The United Church of Canada

HyeRan and David Kim-Cragg write from Korea

Letter #14

Report for July & August 2007

It has a been a very happy summer for the Kim-Craggs, one month in Canada and one month back in Korea preparing for the new semester. The same cannot by said, however, of the nation of Korea itself which has suffered the capture of 21 Koreans by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the subsequent murder of two of them. Nearby regions of Asia have also been uneasy.

Besides family, friends, canoes trips and cottages the Canada trip gave David and HyeRan a chance to do some special work. Many of the people we have come to know through our work in Korea have memories of Canadian missionaries. For some the memory is one of deep gratitude. One such person is Rev. Cho from NamSung Church in Seoul who worked with Dr. Hugh Rose who served in the 1960s as a missionary doctor. Rev. Cho credits Dr. Rose with saving his life by diagnosing and treating his TB. He and a friend who had worked closely with Ms. Ruth Saunders, who served around the same time, had lost contact with their United Church friends. They asked us to try to find them and convey a gift to each. With the help of some missionary friends, past and present, we did indeed track down the Roses and Ruth Saunders. We met the Hughe and ??? Rose in Muskoka and enjoyed a meaningful exchange with them. We found that Ruth Saunders had passed away but managed to connect with a family member in Dawson City who had come out to visit and see her at work in Korea. He was grateful for the contact.

In Canada we heard the news that 21 Koreans had been captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan. As I write these lines the last of the hostages are in the process of being freed. Koreans were traumatized. The captives were a group from a Presbyterian Church in Korea who had gone to evangelize so news hit the Christian community with extra oomph. Indeed many here have started to ask about the legitimacy of Christian missions and their proselytizing purposes. Some here said that the group should have to pay for the cost of negotiating for their release when they returned. Sadly two paid with their lives. The actions of the Taliban not right but neither some think were the Koreans completely faultless. The Christian church is doing some soul-searching about how to spread the Gospel in general and how to approach their Muslim sisters and brothers in particular. It would be contextually appropriate to consider how to communicate with Muslims since they are making up a bigger and bigger portion of the population of Korea.

We are also concerned for some of Korea’s neighbours as well. In China expectation for the Olympics is building amid worries of pollution and the trampling of some of its weakest citizens. Just a bit south and west the Philippines and Myanmar continue to experience violence and oppression as the government forces there squash demonstrations and assassinate those who try to stand up for justice. In late August the situation in Myanmar has become acute.

Noah and Hannah are in school. Noah is making more and more friends. He is keen on going to his friend’s house rather than coming straight home, which is a bit of concern for his parents. Hannah almost forgot all her English before she went to Canada this summer. Now back in Korea, she has picked up Korean right away and yet is still using her English, which makes everyone amazed. Her asthma and eczema are still a problem, so we decided to see a special doctor, who works in Seoul, Four hours traveling back and forth is certainly exhausting.

We are ever grateful for all the prayers and support for our work here in Korea.

HyeRan and David Kim-Cragg