Consoled with Mother’s love, and dream of the future with Mother’s heart
At 2 p.m. as the emcee pleasantly greeted the audience in many different languages before the seminar began, the foreign students studying in Korea put on a big smile on their faces with joy. Korean university students welcomed the foreign friends who came from afar to accomplish their dreams, with cheers and applause.
On July 23, 2017, a seminar for foreign students was held at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple under the theme of “Our Mother.” It was an event to deliver the encouraging message with Mother’s love to foreign students who are studying in Korea and to help them make tomorrow better as they are responsible for the future of each country. Despite heavy rain, over 200 foreign students from 43 countries such as Ghana, Romania, Mongolia, U.S., Vietnam, Brazil, Ethiopia, U.K., Ukraine, Egypt, Italy, India, Zimbabwe, Colombia, and France and more than 400 Korean university students gathered to make unforgettable memories and build a special friendship beyond language and nationality. Many people from all walks of life, including Mr. Panko Panov, Deputy Head of Mission of Bulgaria, attended and encouraged those who would lead the future of the global village.
Korean university students prepared the seminar and made presentations. The presenters recited a variety of literary works that show the value of mother’s love such as Counting the Stars at Night written by Yun Dong-ju, Worried about Mom written by Gi Hyeong-do, and other works displayed at “Our Mother” Writing and Photo Exhibition, which consoled the foreign students who missed their homes and mothers. What is necessary to comfort the weary and wounded souls and to make a better world in the age when love withers away is the very love of mothers. They appealed to the attendees to make happy lives all together. The seminar was held in English and simultaneously interpreted to nine languages such as Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Mongolian, and Nepali.
The cultural exchange event prepared by the university students from Daegu was also successful. Forgetting their longing for hometowns, the foreign students learned and enjoyed Korean culture in booths where they could try on hanbok [traditional Korean clothes], play folk games, learn Taekwondo forms and Hangeul [Korean alphabet], and so on. Kayo Sonja (Yonsei University) from Brazil said with gratitude, “It is very impressive to laugh all together with a bond of sympathy and to think about mother though many people came from different cultural areas. Today, I’ve discovered a new culture and learned how to think in a new way.” Mr. Panko Panov, Deputy Head of Mission of Bulgaria, attended the event, invited by a university student, and said, “I thank you for holding this touching seminar under the title of mother and inviting foreigners here. Through this event, I came to think about Korean people’s benevolence as well as mothers’ love. Please invite me again anytime.”
The university students who had prepared the event said, “University students can be described with words like challenge, vigor, and passion. In order to change the world that is losing love, we will challenge not only for study and employment, but also for filling our campus life with enthusiasm and passion by delivering Mother’s love to many.”
