Faith in Action – Master Dong’s Humanitarian Journey

By Joel C. Spangenberg

This is a modified version of an article that first appeared in a fall 2016 edition of the Christ Church Washington Parish “Parishioner” newsletter. 

Master Dong, a Capitol Hill resident and leader of the non-profit Home Do, provides in-person humanitarian support for Syrian refugees. Christ Church parishioners, a number of whom who have gotten to know him through his presence in the neighborhood or during his visits to the church, have generously supported his efforts. In recent months, he has used the donations he received to buy baby formula and food for refugee children that he personally delivers. He strives to engage families, particularly children, in caring for the Earth and each other. In October, Master Dong returned to Washington, D.C. for a brief visit. I had the opportunity to ask him about Home Do and his efforts overseas.

Joel C. Spangenberg (JS): Master Dong, many people on Capitol Hill know you from your school aftercare program known as Home Do. Can you explain how Home Do came about?

Master Dong: Home Do started with the homeless children at Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV), a large homeless shelter, in 1996. I was looking for my soul because I had just lost my mother. When she had visited me in Washington, D.C. from South Korea, shortly before she died, she asked me why there were so many people living in the streets and said to me "Son, you don't have to send money to me. Why don't you help them?”

After she passed away, I asked around to find out how I can help the homeless. I called CCNV. There, I met the children. Many of them skipped class and threw rocks at cars. I realized how lucky I was with my parents; so many of these children didn’t know their father. They fought with other children at school and teachers would punish them without really knowing their situation. Homeless children were born into such a difficult situation.

I asked God how I could help these children because I felt that I had been given so much. I was born with a faithful mom and family, and have a house and a car. These children lacked all of this. I kept asking, “What can I do for them?” So I began working with them.

Also, I’ve taught on Capitol Hill for almost twenty years. I started classes on Capitol Hill because many of the homeless children attended schools around here. They were excited to see me because they could say, “I know Master Dong” and feel connected to me. I would teach all the children how to handle bullies and not to bully others. I’ve taught children from a number of elementary schools including Watkins, Peabody, Maury, Tyler, Minor, Apple Tree, and Malcolm X.

JS: What are the principles at the core of your approach?

Master Dong: Home Do’s originates from “home” in recognition of our body being our small home and nature as our big home. Together, they are the perfect gift. “Do” is living like a tree, a life born of God’s blessing. The tree represents the blessing found in Psalm 1: One who is blessed by God is “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither – whatever they do prospers.” The tree ties together our bodies and nature, with God’s blessing. In this way, everyone can live like a tree. Trees create harmony. They communicate with soil, wind, sunlight, rain, and even carbon dioxide to grow and create oxygen. We want our children to be trees and overcome the “carbon dioxide” in their lives and grow, creating the “oxygen” the world needs.

In the man-made culture, people with big houses get big respect. People with small houses get less respect. People with no houses are called “homeless”; they are left behind and get no respect. In God’s point of view, every human has a “home”. Whoever takes all of nature’s elements and lives like a tree will be blessed.

JS: How has your faith in God shaped your efforts?

Master Dong: I started working with children in homeless shelters who had been left behind twenty years ago because of my late mother. Now, I realize that God has blessed the time spent with the homeless children. Facing any difficulty, I believe that God will reward and guide me as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus.

JS: Why are you driven to help Syrian refugees?

Master Dong: The many stories of refugees and war moved my heart to go to where so many of them are and help them.

JS: What is life like in the refugee camp?

Master Dong: Life in the refugee camps is life at its worst. Children have no shoes. If they were to injure a foot, they would have no bandages to cover the wound. Instead, people would wrap the foot with plastic bags from the street. There is no electricity or immediate water source. There are no identities given to the refugees; they do not receive IDs. This makes it so people cannot receive medical attention. If someone dies, it wouldn’t matter since they are not on any record. Everyone lives in tents. These tents are held up by sticks and stones. When it rains, everything gets muddy and slides into the tent.

One of the biggest frustrations I have found in the refugee camp is that a mother cannot feed her own baby. Because she does not have much to eat, she cannot produce breast milk for her child. When a child is sick or handicapped, he or she cannot be treated by medication or surgery since they are unavailable. Adults simply accept it as the way things are supposed to be.

JS: What are the most pressing needs that you see?

Master Dong: The most pressing need is human touch. The refugees need to feel that "we care about you and you are so important to us." Children need medical volunteers to care for them, food, milk, and diapers. Mothers need food. Babies need milk.

JS: How do you communicate with others in the refugee camp despite the language barrier?

Master Dong: I cannot speak Arabic, which is spoken by the refugees, so I just deliver His love and care. So far things have been good without speaking their language. Our language in the refugee camp is through feelings and God’s love. I simply go there to spend time and feed the babies and the children. We gather water in buckets and warm them up to wash the babies and children. All I want for them is to feel God’s love and care. Human language causes too many complications between people. God’s language of love can communicate to anyone.

Without language, I am still able to successfully communicate with the people and children there. There have been several aggressive religious groups who have confronted me using English, but God helped me stop their aggression through one small patch of grass in front of the tent. I asked them, "Who made this nameless grass? What does this grass do for us?” I told them that I believe in the God who made this grass and not the human language. They eventually joined in my efforts to help others. At the same time, many godly brothers and sisters have been praying from all around the world.

JS: How do you connect and relate to others with different religious and cultural backgrounds?

Master Dong: I do not speak a single word in Arabic. In some ways, this has helped me a lot. I simply wear my Home Do uniform with the Home Do tree symbol. Every day, people see me going out to work with the refugee children. The local Muslim community feels the love I deliver and joins me when they can, without speaking a single word. I was invited to a church. They asked, "How do you run your mission without Arabic?”

Many people of faith I have met during my work and travels want me to teach their children Home Do. They are so interested in Syrian refugee camp children and tree-standing meditation, which is central to Home Do. They asked me, “Where did you learn about these ideas?” I told them my school was in the shelters and working with the children for the past 20 years. I also told them that no human taught me this; I was guided by the Holy Spirit.

JS: Could you please tell us about some of the children you helped in the refugee camp?

Master Dong: When I first started at the refugee camp, there were so many hungry men, women, and children. I didn’t know where to start. I don’t have a big organization or grant supporting me. All I have is my body and a limited source of funds, so I asked God, “What can I do?” I felt God convinced me to just do what I had volunteered to do for homeless children in Washington, D.C., but at the refugee camp.

When I first saw baby Ali, I was very concerned. His health condition was terrible, and as your friend who is a doctor recommended through email, baby Ali should have been moved to a hospital for immediate care. When we arrived at a hospital, the hospital denied him treatment because Ali had no ID card since authorities did not give him one when he came from Syria. It took time, but he received an ID. Baby Ali is now allowed to see a doctor.

Another major challenge is Ali’s father. He doesn’t want his child to be hospitalized. He said, “Allah made Ali this way.” He takes Ali along to beg for money in the streets. All I can do is wash Ali and feed him. Some days, I cannot see Ali because the father takes him out to the streets to beg, so I usually visit him in the evenings. It is most dangerous to travel during the evenings. Anyone can kill me to steal my wallet or passport, but I do not falter because the Holy Spirit is with me.

Despite this, baby Ali has become a main source of teaching refugee children about love. I do not preach or lecture with words in the refugee camp. I simply go there to feed and wash baby Ali, and everyone sees that. They can see what love is about. God has performed a miracle on baby Ali and the surrounding refugee camp. And yet, they know I am not Muslim. They know I am from outside; I have an Asian complexion. 

While I was moving around the refugee camp on a very hot day, I met Khali. Khali is a young men with disabilities. He had a piece of rope tied to his leg and no shoes. He had no protection from the sun. I gave him milk and water. He kept drinking nonstop. I smelled his hair and could immediately tell it was never washed. When I saw his conditions, the Holy Spirit touched me to teach about Khali so I did this right away. 

The children pointed to Khali’s mom and dad’s tent. It was right next to him. I went in to town and bought a tent. I brought it back to the camp and built it for him with the children. We washed him and clothed him with new clothing. After we finished everything, we celebrated with the refugee camp children and Khali. 

Every day, we gather and have our Home Do classes around baby Ali and Khali. Khali now has friends and other children have started to hug him. Remember, Jesus told Peter to feed his lambs. Whenever we look for these left behind sheep, Jesus will perform miracles through us.

JS: Thank you for your time. More importantly, thank you for sharing God’s love and helping the refugees.

Supporting Master Dong’s efforts overseas is an important new outreach effort by Christ Church to help those who are suffering in the world. A number of parishioners from Christ Church and members of the community have donated in support of Master Dong’s efforts. Even Christ Church and Home Do aftercare children have had lemonade stands on Capitol Hill to raise funds to help. Master Dong is very grateful for this.