Kimchi Making with Love - 2022

One of our favorite annual ministry events is the Kimchi Making event for the community. This event has provided literal "tons" of Kimchi to the needy in Songtan for 20+ years. We have had the blessing of serving in these events for 11 of the 13 years that we have lived in Korea; in fact, we participated in our first Kimchi event just 3 days after arriving on November 18, 2010. (Yes...that is Caleb at 9 months old)

Winter Kimchi is a staple food product that is made in homes all across the nation, at the same time and with relatively that same process. It is a very healthy food, that (along with rice) is a staple in Korean daily diets. The opportunity to get ourselves elbow deep in fermented cabbage and care for our community in a unique way has never ceased to impress us. It offers our family an annual glimpse into the heart of Christ that resides in our Korean brothers and sisters... as well as a Korean cultural experience that we will never want to let go of. We get to partner together with both the English Congregation and the Korean congregation to serve together.

This year our family gathered several of our friends to work with our Korean church for two days, to make 6 tons of Kimchi, to be delivered to over 500 homes or ministry organizations in our community. We washed, cut and shredded cabbage. We diced onions and prepped radishes. We mixed Kimchi seasoning and poured fish oil. We stuffed cabbage with the Kimchi mix and boxed it up. Then we added church labels, loaded all kind of vehicles and even delivered Kimchi to bless our neighbors. We loved every (pungent) minute of it and we pray that God used this outreach to make much of His son to our surrounding community. Who knows, maybe someone met Jesus over a bite of our Kimchi!

This is one example of some really unique and cool ministry opportunities provided through serving in South Korea!