I met an angel yesterday. Her name was Min Kyeong.
She sat beside me as I was waiting for my friend, Kim, by the exit of the Logos Hope Book Fair. There was an exchange of hellos followed by a good 5 minutes of awkward small talk before I figured that she didn't have plans of leaving me be. Eventually, I learned that she was part of the ship's crew. Aside from helping out in the book fair, she was what the crew called an "Angel"-- one who does the laundry and cleans the bathrooms of the ship. She offered to take me to a tour inside the ship; I declined, thinking it might take a while for Kim to come out. But she insisted to wait with me and tour us afterwards.
In a span of 20 minutes, I learned that she and I were quite alike despite our different nationalities--she being Korean. She was a person of few words; yet, she tried so hard to keep the conversation less awkward as it was. She had the same job of 5 years in a pharmaceutical company in Korea as mine now before she quit and joined the ship. I was intrigued as to what made her leave such a stable job, but before I could ask her, Kim arrived. So she took both of us around, and told us about Logos Hope.
Logos Hope is a ship that sails around the world with 400 Christian missionaries from different countries on board. These people left the comfort of their homes to serve God through the mission of the organization. Among others, Logos Hope is known for the book fair that's found right inside the ship, which they open to the public as they dock in countries all over the world. Their aim is to bring knowledge, help and hope to others.
Hearing about Logos Hope, I thought to myself what a difficult decision it must have been for these people to turn their backs on the lives they had in their own countries to serve strangers along their journey. I remember the many times I ignored or drove away beggars on the streets; yet, there I was, standing next to someone who left her family to serve and make friends with the same people I try so hard to avoid. Listening to her story has been both humbling and moving at the same time.
In this world where we witness bad things here and there, God sends us angels to remind us that there is still good left around and within us. Min Kyeong is an angel, indeed--not only to her crew, but to everyone she has met and will meet through the path that she chose.
And to the 400 people on board Logos Hope, I pray that I would have a heart as good as yours.
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