MARCH
March is gray and cool in Korea with just a hint of spring. In the south the
plum orchards are starting to bloom, but in Seoul I have to walk briskly to stay
warm.It happened so fast it takes my breath away. Last October I was in Korea to
teach for the Bible Correspondence Center near Kimpo. BCC is one of the most
impressive mission works I have ever encountered. It started over 35 years ago
as an effort to reach the Korean people through the mail. Since that time over
5,400 people have become Christians, almost 40 congregations have been started
and over half of the ministers in this country are graduates of the program.
The BCC Winter School
Soon after the program began, students began asking for an opportunity to
also learn in the classroom. Thus was born the annual "Winter School"
- two very intensive weeks of training each January.This worked fine while Korea was an agricultural country, but now Korea leads
the world in the production of iron and semi-conductors. It has raced from rice
paddies to computers in less than forty years.BCC has changed to keep pace as well. In addition to the Correspondence
course, BCC now maintains one of the most active web sites on the Internet. Over
4,000 people visit BCC to study the Bible through their computers every day! In
fact, the number of visitors doubles every six months. They come from all over
the world: Korea, the United States, Pakistan, even Mongolia.BCC now publishes "Power for Today" in a Korean-English edition.
The magazine has even attracted the attention of CBS radio (the Korean Christian
Broadcasting System). Don and Vicky Kinder broadcast to an audience of over
500,000 Koreans every morning. They talk about English and then Don reads the
daily devotional. It is a very popular program with the Koreans. The amazing
thing is the Kinders live in Memphis, Tennessee and record the programs in their
bedroom. Then Don uses his computer to send the recording to Korea for
broadcast!The "Winter School" is also changing. In the past, it was easy for
farmers to gather to study the Bible for two weeks while the earth was frozen,
but today, it is a different story. It is getting harder and harder for students
to take vacations. To accommodate their needs, BCC is now offering classes four
times a year.
Korea Christian University
I
came last October to teach for BCC's fall school and also to speak during Korea
Christian University's annual Bible lectureship. President Kim is determined to
reaffirm the institution's roots. To that end, he held the first Bible
lectureship at KCU in eight years. In addition there are weekly chapel programs
for the faculty and daily devotionals in the dormitory for the students. Kim is
committed to missions and using the resources of the university to support the
churches and spread the gospel. This past year students went on campaigns in
Russia and Bangladesh. When school began in March we had two freshmen from the
former Soviet Union.Many people in American do not recognize the strategic importance of Korea.
It is set in the heart of Asia between three giants: China, Russia, and Japan.
Within a four hour plane flight from Seoul you can visit all of southeast Asia,
the Philippines and even India. Did you know there are more Christians per
capita in Korea than the United States?
An Invitation to Teach
When I left Seoul last October, President Kim invited me to take a sabbatical
from the work in Tempe and teach for the University. I delivered his letter to
my elders in mid-November. They were very enthusiastic and decided to make me
available for more than a sabbatical. Now I was without a job. God works in very
strange ways!We held a family conference. One by one, my daughter Charlotte, and my son
John and my daughter-in-law Jen talked about what I should do. They felt I
should continue teaching and preaching and go to Korea. I wasn't sure. I was
very hurt and really felt like I should just get out of ministry altogether.
After all, twenty-three years in the pulpit was long enough. It was time to try
something else.We sold our home, I went to computer school and we set up house in Phoenix
but I kept getting calls from Korea and encouraging notes from my friends in the
states. On Christmas Eve CBS radio in Seoul did a live broadcast with me from
our living room in Phoenix. Then President Kim called and asked me one more time
to consider coming to Korea.
The School Year Begins
I finished the schooling for my MCSE (computer certification) on Friday,
boarded a jet on Saturday, arrived in Seoul Sunday night, moved into an
apartment on Monday and began teaching at Korea Christian University on Tuesday,
March 2, 1999. (Unlike American schools that begin in September, Korean schools
start the first of March each year.) I was officially a visiting professor in
the college of the Bible at Korea Christian University.As part of President Kim's effort to reach out to the students (only 5% of
the student body are members of the church of Christ), all of the freshmen (over
340 of them) are required to take my class, "The Life and Teachings of
Jesus in Basic English."I don't speak Korean and the class is taught entirely in English. Sometimes I
understand what Paul meant when he referred to himself as the "fool of
God." I jump, shout, and act out the story. When class is over, I am
covered with chalk dust from drawing on the board: camels, maps, mice,
vocabulary words, John the Baptist. The students love it and we are
accomplishing three educational goals: teaching the Bible, learning English and
becoming familiar with computers.Here is a sampling of the email letters I have received from the freshmen:
*---------------------------------*
Subject: (no subject)
Sent: 3/8/19 8:51 AM
Received: 3/13/63 10:01 AM
To: mckeel@biblelink.org
Hi mckeel.
my name is jae-young choi.
My calssname is "The Life of Jesus in Basic English"
I love mckeel,my classfriends love you.
Good-bay!
God bless you.
*---------------------------------*
Subject: Hi! Mr. Mckeel
Sent: 3/5/19 4:41 PM
Received: 3/10/63 9:00 AM
To: mckeel@biblelink.org
Hello? John I'm
Eun-jung! My English name is Gloria!
I was happy for I could take your class.And I thanked to God because I know
you. Your class was very interresting and exiting.I expect your classes to
come.
I will listen to the your radio program .Frankly speaking, I hear the
program every day.But I think the broadcasting of tomorrow will be very
special to me! Because of you who I am known your face!!!!You look like a
movie star, Robin Williams!!!He is my favorite actor. I will pray to God for
you, for your happy dream and I wish many students talk to you. So I want to
pray for this.
Bye!!!
Have a good dream with pretty angels
Your Faithful
Student!
P.S) I'd like to talk to you, too...
*---------------------------------*
Subject: Hello,mckeel
Sent: 3/13/19 9:41 AM
Received: 3/10/63 9:00 AM
To: mckeel@biblelink.org
Hello mckeel ? My name is wonmin choi. Welcome to Korea. Korea Christan
University Fresh men. You are very humorous [true] I was classed first of
your teaching. I include in music department. I major in sing. I will hope
Pavarotti. I very hard training. I have not still my e-mail adress.
BYE
Class on the Net
I
am using the internet to publish my lecture notes. The students can use their
computer to read my class material. This is very helpful since it is easier to
read a foreign language than it is to listen to a foreign language. The Koreans are working very hard to be competitive in a global economy.
There are two national priorities: learning English (since English has become
the universal second language) and becoming familiar with computers - especially
the Internet. Notice this article from the Korea Herald:
Internet will connect all schools, classes in 3 years, Education Ministry says
Every school and class will be connected to the Internet and every
teacher will have a personal computer by the year 2002, the Education
Ministry said yesterday.
Internet IDs will be given to all teachers and students who want one,
and every school will establish their Internet home pages to make
public school affairs, said the ministry in a draft package of an
ambitious five-year education development program.
The government plans to invest 113 trillion won for the program, said
Education Minister Lee Hai-chan.
Lee said the program is intended to help the nation prepare for and
adjust to the information society. It will bring a sweeping reform to
the overall education system, he said, adding that the program will be
backed by strong government financial support.
In addition to my work with BCC and KCU, I am also preaching every Sunday and
conducting Bible classes. The future looks even busier but I will save that for
a later report.
Personal Notes
 Presently
I am living on the top floor of a Presbyterian church about five kilometers from
campus. The view is incredible from way up there. Needless to say I am getting
in shape! My apartment is on the seventh floor of the church and my office at
KCU is on the fifth floor of the Administration Building (115 steps, no
elevator). I live about a mile from the subway station and I am grateful Seoul
has one of the best public transportation systems in the world. Still, I'm
averaging over five miles a day. I ought to be in great shape for climbing this
summer!This last Saturday I bought a washing machine. That may not sound every
exciting except there are no laundry mats in Seoul. Dry cleaning is very
expensive. Most Koreans use a wash board in the shower for their socks and
underwear.Sang (the director of BCC) found a "bachelor" washing machine for
me. It holds 1.5 kilograms of laundry (three dress shirts fill it). It is about
the size of a large television set. Koreans put their washers in the bathroom.
Now you need to understand Korean bathrooms are tiled. They do not use shower
curtains. In fact, my bathroom doesn't even have a tub, just a shower head
across from the stool. I believe it makes one feel closer to heaven. That's
because the washer uses 220 volts and you are standing in a pool of water
watching the shower rain down on the washer praying you remembered to unplug it.Thank you for your support. Please continue to remember me in your prayers. I
would especially like to thank Ken Samuels and the elders of the Northside
Church of Christ in Jeffersonville, Indiana for agreeing to accept contributions
for my work here. They have faithfully supported BCC for many years and I've
lost track of the number of visits Ken has made to Korea. They truly have the
mission spirit!
|
