Hello, this is Kenneth Bae.
First, we would like to express our deep appreciation to you for your continuous prayers and support for NGI’s missions in the midst of the global crisis, COVID-19. We can feel your support in many ways, every single day.
Due to the effects fo CoVID-19 we have been facing many obstacles, physically and financially, in participating in our monthly Nehemiah Prayer Gatherings, home visitations, refugee work at Hanawon, Nehemiah English School, English Reunification Camp, etc. I personally had to be self-quarantined for two weeks after returning to Seoul from the United States of America, and had to go through several operations once I was out of quarantine.
During these times of self-quarantine and recovery at the hospital, I looked back at the path we have taken over the past three years. And while I felt very thankful for the grace God has shown us, I could also see improvements that need to be made within our organization. What a precious and blessed time of reflection in Jesus!
What ‘Nehemiah’ means to NGI
During my quarantine and recovery, I took time to pray about and deeply contemplate what God intended when He named our organization ‘Nehemiah’. I was reminded that our mission is to start rebuilding with this generation, just like Nehemiah did in the Old Testament.
Nehemiah, a descendent of Judah, was a man whose heart was captivated by God, who always remembered the pain and shame that his people experienced, prayed with tears, and stood with them despite his high social position and close connection with the king of Babylon. His prayers moved God’s heart and made it possible to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem via the reigning king’s mandate. This rebuilding eventually brought repentance, redemption, and revival to the Israelites, allowing reformation and returning them to their place as God’s people.
The Korean peninsula, which has been divided into two halves for over 70 years, also needs this same kind of rebuilding and restoration, beginning with this generation. Every year, approximately 1,000 North Korean refugees endure fear, loss, great pain, significant sacrifice, and persecution in order to escape from the darkness of their lives in North Korea to embrace freedom and liberty in South Korea. The total number of refugees that have made this journey has hit a new record of 34,000.
We are preparing to launch our “Be Nehemiah Campaign”.
We believe that NGI’s core mission is to become a strong supporter of and pray for North Korean refugees, growing together and becoming the seeds of revival in preparation for the day of reunification. This is the main purpose behind our “Be Nehemiah Campaign”.
We are committed to building lives like Nehemiah within this generation, fostering faith and courage that does not turn away from our people’s pain, but prays to God with tears, standing together, and preparing for physical and spiritual rebuilding after reunification. We are presently in the process of serious preparation, fostering the next generation of reunification for the restoration, rebuilding, and revival of Pyongyang, Jerusalem of the East.
What steps are we taking?
In order to achieve our mission, we have embraced several discipleship and training programs to train, instill vision, and prepare our new leaders for what tomorrow will bring. This winter, we hosted Nehemiah Discipleship Camp (NDC) in the US, which became an opportunity to create and share our visions with eight young adults from North Korea.
Additionally, we have launched an Intensive Nehemiah English School Course for North Korean refugee students, which is the first program of its kind in the country. The program consisted of 30 hours of lessons per week that focus on helping North Korean refugee students improve their English abilities. Participants are also provided mentorship and discipleship training to help foster them in their journey to becoming the Nehemiah of this generation.
This coming summer we are embracing our Nehemiah mission by hosting our 2020 Nehemiah English Reunification Camp (2020NERC). In addition to camp, we are providing North Korean Mission School, Leadership Mentorship, and Online Native English Speaker Course which will help our students expand their English language skills, practical application, and focus on building a Nehemiah initiative in their lives.
For all of the programs mentioned above, we would like to ask you to join our journey in prayer and support. Specifically, we are seeking support for the Intensive English School program, which needs monthly funding of $500 USD per student. All financial support for this programming will help cover costs associated with the planning and programming, hiring of teachers, and preparing a dormitory for all participants.
And while this seems out of our reach, the high level of work, commitment, and effort needed will not deter us in our mission to equip our refugee students with English skills and the tools needed to rebuild and restore One Korea, and fuel a spiritual revival throughout the Korean peninsula. In order to achieve this goal, we are seeking 1,000 individuals to partner with us for this project. By donating just $1.35 per day, just $40 per month, we will be able to fuel our mission, impacting lives both now and for generations to come.
Won’t you please join us in prayer, and support, for our #BeNehemiahCampaign , building a brighter future, fueling revival, and making this program fruitful and a blessing to all. If your organization or institution is interested in partnering with NGI in this ministry, please reach us at +82 -2-363-8488 or click the link below.
