Darakbang Missionary Work Association of Chaplain's Office Shares What Was Given Through Heartwarming Winter Missionary
- Date2020.04.10
- 2169
During winter vacation, Darakbang Missionary Work Association of Chaplain’s Office carried out various missionary volunteer work in the field of medical treatment, education, culture with student-volunteer teams of different majors. This winter, there were a total of seven missionary volunteer teams (two overseas teams and two domestic teams), which consist of 92 participants who practiced the Christianity spirit of Ewha.
<Missionary Volunteer Scholarship Students> team which consists of ten Ewha students of various majors delivered educational missionary volunteer work in Ewha Srang School from January 19th (Sunday) to 24th (Friday). By preparing classes on gender studies, language, science music, and P.E., they enjoyed quality time with students of various ages from 11th grade to elementary school children. Hayoung Bae (DepartmentofSpecialEducation, 2nd grade) expressed her thoughts as follows: “At first, I had difficulty preparing a teaching plan, not knowing the level of students in each grade. But luckily on the spot, majority of classes were done successfully. By participating with students of various major, I was able to have conversations on unfamiliar topics. Also, seeing cheerful children, I could smile thanks to them.”
<Missionary Volunteer Scholarship Students> team who went to Ewha Srang School for educational missionary volunteer work
This year, from January 17th (Friday) to 19th (Sunday), <Ethel> team which consists of Ewha College of Nursing students visited Yangmun Church in Danyang, Chungbuk province, giving voluntary dental service to the local people. For two days, 85 residents (including re-diagnosis) visited and received diagnosis, blood sugar test and treatment for cavities, scaling, surgical treatment and dentures repair as needed. In addition, through examination, patients with underlying diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes were educated on diet and exercise. Ethel team, which has continued the medical missionary work tradition of Darakbang since 1971, does overseas missionary work every summer and domestic missionary work every winter.
<Ehtel> team doing medical missionary work in Danyang, Chungbuk. Students from College of Nursing making a preliminary medical test and students from Yonsei Dental College giving dental treatments (right).
It was the first time for <Medical Missionary Practice> team, composed of Ewha Medical School students, to go on a missionary medical work trip with Darakbang Missionary Work Association last winter. Three students formed a team to participate in a 26-day and 14-day medical missionary trip at Kenya’s Tenwek Hospital and Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya hospital. Jisu Jeong (College of Medicine, 4th grade-senior) said “While spending time in the intensive care unit with the medical staff at Kenya Mission Hospital and praying for each patient, I could contemplate on the meaning of the Christian doctor. Also, I felt that many AIDS patients in the medical ward put their life upon God’s hand which was very different from the situation in Korea.”
Students from School of Medicine are carrying out medical missionary work in Kenya's Tenwek Mission Hospital (left) and Uzbekistan's Yeolbang Hospital (right)
While medical missionary team took care of people with medicine, missionary team took care of people's minds through music. <Singing Missionary> team which consists of students majoring in vocal music majors, keyboard instruments and male students from vocal music department at Yonsei University devoted themselves with music missionary work for Jeju Island's welfare centers, nursing homes, churches and military units for five nights and six days from January 27th (Monday) to February 1st (Saturday). The conductor Heejeong Yoo (Department of Vocal Music, 4th grade) said, "I was nervous as the plans with two nursing homes were canceled to prevent the spread of the new corona virus, but I could focus more on the other plans by praying with the team members." She expressed gratitude for sharing music with local elderly dementia patients, soldiers and church members.
<Singing Missionary> team (left) which went to Jeju for music missionary work and <Youth Missionary Team> which carried out the Christian Culture Program (right).
<Youth Missionary> team was involved in supporting cultural and psychotherapeutic programs based on Christianity for 16 days from January 14th until February. Sechang Ma (Ewha Womans University Secondary Middle School, 2nd grade) who participated in the program said, “It was a meaningful time for me to share the impression and feeling with my team since all the programs started with Quiet Time and finished with writing daily journal. Kyuseok Lee (Ewha Womans University Middle School, 2nd grade) said "I am glad because I feel like a meaningful piece of the puzzle has been put together in my life."
<Island Village Future Camp> team with five members from the mission-promoting teams who volunteered to the training camp last summer in Shinan-gun, South Jeolla Province, held a follow-up camp from January 28th to 31st. The camp lasted three nights and four days with the title The Map We Draw. Upon their first visit, the missionary team learned about the lives of the local children. They focused on programs that enhance potentials of local children and teenagers. Sol Heo (Christian Studies, 2nd grade) said, “In order to keep the positive roles left by the short term activities, it is necessary to have harmony among students, encouragement and understanding from adults. Therefore, we need to keep thinking about how these sorts of activities can last positively.”
<Island Village Future Camp> team (left) and <Yegrina> team conducted educational volunteer work at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hosipital.
<Yegrina> team is composed of students from Ewha’s Early Childhood Education Department. They host a play-school for children at the hospital every semester and vacation. This winter, at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, missionary work was carried out on January 18th (Saturday). Sehee Kim (DepartmentofEarlyChildhoodEducation, 2nd grade) said “The volunteer work at the hospital allows both children and guardians to enjoy their time together even for a short time, which makes everyone happy."