Senior | USC

Three years ago, I decided to go on missions and was eager to see where God would send me. But because of COVID, I was simply sent home. In each summer that followed, I hoped to have another opportunity to go, but every May, June, and July were filled with various commitments and responsibilities. Over time, I became discouraged and my passion for STSM slowly faded. As my final summer of college approached, I expected that these months would be the same. But on the last day of applications, God renewed my original heart to go through a brief but powerful conversation over dinner with some of my friends—two of whom were going on STSM this July. As I prayed, I became curious again to see how God was working overseas. I decided that this summer I wanted to obey the Great Commission, even if it meant putting a hold on my current plans.

I signed up and a few months later I was in Nicaragua with my team. The next 26 days were filled with so many lessons, blessings, and rewarding experiences. But in the beginning, it was difficult to realize the efficacy of our ministry. Much of our time was spent hanging out and playing with jovenes, or youth, from local churches. We also performed skits for open air, traveled with high school graduates, and taught dances to children. Lacking faith in God, I couldn’t see how these activities were effective in spreading the gospel. While I still participated, I did so half-heartedly. Whenever we were instructed to do something, Anna, our team leader, would always say that we “get to” and not that we “have to.” But whether or not we understood the motives, we “had to” listen and do what we were told.

However, this mindset shifted after spending a few days at a local’s house. Missionary Kim, whom we partnered with for STSM, arranged for our team to spend time with leaders from her church and sleep at their homes for three days and two nights. Two teammates and I had the privilege of being hosted by Walter, a high school graduate, and his family. As we got to know Walter’s family, we learned that they were relatively well-off after being blessed with financial success on their plantain farms. While their wealth could have become a stumbling block to their faith, Walter’s parents always credited everything to God. They also shared how they came to know God after sending Walter to KCA (Korean Christian Academy) and meeting Missionary Kim. Through KCA, they began to attend Missionary Kim’s church and have been faithful ever since. 

From this experience, I realized that Walter’s family was just one of the ways that demonstrates how God is working in Nicaragua. Through Missionary Kim who came to Nicaragua 20 years ago, a Korean international school, and years of prayer and faithful service, people in Nicaragua have come to know God and his goodness. The same applied to all of the jovenes, high school graduates, and families whom we had spent time with in Nicaragua. While sometimes it felt like we were wasting our time, God was using our interactions to reveal himself to his children and allow us to be vessels for his love. My doubtful heart had prevented me from seeing how God could use games, songs, and dances to share the joy that is found only in him. 

Even after this realization, it continued to be difficult to see the immediate fruits of our labor. But this taught me the importance of faith—trusting that God would use whatever we do in the present to build his kingdom in the future. In Nicaragua, God had been faithful by using long-term missionaries like Missionary Kim and short-term missionaries like us to invite jovenes and their families into His family. All of the Nicaraguans we encountered and were blessed by were the fruits of previous faithful servants. 

I am so glad that I “got to” participate in God’s work in Nicaragua this July. Equally humbled and blessed, I learned that God’s ways are higher than mine. By surrendering my plans and my time to him, so much joy has filled my heart. Though now I have returned to the comfortable, I know that the race is not yet over. Here in America, the harvest continues to be plentiful. I am not sure how God will use me here, but I pray that I will be faithful to his calling and obey.