Mission of Heart and Soul in Korea

Back in the Philippines, I have images of Koreans in TV soap operas bringing stories of love and winter to Filipinos. Beautiful. Romantic. Then there are also other Filipino images about Korea such as: Prosperous .. High technology.. Respect for elders.. Kimchi (my favorite!).. World's biggest churches. As I've continued to share God's Word in Seoul, I always try to search for deeper things. Not just see the surfaces. For about over 50,000 Filipinos working and living in Korea, I've discovered another reality. Trouble. Tears. Unhappy endings. A mission field of thousands of Filipino OFWs. My pastor friend, Alan, was sharing to me about a place called Hyewa in Jonngo-su where lots of Filipinos gather. We have churches for Filipinos there. And I'm privileged to be preaching and fellowshipping with my fellow Filipinos there when I visit them next week during a church anniversary. I'm sad to learn that that there is trafficking of prositution here where Filipinas are abused. Singers or factory workers turn bar dancers and prostitutes. Then there are also thousands of Filipinas who married Korean men through mail-order and online brides or through the Korean moonies. And I heard that there are thousands illegally overstaying here (no different in other countries!). Indeed, there is a large mission field of heart and soul in Korea. You just need to decipher it beneath the surface amid the culture and language barriers.

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