Following graduation,
rather than returning to
Korea, Kim moved to
Los Angeles where as
an entrepreneur she
started and ran several
successful businesses.
After 30 years, she
decided it was time to
fulfill her and Hasse’s
dream.
“My first mission was
to help my family,” she
said. “Of course I did
that. All of my siblings
and their children now
live in the United States and have very good lives. But when I
decided it was time to do missionary work and I looked around
Korea, I realized that we have been very fortunate.”
Kim said that those who live in South Korea, because
backed by the United States after the Korean War, are very
successful.
“Our country is very wealthy,” she said. “We are considered
one of the three Asian Dragons.”
Because of that she said she looked outside Korea to
continue her mission work.
“I had visited the Philippines and couldn’t believe the poverty
and devastation that was there,” Kim said. “They have nothing.
There are people that live in cemeteries because they can’t
afford to build homes. It isn’t unusual to see families using the
caskets, which are above ground, as their walls and tables. But
if you see them in the city, they never look poor because they
wear clothes that have been donated to them.”
Her goal: to educate the children and give them a hand
up so they can succeed and help improve the conditions
themselves.
“We have built schools,” she explained. “We have gone in
and where they were using terrible conditions, we have built a
beautiful mission where they can go to school and learn.”
The mission is called the Hansori Mission Center in Cebu,
Philippines.
“I am very proud
of what we have
accomplished and
I know father would
be very proud of
me,” she said.
“We have made it
a beautiful place,
a learning place, a
place of education.”
Kim explained that
her intention was to
name the mission
after the Hasses,
but in the end was
not able to.
“We are very small,” she said. “After I am gone, I don’t know if
the mission will continue, but because I wanted it to, we have
connections with our church.”
Kim is very religious and said that in Korea Christianity is
the main religion; however, the more traditional Buddhism is
growing in the country.
“Many of our youth are exploring Buddhism again,” she said.
“I am not sure why they are turning to Buddhism, I guess it is to
find their traditional roots. But they are still doing good works.”
A Journey of Thanks
While Kim and the Hasse children have stayed in contact
throughout the years, she said she chose to return to Vermillion
this past weekend to honor her parents with a journey of roses.
“The timing was just right,” she said. “We use roses to honor
our loved ones. So, I am calling this the Journey of 200 roses.”
Near the 50th anniversary of Merten Hasse’s death, she chose
to return to Vermillion and visit.
“Even though I have not lived here for a long time, this is still
my home, these are still my parents,” she said. “My country’s
tradition is to honor your parents and loved ones. I wanted to
come and visit them and thank them.”
vBy Shauna Marlette
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