Sahmyook University completed the “Winter Overseas Mission and Volunteer Service,” dispatching 259 people from 20 teams (231 students· 28 professors) to eight countries around the world during the winter vacation.

On the 3rd and 30th, Sahmyook University held the ‘2022 Winter Overseas Mission Reporting Contest’ under the supervision of the Ministry of Education at the Centennial Memorial Hall, Jang Geun-cheong Hall on campus. About 50 people attended the event, including Pastor Albert Kuhn, Vice President of the General Conference, Pastor Yo-han Kim, President of the North Asia-Pacific Branch, Pastor Soon-gi Kang, President of the Korea Federation, and Il-mok Kim, President of Sahmyook University, as well as the volunteers, academic advisors, and departmental pastors.

It’s been three and a half years since COVID-19. However, Sahmyook University dispatched a large-scale overseas mission service and volunteer group last winter vacation. The groups were sent to countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, and Taiwan. At each volunteer site, the volunteers performed △evangelistic meetings, △Korean cultural exchange, △medical, educational, construction, and relief services.

Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences SU-GM Medical Volunteer group was dispatched to Manila by forming an allied volunteer group with medical staff from the Department of Theology and Glendale Church in the U.S., including doctors, nurses, oriental-medicine doctors, dentists, and chiropractors.

The volunteers treated as many as 7,700 patients, including children and adults, for ten days and gave nine patients cleft lip permutation surgery and ophthalmic surgery. They also provided architectural services to six households. In addition, an evangelism meeting was held with a local church, and 14 people were baptized.

[SAY, Taiwan Campus Mission Development]

Sahmyook University Adventist Youth (SAY) dispatched a volunteer group of 74 students and eight professors in 6 teams across Taiwan. They operated evangelistic meetings and Korean cultural exchange programs at Beitun Church, Xindian Church, and Xin Zhuang Church, where PMM pastors and PCM missionaries were sent. These churches have opened Korean language clubs on university campuses in large cities to adopt a missionary strategy that utilizes Hallyu (the Korean wave) and Korean culture as a point of contact for missions.

President Il-mok Kim and Dean Hae-jong Je visited the mission field in person during the mission service period. President Kim met with the presidents of the local universities (mission fields), discussed international exchange and cooperation plans, and contributed to the PMM ministry.

The Bangladesh Adventist Seminary and College (BASC) dispatched a volunteer group of 48 students in 5 teams, five professors, and two staff members to develop the ‘Change the World’ project. ‘Change the World’ is a service-learning project that changes the community by cooperating with local students, breaking away from one-sided charity service.

Starting with the launching ceremony attended by President Il-mok Kim and Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Jang-keun Lee, they carried out intensive social contribution activities such as △cultural exchange △medical service (Department of Physical Therapy) △improvement of environmental awareness △Korean food experience △upcycling for a week.

Through this project, which will last for the next two to three years, Sahmyook University plans to establish cooperative relationships with the local universities and communities and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

[An unforgettable memory of a lifetime”]

The outcome gained through such overseas missions and overseas volunteer activities is the growth and change of the students who participated in the volunteer work. Ha-yeong Jeon (3rd-year English Interpretation and Translation Major, Department of English Language and Literature), who attended the Beitun Church Volunteer group in Taiwan, had no religious background before entering Sahmyook University. Then, after admission, she participated in SAY activities and with the department community. She received discipleship training during the last winter vacation and participated in overseas missionary service afterward.

Ha-young Jeon said, “I will never forget the hearts of people living in completely different cultures becoming one through Jesus. I wanted to learn more about Jesus through discipleship training and winter overseas missionary work.”

Min-seok Bae (3rd-year Physical Therapy student), who participated in the ‘Change the World’ project in Bangladesh, said, “I have always lived with the idea of doing something by myself, but after coming here (Bangladesh), I realized that I needed help from others. Also, I thought I didn’t like children very much. However, through the volunteer service experience, I could feel love for children to the extent that I couldn’t believe.”

Pastor Robert Kuhn, Vice General Secretary of the General Conference, who attended the report contest that day, said, “My heart was warmed up” after hearing the students’ testimonials. I was convinced that Sahmyook University’s fantastic vision for world missions and the students are not different from those of the world church. If the opportunity arises, I’d like to join the volunteer service.”

[Samhyook University as a hub for world missions]

Sahmyook University plans to dispatch volunteer groups to various places domestically and abroad during the summer vacation, including the △Overseas Mission Volunteer Group △Change the World (2nd Stage) △Domestic Volunteer Groups △Glocal Service Learning △Departmental Volunteer Clubs △Department Volunteer Clubs.

President Il-mok Kim said, “Sahmyook University will continue to provide various missionary support to serve as a central channel for domestic and international missionary activities and a hub for world missions. I want to express my gratitude to the many donors who have supported this project.

“We ask you to continue and expand the overseas volunteer project that changes people and the world,” said Pastor Yo-han Kim, President of the North Asia Pacific branch. “I hope that more students will learn about the world and become great people who move the world while volunteering for their neighbors at home and abroad.”

Pastor Soon-ki Kang, President of the Korea Federation, said, “We will hold a Korea Federation-level briefing conference in March next year to collect and present the missionary service activities of Sahmyook University, Sahmyook Health University, 25 elementary, middle, and high schools, each conference, organizations, local churches, and various mission teams. Sahmyook University brilliantly started the first kick-off.”

Meanwhile, before the briefing session, Sahmyook University held a mission meeting with leaders from each organization in the campus conference room, sharing the current status of missions by organizations and future plans, and seeking ways to cooperate.

Present at the ceremony were Pastor Albert Kuhn, Pastor Yo-han Kim, Pastor Soon-gi Kang, President Il-Mok Kim, Director Jeon Jae-song of the 1000 Missionary Training Center, Gulf Field Secretary Park Gyo-rin, West Asia Field President Jung Hyo-soo, Bangladesh Federation President Kim Won-sang, BASC University President Park Yoon-kwon, and Pakistan Sahmyook University President Ji Seong-bae, President of the Mongolian Federation Seok-Hee Han, Taiwanese PMM Pastor Soon-Beom Kwon, and Head of Nepal Church Mission Hae-Seong Kim, joined together via Zoom.