Seoul and its Vicinity, Korea - Friends (May 2026)

I cannot diminish the joy of seeing my friends when I go to Korea. It is just joyous. Mr. Jay Yoon, above, is my travel companion. We have traveled all over together. We climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, took a 3-week overland trucking trip from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, traveled to the U.K. and Ireland, visited the Scandinavian countries, jumped on the salt lake Salar de Uyuni, got wet under the Iguazu Falls, wandered around Patagonia, walked on the Camino de Santiago, and went to Morocco together. Wow! I am so thankful for him. We still have some more plans to travel together as long as our health permits. 

Also, it is always pleasant to see my Agape Club friends. Agape Club consisted of members from Yonsei and Ewha Universities and was a Christian ministry providing services for people in Korean villages. Yoonduck Suh runs a business and supports SHINE Alliance. Namhyun Kim is a professor retired from Yonsei University. I cannot say enough about my gratitude for their presence in my life.

A little different type of joy comes from seeing my high school friends. Our relationship dates back to the late 60s and early 70s. So more than 50 years. We do not have to say anything, but we just enjoy each other's presence. 

 

Seeing college friends is a bit different from seeing high school friends. I saw three of my college alumni. Pyung Ku Lee was and still is one of my best friends. Chan Jung Park got me and my wife introduced to each other. Kwang Su Song was in banking and studied at UCLA for his Ph.D. in Finance. They were all interested in real estate in Gangnam. Nonetheless, I had a joyful time with them as well.

Jun Kim was my former colleague when I was working in Colorado. We remain in contact long after he went back to Korea to succeed his father in running a sand business. His pure heart is always refreshing.

Seeing BJ, my former student in a church Sunday school class, his wife Burrito, and Seokha Kang at a gourmet steakhouse was fun. We even had live music because it was Saturday. 

If I had any slack time, it is just fun to walk around and see interesting landmarks here and there. Korea's No. 1 treasure is this gate, called Namdaemun. 

As I was walking on a street, I found this statue of a bull located in front of the Korea Stock Exchange.

As I was walking in the vicinity of Hongdae University, I found a small park called Kim Dae Jung Peace Park. He was one of Korea's presidents who received the Nobel Peace Prize. 

One day, I visited the Korea Film Archive in Mapo-gu, where you could see the history of Korean filmmaking. You could even watch one or two old movies for free. 

This trip was packed with meeting schedules. Maybe too many. I need to learn to slow down, I suppose. Nonetheless, I was overjoyed by seeing all these people: family, friends, and fellow Kingdom workers. Thank you, Lord! - Jeffrey

Seoul and its Vicinity, Korea - Family (May 2026)

Another joy of going to Korea is seeing our family. The highlight was my mom's 95th birthday. But seeing my sisters and mom alone brings me tremendous joy. When I visited her small apartment in Osan, she welcomed me with a well-prepared meal. I was humbled and overjoyed.

I took time to visit the flower shop my younger sister, Minsook, and her husband run in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu. They moved to a new and bigger space right in front of their old place. I prayed for them. They are faithful believers, and I am grateful for them. 

As I mentioned above, the highlight of our family reunion was to celebrate my mom's 95th birthday. We rented a condominium nearby by the lake in Dongtan. My sisters, although they are in their 60s, are always cheerful and upbeat. We had a wonderful time celebrating our mother's birthday.

Lord, thank you for allowing my mom to live for the past 95 years! It was totally Your grace, God. How much longer she will live, I do not know. But may You bless her with Your heavenly peace and a grateful heart until You take her to be with You eternally. In Jesus name, amen!

Seoul and its Vicinity, Korea - Fellow Workers (May and June 2026)

I made a trip to Korea after the Eastern Christianity Forum held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. During this trip, I saw many people on a tight schedule. The most rewarding meeting was with the SBS Rwanda people. Most of them are in their late 30's or early 40's. So their children are still young, it is challenging to come to the meeting with them. Nonetheless, four families joined us this time. From this meeting, God moved three people to decide to serve with SHINE Alliance. Praise the Lord!

I had a brief meeting with Jungil Lee, Mary You, and two other people, who took part in a training on a creative way to teach Korean. 

I had a meeting with Pastor Dongho Song, Professor Youngsup Soh, and Elder Seokha Kang at the NOW Mission office and had lunch together. They participated in our BMT program and are long-time friends. 

Together with Min-Young Jung, I took part in a seminar lectured by Professor John Barclays, a renowned theologian, at Saemunan Church. It was inspiring. The fellowship with Missionary Jung was also insightful. I am grateful to God for him whom God raised to bring the light to many people. 

Finally, I had a fellowship time with Young-Gwang Song, who served in China and is now staying in Korea. I visited him while I was serving in the Yunan Province. 

I had a meeting with Pastor Changsun Moon, who serves with us through SHINE Alliance. He is still recovering from the surgery to remove cancer. 

Pastor Doo-il Kim is a member of the MB Connect and serves as Deputy Director of the NUR Network. He leads Jungwon Community, which consists of a church, a preschool, and a business. I am looking forward to expanding our relationship and his involvement with SHINE Alliance.

Sam Cho was a professor of business administration and served as CEO of InterServ Korea. He is now focusing on helping the Life as Mission movement to take hold in Korea. He also established the Korean office of the Center for BAM. He is a good friend and fellow Kingdom worker. We had lunch together.

SfK Korea's board used to be 10 members. But the number has been reduced to six now. We had a fellowship dinner with all current and previous board members to thank them for their service. We were all grateful for each other. 

Whenever I go to Korea, I almost always pay a visit to Pastor Dongho Kim in his office. It is far away to the east, but it is joyous to see him and share our thoughts. Pastor Jangho Lee was also there, who is scheduled to succeed Pastor Kim later.

We had dinner at a gourmet steakhouse, which is run by Pastor Shinjoong Kang and his family. I met him in Bishkek, and he promised to attend our BMT program. The raised meat cooked for more than 12 hours was delicious. But our fellowship time was more rewarding.

We had a meeting with former fellow workers, Seungwon Lee and Hyesung Shin, together with Wonjin Choi, who is now serving with SHINE Alliance. We used to serve together with KBM Gathering.

 

The first meeting with Munyoung Chung, who is now in the coffee business, went through our BMT Training and is an active member of the MB Connect. Our conversation was beneficial to each other.

Sung Soo Kim is a long-time friend and fellow worker. He handles all administrative matters for SfK Korea and leads the HDT Network. I am so thankful to God for him. 

Pastor Changsun Moon introduced me to a movie producer. He is planning a project and seeking a partnership. I had to politely decline.

Elder Kyoung Sup Kwon is also a long-time friend and fellow Kingdom worker. He retired from his previous sound systems business and quietly supports various Kingdom workers. 

I had a separate meeting with Hyun Jeon. He is a commissioned missionary, serving with GMTC, a missionary-training ministry. He also works for SHINE's SUP Network with me. He handles the SHINE News publishing and all accounting work for SHINE Alliance. He is talented in many areas. 

I was invited to a dinner hosted by Minjung Kim and her family. She served in Rwanda through KOICA and was one of the original SBS members. She also supports our ministry financially as well as prayerfully. I am grateful.

It is always encouraging to meet up with fellow Kingdom workers, who are serving the Lord in various ways. May God bless them! - Jeffrey

Eastern Christianity Forum - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (May 2026)

In May, I traveled to Bishkek to participate in the Eastern Christianity Forum. The Forum consisted of one lecture day and a five-day pilgrimage. The lecturers included Caleb Choi, who has been maintaining the forum for the past 15 plus years, Caleb Park, who has been leading the initiative together with Caleb Choi, and a few others, notably Paul Paik, specialized in BAM. 

In a nutshell, Eastern Christianity, often called the Nestorius Movement, is the collection of all Christianity that moved from Antioch, Syria to the eastern direction, all the way to China. Nestorious was once the Archbishop of Constantinople, and is considered one of the three pillars of Eastern Christianity. Its journey was a lot longer than the western counterpart reaching 10,000 km. It passed through the Persian Empire and the Silk Road. It was called "Gyung-gyo" or Illuminous Christianity in the China's Tang Dynasty. This went even further to Shilla, currently Korea. Unfortunately, the Western Christianity and the Eastern Christianity had disagreement on interpreting the manhood of Jesus Christ and the Western Christianity basically sacrificed the Eastern Christianity. Nonetheless, the Eastern Christianity flourished in the east and continued to move eastward. Particularly noteworthy was the Sogdian merchants who traveled the Silk Road with the gospel and evangelized the nations and people groups holistically. They are the origin of the current BAMers. 

After one full-day forum, we began the pilgrimage on the following day. It was a five-day journey. First, we crossed the border to Kordai, Kazakhstan on land. I have been crossing this border several times.

Soon after we crossed the border, we made a stop at the field that was covered with wildflowers. It was so vast and beautiful. We praised God's wonderful creation.

The first site we visited was the Ruins of Akyrtas. It was a palace, but used for multiple purposes, including a Church of the East. 

The next place we visited was Tektyrmas by the Talas River. It is an ancient ethno-historical and archaeological complex established on a hill overlooking the Talas River. It is a revered place in Kazakhstan. After that, we stayed a hotel in Taraz, the fifth largest city in Kazakhstan.

The restaurant where we had lunch was called NAVAT, meaning rock sugar. It is a franchise restaurant network, and I have eaten at the same restaurant in several places in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It serves traditional foods of the Central Asia. The restaurant staff performed a dance, giving us a cultural experience.

The next day, we visited an archaeological site discovered underneath the city's central market. The market was relocated, and the site has been excavated. The excavation is still underway. The excavation revealed many artifacts that are related to the Church of the East.

We also visited a National Museum in Taraz, and saw some crosses inscribed into rocks and artifacts, along with many traditional paintings, artifacts, and statues. 

 

The next day, we walked in Victory Park by the Talas River in Taraz, and crossed the border back into Kyrgyzstan. We made a stop at the statue of General Manas, the hero of Kyrgyzstan, and also at the Monument for the Battle of Talas, established with the aid of KOICA. A Korean Chinese general, namely Koh, Sunji, was a respected general ruling over the Central Asian region. During his rule, the Church of the East was protected and thrived. But, his army was defeated by the Islamic allied troops and it was the beginning of the gradual demise of the Church of the East in Central Asia.

Next, we visited a mosque that was established on the site where a Church of the East stood. It was common that the muslims built their mosques on the previous church sites. We listened to the explanation and prayed silently together, seeking God's grace to the people in the land. 

Taraz was quite big and well-developed. We enjoyed walking around the city center.

The next day was a long drive over a high mountain, passing the 3326-meter-high landmark. It was cold and windy, but the snow-covered scenery was panoramic. 

We headed to a high plain called Susamur (meaning Blue Vessel), where we would stay in the Kyrgyz version of Ger of Mongolia, or Yurt. It is a portable housing that the nomads used wherever they temporarily settled while their animals eat the grass. The scenery was otherworldly and beautiful. But, it was cold to sleep in Yurt with only one small heater while the outside temperature dropped to a freezing temperature. 

The next morning, I did a morning walk inhaling and exhaling the fresh mountain air. After breakfast, we drove down to Bishkek and visited the National History Museum in Bishkek. 

We stayed one more night at Garden Hotel, and the next day, we headed to a mountain resort, called Supara. The scenery on the way and back was astonishingly beautiful. What a view!

While I was participating in the Eastern Christianity Forum, I met a lot of people. The following people were noteworthy among them: First, Chihoon Chung. It was God's providence that I met him through Mary Yoo's introduction. He studied theology in Korea and also in the U.S. But, he is entrepreneurial and currently operates multiple businesses in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. We agreed to stay in touch and work together in Central Asia. God sent me a great co-worker.

 

I met up with Chris Kim, who is an IT specialist. He intended to start a business, but decided to teach at a school in Talas for now. Eventually, he intends to start a business. We will stay in touch.

Caleb Choi is at the center of the Eastern Christianity Forum. We had a lot in common. He is now serving as the senior pastor of a Korean church in Bishkek.

God also led me to meet a young pastor and businessman, living in Korea. He has participated in the Forum for several years, assisting Caleb Choi. He runs a gourmet steak restaurant with his entire family. He was anxiously seeking to learn how to run a missional business. I told him about SHINE Alliance's BMT and he would participate in it.

I had a great fellowship time with Paul Paik and Seokha Kang. We are of similar age, and potentially we can work together. We will see what the Lord has in store for our relationship.  

Overall, my trip was very informative and fruitful. I am so grateful for the opportunity given to me, and all the relationships that God provided throughout the journey. Thank you, Lord! Glory be all yours, Lord! - Jeffrey