From April 16 to 21, 2023, a Healthy Lifestyle leadership training course was held at the Anmyeon Training Center in Korea. The event was organized by the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD), Korean Union Conference (KUC), and the five local conferences; this was the third event since last year. The fourth event is planned to be jointly hosted by the Mongolian Mission, KUC, and the NSD Health Department in Mongolia.
About 25 church leaders attended the course. The slogan was "NEWSTART Lifestyle is not just a theory, but practice." The participants engaged in learning practical lectures, such as healthy, vegetation-based and fruit-based meals, as well as aerobic exercise (walking), stretching, and muscle training. The attendees expressed their satisfaction with the practical training of the NEWSTART Lifestyle, as they had only previously learned the theory of the program. They pledged to lead this program for health reform and practice as pastors in their local churches.
Jacob Ko, Health Ministries director of NSD, emphasized that God's plan of redemption requires physical, spiritual, and intellectual restoration, which is why the churches, hospitals, and schools were established, significantly through Ellen White’s prophetic input. He stressed that this comprehensive approach is what God desires for restoration.
Park SangHee, Health Ministries director of KUC, gave a lecture on the importance of faith in the NEWSTART Lifestyle program and why it is the most important thing. Other local conference directors also lectured on practical aspects of NEWSTART.
In the morning session, stretching, muscle training, and core exercises were conducted. In the afternoons, they walked for about ten kilometers (approx. 6.25 miles) daily. In the evenings, they had fruit-based suppers. Initially, the leaders were skeptical about having only two bananas for dinner, but they realized the slow process of chewing made them feel full.
They also experienced firsthand that a simple fruit meal can be great, especially for those who feel exhausted after a long day.
The original version of this story was posted on the Northern Asia-Pacific Division website.
