Korea Christian Gospel Mission, 120 Gumnanghwa-ro 26 Road, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (2026)

04/02/2026

February 2026 KCGM Newsletter from John Chae:
www.kcgm.org

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

I just got back to Korea with the two orphanage boys we had the privilege of taking to the United States over the past ten days, and I honestly cannot express how grateful I am to have had that opportunity. I am even grateful for the jet lag that is allowing me to write this letter to you right now in the middle of the night. It’s safe to say it was more than a memorable trip. I truly believe it was life-changing for these two boys, and even for the dorm parent who came along with us.

What was so great about the trip? Obviously, the sightseeing was amazing. The boys gasped at the view as we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. At Muir Woods, they remarked the grand redwood trees were unlike anything they had ever seen! Disneyland lived up to its reputation as the happiest place on earth (except maybe for me, who had driven us six hours to get there). Of course, you can’t forget about the food. They are still talking about the irresistible aroma of In-N-Out Burger that greeted them the moment they stepped out of the car in the parking lot.

There were also less obvious things (things you and I take for granted) that they found incredibly amusing. They were fascinated by how wide the parking spaces were. Their jaws dropped at how large the meal portions were. They thought it was weird that we had to tip at restaurants (“Why can’t they just include it in the price?” they asked). They noticed how polite people were, how strangers said hello, and how people held doors open for others. They were genuinely amazed that cars actually let you merge when you use your turn signal (In Korea, signaling often invites the other driver to speed up and block you instead). Seen through their eyes, American culture really was something special. It was something to aspire to.

Anyway, as impressive as the places and the culture were, they were not what impacted the boys the most on this trip. What truly stayed with them was the people they met along the way. We met so many wonderful friends and supporters on this trip. Everywhere we went, someone showed up simply to spend time with us or to buy us a meal. Literally at each stop, the boys were met with hugs and high fives. From their perspective, it felt as though the entire country knew them and cared about them. Thank you so much to those who made the time to do that. It was the warmest welcome they had ever experienced anywhere.

You have to understand that back home, one of the greatest struggles our kids face is loneliness. Many of them genuinely feel as though no one cares. We have had children hurt themselves, and even attempt su***de, simply to be noticed. Some of this has happened even recently. Feeling unseen is a heavy burden for a child to carry, but that was not the case for these boys on this trip.

This experience gave them a realization that I do not think they will ever forget, that they are far more loved than they ever imagined. On the last night, as we drove four hours from Fresno back to San Francisco, they asked me how it was possible that so many people seemed to know who they were and genuinely care about them. They asked whether people were just pretending to be glad to see them. I told them they were not. Then, they asked if it was because of me. The boys know that I travel around frequently asking people to pray for the orphanage and care for the children, and they thought I must have been pretty convincing. I told them that I do work hard at that, and my father did the same before me, but this was not the real reason they were loved.

“So what’s the real reason?” they asked. My answer to them was simple. I told them the reason so many people out here loved them was simply because God loves them, and we believers take our cue from Him. Anyone God loves is worthy of our love too. Scripture puts it more clearly than I ever could. “We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).” They grew quiet after that… I believe it was because the answer landed somewhere deep. That moment may have been the greatest lesson of the entire trip. Isn’t that wonderful? It is your love for our kids that assures them of God’s love for them as well.

Anyway, about two-thirds of the way through the trip, I knew something in their hearts was already beginning to change, because I started hearing the same phrase from them over and over again. They started saying things like, “Next time I come… I am going to do this. Next time I visit… I am going to try that.” Even when I suggested skipping Yosemite (as the designated driver, I was completely exhausted by that point), the boys weren’t disappointed at all! Instead, they simply said, we could go next time.

Next time… This response marked a real shift in their mentality and approach to life. I don’t know if you recall, but when they first applied to be selected for this trip, they believed this would probably be the only opportunity in their lives to ever visit America. Now they were talking about returning! They were beginning to see possibility! They were beginning to imagine more for themselves!

I encouraged that way of thinking. I even challenged them by saying don’t count on me to bring them again. No. The next time they come would be because they had worked hard, trusted God, and built lives that allowed them to take themselves. I joked that perhaps next time…they could take me. We all had a good laugh at that, and that is how we ended the trip.

So as I reflect on it now at 4 in the morning, I realize that what you gave these boys was not just a wonderful experience or a happy memory. You gave them hope. You gave them a vision of a future where they are seen, loved, and capable of more than they ever thought possible, and this kind of gift does not fade when the jet lag wears off. It stays. So thank you. Thank you for loving our children so well. Thank you for praying for them, supporting them, and reminding them, in countless quiet ways, that God loves them deeply.

Yours because of Calvary,
John Woosik Chae

04/01/2026

January 2026 KCGM Newsletter from John Chae (www.kcgm.org):

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

Happy New Year! I hope your Christmas season was full of warmth, laughter, and reminders of God’s goodness. Ours certainly was. Our home was filled with joyful chaos as kids were constantly running around, last-minute wrapping paper was flying everywhere, and voices spilled out from every room as our Santa Claus made his entrance. It was messy and loud, but it was beautiful. Watching not only the children, but also our missionaries and church plant pastors open the gifts that so many of you helped provide was one of those moments that makes me stop and thank God for how far His love reaches through you. It was the kind of Christmas that leaves you tired in the best possible way.

Now, as the decorations come down and the new year begins, I find myself reflecting on what kind of year 2025 was for us. As it is every year, it had its highs and it had its lows. There were moments of deep joy and answered prayers, and there were also days that left us tired and grieving. We said some heart-breaking goodbyes, and walked through a few hard seasons we never saw coming. Yet through it all, God’s faithfulness never wavered. He met us in the laughter, in the tears, in the celebrations, and even in the quiet moments when we simply had to trust Him. Looking back, I can see His hand in all of it.

To be honest, I started the new year feeling a little pouty. A few of the orphanage middle-schoolers recently asked that I NOT attend their graduation ceremonies at the end of this month (in Korea, the school year ends in the winter). This request took me by surprise as I make it a point to attend every graduation ceremony, even for preschool. I’m trying not to be too bummed about it, but attending the kids’ graduations is one of the proudest moments of the year for me and I’m having a hard time accepting that this is what a few of them want. They assured me it’s only because they don’t want their friends to know that they live in an orphanage as they have been keeping it a secret from them. I totally get it. In Korea, being an orphan still carries a painful social stigma, and when I show up, my role gives it away.

Like I said, my head totally understands where they are coming from, but my heart is still broken a bit. I suppose all parents go through something like this when their kids get older and request their parents to stay away from their social lives. Since my own kids are still young and still think I’m the coolest dad in the world, this is my first exposure to this type of rejection, so I’m having a tough time coping. Even as I feel this little pang of heartbreak though, I am reminded of the resilience and dignity these kids carry every day. Life has taught them lessons we hope no child ever has to learn, and yet they keep going, quietly navigating a world that doesn’t always see them for who they truly are. It’s hard, and sometimes it’s deeply sad.

So, while I won’t be sitting in the audience at their graduations this month, I’ll be cheering them on from afar, proud of every step they’ve taken. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll even be able to laugh at myself a little for feeling so invested in a moment that’s mostly pomp and circumstance. In the end, showing up for them doesn’t have to mean being in the front row. It can be in every shared meal, every conversation, every quiet word of encouragement, and every time we remind them that they are seen, loved, and held by God.

Anyway, all this is to say that I am grateful for the ways God moved in 2025. Children graduated out of our orphanage and found new homes, missionaries reached communities that once seemed out of reach, church planters stayed resilient, and everyday moments of growth and care reminded us why this work matters. These victories may not always make the headlines, but they make a difference in the lives we serve and in all of us who walk alongside them. I do not know what challenges this year will bring, but I am confident that God will continue to carry us through them. Thank you for walking with us through all the hard moments, the joyful moments, and even the ordinary moments. Your prayers, support, and encouragement make every one of these moments possible.

Now we’re stepping into 2026, which they say is the year of the horse! I like that image. After all, life does feel a bit like a horseback ride. I suspect there will be times we need to “hold our horses,” times we need to “get off our high horse,” and times we just need to get “back in the saddle.” What I know for certain is that in the end, we will get through it all as long as God is holding the reins. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6)!”
God bless you as we ride into the new year together!

Yours because of Calvary,
John Woosik Chae

P.S. As I mentioned a few newsletters ago, I will be taking two of our orphanage boys and our longest tenured dorm parent on a trip to America in a few weeks. Thank you to those of you who made this trip possible and designated donations for it. The kids couldn’t be more excited about it as they count down the days. Please pray that there will be no hiccups, and that it will be a fun, safe, and life-changing trip for these two boys.

16/12/2025

December 2025 KCGM Newsletter/Christmas Card from John Chae:
www.kcgm.org

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

December is the month when I send out our Christmas Card rather than a newsletter. As we did last year, we invited the children to design the card, and a 2nd grade girl named S.B. Kim won this year’s contest! She did a great job!

Here is my message for you written inside the card:

From our Geon Home family to yours, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As I look back on 2025, I can’t help but shake my head at how fast the year flew by. Time seems to move even faster at our orphanage. It feels like just yesterday we were organizing the bowing ceremony for Lunar New Year, and now, we are already scrambling around to make sure all the Christmas gifts are in order.

Through all of that beautiful chaos, God has been faithful. We have seen His grace in our children’s laughter, in our staff’s endurance, and in your constant love and prayers for us. You are part of every story of redemption and restoration here.

Through every challenge, every joyful moment, and every little miracle at Geon Home this year, God has reminded us of this truth in Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel!” As you know, the name Emmanuel means “God with us.” God was certainly with us in 2025. God was with us in the chaos. God was with us in the laughter. God was with us in every extraordinary moment and in every ordinary moment.

Thank you for being with us as God is with us! May your homes be filled with joy, peace, and maybe just enough chaos to remind you that God is always faithful.

Yours because of Christmas,
John Woosik Chae

08/11/2025

November 2025 KCGM Newsletter from John Chae (www.kcgm.org):

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

In the spring of 2023, we received a beautiful two-year-old boy in our home. He was God’s Easter gift to us. I vividly remember holding him delicately in my arms that first day. When he arrived at our home, he was tiny, clearly malnourished, and walked with a noticeable limp. He refused to eat much and couldn’t say much either. He was usually expressionless. They were the quiet scars of parental neglect. He was just a fragile little thing and for months, we treated him like a tiny bird with a broken wing, careful not to hurt him as he healed and grew stronger.

Slowly but surely, he began to show signs of life again. He started to eat more and more. His limp became less noticeable as we took him to the hospital for treatment. Every time I ran into him at the orphanage, I would give him a poke in the stomach or a little tickle to see if I could coax out a giggle or really any kind of reaction. Pretty soon, he began to crack a smile. Eventually, he would burst out laughing if he was in a good mood, or scowl and hit me if he was in a bad one. I welcomed both responses.

Over time, that frail little boy grew into a happy, healthy, mischievous child. He became the baby of our home and the mascot of our orphanage. Everyone adored him. The older kids treated him like a little brother, the staff doted on him, and even visitors who came for the first time noticed him right away, running around in his tiny little shoes bossing people around. One of the sweetest sights I will always remember is seeing him during worship, eyes clenched tight, little hands folded, whispering prayers only God could understand.

But next week, his father will be taking him back… Over the past few years, his dad worked hard to rebuild his life, to fix what was broken, and to prove to the government that he deserves another chance at raising his son. We have met with him several times, and each time I have seen more determination in his eyes, more humility, and more hope. He knows what he lost, and he has fought hard to make things right again.

We do not quite know how to feel about it. There is joy, of course, but also a deep ache. We are proud of the father for turning his life around. Yet, we will miss this little boy terribly. There will be an empty seat at the table, an empty bed at night, and an empty spot in the playroom where his laughter used to echo. For the other children, his absence will be felt in the quiet moments, when they remember his voice calling out their names. For us, it will be felt every time we pass the corner where he used to play, or see a toy that was once his favorite.

Sometimes, orphanage work is like this. In most cases, we get the privilege of raising the children until they become adults, but sometimes like in this case, we have to let go of them much sooner. Letting go can be heartbreaking, yet sometimes it is the truest act of love. It is one of the hardest things we ever do, but we are able to do it because we believe in a greater love than ours, a love that never lets go.

I often think of the psalm that says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” I have seen that truth in the lives of children who come to us carrying invisible wounds, in parents who find their way back to redemption, and in our own hearts when we say goodbye. Through it all, I am reminded that God’s love is patient, tender, and always at work, even when we cannot see the full picture

Thank you for walking with us through stories like this one. It is not always easy, but it is always sacred. Every child we care for, every story we carry, offers another glimpse of the heart of God, and even when the endings are bittersweet, we know His love and care for them goes far beyond ours.

Wishing you a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Yours because of Calvary,
John Woosik Chae

11/10/2025

We are grateful to the mission team for blessing our ministries this past week! God bless you!
www.kcgm.org

02/10/2025

October 2025 KCGM Newsletter from John Chae:
www.kcgm.org

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

Every so often a stack of letters lands on my desk that makes me laugh, tear up, and sometimes scratch my head all at once. These are the letters our children write to their sponsors. The kids write them two or three times a year, and they are treasures. They are full of updates about school, friends, trips, favorite KPOP groups, and always a line or two about the weather. Apparently, the children think their sponsors are very concerned about how much it rained or how hot or cold it was in Korea.

The letters often make me laugh. One child, having heard that dogs in America have doghouses, asked in all seriousness, “Do they even have air conditioners in their houses too?” Another child, proud of his competitive streak, reported, “We went to the beach for summer camp and I ate five clams at the restaurant. My friend only ate three, so I won.” Then, there was the mischievous child who ended a letter with, “Please pray that my teacher will give us less homework. If God listens to you, tell him quickly, because school starts again next week.” The things children say make these letters unforgettable.

In the same stack of letters, I also find words that make my eyes well up a little. One boy wrote, “I want to grow up to be just like you, someone who helps others in need.” I know he means it too, as he is looking to major in social work when he goes to college. Another child wrote, “Because of you, I know that someone believes in me even when I do not believe in myself.” This was especially meaningful because this girl often struggles with self-esteem. These are not just sentences. They are the prayers, the hopes, and the imaginations of children who know that someone across the ocean believes in them.

Some of the most heartwarming moments come when we see these relationships continue even after a child leaves the orphanage. Many sponsors keep writing letters long after the children graduate, celebrating milestones, achievements, and the young adults they are becoming. One girl, who graduated from college and found a job, received letters from her sponsors congratulating her and expressing how proud they were of her. As she read them, her face lit up with the same joy she had as a little girl, as if for a moment she were back at our orphanage again. It was deeply moving to witness how these connections extend beyond childhood, reminding our children that they are valued and remembered for a lifetime.

Yet, alongside these joys, the letters sometimes reveal a tender ache. Some children receive frequent notes and generous gifts from their sponsors. Others receive smaller or less frequent gifts, and some receive none at all. Some are faithfully remembered, while others write and wait, hoping someone will remember them too. That quiet longing reminds us that love, attention, and fairness are not only gifts, but lifelines shaping how a child sees themselves and the world.

So, as meaningful as these letters are, we have also seen how differences in gifts and attention can affect some children. After much prayer, we have decided that while we will continue current individual sponsorships, we will no longer begin new ones. We share this with sadness, because these letters are so precious and life-giving, but we believe this step will allow us to care for all children more equally so that none feel forgotten.

We invite you to continue showing your love for our children, not through new individual sponsorships but by sending letters or gifts for all the children to enjoy. Every note, every gift, and every prayer will now touch every child, helping each one know they are seen, valued, and remembered. In this way, your love will spread far and wide, brightening their days, encouraging their dreams, and reminding them that someone far away truly cares. On behalf of all the children, thank you for your generosity, your prayers, and your love. God bless you for making a lasting difference in their lives.

Yours because of Calvary,
John Woosik Chae

09/09/2025

September 2025 KCGM Newsletter from John Chae (www.kcgm.org):

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

I am in the midst of planning a big blessing of a project for our orphanage children, something I have been dreaming of and saving up for, over many years. The idea is to select and take a few of the kids on a vision trip to the United States in January 2026. For about ten days, I hope to take them on an American adventure, touring premier California universities, seeing the sights of San Francisco, experiencing Disneyland, and even visiting some of our supporting churches. Furthermore, I plan to make this more than a one time-event. My dream is to do it every year until every child in our home has had the opportunity to experience the wonder of traveling to America, to see its landmarks and culture firsthand, to broaden their horizons, and to dream bigger dreams for their own future.

Something like this has been done once before. About thirty years ago, an American couple graciously invited and hosted two of our girls. Those girls, now in their forties, still talk about how formative of an experience that was for them and can still vividly remember the people they met, the places they saw, and the way the trip opened their hearts to a world much bigger than they had ever imagined. Even now, decades later, they speak of that trip as a turning point that gave them confidence, hope, and a sense that God’s plans for them were greater than they could see at the time.

I hope for the same type of impact on our kids now! Of course, I don’t have the resources to take all of them at once, so we began a selection process for this first trip, which required the kids who were interested to apply for the opportunity and undergo interviews. We just finished up the last interview and boy, was I surprised by how seriously the kids prepared! Most of them wrote long essays on why they should be selected. Kids who had never used a keyboard before begged their dorm parents for computer time so they could type of their responses to impress the judges. Yes, some just wrote about how much fun they would have at Disneyland, but some of the children got deeply philosophical in their answers to such simple questions as, “What would you like to eat in America?” connecting how that donut or deep-dish pizza they were going to eat was going to alter the course of their lives.

I want to share with you the content of two of these interviews that were especially memorable to me. One of our senior boys’ wrote how he thought this would be the only opportunity in his life to visit a foreign country, especially as great as America. I was shocked at his response and it reminded me that the devil is still at work in the hearts of our orphanage children, planting doubts and lies that try to convince them their dreams have limits. I scolded him for thinking that and encouraged him to see himself not as someone whose life has boundaries, but as someone whose story God is still writing in wonderful and unexpected ways. I told him that this trip, whether he is chosen or not, is not the ceiling of his future but only a small glimpse of the doors God can open. Suffice it to say, we decided to take this boy.

Another boy, a fifth grader, said he was interested in seeing mixed-race families in America, something which is less common in Korea. He had heard that there were a lot of multi-cultural families in America and he wanted to see how they lived and got along together. At first, I thought this was a peculiar thing to say. Then, it occurred to me that he was thinking of his own heritage. You see, people often remark about how this boy doesn’t look Korean. We don’t have much information about his parents, but we were told that his father was a Korean man who had had a child with an undocumented immigrant, who after having the child, fled Korea. This was all he knew of his family background! So essentially, he was longing for understanding and connection, for a sense of where he came from and how people like him fit into the larger world. His curiosity was not just about seeing new places, but about seeing families like his own and imagining a life where he belonged. It was a quiet but profound hope and it reminded me that sometimes our children’s dreams are about far more than sightseeing or adventure. They are about identity and belonging. And so, with that in mind, we also decided to take this thoughtful fifth grader on the journey.

So it’s going to be these two boys for this first trip! They were ecstatic to hear they were selected! I have to admit that I’m pretty excited too. I hope this trip fills them with wonder, sparks big dreams, and maybe even instills in them my passion for burgers, barbecue, and NBA basketball. I know there are some of you in the California region who were equally excited about this prospect when I discussed it with you. If you feel compelled to host these two boys a day or two or buy them a classic American meal or show them a famous site, then please feel free to contact me about it and we will see if we can find a way to make it happen and include you in our itinerary! We never forget that experiences like this are possible for our children because of your support and encouragement. We can’t thank you enough!

Yours because of Calvary,
John Woosik Chae

P.S. Here are some pictures of the interviews and also a few from our summer VBS! The kids had a blast!

10/08/2025

August 2025 KCGM Newsletter from John Chae (www.kcgm.org):

My Dear Wonderful Friends,

Last month, we held a retirement ceremony for the last two remaining staff members who had grown up in our orphanage. These men, who first came to us as children in the 1960s and 70s, were raised by my parents and later returned to give their adult lives to serving the next generations of children.

I am told that the first retiree was a wiry, mischievous boy with more energy than good judgment, but he was also bright and did well in school. In fact, he was one of the precious few to get into one of the top universities in Seoul. This type of academic success was unheard of back then. After college, he worked as our assistant director in the 1990s before leaving to pursue other endeavors. About ten years ago, he returned once more to serve as the dorm parent for our middle and high school boys. He was very effective in this role. The boys respected him, because he had lived in their shoes (and he could also be pretty scary). There is a certain kind of authority that comes from having been a former troublemaker who knows all the tricks. More than that though, they knew he understood them. In his farewell speech, he thanked my parents for saving his life and called it the greatest privilege of his life to raise the boys in our care. His voice cracked. Mine did too.

The second retiree’s story goes even further back. He was one of six children. Their mother had just lost her husband and was drowning in grief and poverty. My father took them in, gave their mother a job as our cook, and she stayed at that post for forty years. In fact, her daughter (this man’s sister) took over the kitchen for the next twenty after growing up in our home. One of his brothers became a missionary in China, and we still support his work today. As for the retiree himself, he became our groundskeeper and held that job for thirty years. He fixed things before anyone even realized they were broken. He shoveled snow before the sun came up. He took out the trash without being asked. If you ever visited our orphanage, he probably drove the car you were in. If you asked him what he did, he would just shrug and say, “I work here,” but in reality, he held this place together. It is going to be very hard to replace him, not just because of the work he did, but because of the heart he did it with.

Anyway, it was an emotional ceremony. In fact, I had made it a personal mission to make them cry by the end of it, mostly because both of these men rarely show any emotion normally. Some people set goals like running marathons. I aim to emotionally unravel stoic men in front of children. I am happy to report that I succeeded. It’s hard not to when you’re reflecting on not just the entirety of your career, but the entirety of your life. We had our children give them flowers and hugs. How could you not cry after that? The whole ceremony was just beautiful and meaningful, but it also left me thinking about just how much things have changed...

It actually was not that long ago when nearly all of our staff consisted of adults who grew up here. This was normal, expected even. After all, back then, we could not find many people from the outside who wanted to work at an orphanage anyway (and the ones who did usually did not stay long). However, those who were raised here already knew what this place was. They knew what it was like to fall asleep crying. They knew what it felt like to be angry and not know why. They understood the kids in a way no training manual could ever teach. So they stayed. They showed up early. They stayed late. They made the place feel like a family. That was our greatest strength for many years…

It was only at the ceremony that it occurred to me that these two men were the last two to have grown up in our home. So, I have to admit that I left the ceremony feeling deeply thankful, but also quietly uneasy about what lies ahead. These men were part of a generation that did not complain and did not quit. They just kept showing up. They carried more than their share. They never asked for thanks, and they probably would have been embarrassed if we gave it. As my mom often grumbles, they don’t make them like this anymore.

STILL, I believe this place is not finished. God is still here. He is still calling people to this work. They may not have the same history, but they can still carry the same heart. The home may look different now, but the same God is still writing the story. 1 Cor. 3:7 is a verse I keep returning to lately. “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow…”

This verse gives me so much peace, because it reminds me that the weight of this place does not rest on me, or on any one person. It is God who brings the growth. He is the one who turns ordinary people into mentors and missionaries, cooks and caregivers. He is the one who took a home that began as a burden on my parents’ hearts and turned it into a place where generations of children found safety, purpose, and hope. He is the one who keeps us going even when we feel like we have nothing left to give.

Don’t ever forget that you have been a big part of that too. You planted with us. You watered with us. You gave when it cost something. You believed in us when there was not much to see. You read through our newsletters even when they were unnecessarily long (like this one) so you knew what to pray about. You helped carry this home through seasons of change, and you have helped shape the story we are still telling today. You are woven into the legacy that those two men leave behind, and you are just as much a part of the story we are still writing. Thank you for walking with us all these years. I hope you will keep walking with us into the next chapter, and into whatever new thing God is preparing to grow next.

Yours because of Calvary,
John Woosik Chae

Korea Christian Gospel Mission

04/02/2026

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