19-20세기 조선 사회는 격변의 사회였다. 개화기 시점에서 서양 과의 무역통상 조약을 맺음으로 강제화 된 개방을 해야 했다. 조선개화 와 더불어 19세기 서구 선교사들은 조선에 복음을 전하기 위해 다양한 방법을 통해 입국했지만, 폐쇄적이고 서구 종교에 대해 배타적인 자세 로 일관했던 조선에서 선교는 상당한 어려움을 맞았다. 이러한 입장에 서 19-20세기 서구 개신교 의료선교사들은 조선에 입국하여 병원을 세우고 가난하고 병든 조선 사람들을 치료하고 보살핌으로 조선에서 기독교 형성의 발판을 마련했다. 의료선교는 조선 개신교 형성의 출발 점이 되었으며 신앙 공동체의 모체가 되었다. 또한 조선 사회를 새롭게 변혁시키는 변혁의 주체가 되었다. 의료선교사들은 조선에서의 선교적 헌신을 통해 그리스도의 사랑을 실천했으며, 근대 병원 건립을 통해 선진화된 의료기술을 전수했다. 교육의 불모지지였던 조선에 위생교육 을 통해 복음의 접촉점을 마련했다. 나아가 조선간호협의회를 만들어 여성 리더십을 고취시키는 일 등을 마련함으로 조선 개신교 형성과 선교 사역에 지대한 공헌을 하게 되었다.

13세기에 이슬람이 유입된 아쩨는 힌두교와 불교, 그리고 애니미즘과 수피즘 등이 혼합된 민속 이슬람의 성향이 강하다. 중재자 역할을 하는 왈리와 숭배사상을 갖는 수피즘은 아쩨의 이슬람화에 중추적 역할을 하였다. 아쩨전쟁, 인도네시아 독립전쟁, 다룰이슬람, 그리고 자유아쩨운동은 과거 아쩨 술탄국의 번영을 갈망함과 동시에 고난을 이겨내기 위한 투쟁이었다. 남자의 독립성을 키우는 므란따우(Merantau)와 딸에게만 재산을 상속하는 관습은 아쩨의 가정을 여성 중심으로 만들었다. 하나님의 사랑과 복음을 전하는 것은 만남과 관계 형성에서 시작되고 그 접촉점의 역할로 의료선교는 매우 유용하다. 아쩨의 역사는 고난과 비통으로 함축된다. 그들에게 필요한 것은 몸과 마음을 함께 돌보는 전인적 치료이다. 동양의학은 아쩨 무슬림의 비애를 돌볼 수 있고 만성적인 질병에도 효과적이다. 특히 경제적이고 치료 효과가 좋은 침술은 아쩨 무슬림의 건강관리에 적합하다. 동양의학의 궁극적 목적인 양생(養生)과 복음전파를 통한 전인치유는 전인적으로 병든 아쩨 무슬림을 건강한 상태로 회복시키고 하나님의 나라를 체험하는 사건이다.

The Korean Church has been doing various mission works in many areas. However, it seems that there is neither profound study nor systematic materials for professional mission. This study is an attempt to a basic study for medical mission in East Timor. This project-style study is a practical one through not only literature analysis but also field research. East Timor is a newly born country. The government of East Timor has made education, health and agriculture as the most priority works in the National Development Plan. These three areas are surely urgent and important for the national development. At present, medical facilities are falling behind and national health indicator is very low in East Timor. Both fertility rate and infant mortality is high. Not only infant mortality but maternal mortality rate is also high. Moreover, the people of East Timor are not free from various diseases. However, a regular prevention of epidemics can reduce attack rate of disease. Medical mission should begin with grasping of the urgent need and importance in the field. It is not only provide medicine and cure a disease, but also takes a disease prevention program and health education. Prevention is better than cure. It plays a role to protect people from a disease beforehand. In order to prepare for medical mission, it is necessary to make stages, set goals, examine processes of operation goals, analyze results and evaluate them. Among the six stages, the first stage is to organize a short-term mission team. It is consisted of 5 to 10 people and the members stay at least two weeks to a month. The team visits a fixed place once or twice a year. This is because the members of the team may have a close relationship with the natives and get the information of their health. This may help grasp their health condition and provide appropriate health care. The second stage is to send one or two medical volunteers to a local clinic or hospital as long-term medical missionaries. The third stage is preparation period for founding a local clinic. In order to found a clinic, carefully examine the necessity of founding a medical institution and a suitable location where is no medical benefit. The fourth stage is a period of founding a local clinic. One nurse and one midwife serve the clinic. The fifth stage is a stable period of operating the clinic. In this period, the clinic provides medical service of good quality and preventive education. The sixth stage is a self-supporting stage of operating the clinic. It is time to change its members as the natives by stages, and transfer its operation to them. Medical mission is a future-oriented work in the respect of the promoting national health. It carries out on the level of Christian mission, so that may share God’s love with the people in East Timor. The society will be healthy through forming a healthy person in both body and mind, and living in harmony with God, neighbor and nature make.

It is necessary for the medical missionary to encourage the patient and the family of the patient to seek medical treatmen t. More important than medical treatment is preventive healing. By reducing the anxiety of clients their immune system will be strengthened against the virus. How can we enhance our immune system? First, the medical missionary makes the client recognize that God gave us our body to care for. Our body is not an object of hatred but oflove. Second, true health harmonizes both body and spirit to enhance our immune system against viruses. We need the paradigm shift of medical mission by cultivating various healing methods.

광주 선교 스테이션은 의료활동을 통해서 복음의 접촉점을 가졌을 뿐만 아니라, 당시 열악한 위생상태와 질병을 통하여 죽어가는 사람들을 치료해 주었다. 특히 광주 선교스테이션의 한센병과 폐결핵환자에 대한 치료는 헌신적이었다. 많은 사람들이 치료를 받고 새로운 삶을 살아가게 되었고, 그리스도의 사랑을 실천함으로 이를 통하여 주님께 돌아오는 이들이 많았다. 환자들을 찾아가기도 했다. 의사가 없는 지역에 순회진료를 했고, 그리고 농어촌 의료봉사, 보건예방교육 등을 통하여 국민건강 증진과 위생에 대한 인식을 변화시켰다. 의료활동은 광주지역을 넘어서 여수와 순천으로 그리고 남부지역으로 확대되었다. 또한 치료와 회복 그리고 재활 프로그램을 통하여 사회의 소중한 일원으로 살아가게 했고, 의료인재를 양성해서 장차 선교한국으로의 토대를 마련했다.

Horace N. Allen, a missionary, established the first Western hospital in Korea, Je Jung Won, when he arrived at Jo Sun in September 1884. He also opened the first medical school to teach Western medicine. The hospital and medical education was developed rapidly by Oliver R. Avison. In the history of Severance Medical Center, Avison’s greatness can be found in three aspects. Firstly, he served the Korean people by his medical work throughout his life. Secondly, he developed an autonomous system for handing down Western medicine to Korean people, ensuring the continuation of his medical work to Korean people. Thirdly, he prepared and educated the Korean people in Western medicine without any pause or reservation for himself. Of these three, the third is the most distinctive achievement of Avison. He regarded the Koreans as the initiater of the medicine in Korea, not as child-like objects for education as other missionaries generally viewed them. It was because he was free from the confining racial prejudice of considering the Korean people as the inferiors to be pitied. Then what was the power in Avison’s faith that distinguished him from others? It was his understanding that the essence of faith was the power of the Christian passion that deeply sympathizes with the sick, the weak, and the alienated, as their own suffering, and lovingly serving neighbors to improve their lives as humans. He also had the political and religious convictions of democracy, that everyone was equal as the children of God. Cultivating the Severance Medical Center into a large tree was not the blind desire of efficacy and profit, which is the general perception. Paradoxically, it has grown through the power of non-profitable, loving commitment and serving. This is the very reason to pursue the spirit of the Severance Medical Center and to faithfully adhere to its historical tradition. Even today, Jesus Christ is calling us to the Word of the truth that human beings can not live by bread alone.