A letter from Dong Ho and Sook Nim Choi in the U.S. prior to serving in Indonesia
Summer 2014 - Preparing to Depart
Dear friends and family
It is amazing to think that, by the time you read this, we will already have been in Indonesia for some weeks. But as we write it, we are still in the U.S. and feverishly finishing our preparations to leave the country in as tidy a fashion as possible. We say this because, in retrospect, we ourselves have had a hard time recognizing the many obstacles (from within and from without) that have been overcome or resolved and the equally many connections and relationships that were redirected, renewed and/or upgraded so that we could board the plane in San Francisco and fly all the way to Indonesia, on the other side of the globe.
To many friends and family—especially our three children—whom we are leaving behind, we feel sad and sorry for the abruptness of this discontinuity: one day we were there, the next we are not. All the joys, struggles and work that could have continued but are passing now to the realm of the "what could have been." Our hearts have been in pain over the past five months of preparation: grieving the imminent separation, mourning the futures that "could have been," and gathering courage to face and embrace the one, single future that is rushing toward us. We thank the many who helped us in this process with their gifts of kindness, hospitality, encouragement and knowledge. We truly believe they were angels, if not Christ himself, personified in them. So our ultimate thanks go to God.
A special "Thank you" goes to the congregations that have invited us to share our sense of call and mission, rejoiced with us in the knowledge that God is the source and fulfillment of all our vocations, and prayed with us that "God’s will be done."
Yes, we arrive in Indonesia in early December. This country, we discovered, defies being contained by stereotypes, simplifying descriptions and unifying explanations: it is a truly post-modern place and people! It is a mind-boggling collection of tribes, traditions, histories, languages, rituals, etc. Their parts are enmeshed in competing claims for identity, sovereignty and vision. Their very existence as a modern nation makes a statement. We find God is at work here, too. And it is important work, as it is with all God’s work.
We will spend the next three months settling down and getting to know the place and the people. We expect to engage in a stiff language learning curve. We also have a goal of starting fresh relationships as we struggle to make ourselves familiar with their culture and customs. This is the fun part for us. We hope to quickly move to the stage of identifying ourselves with their lives, their dreams and their realities. But we also realize that certain things cannot be hurried—there are seasons and times for everything. We pray God for discernment and wisdom.
Thank you for your past and current support. We invite you to join us and make of this a shared journey, a partnership. Let us together seek to find and work in God’s fields in Indonesia. We will continue to be in touch through letters and other media. We would love to hear your ideas and reflections as well.
Peace and blessings to all of you as well!
Sook Nim and Dong Ho Choi
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, Indonesia, pp. 227, 228
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 239
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