Planting Hearts, Reaping Love: 2026 Summer Mission and Volunteer Activities of the Upper Room Evangelistic Association N
- 작성처
- Date2026.09.11
- 110
The Office of the Chaplain (Director: Lee YoonKyung) carried out various mission and volunteer activities both in Korea and abroad during the 2026 summer vacation with mission scholarship students, the Singing Mission Team, and the medical mission volunteer group “Eshel,” all affiliated with the Upper Room Evangelistic Association. From camps and music-based outreach for youth from immigrant backgrounds to overseas medical service for Myanmar refugees, the students served their neighbors by putting their academic majors and talents to use, putting Ewha’s spirit of sharing into practice.
The “Mission Scholarship Student Team (Girls’ Future Camp),” consisting of six Ewha students from various academic majors, held the “Girls’ Future Camp” for girls from immigrant backgrounds in Geumcheon-gu from July 23 (Thu.) to 25 (Sat.) for two nights and three days at the Upper Room Evangelistic Association and E-House on campus.
Held under the theme “My Emotion Diary,” the camp featured a variety of programs, including ▲ukulele lessons ▲education on psychological and physical changes during adolescence ▲finding hobbies suited to oneself. Each night, the participants exchanged diaries with their mentors, taking time to honestly express their thoughts and feelings and understand one another.
Mission scholarship students leading ukulele lessons (left), the psychological class “Mind Prescription” (center), and the hobby-finding program (right) at the Girls’ Future Camp
Kim Yeji (Department of Climate and Energy Systems Engineering, Class of 2021), who participated in the mission scholarship student program for the third and final time, shared, “Just as they say, ‘There is a time to plant and a time to reap in mission,’ I realized that all our efforts had borne fruit when I saw the children I had met through several camps opening their hearts to us first.” Team leader Cheon Sea (Department of Korean Language Education, Class of 2025) also shared how the participants had grown through the camp, saying, “I was deeply moved by seeing the children open their hearts with smiles, having grown so much both physically and emotionally in just six months.”
On the evening of the first day of the camp, five music mission scholarship students held a small concert for the participants, giving them a special memory.
“Mission Scholarship Students (Music)” performing at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital Lobby (Wubokhee Art Hall)
The “Music Mission Scholarship Student Team,” made up of students from various academic majors, then held a performance at the lobby of Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital on August 28 (Fri.) under the theme “Taking a Moment to Rest with Music.” They presented a relaxing repertoire including Korean art songs, opera arias, and hymns, offering comfort and rest through music to patients, their caregivers, and medical staff.
The Singing Mission Team sharing hymns at a special worship service at Jangheung Church in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do
Meanwhile, the “Singing Mission Team,” consisting of students from Ewha Womans University and the Department of Vocal Music at Yonsei University, also continued its summer mission activities. Having been active for the past 48 years as Korea’s first university-based singing mission organization, the Singing Mission Team visited Jangheung Church in Yangju, Gyeonggi-do, on August 28 (Fri.) and participated in a special worship service. The students performed three hymns, including “Deep in My Soul,” “Passing Through the Wilderness,” and “The Lord Will Keep You,” in three parts, spending time connecting and building fellowship with the local church.
Eshel team during worship | Conducting preliminary examinations, including blood pressure measurement
The medical mission volunteer group “Eshel” has continued the medical mission tradition of the Upper Room Evangelistic Association through annual medical mission activities in Korea and abroad since 1971. The Eshel team, consisting of seven students from the College of Nursing at Ewha Womans University and 18 students from the College of Dentistry at Yonsei University, visited MIKS Academy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from July 5 (Sun.) to 12 (Sun.) and carried out medical volunteer activities. Over five days, the students provided medical services to 984 local residents, including Myanmar refugees.
Sex education session conducted by Eshel for 32 girls at a refugee elementary school
In particular, during this activity, Ewha College of Nursing students independently planned and conducted sex education and intravenous injection seminars for the first time, actively applying their professional skills in the volunteer setting. Kim JiEun (Department of Nursing, Class of 2022), Chief of the Medical Team, said, “It was particularly meaningful that we were able to independently plan and implement programs that incorporated the unique strengths of the College of Nursing.” Shim YeJi (Department of Nursing, Class of 2024) shared, “I realized that making an effort to understand a patient’s language and culture, in addition to providing treatment, is also an important part of medical volunteering.”
Local-language notes prepared to facilitate medical consultations (left), group photo (right) | Eshel
Working in an unfamiliar environment where communication with patients was possible only through interpreters and amid unfamiliar languages and cultures, the students met nearly 200 patients a day on average. Although the conditions were challenging, they connected with patients through eye contact and gestures, experiencing firsthand that medical volunteering goes beyond simply providing treatment and is also a process of understanding one another and sharing human connection.
Through this summer’s activities, the Mission and Volunteer Team of the Upper Room Evangelistic Association at the Office of the Chaplain met and served a wide range of neighbors, including youth from immigrant backgrounds, patients and caregivers, local churches, and refugees overseas. The students shared their academic expertise and talents with their neighbors, extending warm hearts and helping hands across generational and cultural boundaries.