ⓒ 2004 WATV

After keeping the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on April 7, 50 members of the Church of God in Yuseong district, Daejeon, visited farmhouses damaged by heavy snowfall.

It wasn't on the request of someone else; they just voluntarily participated in the restoration work right after keeping the first time feasts. For the year's harvest, pear orchards should plow their ground before the pear blossoms come out. Though only two or three days were left before blooming, farmers were all on edge for they didn't even clear away the vinyl houses collapsed down by the heavy snowfall. Just then, a Church member passing by the damaged area came to know their difficulty and told his pastor. And all the members of the Church decided to help the farmhouses.

ⓒ 2004 WATV

The members visited Jukdon Village in Yuseong district, Daejeon city, with all their tools and lunch. Kwon Bok-tae, pastor of the Church of God in Yusung, said, "A couple of months ago, I visited a grape orchard in Okcheon for a restoration work. But I didn't know that our region, Yuseong, got damaged this much by the snowfall."

Pastor Kwon encouraged the farmers not to be depressed and thanked God for allowing the members to help the farmers at a time when they really needed help.

ⓒ 2004 WATV

Fortunately, though the vinyl houses collapsed, the pear trees inside were all safe. An owner of the orchard told that when it snowed, he wiped them away ceaselessly in order to protect the pear trees. On his face there was a mixed expression of tiredness and pride that he kept the trees from snow. Right after the heavy snowfall, a group of 200 soldiers and reserve troops came to this village and cut the steel-frames of vinyl houses. Then farmers alone made efforts for the restoration for a month, but still there were more works to be done; steel-pipes, all kinds of fittings, vinyl and paper bags were to be removed.

ⓒ 2004 WATV

The members hurried doing their allotted tasks. It seemed that the members were familiar with clearing vinyl houses; maybe it's because they'd already done the same volunteer work in areas such as Yeoungdong and Okcheon. They carried the pipes, collected every steel part, cut long pipes with grinders, and moved away plastics and non-biodegradable wastes from the ground.

A lunch after work was especially more delicious and the pear juice which an owner's wife gave was very good both in taste and nutrition.

ⓒ 2004 WATV

Around 4 o'clock, all the steels and plastics scattered in the 1,500 pyong (a unit of area) field were cleared out. Farmers kept appreciating the members' work, saying, "You cleaned the place as if it was your own!" and added, "Now we can plow the land and fertilize the soil." Their winkled faces smiling happily reminded the members of their parents in their hometown. The members, practicing the love of God, looked beautiful like the white pear blossoms.