About Me
Kimwha.org History
Kimwha.org History
I, Byron Siemsen, am the grandson of Victor Wellington Peters who was a Southern Methodist missionary to Korea from 1928 to 1941 and his bride Hahn Heung Bok a Korean Methodist church worker. My parents, Armon and Elona Siemsen --Elona is the third daughter of the Peters--were missionaries in Korea at Seoul Foreign School from 1967-1968.
I, Byron Siemsen, am the grandson of Victor Wellington Peters who was a Southern Methodist missionary to Korea from 1928 to 1941 and his bride Hahn Heung Bok a Korean Methodist church worker. My parents, Armon and Elona Siemsen --Elona is the third daughter of the Peters--were missionaries in Korea at Seoul Foreign School from 1967-1968. My parents then served with Wycliffe Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea starting in 1979.
After working as a researcher in a financial institution, I served with my wife, Robyn, as a missionary in inner-city Los Angeles. We are now missionaries with Near Frontiers reaching out to internationals in the Eugene, Oregon area.
I have served in various capacities in Korean churches including English pastor. I have been actively researching missionaries to Korea for the past five years but have been researching the missionary life of my grandparents for much longer.
We live in Cottage Grove, Oregon and are the proud parents of a boy and a girl.
Kimwha.org History
Kimwha.org History
Kimwha.org History
I founded Kimwha in 2018 as a repository for information regarding my grandparents, Southern Methodist missionary to Korea Dr. Victor Wellington Peters (피도수) and Hahn Heung Bok (한흥복, Ruth Hahn Peters).
Now Kimwha has an added purpose of
providing a venue to share about the lives of all missionaries who served in Korea prior to 1946. If you
I founded Kimwha in 2018 as a repository for information regarding my grandparents, Southern Methodist missionary to Korea Dr. Victor Wellington Peters (피도수) and Hahn Heung Bok (한흥복, Ruth Hahn Peters).
Now Kimwha has an added purpose of
providing a venue to share about the lives of all missionaries who served in Korea prior to 1946. If you are a descendant of a missionary and would like to know more about your ancestor, I can help.
The main results of my research are found in The Siemsen Directory of Missionaries to Korea which is in preparation for publication.
If you wish to honor family members in the modern era (post-1945) who were missionaries to Korea and would like their names listed on the modern missionaries to Korea page of this website, please let me know by e-mailing me at bandrinla@mac.com.
Kimwha has comprehensive information on over 2,000 missionaries to Korea during Japanese occupation.
Our Mission
Ongoing Research
Ongoing Research
Kimwha exists to glorify God through the recovery, discovery, preservation & publication of materials related to the Christian missionary effort in Korea prior to 1946.
Wonderful lessons can be learned as we discover together the God-glorifying stories and yes, the occasional shortcomings of the pioneer missionaries to Korea.
Of particular
Kimwha exists to glorify God through the recovery, discovery, preservation & publication of materials related to the Christian missionary effort in Korea prior to 1946.
Wonderful lessons can be learned as we discover together the God-glorifying stories and yes, the occasional shortcomings of the pioneer missionaries to Korea.
Of particular interest to the Peters family is the possibility that numerous missing letters, diaries, and a photograph album might be found.
Ongoing Research
Ongoing Research
Ongoing Research
Updated October 2020
Kimwha.org has been contacted to research the following individuals (research active as of Dec. 2020).
1. Katherine Wambold (Oct. 8, 1876-May 12, 1948), Northern Presbyterian missionary to Korea from 1896 to 1934.
2. Ellasue Canter Wagner (Aug. 4, 1881 to Nov. 22, 1957), Southern Methodist missionary to Korea from 1904
Updated October 2020
Kimwha.org has been contacted to research the following individuals (research active as of Dec. 2020).
1. Katherine Wambold (Oct. 8, 1876-May 12, 1948), Northern Presbyterian missionary to Korea from 1896 to 1934.
2. Ellasue Canter Wagner (Aug. 4, 1881 to Nov. 22, 1957), Southern Methodist missionary to Korea from 1904 to 1940.
3. Dr. Emma J. Ernsberger (Sep. 25, 1862 to Oct. 11, 1935), Northern Methodist missionary to Korea from 1899 to 1920.
4. Dr. Charles Husted Irvin
Support our ministry to Internationals
My wife, Robyn and I serve as missionaries with Near Frontiers reaching internationals for Christ in the Eugene, Oregon area. Your donation will help us to broaden our impact. For details for tax-deductible donations please contact me at byrons@nearfrontiers.org. Our organization's website is www. nearfrontiers.org.