Growing Together Through Service and Sharing: Winter Mission and Volunteer Activities N
- Date2026.03.04
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The Darakbang Evangelical Association missionary scholarship students (Women’s Future Camp, Music Mission) and the volunteer group Essel, under the Office of the Chaplain (Director Ahn Sunhee) atEwha Womans University, actively carried out mission activities during the winter break of the 2025 academic year, spreading Ewha’s spirit of service and sharing.
From Tuesday, January 21 to Thursday, January 23, the “Women’s Future Camp” was held for three days and two nights at E-House and the Darakbang Evangelical Association on the Ewha campus. Under the theme “I Choose My Own Life,” the camp was organized and operated by six missionary scholarship students (Women’s Future Camp) from diverse majors, who led the program based on training received during the semester. The camp focused on helping teenage girls from migrant backgrounds grow into independent women.
(Left) Missionary scholarship students participating in a special lecture for planning the Women’s Future Camp and conducting rehearsals.
Designed as a student-participatory program, the camp featured a capacity-building curriculum intended to provide practical momentum for participants to grow into independent women. The program included economic and investment education using the virtual currency “Ewha,” psychological and career education connecting the past and present, gender-sensitivity education, and reading activities aimed at improving literacy.
In the economic education session, missionary scholarship students conducted an investment simulation using the virtual currency “Ewha,” incorporating news content that they produced themselves. The psychology and career education sessions encouraged participants to reflect on their past and present selves and listen to their inner voices in order to envision concrete future goals. In addition, activities such as gender-sensitivity education based on real-life cases, reading programs to foster familiarity with books, and a “values auction” designed to promote self-reflection helped students develop an attitude of making responsible choices about their own lives. Missionary scholarship students leading literacy education (left), psychological education (center), and a values auction activity (right) during the Women’s Future Camp.
In particular, one-on-one mentoring between missionary scholarship students and camp participants served as a core component of the program, allowing participants to build deep emotional connections. Lee Onyu (Economics, Class of 2024) shared, “During those three short days, I was deeply moved by the sincere words of the mentees who trusted me and opened their hearts. In fact, I received even greater comfort from them.”
Park Haein (Business Administration, Class of 2024), who led the camp as team leader, described the experience as “a meaningful process through which missionary scholarship students themselves are trained and sent out into the world,” and encouraged greater participation from members of the Ewha community.
Seven missionary scholarship students from the Music Mission program also took part in this activity. Immediately after the opening ceremony, they conducted a music education program titled “Music, Connect!” which helped the participants relax and open their hearts. Using Kodály hand signs and rhythm education methods, the program guided participants through full-body stretching and breathing exercises. The lively atmosphere created through music played an important role in enhancing engagement in the educational programs that followed.
Missionary scholarship students leading the Women’s Future Camp music education program “Music Connection”
Im Yeyin (Voice, Class of 2025), who was responsible for the music education, commented, “Through the process of becoming one with the camp participants, I experienced valuable personal growth that helped shape the direction of my future activities.” Park Siyeon (Voice, Class of 2023) added, “By thinking about ways for teenagers to learn joyfully at their level, I spent a meaningful time using music as a medium to reach their hearts.”
Essel has continued the medical mission tradition of the Darakbang Evangelical Association since 1971 through overseas summer missions and domestic winter missions. The Essel team, consisting of eight students from the College of Nursing atEwha Womans Universityand fourteen students from the College of Dentistry atYonsei University, visited Uipung Church in Danyang, Chungcheongbuk-do from Friday, January 23 to Saturday, January 24 during the winter break. There, they provided integrated medical services to 25 elderly residents in an area with limited access to healthcare. (Left) Essel team conducting rehearsals to prepare for the medical mission service and (right) participating in a worship service.
At the volunteer site, the nursing students began with patient registration and medical interviews, followed by blood pressure and blood sugar measurements and education on managing hypertension and
diabetes. During long waiting times, they provided hand massages and engaged in Seoram-bong acupressure activities while offering companionship to the elderly, extending emotional care as well. Based on the preliminary examination results from the nursing team, the dental team conducted professional oral examinations and scaling treatments, practicing compassionate medical service.
The Essel team conducting preliminary examinations for elderly residents at Uipung Church.
Shin Seoyun (Nursing, Class of 2023), who oversaw the mission as head of medical services, said, “Working together with the Yonsei dental team and seeing the smooth progress of the treatments allowed me to truly appreciate the value of community. It was a precious time that helped me grow further as a leader.” Jin Heesu (Nursing, Class of 2023), who participated for the second consecutive year, shared, “Reuniting with the elderly residents who remembered me from last year made me realize once again that volunteering is a process of putting the value of sharing into practice.”