"Church of God's Volunteers"

A religious group withdraws its volunteer camp from the Daegu Citizens' Hall on April 15 after 55 day long service supplying the subway fire victims' families with meals and snacks.

ⓒ 2003 WATV

The reason they are withdrawing the camp is because they now have to prepare the Passover (which means that disasters pass over) and the Resurrection Day.

As a nongovernmental group, it was the longest service. New Life Welfare Corporation of the Church of God, World Mission Society started the volunteer service on February 20 just after the subway fire accident occurred in Daegu city. Members of the Church of God operated the camp for 55 days running 24 hours a day.

The New Life Welfare Corporation has engraved the name Church of God on the hearts of the bereaved families, condolers, and the concerned officials. And it's more meaningful that it is nongovernmental organization. This camp was operated by the members' contributions equivalent to two hundred million won.

Besides, just after the subway accident they delivered donation equivalent to thirty million won to the bereaved. Han Jin-seop, a deacon of the Church of God, said, "We're sorry that we have to inevitably finish the volunteer activity for the ceremonies of the Passover and the Resurrection Day. We wish all the victims peace beside God."

Kang Nam-gye, a volunteer from Samsung Social Volunteers, praised the volunteers of the Church of God, "From the beginning I've watch them. They're really great. I hope many nongovernmental volunteer groups like the Church of God will be brought forth."


"Film is over but its deep emotion lasts forever"
by reporter Kim Seong-hee on April 15

Today Church of God's volunteer camp withdraws from the Daegu Citizens' Hall after 55 days of food supply service. Members gathered at a church and headed for the Citizens' Hall with dusters and brooms.
55 days! It was a long but short period. At first, we couldn't understand the depth of God's will in this volunteer activity. But as times passed away, we came to experience indescribable moments that we had never experienced before. And we've understood that God is fulfilling the prophecy in the Bible through us.

We can't count how many times we have praised and thanked God. Seeing the God's power of soothing the afflictions of the bereaved, we've realized God gives us much blessing through small things.

Surely, it is impossible to overstate the praises and compliments we've received from the people outside.

When we look back on our past, we were too lacking in everything to be called the children of light. However, God has allowed us to receive praise and honor from the society through the voluntary activity. How can we pay forward Elohim's deep and broad love?

Now, green leaves sprouted and the sun shined brilliantly. God took away the clouds and made a bright and shiny day than ever before. When we arrived at the spot where the bereaved families and condolers had had meal, all equipments had been cleaned up thanks to diligent brothers and sisters. Their faces were bright like the shinny weather and their smiles were beautiful enough to dazzle people's eyes.

We have worked together for 55 days. We've gone through happy and tough times together; we shook each other's hands with love.

Two pastors from the Whole Assembly came to attend the disbanding ceremony today. And the representatives of the victims' families and Vice Mayor of Daegu city also participated in the ceremony.

Just then, one of the families bravely walked in. He was the one who always dinned at our church camp. He kneeled on the dusted ground and made a deep bow. This happened all of a sudden. Then he stood up and spoke politely with his hands folded neatly. "All of you, thank you so much for what you've done for us." He again nodded courteously and walked out.

ⓒ 2003 WATV

All the people including the Vice Mayor of Daegu city were a bit shocked at this incident. Meanwhile, they all clapped their hands as if they had promised. The applause of the victims' relatives, Vice Mayor and two pastors from the Whole Assembly didn't stop. We shed tears with mixed emotions and were comforted by the fact that our true love was delivered to them.

At the moment, the old memories about heaven rose in our mind.
'Oh, God, thank you. Thank you for guiding us from a dark tunnel to the light. You've planed all things to wipe out Your children's sorrows.'

We couldn't say a word, facing each other's face. We were unable to handle our fluttering heart. We know well that our God is the only one who can bring this glorious moment.

New Song elated the dull hall. Some of the voluntary groups including the Red Cross stood on their toes to see what was going on. They watched us with very envious eyes. People working in a building across the street paused for a moment with heads out of the windows to see our service. Even the doves stopped chewing and flew up to see us.

For the relatives of victims, it was their very first time to sing the New Song, but they sang along very well. And other families who were not initially invited came out to sing the New Song together. Though only about 100 people sang, our chant of praising God shook earth and heavens.

New song was what we had sang only under the roofs. Again we were moved, seeing other people with different religions singing the New Song together. We were covered with a thrill.

Pastor Kim Ju-hyun prayed God to bless the bereaved families with spiritual and physical recovery. Next, reading a letter to the victims' families continued.

When he read down the letter, we shed tears as if we were sending away their loved ones. We were recalling the moments when the bereaved families' frozen hearts were melt by the hot meals and their warm words of consolation.

Surely, we've become close friends reluctant to part. We've dismantled walls and obstacles between us and become one family in God's love.

We didn't expect the bereaved and we would be united. However, God's love made it possible. Even us who say 'I believe in God' often fail to understand the deepness of God's love. We are blessed enough to receive the great love of God.

After the pastor's letter reading, Vice Mayor of Daegu city gave a greeting speech. He thanked the Church of God for supplying meals to the families and condolers, which was actually the Daegu city government's duty.

And Yun Suk-gi, the representative of the families of subway fire, expressed gratitude on behalf of them. He thanked all the volunteers of Church of God from the bottom of the heart.

The families praised volunteers many times when they visited the camp. However, the word of gratitude of him was now all anew, so that it seemed to be a letter God sent to us.

We took pictures together after the ceremony. Volunteers in front of camera were so bright.

Instead of saying 'cheese' we shouted 'Eomony(Mother)' in the air, and at that time a dove rose quickly to the sky and flew high as if they sought another nest to lay God's love.

God has chosen this city among many cities and has chosen us as His tools to deliver His great love to peoples. For this, we were more happy and rejoiceful.

As ever, every member started to clean up the place with dusters and brooms for the last time. We arranged the instruments and packed them to shift to the church where they were originally brought. In a wink of an eye, the place became nice and neat without any dust.

We set up the plants and grass where we put the ingredients of meals and picked up every piece of trash around them.

ⓒ 2003 WATV

We removed the tent together that sheltered us from the dewdrops at night. Working together, we experienced the importance of being one. Some of the bereaved families helped us clean up and hardly hid their sadness in our leaving.

The people who didn't attend the service came while we were cleaning and dropped tears, saying good-bye. And city officials visited us in order to express their gratitudes and said, "We are looking forward to meet you, the members of Church of God at the Daegu Universiad Games again." And they took off Universiad badges from their chests and hung them on us.

We learned a lot through 55 days' volunteer activity. And during this long period we experienced God's love who was always with us.

People say the greatest thing to bring out one's potential ability is a compliment.
God allowed His children to get praised in odd minutes, so that they could continue the voluntary activities, overcoming tiredness. And God also gave us health to work a long period.

Meanwhile, through the pains of the relatives of fire victims God woke us up to understand how precious the heavenly family are. We felt the love of heavenly Father through a father searching his children and wife in the ashes.

Today, we yearn for heavenly family more than ever.

O God! How wonderful it would be to dream of the glorious heaven tonight where we were all together. Like a movie leaves deep emotions behind, today's impression will be kept deep in our heart and encourage us to spread the gospel until the day we will return to heaven.