In the time of Coronavirus- How are you doing?
The Coronavirus(COVID-19), which is sweeping around the world, is driving fear around the world. I heard the news from the denominational mission agency a while ago, and many missionaries who work in different parts of the world are rejected entry because they are Koreans. From where I am, I keep on hearing the news from Korea and go to prayer and supplication.
More than 10,000 people have died here in the States due to the flu. I haven’t thought about whether the death from the flu is so dangerous, but I feel even more severe when I came here. Moreover, since I live in northern Michigan, I need to pay more attention to colds and flu. Winter starts from late October to early November and lasts from late April to early May. It is about 5-6 months in winter. The snow-covered surroundings are beautiful, but at the same time, when the snowstorms pour, it’s scary enough to think, ‘I might be isolated.’ I could understand how Americans developed canning food and why they need pantry. Winter seems like a season to prepare.
The Coronavirus is now another threat as people struggle continually with the flu. In particular, our church is small in the countryside, so the average age is about 70 years old. Most of them are 70-90 years old, so they need more management and prayer.
I pray here to Korea and my dear friends. At the beginning of Lent, as all Christians in Korea do, I pray with humility. If God hears our prayer from heaven, he will forgive our sins. And I expect to experience God of comfort and recovery beyond this time of pain.
Starting Mission Group Meeting
Last January 12th, I started the “Mission School Meeting” with three young people going to OMS Korea for the mission. We had the second meeting in February.
As I mentioned in the last newsletter, I’m praying for the missionary mobilization. The Evangelical Missionary Training Center needs more English speaking missionaries to help missionary candidates. One of my wishes is to organize mission teams to host small English camps for small churches. As the first step for this vision, I recruited short-term missionaries, and I started sending and teaching the primary language and culture in South Korea.
We’re going to have this meeting once a month, a total of six times of meetings, and I pray that these young people can have new perspectives on “mission, culture, worldview, and language.”
AIE Leadership Training for OMS Korea short-term missionaries
Every summer, many English speaking people from the States, England, Australia, and Canada come to Korea for Christian English Camp, AIE(Adventure In English), held in Seoul Theological University. OMS Korea conducted this camp, and I also prepared and participated in this ministry when I was in Korea.
Short-term missionaries coming to Korea through OMS often come every year, not just on a single mission. Some of them have been serving this summer ministry for more than ten years.
When I prayed how we could help them grow and mature, God gave me the heart to do this “Leadership Training.” I also promoted it with Susan Truitt, OMS Korea Field Director.
In total, eight short-termers (Anna, Norma, Kaitlyn, Hannaholre, Kaycie, Alecia, Nick, and Nathan) will participate in the retreat, and four staff members to serve them. The guest speaker is Dr. Tim Rohel, the former OMS missionary but now the president of the Coaching Ministry.
Lydia’s House Website is coming soon!
One of Lydia’s House ministry’s primary tasks is to create a webpage to share the vision of member care ministry with more people. It’s one of my projects this winter, and I’m struggling with computers to make it one by one. It will be an excellent communicating tool for people who are interested in this ministry and help them keep their vision from God even though it is not a professional web page. In spring, I will visit you like a sprout sprouting green.
Please pray for me like this:
1. Through this Lent, let all Christians be humble and sanctified before God and let us learn the fear of God in the threat and fear of Coronavirus. Please show Your grace to all the leadership, health care providers working hard in South Korea, USA, and all over the country.
2. My husband and I submitted additional evidence for our visa extension. We pray that God will open the right way and promptly issue our visa.
3. Let me introduce Korean culture, language, history, and any other basic needs to our church short-termers through the mission group meeting, and let them plant their dreams and hopes. Please pour your Spirit of wisdom and knowledge upon Cloud and me so that we can handle the work in harmony with your heart.
4. Please fill in the special finances for AIE Leadership Training Project (needed project costs such as camping site rental fee, food expenses, speaker’s honorarium, and transportation fee for three days and four nights). The States is so vast that it costs a lot of transportation and accommodation for the guest speaker’s travel.
5. Please give the ability to make the webpage so that it can be the hub connecting between missionaries and supporters.
6. Please bless the lives of faithful supporters for Lydia’s House Ministry and send me more partners to share and fulfill this vision of the Kingdom of God.
