LYDIA KIM

All throughout training, prep week, and intensive, I didn’t know why I was committing to a month long mission trip. I signed up with no second thoughts, fearing that if I gave myself time to think about all the logistics and details, I would change my mind. There wasn’t a voice or dream that urged me to go on missions; I truly had no explanation for my willingness to submit to God except for the work of the Holy Spirit’s subtle guidance. With grace, God gave me this opportunity to serve and obey him. 

Before stepping foot in Ecuador, I experienced spiritual warfare that attempted to inhibit my obedience to God. This spiritual warfare followed me to Ecuador, and I struggled with my mental and physical health. God, being a God of mercy and compassion, comforted me in my times of distress, speaking to me through His word. Completely different from my expectations for the mission field, the daily free time we had outweighed any ministry time. In these free times, God showed me His genuine care and truth. I sought after Him and was rewarded with a deeper knowledge of the creator’s character and a solace that guided me through difficult patches. Coming on missions with the expectation of being busy and working to have God reveal something to me skewed my mindset on what it meant to serve. During the times the Lord gave me to seek Him and spend much-needed time in His presence, I was carried away by my fleshly desires for comfort and habits of laziness. Even when I fell short, He showed me grace and extended offer after offer to discover more about Him. In these long periods of time where I struggled to find any purpose or meaning, I learned the importance of being prayerful and was consistently reminded to remain faithful. 

To practice a prayerful and faithful lifestyle, I sought the Lord in every moment of my day. I prayed for peace; He gave me a peace that surpassed all understanding (Philippians 4:7). I prayed for a comprehension of unconditional love; He showed me what it meant to be unconditionally loved and to see others through His eyes (1 John 4:16). I prayed for forgiveness and assurance; He reminded me of His grace and continual guidance in my life (Psalm 25:16-18). God didn’t meet me through crazy encounters and miracles. He met me in my anguish and led me through all of my stubbornness and doubt. Back home, I would have all the time in the world to be busy and distracted. The time I had in Ecuador disciplined me to wait, sit in His presence, and listen. 

Beyond the immeasurable discernment I gained through the Spirit, I was also able to see the heart of Jesus in the work that was and is occurring in Ecuador. Doing VBS every day surrounded by kids of all ages and characters opened my heart to being more loving and patient. I witnessed firsthand what it meant to have childlike faith (Matthew 18:3). I saw the love that Jesus had for His children and, in turn, the love He had for me. To see Jesus as gentle, welcoming, and good was one of the greatest revelations I experienced through encounters, prayer, and a consistent seeking of His heart. 

God taught me how to live missionally and humbly for Him in Ecuador so that I could live missionally and humbly for Him here. 

All glory to God.