By: Sr. Maryanne Terrenal

South America & Korea
One of these cities is Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The other city is a not too well- known city in the middle of the South American continent. A pretty lass had lived all her twenty two years of life in this South American city when by force of circumstances she found herself in Seoul.

Overseas Job
Her story is repeated often in our modern world. A first year college student, she had to drop out because her divorced mother could no longer continue to pay her college fees. She took a job in a garment factory but of course the pay was low. So when a fellow country woman told her of the possibility of a high-paying job in the Far East, she easily consented. To be house maid should not be too hard, and she would be able to save; here was chance to see the outside world! Her plane fares would be paid for and the contract would be signed as soon as she got to her place work.

Prostitution Sale!
She and a few other girls were taken from one city to another. While waiting for visas. They lived in the small hotel room and their meals were served them there. The third city they were flown to was Seoul. Here our pretty lass heard they would not be given visas to the country they intended to go to as there were no diplomatic relations between the countries. They could however to go another thriving country, but there would be no housemaid jobs there. They would be employed as prostitutes. Easy living, easy money.

Pleading for Help
This young woman did not want such a job. Early the next morning before her friends were up, she stole out of the hotel room. By some stroke of ingenuity she found the telephone number of her country’s ambassador. The ambassador listened to her story but what was he supposed to do? What if this girl had invented a sad story but was really a spy or dope dealer or what ever? Her credentials must be checked thoroughly. The girl was put in a hotel by the embassy and again was told to wait. Contact was made with her mother. The mother was relieved beyond words. She had worried about the fate of her daughter. Please send her home, she pleaded. The mother was told to go to the local Ministry to ask for help. But the poor woman going to the huge government office asking for help is never a welcome sight. She was told to report the next day and then when she went, she was told to come back again after a few days. It was then the Divine Providence took over A missionary priest in Seoul heard about the presence of this girl’s story was true or false, but he thought that if the girl were living with nuns instead of in a hotel the ambassador the ambassadors expenses would be greatly lessened  and everyone concerned would feel more at ease.

Truth Will Out
Thus it was that the young woman came to our house. When she told us her story we know at once she was telling the truth. The Good Shepherd Sisters all over the world are committed to helping girls caught in situation like this. Hearing about her experience was nothing new. We listen to the girls like her most of our waking hours, girls fooled by society, used, abused, then discarded and abandoned. They need help in order to get out of the hole they are in.

Non Verbal Language
We were asked to keep her for two weeks. She immediately joined into the routine of the house. She help in the household chores, baked cookies and carrot cakes, listened to the girls’ blaring music, and went to a concert. She could not communicate verbally with any of the Sister nor the girls in the residence, but acceptance and love need no verbal language. During the first week she endeared herself to everyone. She could easily have done naughty things if she wished. But her very bearing showed us that here was a innocent lamb that had almost gone astray. The Good Shepherd found her just in time before she fell over the cliff.

Touch a Missionary
We know that if we waited for financial help from home we might wait forever. Her plane fare home would cost about a million ‘won’. What is one million won in Korea these days? And yet in some countries this amount would be next to impossible to raise. Local resources! We told the Ambassador about our plan. He was quite surprised that we trusted the girl so much we were going to all lengths to help her. By this time too, of course he was also ready to be convinced. He promised to contribute to our campaign fund. We thought that if tapped a few of the foreign missionary congregations, especially those with missionaries in South America, we found get an immediate response. Sure enough within a couple of days we had the cash in our hands.

Overstaying
But then there was also the matter of her illegal overstay in Korea. Not even a diplomat can override that. But we found the Immigration people a very human lot. She had to tell her painful story all over again with the help of a Korean minister who had lived in her country for many years. And miracle of miracles the fine they demanded was still within our ability to pay.

Gift of God
The day she left I stayed in the airport until I was sure her plane had gone-with her aboard. On my way home I thought of the Gospel reading of the day. “ And he took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks to God for them, and divided them into pieces, and gave them to the disciples who served them to the crowed... and afterwards, there were seven basketful left over...” Jesus had multiplied the loaves all over again today for one young woman. Plane fare, fine, pocket money and gifts for home.

The Kingdom- Here and Now!
Did I say this was a tale of two cities- of Seoul and of another city across the world? I think I’d like to change that. This is a tale of two cities: The city of man, where there are some who would lead others to their ruin; and the city if God where there are disciples who distribute the heavenly bread around. Both cities are in the world. Choose!

A poor woman is going to a huge government office asking for help is never a welcome sight.