HANNAH JUN 

This past summer, I had the privilege of taking part in a short term summer mission trip to North India with 16 others for the month of July! I actually had a pretty hardened heart towards STSM throughout my years in KCM, but after attending Wintercon during my junior year (with the theme Trust and Obey), I was convicted to sign up. God humbled me, and I realized that He uses all opportunities to work His will, whether I joined Him or not. He never depended on my ability or (limited) wisdom, but simply asked for my open heart and to obey His will. In building my relationship with Him throughout the year, I felt called to join Him through the opportunity of short term missions. I was curious to witness how he was working overseas, and what he personally had in store for me. When I informed my mom of my conviction to sign up for STSM, she posed the question of what living missionally meant, and reminded me not to put God in a box. These two things continued to press into my heart throughout the whole STSM process.

The contrast in living conditions between India and America was overwhelming to me, and it pointed to the amount of privilege that I had. Guilt and doubt began to creep in, and I began to question the purpose of our stay. Who were we to come to India, and how could doing VBS for a month change the lives of the people we drove past on the streets? But all of these thoughts subsided once we met the faithful missionaries and staff at our homebase. I saw a glimpse of God already working in India, whether KCM was part of the ministry there or not, and was quickly humbled. God reminded me that I have no power over the salvation of others, and only asked me to love His children. I realized that God is as present in India, and the rest of the world, as he is in America. Even though we were across the world in a country that was deeply rooted in Hinduism, He was still moving, in His timing. 

With each week that we spent in India, God gently reminded me of His unchanging character. He spoke to me through the testimonies shared by my teammates, the missionaries, staff, locals, and pastors. God’s faithfulness, sovereignty, provision, zeal, and love all manifested in each of their lives. The most powerful testimony I heard came from a pastor, who used to be a Hindu priest. He had actively practiced black magic, and witnessed people die from the curses he would place on them. Finding no truth in it, he was lost and broken. About to end his life, Jesus met him. He is now the pastor of the only church in his area, and God has used him to heal, evangelize, and bring people to Christ. I realized that no matter how hard the enemy tries to keep us away from God, He draws us to Himself no matter what. Through God’s incredible grace and love, there is a freedom and truth we are able to experience that can’t be found anywhere else. 

I also experienced tangible blessings from my obedience to God – true joy and fellowship in serving. I had come into STSM with a lot of fear regarding team dynamics and possible conflicts, more than physical discomfort or which country I would go to. But as our time in country progressed, I could see how God placed each member on the North India team so intentionally. He truly blessed me with likeminded brothers and sisters that deliberately served with love and joy, which led me to do the same. We were walking, trusting, sharpening, and encouraging one another in Christ. Alongside our set time of directly serving, I enjoyed fellowship with each teammate, whether it was in doing daily chores/duties, playing guitar in our freetime, or having conversation on our bus/train rides (and so many more!). In our last week of ministry, our team led gendered small group time with local youth church leaders. Though it was our first time meeting the locals, and there was an obvious language barrier, the remarkable bond that we had in knowing Christ was far deeper than any relationship based on shared experiences or interests. In sharing our testimonies, encouraging one another, and praying for each other, God was glorified, and in that I experienced true fellowship.

Looking back on my experience, I’ve come closer to understanding the question my mom asked me in the very start of my STSM journey: What does it mean to live missionally? I recognize that my experience in India is one form of what living missionally can look like, but the real mission field is not limited to a location or lifestyle, but should be something that I carry throughout my life. In every part of the world, the enemy attacks, God tirelessly chases after His lost, and as a believer I have been called to stand firm in my faith and spread the gospel of His gracious, merciful love with everyone that I can.