1. Rev. Dr. Young Jun Son Missionary and Pastor Music by
Wookyung Kim, Psalm 23
2. Young Jun Son was born in Tokyo in 1930. He grew up under
Japanese occupation in South Korea and found Christ at an early
age.
3. The influence of Bruce Hunt and other early missionaries to
Korea inspired him to serve the Lord.
4. When Korean Communists invaded South Korea, he was forcibly
taken to the North, but by God's grace he managed to escape with
his life. He met a US doctor on a medical ship who sponsored him to
come to America to finish school.
5. He left Korea in 1955 with only a Bible and five dollars in
his pocket. He worked hard taking many part-time jobs to support
himself while at San Diego State University then later at Geneva
College, RPTS and Westminster Seminary.
6. Young and Mary Lou married in 1964 and went straight to
work. Young pastored White Lake Presbyterian Church, ran a summer
camp for at-risk youth and mentored young men in New York state.
.
7. Young and Mary Lou founded Philadelphia House in 1970, a
ministry and home for international students. Many came to hear the
Gospel and it is still running after 44 years.
8. Young and Mary Lou along with their six children joined
other OPC missionaries to Korea in 1977.
9. Missionary Training Institute was founded in 1982 with a
budget of $1000.
10. Dr. Son said, We started with nothingbut the good hand of
the LORD who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, watches over us.
Courses began on a cold winter day at Pauline House in Suwon, South
Korea in January of 1983.
11. After two weeks, MTI ran out of money. Classes resumed in
an empty classroom at Chongshin Seminary in Seoul. There was no
heat or hot water and many of the trainees slept on pieces of
styrofoam.
12. Many of MTIs first missionaries were single women. They
were competent and capable with strong language skills.
13. In its first 10 years, MTI was held in various seminaries
and church buildings until 1993, when it was able to purchase two
floors in a new building in Seoul.
14. Volunteers from the USA, Canada, and Australia help with
language training and cross-cultural communication. MTI is always
looking for willing hearts to serve the Lord.
15. 2100 missionaries have participated at MTI and are serving
Christ all over the world.
16. Dr. Son spent many years visiting missionaries around the
world in need of support.
17. What makes MTI unique is its intensive schedule of
cross-cultural training and the requirement that English be spoken
at all times by staff and students.
18. Dr. Son felt that total immersion in the English language
for many of these Korean seminary graduates was essential for
successful mission work around the world.
19. The torch was passed to Youngshin and Mihyang Yoon in
2003.
20. In 2009, a new building in Yeosu, South Korea, was built
specifically for the training of cross-cultural missionaries.
21. MTI is still going strong. Many veteran missionaries from
MTIs early days return to Korea to mentor younger mission
candidates.
22. Dr. Son still serves the Lord at Murdock Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Bancroft, South Dakota. He prays daily and
has fellowship and bible study with his congregation.
23. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help
come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm
121:1
