KCGM November Newsletter

November 2020 KCGM Newsletter from John Chae

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

We just got back from a one-night “autumn camp,” with the orphanage kids, since we were unable to do a “summer camp” like we normally do, because of Covid. Suffice it to say, the kids really enjoyed themselves. They went swimming. They ate barbecue. They played dodgeball and foot volleyball. The older kids sang karaoke all night! To me, the highlight was when we were in the middle of worship, and the newest member of our family (the autistic and mute 5 year-old girl that I have been writing about a lot recently) suddenly came up to the stage, snatched the microphone from us, and started singing into it. Normally, this would be a situation where we would scold the child for distracting from the worship, but we did not do that. Mind you, this is a girl that hasn’t spoken a word since she has been with us. She communicated with us solely with head nods, head shakes, and grunts. If she liked you a lot, then you might get an almost inaudible squeak of a hello from her, but only if you were lucky. Now, here she was insisting on singing into a microphone in front of our entire orphanage (although none of the lyrics made sense)!

Initially, this unexpected move was met with silence, as everyone was in shock when it happened. Then, there was a gradual crescendo of laughter and clapping. By the end, all of us were cheering her on! We were all so proud of her! It was such a rejuvenating experience and a much-needed reminder of why we do what we do, and it brought tears to my eyes for the first time in a long time. (If you are receiving this by email, I will attach a video. If you are receiving it by mail, I will attach a pic.) As far as I’m concerned, she can interrupt worship service as many times as she wants, because I am convinced in the deepest part of my soul, that there is nothing God wants more than for her to find her voice, in more ways than one.

I don’t how long she will stay with us, but I just thank God that I was able to be a small part of her life, and that our orphanage had such a positive impact on her in such a short time. Don’t ever forget that you are a part of this too, you know? Whether it is by volunteering, by donation, by prayer, by liking/sharing on social media, or just by sending us good vibes, you have made a real difference in this girl’s life and in the lives of all our children. Some may call us foolish, but we believe that in God’s hands, every positive thought and action counts! So I hope you are proud of our children and of yourselves, as much as we are.

Anyway, now we are back home. We were gone just a night, but it looks and feels like we were gone for weeks. It was a crisp autumn day when we left, but now the fall season seems to already have faded away fast, taking with it the air of melancholy that hung over our campus like a thick gloomy smog. It’s amazing what a quick vacation can do. It’s still beautiful here though. Some trees are already down to their last clinging leaf, which alerts the children that the holidays are upon us, and now they wait anxiously for the first sign of snow! After all, tis the season!

So we want to wish you a “Happy Thanksgiving!” and also a “Merry Christmas!!” while we’re at it! I’m sure the ongoing Covid situation will probably prevent both you and us from engaging in the usual holiday festivities, like family dinners and Christmas parties. We already pre-emptively cancelled our annual Christmas “Thank You to Supporters” Presentation Night, of which half the kids(the ones who love performing) are bummed out about and the other introverted half is ecstatic about. Still, we know they all become precious memories in the end…so it is unfortunate that it is cancelled like many other things. Nevertheless, we do not lose hope! We do not grow weary! We trust in Him, and we wait as expectantly as the kids wait for snow, because we know that He has something equally (if not more) wonderful planned for our orphanage children, for you, and for the entire world! You can count on it.

Yours in Christ,

John Woosik Chae

P.S. Let me leave you with a poem written by one of our sixth grade boys on the theme of “Covid19.” I just like showcasing their work whenever I can, and I hope it encourages you not to take things for granted!

PRECIOUS by Anonymous (per his request)

What used to be the noisy neighborhood of Banghwa, is now a quiet neighborhood…

What used to be a noisy classroom, is now a quiet classroom…

What used to be noisy after-school activities, are activities we don’t partake in anymore…

What used to be noisy restaurants, are now quiet restaurants…

All places where I used to complain about a lack of quiet. All occasions I used to look for an excuse to skip or not attend…

I didn’t know they would be so precious…