African Choir inspires South Koreans to visit Soutpansberg

Date: 27 November 2014 By: Linda van der Westhuizen

A delegation from Seoul, South Korea, recently visited Louis Trichardt on a fact-finding mission.

The team of five are from the Sungmin Foundation and filmed three promotional documentary videos with the Agapé African Choir as the main theme. They interviewed the Makhado municipal manager, among others, and also filmed in Chavani in the Elim area.

The Sungmin Foundation, the largest facility for the disabled in South Korea, is connected to the Nowon Full Gospel Church. “We received a visit from the choir and when we saw all of the positive elements of the choir, we wanted to jump right in and create friendship. They came to Korea first and we thought it was our turn to come back to South Africa,” said spokesperson for the team, Ms Vanessa Won. She explained that they came to interview various groups from different backgrounds, from different economic levels and different colours, members and non-members of the choir.  “We conducted and filmed interviews just to get the overall feel and an objective picture of the choir and its impact on the community. We believe that the choir can thrive more in impacting the world with its skills, heart and creativity,” Won said.  

“The purpose of doing this is to create promotional video clips with three targets: churches in Korea and outside Korea, welfare foundations, not just the Sungmin Foundation but the other foundations in Korea,  and also regular, secular middle-sized corporations,” the leader of the team, businessman Mr Mike Lee, said. They had a five-year plan in mind that could hopefully benefit the Sungmin Foundation, as well as the choir. The Sungmin Foundation, which focuses on both the physically and mentally handicapped, always needs to create an inflow to meet their budget.

After his interview, municipal manager Mr Sakkie Mutshinyali said that he was in favour of twinning between churches, foundations, businesses and municipalities of the two countries. “We should relate. We could even think of our children going there to study and your students coming here to gain practical experience. We shall be able to take them in collaboration with the national treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry,” Mutshinyali said.

The local churches and the Nowon Full Gospel Church have a strong focus on the next generation in common. “Besides our Sungmin Foundation, youth missions are our second strong point. We believe in bringing in the next generation into leadership positions, so that the whole cycle goes on actively. We have strategic missions in China, Japan and India and a Bible school in the Philippines,” Won said. The Nowon church has 40 000 members.  

The senior pastor of the Agapé Christian Church, Pastor Sam van Niekerk, said that he was humbled and surprised when he learnt of the fact-finding mission. “There is nothing concrete on the table yet, but if the choir gets more exposure in South Korea, it would be in line with our objective of reaching out and touching people’s lives,” Van Niekerk said. 

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Linda van der Westhuizen

Linda van der Westhuizen has been with Zoutnet since 2001. She has a heart for God, people and their stories. Linda believes that every person is unique and has a special story to tell. It follows logically that human interest stories is her speciality. Linda finds working with people and their leaders in the economic, educational, spiritual and political arena very rewarding. “I have a special interest in what God is doing in our town, province and nation and what He wants us to become,” says Linda.

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