CALEB KIM

Q: Why did you decide to go on missions?

During Wintercon this past year, Pastor Jay mentioned a famous quote from John Edwards saying, “There is a difference between having an opinion, that God is holy and gracious, and having a sense of the loveliness and beauty of that holiness and grace. There is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet, and having a sense of its sweetness.” Though I forgot the context in which Pastor Jay quoted it, Edward’s distinction between knowing and experiencing God left a strong impression on me and had me asking myself what aspects of God were purely an opinion of mine and what other aspects I had truly experienced for myself. It was this desire to experience God deeper along with the desire to obey the biblical call to go on missions that compelled me to go on STSM.

Q: What were some of the lessons and or blessing from STSM?

In Psalm 34, David compels his audience to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (34:8). This was the favorite catchphrase of a long time spiritual mentor, and although I’d heard it many times before, it wasn’t until this past school year (especially after wintercon) that it became the desire of my heart to not just know but to also taste for myself that the Lord is good. A very general blessing to describe the whole STSM experience was being able to taste for myself not only the Lord’s goodness, but also His sovereignty over all things as well as how deep the Father’s love is for us.

Q: How will you apply this at home?

I’m not sure specifically how I will apply the things that I’ve learned on missions at home, but I do know for certain that experiencing first-hand the love, goodness, and faithfulness of God on missions has made my relationship with Him richer, my trust in Him deeper, and my eagerness to obey Him greater.