If you give seven-year-old Shawn a little of your attention, he’ll tell you a lot about his life in Korea. He’ll also tell you about Jesus and the work his family is doing. He can describe it in English or in Korean.
One day, he came home and needed to tell his mom something. His friend at school didn’t want to hear about Jesus anymore, and he wasn’t sure how to share the gospel. Rather than stay disappointed, Shawn came up with a new plan.
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The next day he happily reported. “I drew my friend a picture of Jesus and wrote stuff about Jesus. I told him if he didn’t want to hear me talk about Jesus, then he could look at this picture and read what I wrote!”
Growing up in Seoul, Korea, Shawn is learning a lot about sharing the good news of Jesus from his parents, IMB missionaries Matt and Evelyn Podge. Both Shawn and his two-year-old sister, Corbin, are learning what it’s like to live among the lost for the sake of the gospel. For the Podges, advancing the gospel in Korea means living among other families and building relationships.
“We’ve made our home a very open space,” Evelyn said. Referencing a group of mothers she hosts each week, Evelyn explained that people in their community don’t host people in their homes or gather to talk about what’s bothering them or challenges they face.
Gathering place
The Podges have intentionally organized their apartment to be a gathering place. Matt and Evelyn took the smallest room in the house, leaving the master suite available as a space for guests to relax on the sofa or even spend the night, if they need to. They lifted Shawn’s bunk bed high so the floor was open as a larger play and learning space for children. On Mondays, when the moms gather, Matt leads the children in Bible lessons.
God blessed their efforts, and a Korean-language church plant now meets each Sunday afternoon in their apartment for worship and Bible study. Parents are learning the Bible, but they are also seeing that kids are capable of learning biblical principles and following them in obedience.
“Shawn has shown them that he has a grasp of what the Bible teaches!” Matt said. “When they doubted that kids could learn, Shawn showed them that he understood to the point he could verbalize biblical lessons in Korean.”
Evelyn said when they saw Shawn has grasped the gospel, things changed with their Korean friends.
“Suddenly, they were taking notes about everything and paying attention,” Evelyn said. “It was like they knew then that the Bible could change things for them.”
With the mom’s group, Evelyn invites them to anonymously put parenting questions or family struggles into a hat. Then they choose a situation to discuss and Evelyn points them to guidance from the Bible.
On a recent evangelistic outing before Seoul’s International Fireworks Festival in October, Matt and Evelyn were greeted warmly by many people who recognized them from the community. Some stopped to talk, others happily took a gift of snacks and evangelistic material.
Matt explained that heavy outreach by cults in Seoul has made efforts like this difficult.
“People assume we’re from cults and they often don’t want anything to do with us,” he said. “But it helps that we live here and have developed trust with a lot of people.”
Evelyn is quick to add how helpful the kids are to these outings. “People love the kids. Who can say ‘no’ to adorable kids giving you free snacks?”
Sure of God’s leading
And the kids happily involve themselves in the ministry. Though Corbin is too young to fully understand the reasons behind the events, she happily reached for small gift bags to give to strangers; she wanted one in each hand. And as soon as she gave—or sometimes tossed—them to strangers, she reached for more.
Shawn said confidently in Korean, “Here’s a gift for you!” He was an active helper during the event, before finding a spot along the river to enjoy the fireworks with his family.
Most of the Podges’ ministry in Seoul is focused on their neighbors and families they connect with through Shawn’s school. But beyond that, they host volunteer teams, encourage Korean Baptists in their sending efforts, and join with other believers to reach the mega-city for Christ.
Their work with refugees coming to Korea makes it necessary to use publicity names and keep their faces out of photographs. They must be careful to protect this ministry and the vulnerable people who have fled their home countries.
No matter what each day holds, the Podges are sure of God’s leading and His work among Korean families. They are grateful for the ways Southern Baptists provide them the opportunity to live and serve among those with little to no understanding of the gospel.
The Podges were sent and supported through generous giving through the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Cooperative Program.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Leslie Peacock Caldwell and originally published by the International Mission Board.
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