In this short video, Andi Santoso, regional director for Asia and the Middle East at Mennonite Mission Network, shares an inspiring example of restorative ministry in South Korea.
He begins with a describing kintsugi — the Japanese traditional art of repairing broken pottery with gold, turning fractures into beautiful, whole pieces again. Santoso draws a powerful parallel to mission work: amid brokenness from conflict, trauma, and difficult histories, God’s work involves reassembling lives and relationships into wholeness.
As an example, Mission Network partner Korean Anabaptist Center has centered its ministry on peace and reconciliation for about 20 years — particularly addressing the deep divisions and historical conflicts between South and North Korea.
Key aspects of their work include:
- Teaching peace theology in seminaries and churches.
- Developing practical programs in restorative justice, such as Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute.
- Training students, government staff, and community leaders in conflict transformation.
- Hosting annual peace conferences in Northeast Asia to promote peaceful living and heal societal rifts.
Through these efforts, the center helps transform broken relationships into shalom (wholeness and peace) within families, communities, and across national divides.
Your support makes these ministries possible. Give to the Mennonite Mission Network fund today.
