A letter from Art Kinsler in Korea
October 2010
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him. (Psalm 126:5-6)
Dear friends in the U.S.,
God’s grace and peace to all of you! Here’s what’s been going on with us.
Changing Relationships
Sue and Art Kinsler had been expecting to continue the North Korea work through the Lighthouse Foundation in Seoul with its chairperson, the Rev. Jang Chang-Man of the Presbyterian Church of Korea’s (PCK) Pyongyang Presbytery. The Presbytery had signed an agreement to work with Lighthouse to help North Korean disabled persons and orphans. But Art had resigned as Lighthouse chair and Sue was out as managing director and from May felt that the Foundation’s directions and restrictions would have changed the way she helped orphans and the disabled.
Tractors and farm equipment had been sent previously for several orphanages and schools.
For example, in the first six months of 2010 the Lighthouse Foundation didn’t send any food to the North although they had ample funds and freedom to do that, and then since July they sent only a little. Lighthouse now wants to work through the Min Hwa Heop, the organization that invites Koreans from the South, but Sue’s channel, as an ethnic Korean with U.S. citizenship, and projects have always been the Overseas Korean Aid Committee. But South Korean government restrictions grew stronger with the increased tensions between North and South after the sinking of the Cheonan, a South Korean naval ship.
Sue had shipped food in May, June and July with support that came through her for disabled persons and orphans and on the trip this September verified that she could continue to help as she is able the projects she had originally made the arrangements and raised support for. An agreement has been made for one bakery/soymilk plant and the Mirim Orphanage in Pyongyang to have their support come from Korean-American Methodist sources.
Sue says, “In spite of the need to make new organizational arrangements it seems as though in God’s grace I will be able to work directly through the PCK General Assembly offices to continue my North Korea ministry.”
September North Korea Visit
From September 1 to 11 Sue made a North Korea trip to Pyongyang, Sariwon, and to Wonsan and Tongcheon in Kangwon Province to see the projects where she had started to give food and help to orphans and the disabled. Flooding this summer had been reported in North and South Hwanghae Provinces and the Sinuiju area near the Chinese border and of course this increased concern about food supplies and the need for disaster relief.
When Sue visited Wonsan City because of flooding, mud was left everywhere and stone dikes had been destroyed by the flooding that had inundated lower areas, flooding out streets and homes and washing out the roads. Of course in many areas of the country the flooding of farmland destroyed the crops so that the serious lack of food, especially grains, became even worse. However, in the Wonsan area the buildings of the Kangwon School for the Deaf and the two orphanages were on higher ground.
Teenage hearing impaired students learning sign language.
Although the semester for the special ed schools had begun, half of the students at the Kangwon School for the Deaf had not arrived at the dormitory because of washed out roads and other destruction, and this would have happened at the schools for the hearing and vision impaired in other flooded areas. Sue had thought of this when she raised funds for blankets after a previous flood.
For the North Korean orphans and teenagers in the special ed schools she has helped, warm winter underwear is needed and heavy blankets for those whose homes were flooded out. At the Sariwon orphanages she visited, as well as at the school and orphanages in Wonsan, Sue saw that more vegetables and potatoes were being grown because even before the flooding the grain shortage severely limited available food after the cutoff of most outside relief shipments.
Treatment for a stroke victim
Men who lost the use of their legs are so happy to work driving motorcycle delivery wagons controlled solely by hands.
On this trip when Sue visited the Tongcheon Rehabilitation Treatment Center, a 40-mile drive south of Wonsan, Sue noted how those physically disabled by accidents or strokes receive rehabilitation treatment and training. Special hot mud baths are most helpful. Mr. Kim, a man in his early 50s with paralysis who came from Pyongyang with his wife, responded well to treatment, recovering in a little more than a month. He expressed his deep gratitude for the work of the center and the support through the Korea Federation for the Protection of the Disabled and outside support. Sue felt the worth of this work and was moved to thank God for being able to help.
Because ECO funds for Korea have been delayed for many months, Art and Sue suggest an alternative channel to help the North Korea work so that funds can be available right away. Korean-American pastors set up a USA Lighthouse Foundation, which sends funds without a wait to purchase food and supplies for the projects pioneered and still supported by Sue, with a receipt for tax purpose.
Contact points:
USA Lighthouse: c/o the Rev. Taesil Lee, 229 E. Amerige, Fullerton, CA 92832; Tel: (714) 515-0482, Cell: (714) 447-4388. Web site: USA Lighthouse Foundation
Kinsler mail address: IPMO, Rm. 202, 135 Yeonji-dong, Jongno-ku, Seoul 110-470, Korea; Tel: home 82-2-336-9690; cell 82-2-17-318-9690.
Yours in the service of the Prince of Peace,
Art and Sue Kinsler
The 2010 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 138
