Report from the Ecumenical Forum for Korea

Warm greetings from Seoul!  
Expressing my heartfelt appreciation again to all who have been showing solidarity in our journey toward peace and reunification as well as humanitarian supporting people in North Korea, I would like to share with you the lively report about the recent NCCK's monitoring visit to Pyungyang.  
Duration : December 10(Saturday)-14(Wednesday), 2011
Participants : 10 people  

Followed by the 1st food shipment of 172 tons of wheat flour on May, 2011 through the Amity Foundation in China, the NCCK in solidarity with the Ecumenical Forum for Korea has sent again its 2nd food shipment of 180 tons of wheat flour to the Korean Christian Federation in North Korea on 11th of November.  

We believe that this humanitarian support to North Korea has been carried in the spirit of Christian love and we have been keeping the spirit that the humanitarian aid should be done without any condition in the situation which over 1/3 of whole population is facing with starving and suffering with chronic and severe mal-nutrition. As you are already informed, in North Korea at least 700g of food per person is needed for daily life, but now only 200g is distributed as a daily ration.  As the request by the Ministry of Unification of South Korea, however, 10 people of the NCCK as a
monitoring group visited North Korea. 

For this time, the KCF has prepared well for us to experience life in DPRK as much as they can. It was good to attend worship service at the Bongsoo Church on Sunday and we were warmly welcomed by Rev. Son Hyun-soon and its congregation, and to have chance to visit Chilgol chuch and meet with Rev. Hwang Min Woo and its members.  Especially at our meeting at the Soon An House Church, we sang together and sharing of the Bible and prayed for the unification of our nation.  Around 12 members who are difficult to come to Bongsu Church in Pyungyang city are getting together and having worship.  

At our visit to a nursery for age under 2 and a day care center for age over 4, we could see how they are cared and grow,  and we were staying with them for some time and were allowed to take pictures with those kids. According to the director, the food we sent has been preciously using for those children.  

At the Bongsoo noodle factory running by the KCF,  we could see the process of making noodle with the wheat flour the NCCK has sent.  It is said that every day noodle is produced with 5 tons of wheat flour from this noodle factory and it is distributed to children and the weak and sick.  

Coming to the climax of Advent,  under the title of " Support children suffering of food shortage in North Korea",  the NCCK has already started its fund-raising campaign in the name of 9 member denominations in solidarity with christian news agencies and broad casting systems.  
I pray that you enjoy the coming of Jesus Christ and ask you to pray
people in North Korea in the cold winter.  
May God's Blessing be with you.   Heawon Chae

    Bongsu Church

    Nursery

    Nursery

    Nursery