Hannah and Peter Oh knew only a little English when they immigrated to the United States from South Korea 12 years ago.
Their sons were born in the United States and are immersed in the American culture. But Peter and Hannah want their sons to appreciate their Korean heritage and their parents’ native language too. For that reason, the Ohs are excited about a new devotional from The Back to God Hour (BTGH).
With the help of a grant from the CRC Foundation, the Korean Council of the Christian Reformed Church is partnering with The Back to God Hour to publish a Korean-English print version of the Today daily devotional booklet.
“We anticipate that the bilingual devotional will be welcomed into the homes of thousands of Korean-speaking members of the CRCNA and used as a powerful tool for outreach to Korean communities in North America and around the world,” said BTGH director Rev. Bob Heerspink.
“We like the Korean-English devotional because it helps us learn English,” commented Hannah Oh. She and Peter came to Denver so Peter could study engineering. “When we came here, the only English we knew was textbook English we had learned in school. The culture was very different. The language barrier was a big deal to us.”
She said her family enjoys their daily devotions, but “sometimes the English passage is not easy to understand. It helps to have the Korean and English side by side. We also like to read the Korean [devotions] to help our sons learn our language.”
Although a Korean translation of Today has been available online since mid-2006, the Ohs appreciate having a printed booklet. continued
Tong Park, the CRC’s Korean ministry director, said he is excited about the potential of the Korean-English Today. “[We see] it being used as a tool for strengthening individual devotions, communicating and transferring faith to others and to younger generations, and establishing a stronger sense of identity as Reformed Christians [in the Korean community],” he said.
He said there are nearly 2 million Korean immigrants and more than 4,000 Korean churches in North America, including 100 Korean churches in the CRC.
For more information about this ministry, contact btgh@btgh.org. To access the Korean Today online, visit www.goodshepherdcrc.com. Links to the Korean, Chinese, English, Portuguese, and Spanish versions of Today devotionals are available at http://www.btgh.org/today.php.
About the Author
Nancy Vander Meer is a staff writer with Back to God Ministries International in Grand Rapids, Mich.
