### A week of ministry with Korean volunteers and 1000 Missionary Movement missionaries brings school outreach, community service, evangelism, and two baptisms
**VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka —** A special evangelistic series was held in Vavuniya from September 28 to October 3. The week included morning Week of Prayer programs, afternoon handicraft workshops, evening evangelistic meetings, and community service. On the final Sabbath, two people were baptized.
Pastor Choi Hyung-seok, Seo Eun-ok, and Cho Young-gil traveled from Korea to Sri Lanka at their own expense to take part in the ministry. Six volunteers had originally planned to come, but two were unable to attend because of personal circumstances and another because of health concerns, leaving a team of three.
From Ceylon Mission, President Jung Hyo-soo, Adventist Community Services Director Kim Yun-ju, and Associate Director Christy joined the program. Four missionaries from the 1000 Missionary Movement also participated throughout the week, supporting both the programs and the evangelistic meetings.
## Meeting Teachers and Students from 7 a.m.
Each day began at 7 a.m.
Pastor Jung and his wife, together with the missionaries, first conducted a Week of Prayer program for teachers. They then met separately with kindergarten, primary, and secondary school students, sharing messages suited to each age group and praying with them.
Unlike an evangelistic series focused only on evening meetings, this program began inside the school each morning. It gave the ministry team an opportunity to meet teachers and students personally and spend time with them in worship and prayer throughout the week.
## A Handicraft Program Prepared for Two Months
The atmosphere changed in the afternoon as teachers and parents gathered for handicraft workshops where they learned to make soap, candles, and other items.
Seo Eun-ok led the program. She had been preparing the lessons and materials since August and brought most of the supplies with her from Korea. Despite the considerable weight of the materials, everything was provided to participants free of charge.
For many teachers, it was their first experience of such a program.
One teacher said, “This is the first time in my life that I have participated in a program like this. Teachers are always working and serving others, but it is very difficult for us to have opportunities like this for ourselves. Thank you so much for preparing this time for us.”
For teachers who spend most of their days caring for students, the afternoon sessions offered a chance to learn something new, take a short break, and enjoy fellowship with one another.
## Evenings with the Local Community
Each evening, evangelistic meetings were held for church members and local residents, with Pastor Choi Hyung-seok presenting the messages.
Vavuniya is located a considerable distance from the Ceylon Mission headquarters. Because of the distance and other circumstances, some members had not had many opportunities to meet church leaders and at times felt somewhat overlooked.
During this week, Mission leaders were able to worship with local members, listen to them, and spend time together. Church members expressed appreciation that the team had traveled to Vavuniya to serve alongside them.
Community service was also an important part of the program. Food packages were distributed to 50 families in need. Through these visits, the church was able to meet local residents personally and show practical concern for their needs.
## Prayer Continued After the Meetings
One of the most memorable parts of the week took place after the evening meetings ended.
Some participants began approaching the pastors and missionaries with personal prayer requests. This did not happen only once. Each evening, different people came asking for prayer.
Some shared health concerns, while others spoke about family problems, their children, or personal difficulties. The pastors and missionaries divided into smaller groups, listened to their stories, and prayed with them.
At times, these conversations and prayers continued almost as long as the formal meeting itself. Night after night, people quietly shared what they were going through and asked the ministry team to pray with them.
## “I Don’t Think There Will Be Any Baptisms This Time”
At the beginning of the week, the school principal said that it would probably be difficult to see anyone ready for baptism during this series.
In fact, no one had been scheduled or prepared in advance for baptism. Still, the pastors and missionaries continued to preach, meet people, and pray each day.
At the Thursday evening meeting, after the message, an appeal was made for anyone who wanted to follow Jesus and prepare for baptism.
Two people responded.
One was a family member of a school teacher. The other was a Bible student who had been meeting personally with a local church deacon and studying the Bible for some time.
The baptisms were not conducted immediately. The pastors met individually with both candidates to confirm their understanding of the faith and their personal decision. Where necessary, permission from a guardian was also confirmed. The local church board then voted to approve their baptism.
After the Sabbath worship service on October 3, a baptismal service was held in the swimming pool of a nearby hotel. With the volunteers, missionaries, and local church members who had shared the week together looking on, the two candidates were baptized.
The week in Vavuniya was not a large-scale evangelistic campaign. In fact, without the self-funded commitment of Pastor Choi Hyung-seok, Seo Eun-ok, and Cho Young-gil, the meetings would have been difficult to organize. Yet in a short period of time, the program brought renewed spiritual energy to the church and school community in Vavuniya.
Ceylon Mission plans to continue building its relationship with the area and supporting its ongoing mission work.
