I pray this is not a reflection of SDA's morality

Disallusioned · is under review Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Posts: 1

I am a qualified Australian teacher. I was employed by your Happia SDA Institute in Dobong, Sth Korea to teach English to Korean children. I selected this contract from many offers because I felt a religious school would be honest and kind. This was FAR from true. I arrived in good faith and very enthusiastic only to find the school was not yet built, there were no students and the housing promised to me in the contract was not available. Pastor Kong who heads up the Institute kept telling me all would be OK and, because he was a man of God, I believed him. Over 3 long, sad months passed and the school was still not open. I waited and waited. By then I was living in a completely unfurnished appartment (except for a bed), salaries were witheld from myself and other staff and then the Pastor and Director tried to make me to travel under false contract documents to Japan to attain my E2 work visa. I refused but it took a lot of time and this meeting, along with others I had with the Pastor, was very stressful and sad. This was the final straw. I left the school for another contract but Happia still owed me a significant amount of money. Since then they have paid me a stipend but, as they agreed, a further 2 million won is owing to me. They promised to pay me this money at the end of last month and asked me to wait until then. Now they are refusing to pay me this outstanding amount. I am still very sad and angry over their mistreatment of me and their many mistruths. I am trying to believe this is not a reflection of SDA morality. However, all I really want is the money they agreed to pay me. Please let me know what I can do.
Sincerely and very sadly,
Miss C. Hill

Eugene Shubert · Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2003 2:17 am Post subject:

Dear Miss C. Hill,

It sounds to me that you were mistreated and lied to by the leaders of Happia SDA Institute. Your testimony has the ring of truth. This is a reflection of SDA's morality.

I do not know what you can do. I expect every Seventh-day Adventist leader who could do something to exit this page as quickly as possible and never return to this forum again. I have no pull with Adventists. I am widely regarded as the scourge of Adventism. All I can do is allow you to tell your story in the unlikely hope that someone with a conscience will read of your experience and try to help.

Ross · Seventh-day Adventist Joined: 07 Jan 2004 Posts: 45

Dear Disallusioned,
Many, many years ago I joined the church and was on fire for the Lord. Although no longer young I had the crazy idea that all Adventists were, would, whatever, were honest and upright in their church and in their day to day behaviour. Well, what a shock I got!!

However, suddenly it dawned on me that, "Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them." It dawned on me because I suddenly realised that this great promise was mine!! It no longer mattered what others did or thought. I was Christ's, and He was mine. I was put through amazing persecution, so much so people who knew me watched, waiting to see me crack. To their amazement it never happened, and it went on for a long, long time.

When astonishing things happen to you. When people do bad things to you, or with you, and you find things very bitter, stop and reflect on why they do? Why are you reacting so badly to them? Then, look to Jesus, and keep on looking to Him. The words of the hymn are true - "and the things of earth will grow strangely dim...."

What is important in your situation is to stop looking to some other human step away, and do your own thing. People promise all manner of things which they cannot in reality fulfill. They often mean well, but cannot do well for a wide range of reasons.

The man I was baptised with said to me one day, "You know, you can only be hurt if you want something." How true.
Sincerely,
Ross
_________________
R.R. Pollock