Reflections on the 55th Medical Mission to Yanbian, China
Medical Mission Schedule
December 14
7:20 a.m. — Arrive at Incheon International Airport
9:40 a.m. — Depart Korea
11:10 a.m. — Arrive in Yanbian
1:00 p.m. — Worship service
3:00 p.m. — Arrive at Yanbian Welfare Hospital and prepare for surgery
5:00 p.m. — Dinner and rest
December 15
6:00 a.m. — Wake up
6:30 a.m. — Morning worship
7:00 a.m. — Breakfast
7:40 a.m. — Arrive at the hospital
9:00 a.m. — Begin morning surgeries
12:20 p.m. — Complete morning surgeries for 15 patients
12:40 p.m. — Lunch
2:15 p.m. — Begin afternoon surgeries
5:20 p.m. — Complete afternoon surgeries for 13 patients
6:00 p.m. — Dinner and rest
December 16
6:00 a.m. — Wake up
6:30 a.m. — Morning worship
7:00 a.m. — Breakfast
7:40 a.m. — Arrive at the hospital
9:00 a.m. — Begin morning surgeries
12:00 p.m. — Complete morning surgeries for 15 patients
1:00 p.m. — Pack and organize the equipment
2:00 p.m. — Lunch and rest
December 17
7:30 a.m. — Wake up
8:00 a.m. — Morning worship
8:30 a.m. — Breakfast
12:30 p.m. — Depart Yanbian
4:00 p.m. — Arrive at Incheon International Airport
Mission Reflections
From December 14 through December 17, I participated in a cataract surgery mission in Yanbian.
Although this was my second visit to Yanbian, I felt the same mixture of excitement and nervousness as I had the first time.
For this mission, I traveled to Yanbian with Nurse Hae Yeon Kim, whom I had worked with for the previous three months. After completing the mission, I would return to Seoul with Nurse Ok Soon Han.
I left for Yanbian feeling both sadness about saying goodbye to Nurse Kim and excitement about meeting Nurse Han.
We arrived on Sunday, checked into accommodations arranged by Yanbian Welfare Hospital, and then went directly to a worship service.
To avoid drawing the attention of the local public security authorities, we could not sing hymns loudly. Nevertheless, the worship service felt even more meaningful and filled with grace.
It also made me deeply grateful for the Lord’s blessing in allowing us to live in an environment where we can practice our faith freely.
After worship, we visited the hospital and prepared the supplies and surgical instruments needed for the procedures. We then returned to our accommodations.
The surgeries began on Monday and were completed by Tuesday afternoon.
One patient remains especially memorable to me. She had experienced severe emotional trauma due to personal circumstances and was receiving treatment. Through this mission, she was given the opportunity to undergo cataract surgery.
We were concerned that she might have difficulty cooperating during the procedure. However, with the support of everyone involved, the surgery was completed safely under sedation.
At one point during the operation, she appeared to respond to Dr. Gyung Bai Choi’s instructions and gently moved her eye. I found the moment remarkable and prayed that she would soon recover from her emotional pain and regain peace in her life.
Through this mission, I once again felt the Lord’s love deeply in my heart. I am grateful for His grace and for always remaining with us.
I give all glory to God for using me as an instrument to share the love and presence of the Lord.
Written by Eun Hye Kang, Nurse
