L'Abri Newsletter, November 2026

30 October 2026

Dear praying family,

Autumn has arrived, and its crispness makes it easy to forget the sweltering heat of summer. The fall foliage on Mount Seorak is always beautiful and never fails to evoke admiration and awe. How thankful we are that Korea is home to so many mountains! Wherever we turn, we can spot the vibrant colors of autumn. May all who spend time in the mountains this year come to know the Creator and glorify the One who dresses the landscapes across each of the four seasons.

We began our autumn term in October. In mid-September, just before the Chuseok holiday, our youngest son, Eui-jin, got married. He and his bride, Ye-seul, were introduced about a year ago by an acquaintance from work who knew them both well and who realized that they shared the exact same requirement for a future spouse: someone with a strong faith. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who sent their congratulations upon hearing the news. If you did not receive an invitation to the wedding, please do not feel slighted; the bride and groom wished for an intimate ceremony, so we reached out only to those who have known Eui-jin since he was young. We ask for prayer that the couple would navigate the challenges of life by anchoring themselves in the very faith they both share and hold onto dearly.

In October, a three-day “L'Abri Special Lecture Series and Creationism Field Trip” took place. On the 7th, Dr. Lee Yoon-seok led a presentation and discussion for leaders in the field of the Christian worldview. On the 8th, Professors Shin Kook-won and Yang Seung-hoon delivered compelling lectures to a group of about 40 participants sparking lively discussions that lasted late into the night. On the 9th, the group explored a national geopark in the Gangwon region. It was especially meaningful to have pastors and congregants from the Yangyang, Sokcho, and Goseong areas in attendance. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the Christian worldview to take deep root in the lives of believers, ensuring it does not remain merely an intellectual movement among scholars and thinkers.

In the midst of this, the October term took place. While part of L’Abri’s charm is that the people and the atmosphere change with every term, one might say the degree of variation was particularly significant this time around. To begin with, the guests came from a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds: there were French, Russian, American, Indian, and Dutch individuals, as well as missionaries taking a break after long periods of service in the mission field, people who did not yet believe in Jesus, and others who arrived bearing deep emotional wounds that had taken a heavy toll on their entire being. Amidst the challenges of communication, there were even some who resisted participating in L’Abri’s core programs.

Looking back, it is clear that each term, God helps people in ways we never anticipate — and often through people we least expect. As we have done in the past, at the end of this term, our workers once again lifted their hands and knelt before God in humility. Since it is God who brings these individuals into our lives and who brings about change in them, we entrust them entirely to His good and perfect will.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Sung-jun and Mira, a couple who have spent an entire year now serving guests, as well as to Agi-sae who donated her cooking talents. Please pray that, while we continue to do our absolute best, we may also grow more accustomed to entrusting our work to God; after all, L'Abri belongs to Him.

Those of you who have been waiting for an update from L’Abri may be wondering why this prayer letter is so late. First, please forgive our delay. It was my turn to write the letter following the autumn term, but I suddenly found myself hospitalized. I have been diagnosed with a recurrence of lung cancer and have had to begin chemotherapy again; please accept my apologies for this unavoidable delay.

The cancer ward where I was admitted was filled with patients dealing with metastases, recurrences, complications, and terminal conditions for which no further treatment was possible. For the first moments, the atmosphere in the ward was so heavy that it brought to mind Mordor from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. In that silence, cast under the deep shadow of suffering and death, it was difficult even to breathe.

However, after a few days, I began to see that God is the true Master of this cancer ward. Observing the nurses and caregivers moving busily to tend to patients, the essential staff working hard to keep the facilities clean, and the doctors making their rounds, carefully listening to the patients' conditions and their concerns, I realized that hundreds of people are laboring around the clock for the sake of a single patient like me.

While cancer itself engages in a futile, self-destructive endeavor, ultimately perishing along with the host it kills, God is unceasingly extending a hand of salvation toward these people. The light of the Gospel and the love of God are being breathed into this place. Please pray that God will reach into the hearts of the patients who have been introduced to Him, granting them true life.

In 6 months since the last chemotherapy, I am beginning it again. While it is only natural to want to uncover the cause, I choose to believe that this recurrence, too, has been permitted by God, and I am determined not to “waste” this cancer. Please pray that I may put to death the sin within me and discover the will of God that I had previously failed to perceive. In particular, as Peter wrote, please pray that I might “recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles” (2 Peter 3:2). It is my sincere hope that, as you think of me and lift me up in prayer, you, too, will fully experience the hope and grace found in God’s promises.

Please pray that Hae-jin, who is physically frail, may grow stronger day by day, and that God will send fellow workers to work alongside her. Please also pray that InKyung, my husband may be granted strength and wisdom. I also ask for your prayers for Seong-jun and Mi-ra, the couple who look after the old gas station despite their busy schedules. Here is the remaining schedule for L'Abri for this year.

• November 25–27: Visit from 12th grade students of Byeolmuri School
• December 1–3: First visit from 12th grade students of Somyeong School
• December 9–11: Second visit from 12th grade students of Somyeong School

To all our brothers and sisters in prayer who are striving to live according to the Word in a world filled with sin and suffering: I pray that this autumn, the infinite and faithful wisdom, power, and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ may be revealed among you in full measure.

Leaving the hospital with love,

KyungOk

Translated by Ye-Jin Ahn