From the First Welcome to the Last Farewell
"We'll never forget the love we've received in Korea!"


September 4, the last farewell ceremony
On September 4, around 6:30 a.m, the last farewell ceremony for the 174 Universiade participant countries was being prepared.

The countries scheduled to board on a 7:40 departing flight were Rwanda, Niger, Ethiopia-total three countries had checked-out from the Athletes' Village. These three countries were the 'last guests' to leave Daegu after the Universiade Games. People who showed up at the airport from each team's arrival to their departure were the Aurah supporters of the Church of God; they even gave up their sleep to make a beautiful ending of the Universiade.

When the Aurah Supporters saw the athletes, they hurried to them and gave the gifts they'd prepared. They strengthened their friendship and promised to meet again in the future, shaking hands and hugging one another.

Sebatukura G. Stmeon the Team Director of Rwanda said, "We'd like to keep in contact with you," and he also emphasized, "Thank you for your supports during the Universiade and we will return your favor twice as much if you come to our country."

He, a multilingual person, expressed his regrets, saying, "Since I can't speak Korean, I feel sorry for not being able to describe my feelings fully." He also said, "Because of your politeness and love, I don't like to leave." He expressed his sadness of parting in his speech and pledged he would learn Korean so that he would talk many things with the supporters next time.

Though other athletes already left Korea, he still didn't want to leave and abruptly visited the Supporters Headquarters the day before his departure and said, "I want to see the supporters once more before I leave Korea." He and the supporters toured around the Daegu city and had a pleasant time.

Warm farewell ceremony for an injured South African athlete
An injured athlete entered the airport to board on a plane on September 1. He was Nelani, a soccer player of the South African team. Due to his injury he couldn't go back to his country with the other members of his team. He was left lonely in a foreign country. Adding salt to injury, he had no money to charge the ticket fee. However, Aurah supporters comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, we will help you."

Fortunately, thanks to the Organizing Committee's help, he was able to return to his country safely after identification check. He thanked the Church of God's Aurah Supporters with tears in his eyes, after knowing that Aurah Supporters helped his departure. "Oh! You were the people who performed the ‘WE♥U’ at the opening and closing ceremonies. I heard a lot about your warmness and kindness and now I see it's true." He couldn't stop his tears until he boarded on a plane.

On the same day, a series of impressive scenes were displayed at the airport. An athlete from the Solomon Islands was holding a bunch of withered flowers enough to attract the supporters' attention. This reporter asked him why he was taking the withered flowers with him and he replied, "This is a precious bunch of flowers given by Mother in Korea at a dinner party. I'm bringing this to my country because I want to keep the precious memory forever." All the people around him were deeply touched.

Citizens and officials thanked supporters' efforts.
Farewell ceremonies, held at the Daegu International Airport, even aroused ordinary people's curiosity. People who were on their journey or business trip stopped and praised the works of supporters, saying, "You are the patriots."

A worker at the Exit and Entry Control Bureau came and said, "I've been watching your welcome and farewell ceremonies for a month. I'm proud to be a Daegu citizen." He praised the activities of supporters and proposed to treat them. After knowing the supporters had prepared meals for themselves, he added, "You who are dedicating yourselves for the country are the genuine patriots."

KangShin Sung-il, a member of the Assembly, who was on his visit to Daegu, witnessed the scene at the airport and said, "The Universiade turned out successful because of your works." He gave a favorable comments to the supporters, saying, "All of you are gorgeous, and comparable to the North's cheering squad."

Teams left smile and tears behind
Aurah Supporters had awaked the airport with WE♥U shouts since 6 a.m. They'd slept an average three hours a day to welcome athletes for two weeks and to send them off for two weeks. They'd spent a month greeting and sending off teams, but they said they'd not been tired.

Pastor Yun Mu-gang, who was in charge of the Aurah Supporters' airport activities, said, "I was greatly impressed when athletes told me that they would spread the good images of Korea when they returned to their country. I hope they can spread the love of Christ to the whole world which we delivered them." Pastor Yun had spent most of his day at the airport during the both Busan Asian Games and FESPIC Games. He said he managed the welcome and farewell ceremonies within a mission to bring the events to a successful conclusion from a good start. He commented on the Universiade, "We were quite busy because it was a large-scale event but gained relatively much more fruitful results."

Pastor Han Yong-jo, who was with him, said, "We met numerous people from many different countries. Though, we had trouble in communication, after all we felt we were not strangers but global neighbors and one family."

Welcome and farewell ceremonies, arranged by the Aurah Supporters at the airport, gave unforgettable first and last impressions to the athletes. Foreign visitors of the Universiade gathered their voices, saying, "We've received an enthusiastic welcome and farewell for the first time in our lives. We'll never forget it." While expressing their feeling in words, some showed a bright smile and some shed tears.