Food truck of love, the food truck of tears

Food truck of love, the food truck of tears

 

[시사타임즈 = 이철원 시사타임즈 회장] During preparations for dispatch, Pastor Kim Beom-gon, who operates the ‘food truck of love’, came to the International Peace Support Group. Pastor Kim belonged to the 'Very Good Friends' association and operated large-scale free food centers in Haiti and Afghanistan. He requested the transportation of three vehicles, including a mobile rice truck, and cooking equipment, to the local area to operate a free food service center for Filipino disaster refugees with the Arau unit. They promised to provide free meals to 10,000 refugees a day with equipment that can cook for 2,100 people at a time, and to support 1,000 people every day to an elementary school under restoration work by the Arau Unit.

▲food truck of love. ⒞시사타임즈

In cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense, the rice truck was included in the transport equipment of the Arau Unit, but a problem occurred during shipment from Busan Port. In order to take the vehicle abroad, you had to cancel the registration or pay taxes. However, the owner of the vehicle, BC Card, did not cooperate in advance, so it could not be sent overseas. I was able to get BC Card's permission only after talking directly with BC Card and promising that the unit will be brought in responsibility when the unit withdraws at the end of the year and will be operated by the Arau unit locally

▲free cafeteria. Free meals at refugee camps. ⒞시사타임즈

After dispatching the troops, I set up a site next to Arau Camp and installed a rice factory for free meals by providing electricity, water, and 4 containers. Therefore, by the end of March, free meals were provided to elementary schools with the aid of some military budgets and support groups' budgets with the Air Force Emergency Meal Vehicle owned by the Arau Unit. At the end of March, a group of American pastors came to visit the “rice factory of love” and then came to visit the Arau Unit. However, an American pastor started to weep while watching the introduction video of the unit, and then wept bitterly when the video was over. It was the first time I had ever seen a foreigner cry so mournfully, and both his men and the Americans who accompanied him seemed to be perplexed. After crying, the pastor said, “I am sorry that I suddenly burst into tears. As a Filipino lover, I was really moved to see the Korean military perform its missions so well. In particular, seeing the Korean War veterans find, build houses, treat them, and support funerals, I couldn't help but cry when I remembered my father, who is now a veteran of the Korean War, who is now dead. Korea will probably be the only country on earth that repays the favor of the past. My Father in Heaven will be pleased with this developed Korea, and the Philippines will be proud and grateful for this reciprocation even though it did not participate in the Korean War to get help in the past.” Pastor (Paul Chairs) has been pastoring at New Life Church in Manila for 37 years. He was so moved to see the Arau Units in action, he promised to support the budget for the operation of the free luncheon.

 

So, since April, with the support of Pastor Paul Chairs, the food truck of love has been operating normally, and we have been able to provide free meals to 3,000 refugees a day. In November, the rice factory was shut down as the Arau unit prepared to withdraw, but I built the Araou dormitory on the site of the rice factory so that even after we evacuated, the rice truck of love could be operated in the dormitory. Even now, Team Leader Kang continues to provide free meals under the name of ‘Love Meals’ at the elementary school restored by the Arau Unit.

 

글 : 이철원 시사타임즈 회장

 

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이철원 시사타임즈 회장 wangco123@timesisa.com