Korean-Kazakh...

In 1937 Joseph Stalin deported 180,000 Koreans then living in the far east edge of the Soviet Union near what is today North Korea. He sent them 3,700 miles away to Kazakhstan. Since then, these Korean-Kazakh people have maintained their cultural identity. I met one today. She is the young wife of a Korean missionary to Kazakhstan. He went there on mission. They met, married and after 3 years training in Korea are now on their way to the Czech Republic.

What interested me was hearing how she actually had difficulty adjusting to life in South Korea. She said the food was difficult to get used to. "Ha" I thought, "you too?" Kazakh cuisine is more meat and bread, while Korean food is heavily based on vegetables soaked in hot spices. She said she misses the bread. Another interesting thing is that she had difficulty with the language. "What?" I thought. You see, her native language is Russian! Her husband learned Russian to be able to minister there. So, they both speak Korean, Russian and English to varying degrees.

I participated in a prayer and dedication service for them and several other families who are going back to the mission field. They are going to Czech Republic, Israel, Egypt and China. We sang hymns and prayed together. What a privilege.

"Lord, protect our brothers and sisters in distant lands. Give them boldness to share your saving truth with others. Fill them with your love to overflowing so that others will see the difference Jesus makes in the lives of believers."