Jaimashi! So, why did I decide to go on missions? Well, in my sophomore year, I wanted to go on STSM, but I didn’t have my passport yet. I told myself I should get my passport during winter break so I can get it before STSM training starts and I would be able to join then. However, time passed by and I didn’t get my passport during winter break. And so I made it a personal obligation to get my passport during the summer which I did. After that, I promised God that I would go to STSM my junior year wherever it was. There was no definite reason as to why I wanted to go to STSM, but I wanted to experience how God was and is moving in other countries. I’ve never traveled out of the country and thought it would be neat to have my first time on a mission trip. Going to North India, I gained many blessings and learned many lessons. 

I remember that when we were told to put our preferences, I didn’t care too much. I didn’t want to expect to go to a place and then get placed somewhere else and get disappointed because I didn’t get my preference. So I put a 4 for the Philippines because of my desire, but then a 3 for everything else. Lo and behold, I got North India. At first, I didn’t think much of it other than North India is a place where people don’t want to go because of the hard conditions. In hindsight, this was a blessing in disguise. I believe it is not the goal of a mission trip to be comfortable. If that was the goal, people might as well stay in America because of how secure we are as well as the need for God to be magnified. So personally, the more uncomfortable I was, the more I could grow myself, experience God, and understand another perspective of living that was uncommon to me. The first lesson that God taught me was humility. In my personal life, I always thought I had a pretty rough childhood growing up compared to others, but once I arrived at different locations in North India, I was quickly humbled. To see children, orphans, etc. praise God amidst their living conditions taught me that I have no excuse for praising God no matter my conditions and that my childhood growing up was a privilege and blessing. I thank God for opening my eyes to this and I pray and want to remember that no matter how bad a situation may get, to continue to pray and seek God in everything. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)

Another reminder that God enlightened me with was to pray more. Being complacent with my faith, I prayed less and I forgot the importance of prayer in my life. However, at the location that we were staying at, our team and the local staff, pastors, and missionaries would pray at 5 am every morning. This taught me to deny my flesh and realize the beauty and privilege that we get to rise and be able to pray. To be able to talk with God about my worries and everything that is going on in my life, for my family, my friends that haven’t come to faith yet, the local church, etc. was something that I haven’t done often in my life. To spend that much time laying everything down before God was reassuring and peaceful. Even to pray in between the skits to ask God earnestly to open the hearts of those who are seeing these skits, even if they have seen it from previous years, to hold the message dear to their hearts or the lyrics of the VBS dances was strengthening.

This leads me to my next lesson. One of my roles in N. India was an MC and I did not have any MC experience before, so I was super nervous. I felt that I had to be perfect as I was explaining the message of the skits that we were performing. If I said something wrong or didn’t perfectly explain the message, I would disappoint everyone on my team and myself. In this thought, God reminded me that it is not if I speak so eloquently or present myself in a perfect state, but rather trusting God and the Holy Spirit to speak through me. Being able to see these skits, God was able to continue to soften my heart and even speak to me in my ways. God taught me to be more bold in everything that I do and to have more confidence not in myself, but in Him as I trust him more and rely on Him. In addition, to not be nervous in front of a crowd, but trust and have hope that God will move mightily through our efforts as we submit to God. “Trust in the LORD your God with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I remember that once our team arrived at LAX, I was so happy. I was ill and I wanted to just rest and go back to comfort. But I don’t want to forget what happened in N.India, so I have made personal commitments along with my team. I was encouraged by going to morning prayer at 5 am every morning. Therefore, I have been praying every morning, having a heart of gratitude towards God, and being able to submit all that I have planned today to Him. Another thing that I want to apply to my life is to be more serious in my relationship with God. To not compromise and listen to my flesh, but to deny it and pray in times of hardship as God listens to our prayers as we pray earnestly. To pray for India as a country to soften their hearts towards the Gospel and not follow false idols of this world. To understand the blessings and privileges I have in America and to use them to the best of my ability to glorify God. In any capacity to serve God especially when there is no title or credibility given to me, but to God. To live a Godly life and listen to God when I am given a conviction and obey whatever He tells me to do right away as delayed obedience is disobedience. To finally love everyone, as people will not know God’s love if we, the ones that call themselves Christians, are first not able to love one another showing that we have God’s love in us. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)