Dear Amigo, make this place your home
Interview/Oh Shin Hye
▲Pastor Lee Dong-soo (middle) took a photo with Amigo (a good friend) on the street.
In early March, with heavy snow falling, there were a few Latino men standing on the street in Palisade Park, a town in northeastern New Jersey, still waiting to go to work. The falling snowflakes thinly covered their hats, partially blocking their sight. Even if it was freezing cold, it could not stop their desire to find work.
The town of Park West is only half an hour's drive from New York City. The residents of 51% are of Korean descent, and it is the town with the highest concentration of Korean immigrants in the United States. 1 Broad Ave winds its way through the town, with Korean shops and restaurants along the way. This is the famous Koreatown.
strange combination
Go south on Broad Avenue and turn right on Parasi Street. The First Presbyterian Church stands at the corner of the street. It is the only Chinese church in Koreatown. On Friday morning, a few people prayed quietly in the lobby. When I opened the door and went downstairs, I heard bursts of Latin rhythm music, accompanied by electric guitar and drums, it was so lively. Here, Korean pastor Daniel Lee said loudly to several "Amigos" (good friends) in fluent Spanish: "Please go outside and help shovel the snow in the afternoon!" Lee Dongshu is a member of the World Mission Church (World Mission Church) Church, which they share with the First Presbyterian Church for more than a hundred years.
World Mission Church is a community church founded by a Korean pastor, mainly in Spanish, serving Latin American immigrants, and located in a Chinese church. Such a fusion of multi-ethnic characteristics would have been difficult to imagine coming together if it had not been arranged by God. What’s more, the church is located in a town with the highest concentration of Korean immigrants in the United States.
Lee Dong-soo, who was in his early forties, immigrated to Argentina from South Korea. After graduating from high school, he went to the Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York, the United States. When Lee Dong-soo was in seminary, he was very committed to street missionary work. After graduation, he went to serve in the Korean church in Park West, New Jersey.
Wandering working road
The corner of Broad Avenue and Highway 46 in Park City is a well-known "job-picking area." Many Latino men from Central and South America were waiting on the street early in the morning for temporary workers. By noon, those who had not been selected The "leftover men" are like birds and beasts. Sometimes they hang out on the street, sometimes they go to a nearby bar in groups to drink away their sorrows, and then go home after getting drunk. Their residence may be a room in a simple apartment, or a corner with some shelter from the wind and rain. .
Because he is an illegal immigrant, his status is difficult to "rectify" and he does not know English, so he can only rely on labor in various places. Most of them work odd jobs in restaurants, decoration companies, construction companies, gardening companies or moving companies. Earning a meager salary through labor, he regularly sends money back to his hometown to support his family. Even though the salary is meager and the work is very hard, in the eyes of people back home, they are working heroes in the United States.
Lee Dong-soo started preaching on the streets 12 years ago. Due to the language barrier, he was particularly burdened by the Latino immigrants wandering on Baldur Avenue. Pastor Li saw these hard-working immigrants, who drank heavily when they were not at work, and who had neither a secure life nor a fixed residence. So around noon, he went to the street to chat with these "leftover men" and invited them to eat, thereby preaching the gospel to them. After the senior pastor who originally served the church left, the new pastor had a different view of street missions. So Lee Dong-soo went to Korean churches near Park Town and knocked on the door one by one, hoping to find support. Twenty times later, there was a knock on the door of the Chinese-speaking First Presbyterian Church.
▲English class in progress.
Care and deep cultivation
Pastor Peng Rongren of the First Presbyterian Church has always had a vision. He hopes that the century-old church located in the center of the town will be a church that serves the community even though it has mainly Chinese members. "The door of the church is always open. Anyone who wants to pray in the church or needs help can come in. I hope that one day it will be open 24 hours a day." These Amigos wandering around the town are already community members. Peng Rongn listened. Come to Lee Dong-soo’s missionary vision and welcome the ministry that cares for Latinos with open arms.
"I have been engaged in street missionary work for more than ten years. I deeply understand that it is not enough to preach the gospel on the streets. There must be a place for these wandering people to gather and give them a spiritual home." At the end of 2011, Xi served on the streets. The English Fellowship began meeting at First Presbyterian Church. In the early days of its establishment, everyone met every Tuesday morning and had dinner at noon. Li Dongzhu gradually discovered that pure gatherings were still insufficient. Many people in Amigo were illiterate. In order to teach them to read the Bible, a Spanish class was held to teach them literacy, and an English class was held so that they could communicate with others in English and increase the number of people. Career Opportunities.
▲Acupuncture therapists provide acupuncture treatment to street residents in need.
Li Dongzhu also found that language education was still not enough, and they also needed some practical help in life. Most people rely on labor for work, and there is also a need for physical health care and medical assistance. So he recruited acupuncture therapists and volunteer nurses to come to the church for free clinics every Wednesday. In addition to Sunday afternoon gatherings, World Mission Church has activities almost every day.
"This group of friends from the streets longs for a spiritual home. They suffer discrimination and unfair treatment in the work environment. They are engaged in low-class labor jobs. Their hometowns are far away and they are always wandering. Street missionary work We can’t just preach the gospel verbally, but we need to deepen it and help them change in actual life, so that they can have a positive influence among their friends, thereby changing the street ecology and affecting the community.” These specific assistance courses were passed on to nearby Latino communities. Many church members spread the message of care by word of mouth and came to the gathering.
spiritual home
There are currently about ten immigrants from Central and South America as members of the church. In addition to Li Dongzhu presiding over the Tuesday and Sunday services, there are also Chinese-speaking Peng Rongren, a Korean pastor and a Japanese pastor who take turns preaching. In the past, we often used YouTube to play Spanish songs for worship on the Internet. Thank the Lord. Half a year ago, Brother L, who came from Guatemala, saw this Spanish-speaking Korean pastor caring so much for his compatriots. He was deeply moved. Moved, I decided to form a worship group and practice every Friday morning. Currently, there are eight members, all of Guatemalan origin.
▲Love brings us together - Li Dongzhu (middle) and Peng Rongn (third from left) share snacks with Spanish friends.
Brother L believed in the Lord since he was a child. He once left the faith when he was young. He did not return to the church until he had an accident at work and had a different understanding of life. He also smuggled himself to the United States twice to work, which is a common vicissitudes of life for Latino immigrants. Brother L said, "Every time I come to church to practice singing, I get a lot of encouragement from the songs and teamwork. I enjoy God's love during the service. Through the hymns, everyone encourages each other."
Brother L used to be an alcoholic, but he stopped drinking and having fun after coming to church. Fellowship brought him a source of joy. Although working outside the home was long and hard, he always looked forward to coming to church, gathering with everyone, and serving God together. "I hope to continue to be used by God and become a channel for preaching the gospel." Brother L has a strong and lean figure, but he has a shy smile when he speaks. The other members of the group are quietly accompanying him, and God's presence and hymns are gone. It removes the frost on their faces and the bitterness in their souls. The musical instruments of the worship team were bought by the team members through frugality. They cherished them very much and never thought of buying them at their own expense in the past. But now that they have a home, not only do they have spiritual support, but they also have a place to store all the equipment.
Our missionary field
During the two years that I have called First Presbyterian Church my home, there have been many misunderstandings and difficulties in getting along, but I am even more grateful. Due to differences in language and culture, differences of opinion are inevitable, but by God's grace, everything works together for the benefit of those who love God. In the past two years, eleven people have been baptized, a couple got married in the church, and a new baby was born. The joy of witnessing the growth of the church makes Li Dongzhu full of gratitude.
"We not only care for them, but also hope to educate them. There are nearly 50 million Spanish-speaking people working in the field in the United States. I hope that these brothers and sisters called by God will become future missionaries in the United States or in their motherland."
The members of the World Mission Church are all working people and have limited contributions. However, the care ministry for Hispanic and Latino ethnic groups is becoming more and more important and requires the participation of more children of God, such as English teachers, health care workers, meal preparation, etc. Limited funds and resources are current difficulties. Those who are interested in donating or participating in service are welcome to contact Lee Dong-soo. Email: livingwater66@gmail.com
NotesPerez-Pena, Richard. “PALISADES PARK JOURNAL As Koreans Pour In, a Town Is Remade,” The New York Times, December 16, 2010.
Interviewee profile
Pastor Li Dongzhu graduated from the New York State Mission Theological Seminary with a master's degree and has been involved in Spanish community outreach ministry since 2001.
Reporter Profile Wu Xinhui is a writer and full-time mother who loves reading, music, travel and food. With a humorous and grateful attitude towards life, he lives in New Jersey with his husband and children as a family of five.