The 24th "Salt and Light" Mission's Anniversary Service - Even You Who Work on the Sabbath Can Meet the Lord
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November 8, 2009 |
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On the left is an early picture of the Salt and Light Mission group as they worshipped in the church bus. Now, after 24 years, they are offering worship in their own sanctuary located in Daechi-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul (Taken during the 24th anniversary service of the Salt and Light Mission on October 24, 2009).
On October 28 at 9:30, the Salt and Light Mission offered their 24th anniversary service in the Young Dong local sanctuary. The Salt and Light Mission is an organization created to help encourage those who work on Sundays to keep their faith and evangelize in the workplace.
The Salt and Light Mission began with 7 members on October 1985. In the beginning, there was no decent place for worship, so they gathered in department stores, nearby churches, and even buses to pray and offer services to God. Through this burning passion, many of them now have become the Lord's servants and workers in many parts of the church.
The Salt and Light Mission, which currently consists of Distribution Mission and Restaurant Mission groups, is expanding activities to local major cities in Korea including Daejeon and Changwon.
The Distribution Mission group offers Sunday worship service at 9 p.m., and the Restaurant Mission group offers service at 11 p.m. Even though they may be tired and exhausted from working all day long, the members have a stronger passion for service than any other, offering all-night services on Fridays and praise services on Wednesdays at the local sanctuary in Young Dong area in Seoul, where they have times of sharing testimonies and fellowship. They also attend Daniel Prayer Meeting every night via satellite. Members confess that the life-filled messages delivered by Dr. Jaerock Lee and the amazing power of God manifested through him have given them true faith and hope for heaven.
Every Sunday, the Salt and Light Mission members including Deaconess Youjin Song, 37, who work in the Lotte Department Store leave their homes early and have a meeting before they begin working. They study the sermons from the weekly church bulletin and receive the "Day-Starting Prayer" via cassette tape as they pray for their work and the evangelization of the souls there.
Meeting a myriad of people each day, they have to listen to complaints and sometimes even face disgruntled customers who angrily shout at them. Even still, they smile their brightest until the very end, and often hear these belligerent customers complimenting them, saying, "I'm sure that you'll marry into a good family someday." It is common for one of the members to be given the title "Employee of Kindness and Excellence" in the department store. Because the members pray and fast fervently for each other, they often smile at the mere sight of one another, growing even closer than many families.
Deaconess Youngju Shin, 45, who runs the women's clothes store "Uba" in Yangjae-Dong, Seocho-Gu, Seoul, joined the Salt and Light Mission when she first stepped out into the social world. She felt like she was resting in heaven when she received the warm love and care of the members.
But ever since she started working in the department store, she felt exhausted and afflicted because she couldn't keep the Sabbath. So she experienced overwhelming thanksgiving when she was able to attend Sunday services and listen to Dr. Jaerock Lee's sermons. And the heart that had been frozen from the toils of life began to melt.
"She is so nice and friendly," her customers and coworkers would often say. Even to customers who simply leave after trying on all kinds of different clothes and messing up the store, she kindly says with a bright smile, "Hope to see you again. I am sorry that we don't have what you want. We will prepare them for you next time." Just recently, she was assigned to manage a shop, after careful consideration by the president. She confesses that "The Salt and Light Mission has played a big role in my Christian life, encouraging me to keep my eyes on New Jerusalem in heaven and protect myself from worldly trends and materialism as a salesperson."
 Members of the Salt and Light Mission and volunteers preparing food for foreign guests during a church event
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Manmin News 
