A letter from Art and Sue Kinsler in the United States, home from Korea
October 2011
Dear friends and mission supporters:
Greetings from Sue and Art Kinsler in Bothell, Washington. We thank God for the Lord’s grace to us and for those who pray and support what God is doing through us. Although the date for Sue’s mission co-worker retirement was Aug. 31, 2011, and Art had finished as a mission volunteer Dec. 31, 2010, both of us returned to Korea mid-August for unfinished business such as what is described below. For six weeks we had been telling about North Korea mission, choosing furniture for our new house, and unpacking our things.
Visiting team members from left to right: Elder Kim, Sue, Won and Rhee Kwonsas, Mrs. Kim and Pastor Hwang at Chilgol Church.
From September 17 to 24 Sue headed the North Korea visiting team of two regular supporters, “kwonsas” (senior deaconesses) Grace Rhee and Mina Won; Mrs. Un-Ok Kim from Santa Clara, Calif.; and Elder In-Sun Kim, office manager of the Greentree Foundation. The Greentree Foundation, registered in South Korea, is trying to support the work in the North formerly done by the Korea-based Lighthouse Foundation, which was taken over by a Korean pastor and began to focus on expanding to other countries. Sue and her supporters, including the USA Lighthouse Foundation, felt that with the greatest need being in North Korea, they would focus only on help there, and they parted ways. The Greentree Foundation was set up by Rev.Soo-Kwang Kwak, a former Lighthouse Foundation trustee, in order to continue the North Korean work started by the Kinsler family.
On Sunday, September 18, the five-member visiting team worshipped at the Chilgol Church in Pyongyang, rebuilt on the site where Kim Il Sung’s mother had attended. The visitors were warmly welcomed and gave words of greeting. Pastor Min-Woo Hwang in his sermon spoke of the longing of North Koreans for peaceful reunification.
Glad to receive visitors, the hearing impaired students of the Sungchon School wave a vigorous farewell.
During August $25,000 of funds coming through the PC(USA) ECO account for Sue’s work of feeding orphans and the disabled in the North along with about $9,300 in funds contributed by the Presbyterian Church of Korea were used to purchase corn in China, which was forwarded to the KFPD for the 3 orphanages and 11 special schools we have been supporting. We appreciate so much those who have supported us and the needy in North Korea, which is a special situation, and we believe we should all celebrate what the Lord has been doing as we have shared in other communications. A phone call to us in Bothell about your concern for the North Korean needy will be appreciated.
The group traveling in the North in September visited three related orphanages in Pyongyang and Sariwon, taking clothes, medicine, soap and additional food supplies. On September 23 they realized not only the desperate need for food but also the devastation caused by recent floods. When they visited the Sungchon Deaf School in South Pyongan Province they saw the work being undertaken to repair and completely renovate the kitchen and bathrooms after a rainstorm from a typhoon caused the roof to fall in. Our connected church is helping this effort. Fortunately the collapse was during the summer vacation so no one was hurt. Eighty-seven new students were added this year to the continuing student body, making a total of 238 enrolled as parents become more aware of the help being provided for the hearing-disabled.
Thanks so much for your concern, prayers and support through the years. Several have written about how to continue support for North Korea and we will be glad to send information by email or, where travel is provided for, to report in person. The work of God’s Kingdom goes on and calls us to make quick answers where the Lord provides an opening. At the end of September Sue was encouraged by a better response from a South Korean government representative about her future hopes for helping the North. Sue plans her next trip to North Korea in November and asks for your prayers.
Praise God with us for those who have a glimpse of God’s love through the work you have been supporting, which goes on. Know that our thanks and prayers for all of you will continue. We are the last of 17 long-term Presbyterian mission workers to Korea from the Kinsler-Campbell-Soltau tribe (all 17 are Kinsler relatives), and we give thanks for the strong Korean church with its own thousands of mission workers. God bless you and all U.S. supporters of world mission!
Yours in the name of our victorious, risen Christ,
Sue and Art Kinsler
Contact Points:
Address:
Art & Sue Kinsler
15703 36th DR SE
Bothell, WA 98012.
Email:
kinsler@gmail.com (email us and we will send our phone numbers)
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 145
Give to Art and Sue Kinsler's sending and support
