One of the projects commemorating the 50th anniversary of FUMC in FLUSING last year was the construction of a Peace Center. The project was delayed because Laos is a communist country, and various concerns were raised regarding the ownership of buildings and property.
To make an informed decision, I traveled to Laos last week. I departed early Monday morning, arrived in Incheon early Tuesday morning, met with leaders of the Korean Methodist Church Laos Peace Mission Association (Chair: Rev. Kwang-Nyun Kim), then flew that evening to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. After staying overnight, I arrived in Savannakhet the following day—Wednesday. Upon arrival, we immediately began visiting the proposed mission center sites.
The primary reason I trust these missionaries is that the sending mission organization is led by individuals who are widely respected within the Korean Christian community. Beyond that, I was deeply impressed by the missionaries’ healthy missional character and leadership. I witnessed their respect for the opinions of the Lao young adults who serve alongside them, and in the way they speak and act toward the children who come to them, I saw hearts that truly value people and a leadership marked by humility and servant-heartedness.
Through this visit, many of the concerns that had previously been raised were resolved. If mishandled, buildings or property can become the greatest obstacles to mission work. Yet here, I saw real hope that mission carried out with integrity and trust can be respected even within a communist nation.
Looking ahead, the Savannakhet Peace Mission Center will serve as a place for:
• vocational training to support women’s self-reliance,
• training young people from Southeast Asia as peace workers, and
• sustainable mission efforts through the operation of a guesthouse and café.
The reason peace ministry and women’s self-reliance are integrated into one vision is rooted in the original purpose of the mission offering. The offering was initially given to establish a Peace Prayer Center in Vladivostok, looking toward North Korea. As circumstances changed, the elder’s daughter—whose heart was closely tied to the original donation—shared her own hope for how the funds might be used. She is an independent film director, and her first film focused on the suffering of Asian women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II. Because of this, she desired that the mission offering be used to prevent women in impoverished countries from being trafficked into sexual exploitation.
Laos was discerned as the mission field that best aligns with these two purposes.
Laos has a population of fewer than 7.3 million people, yet it is a land that endured an enormous number of bombs during the Vietnam War. Those bombs were manufactured using the tax dollars of the American people. Even more tragically, more than 80 million unexploded ordnances remain buried in Lao soil. Although more than 50 years have passed since the war ended, people continue to be killed or injured by unexploded bombs. Half of the victims are children. In addition, women in impoverished countries such as Cambodia and Laos remain highly vulnerable to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“The land of Savannakhet in Laos still carries the scars of war. We seek to cultivate this place not as a symbol of despair, but as a land where seeds of peace are planted and grown. The Savannakhet Peace Center will be a space where those suffering from the impact of unexploded ordnance can learn new hope, share life, and rise again. It will be the starting point of a community where God’s peace is made visible in everyday life. The women and young people nurtured here will become peace leaders who shape the future of Laos, returning to their villages as salt and light.
‘A place to learn and share God’s peace through life’—this is the vision of the Savannakhet Peace Center.”
Along with this, we also shared a vision for establishing a “Peace Network Hub.” We hope to create a gathering at least once a year where missionaries from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, together with leaders from Korea and the United States who have been involved in peace missions, can come together in fellowship and collaboration.
Acts of violence and destruction of peace continue to take place throughout the world. We pray that this Peace Center project will be used for the mission Jesus envisioned—the Peacemaking Mission—and for raising up Peacemakers, workers who embody and advance God’s peace.