sondag, Maandag en Dinsdag—elke dag etegaste gehad het, het dit gevoel asof ons ’n ware grootsege van gasvryheid behaal het. Al was daar geen verdere gaste bespreek nie, kon die laaste vakansiedag immers nie sommer stilweg verbygaan nie. Woensdagaand het ’n Suid-Afrikaanse suster wat ’n Engelse taalskool in Ulsan bedryf, saam met haar gesin kom kuier. Omdat ons huis feitlik die enigste plek is waar sy vrylik in haar moedertaal kan gesels, het sy haar hart oopgemaak en al haar wel en wee gedeel, net asof sy by haar eie ouerhuis kuier. Wanneer mense opdaag, bly hulle gewoonlik minstens drie uur lank. As ’n mens boonop die etes voorberei, lekker saamgesels en agterna opruim, is die dag sommer om. Tog is ons innig dankbaar dat daar mense is wat ons kom opsoek.