Letter from John and Maria - October 2008

[저희의 첫 영어 기도편지입니다. 이국땅을 돌며 만나게 된 하나님의 사람들... 우리를 기억하며 기도하겠다던 그들에게 계속 소식을 나누겠다고 약속 했는데... 늘 미루어오던 영어편지를 이제서야 보냈습니다.]

Letter from John and Maria ♥ - October 2008

Dear All
How are you? We hope you are all keeping well.
It's been already four weeks in the Gambia, and we are finally writing our first English newsletter...☺

As you might know our family did training courses to become missionaries of WEC International (World Evangelisation for Christ) for the last three years in Britain since 2005: four months of language study in Functional English School [Whitby], two years of Biblical and intercultural studies at All Nations Christian College [Ware] and another four months of CO (Candidate Orientation) for WEC at Bulstrode [WEC UK headquarters, Gerrards Cross]. It has been a long way…. However, we can truly say that God has been carrying us through all this. It was worthwhile not only for that we have learned a lot about mission but also God has been with, taught and moulded us in various ways.

It was not the end... In summer last year, just before we joined CO, the Korean government decided not to allow any Korean to enter A country where we once visited and decided to go for long term. It was because a Korean short term mission team for A country was kidnapped and two of them fell victims to the T group that summer. It happened suddenly and seemed that the door before us got closed. That situation made us kneel again before God to discern His Will and to know where He would then lead us... We really appreciate all of you who joined our prayer and encouraged us at that hard time. Eventually we were led to ‘The Gambia’ by situations and His words (Luke 5:1-11).

According to the advice of WEC Gambia team, John did 3 months' tropical medicine course in Liverpool after finishing CO. It was not an easy time not only for John doing an intensive medical course with his second language in Liverpool, but also for the other three families who kept staying in Gerrards Cross due to kids’ schooling. However, our “faithful” Father sustained and allowed us to have such lovely people around us in various situations and at different places. We would never forget their graceful care and fellowship in Christ.

On the 18th of May 2008 we left Britain to go back to Korea. Although it was busy we spent a lovely time meeting friends and families and preparing to leave for The Gambia at the same time. It was good to know we have a great back-up team at home supporting and encouraging us. Four months later, we left Korea again and arrived in the Gambia on Friday 19th of September.

So, now here we are - in the Gambia as long-term missionaries! We have had so many inevitable changes and new experiences in these days. It is the rainy and hot season in the Gambia. We are very tired of heat more than 35c ♨, humidity and dampness in the air, no electricity, nasty bugs including mosquitoes, bumpy roads, noise by rats running on the tin ceiling, food etc… To be honest, they are indeed harder than we expected... However, we have been slowly getting used to these challenges ☻.

During the last three weeks of field orientation we have got the time to go and look around various WEC Gambia stations. There were also good opportunities for learning culture and experiencing the real Gambia. Last week we have been to the clinic in ‘Sibanor’ where John is supposed to work later. We also visited some church families who lived in the village as well as other missionaries. We were also thankful that we could question ourselves and meditate on these: why am I here, or what am I here for? And ultimately, what is more precious in our lives?... The field orientation has just finished, and at the moment we have been staying in Fajara, where WEC Gambia headquarters is, to sort out many things to settle down -car, furniture, house repair etc.. . It will be this coming February when we go to the station at ‘Sibanor’ village.

About 95% of the Gambians are Moslem, but there are many different tribes: more than 20 tribes and languages. After prayers and considerations for a long time, we have decided to learn ‘Mandinka’ which is spoken as a first language by approximately 40% of Gambians and as a second language by most other ethnic groups. The team has given us 9 months’ time for full time language study which has just started this week. So, for a while we would spend most of the time learning Mandinka even after we move up to Sibanor. Please pray for us to learn this language very effectively.

Joy and Grace are all right here thankfully, but this January they will go to Senegal where their boarding school, BCS (Bourofaye Christian School) is. Our family is supposed to visit the school and have the time with the school staff this coming November. Please pray also for this long journey, many moves and for the children to realize our Father’s purpose for their own lives.

It is not easy to share so many things which have happened for the last years in this short letter, but we would say that all have been only by His Grace when we look them back as you would… While we stayed in Korea, John launched a Google BLOG which address is http://He-in-Us.blogspot.com so we could hopefully show you more pictures. Unfortunately most of the posts on it have been written in Korean so far, though some have brief introductions in English ☺.

We would like to say “thank you” for all your prayers, and hope this letter would help us to keep in touch with each other.

Love in Him ♥.

HAN family (Hyeok-Jun JOHN, Hyun-Sook MARIA, Hee-Jin JOY and Yoo-Jin GRACE)

E-mail : hjohnhan@gmail.com Mobile : +220-789-0119

Family News Update : http://He-in-Us.blogspot.com

Address : WEC International (Hyeok-Jun John HAN) P.O. Box 86, Banjul, The Gambia (West Africa)