Page 10 - Mission Note Jan23

In April of this year, we celebrated the 9th anni-
versary of the establishment of the Hope5L2F
Foundation (Hope5L2F). Since its inception in
April 2014, our foundation has remained commit-
ted to its mission. Founded by a group of Korean
Americans residing in New York and New Jersey,
Hope5L2F draws inspiration from the vision and
hope of sharing the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2
fish, which we believe continues to unfold in mis-
sion fields worldwide.
The primary goals of the Hope5L2F Foundation
are twofold. Firstly, we aim to assist faith commu-
nities in mission fields in achieving economic sus-
tainability. The sustenance of these communities'
ministries has become increasingly challenging
without financial independence. Global church support for mission work has significantly decreased over the past two
decades, necessitating a fundamental shift in the giving and receiving
framework in missions. Hope5L2F seeks to promote the financial inde-
pendence of faith communities in the mission field, enabling continuous
and expanding missions.
Secondly, our foundation places a strong emphasis on leadership de-
velopment in mission fields. The growth of the Gospel relies heavily on
the cultivation and training of local leaders. The healthy growth and inde-
pendence of churches and faith communities in mission fields are depend-
ent on empowering local leaders, including pastors and laypeople, to en-
gage in ministry. Developing and training these leaders is a crucial objec-
tive of our mission work.
Over the past 9 years, Hope5L2F has actively pursued these goals. Our
initial project involved establishing an after-school program for economic
sustainability at a primary school in Buakjan Village, Chiang Mai, Thai-
land. Through this program, students were taught the skills of mushroom
cultivation and fish farming. We also supported the financial independ-
ence of the Akha tribal church in Chiang Rai, Thailand, by initiating a
black chicken farm. Additionally, we installed a rice mill machine at
Payao Seminary in Payao, Thailand, to aid in the seminary's financial sus-
tainability.

In Cambodia, we launched the Susanna
Wesley House in 2017. This boarding house,
in partnership with the UMC mission office
in Phnom Penh, provides accommodation
and scholarships to female college students
from rural areas and orphanages. The Susan-
na Wesley House enables these students,
who otherwise lack the means, to pursue
their university studies in Phnom Penh. Fur-
thermore, we utilized micro-credit to em-
power local Cambodian Christians and facil-
itate the financial sustainability of a pepper
farm.