Pray with Korea, November 24, 2024
Lectionary Selection: John 18:33-37
Prayers for Korea
Dear God, we thank you for our communities, where we gather to enjoy and learn from each other. We thank you for the opportunities that invite us to listen to hard truths about our past and discern hopeful visions of our future. Be in our midst during our difficult conversations, and show us creative possibilities for renewing the ways we live and work together.
We give thanks for the inspiring ministry of Durebang, which for 37 years has served in solidarity with women in military camp villages throughout Korea, providing a safe space for comfort and guidance when life in the clubs and streets has proved threatening. We ask your continued presence and blessings be with Durebang, with its dedicated staff, and with the sisters who have found a home there as they seek to continue their important work in their community.
We ask your spirit to fall on the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea and its Women’s Ministries program. May they continue to support Durebang as it enters a new direction under new leadership following its General Assembly in September. We pray you strengthen our partnership with the PROK so we may continue to listen and learn from them as we seek to build your blessed community in our world together.
We pray this in Jesus’ name, Amen
Mission Moment from Korea:
This summer, Durebang/My Sister’s Place, a women’s outreach program of the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, collaborated on a special exhibition with a local art center in its community in Uijeongbu. From May 25 to June 5, 2024, activists from the Durebang Counseling Center and artists from the center held an interactive program designed to engage the community in art and dialogue on the past and future of their community.
The exhibition provided an in-depth glimpse into Durebang’s history and the lives and livelihoods of women in military camps. Director Kim Eun-jin of Durebang Counseling Center started the opening ceremony with a presentation, and throughout the program, performances prepared by artists were timed for audience participation. In particular, the exhibition included community workshops in which Durebang sisters directly participated, making it an even more meaningful event.
Above all, it was significant that Durebang’s space, which was previously not open to the public as a counseling center for victims of prostitution, was transformed into an exhibition space that anyone could visit. Many exhibition works were displayed throughout the Durebang office, from the front yard to the hallways and conference rooms, and a detailed history of Durebang was posted, especially for first-time visitors. We also provided simple snacks for those who visited the center, including sikhye, a traditional sweet Korean drink made of fermented malt and rice.
There was a special forum on the last day called “Bubbles, Noise, and Murmur:” Regenerating a Community of Coexistence and Cooperation. Director Kim Eun-jin moderated different presentations, including “The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Military Comfort Women in Military Camp Village” and “Viewing our Village through the Lens of Urban Regeneration.” Afterward, there was a round table where presenters, panelists, and forum participants had time to freely ask questions and discuss with each other the historical and cultural values of the region that Durebang shares.
At this event, not only the women of Durebang but also residents of our community and visitors from outside could gather together to enjoy and learn from each other. The exhibition and forum informed many people about not only the history of Durebang, which has been in solidarity with the lives of women in camp villages for 37 years, but also the need for it to continue its vital ministry. It was an opportunity for us to think about the women in the camp and what direction Durebang should move forward in the future.
Mission Partners in Korea