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Elliott Youn – Post Philly Trip Testimony

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It’s more than a week since I came back from Philadelphia. The trip last for about five days, from July 20th to July 25th. Even though the trip is over, there are still so many things to consider and look back on. There were so many things I got to see and learn during that short period of time.

Our week in Philadelphia heavily consisted of our small group of eight doing volunteer work for the homeless and less fortunate. To me personally, it did not feel like a mission trip. Although helping and feeding many people, I saw and felt a lack of the gospel throughout the entire trip. However, the presence of God was not absent in our trip. Each day, he was able to show me the things I needed to work on in my own life and walk with God.

During our trip, we went to a few different organizations to volunteer and assist the programs. There was, however, one place we returned to every day. In short, it was called Lighthouse. Lighthouse was a summer program for kids ranging from toddlers to highschoolers. When we first arrived at Lighthouse, it was complete chaos. There was no form of organization and the kids were unruly. Nearly everyone in our group was frustrated with what we had to go through and none of us were looking forward to returning the next day. To our surprise, when we went back, things were different. We went back with a new perspective of grace and acceptance. Many of the kids that attended this program came from rough neighborhoods. Though this experience, God taught me the value of patience, grace, and understanding. It was as if God was showing me what I needed to work on when I got back from my trip.

Amongst everything that happened throughout the trip, the most precious moments for me was with our small group. Going into the trip, I was nervous and afraid of how I would react towards each and every one of them. Spending extended periods of time with other can cause friction and irritation. It was shocking when I realized that our relationship with one another grew exponentially. We shared and expressed things with one another in confidence and trust. It was amazing and so refreshing for me. In the end, I saw that I loved each and every one in that group so dearly.

Even though our inner-city mission trip was not really a “missions” trip, it was still a great experience for me. Through our shared struggles and hardships, our group emerged close than ever with each other. The trip also showed me that God is real. That God works in broken and dark places. His love for his people knows no bounds. We just have to keep and open eye to see all the works of God and his glory.

Cristin Choi – Post Philly Testimony

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We partnered with a group called Center for Student Missions for the week. Through CSM, we worked with several different ministries and organizations to prepare meals for about 1,000 people and provide some other help.

There are a whole lot of dark parts in Philadelphia as we learned on the first night’s prayer tour. Philadelphia may be a city for tourists but beneath all the lights and attractions, there are neighborhoods in ruins and people in despair. It’s a center for drugs, violence, poverty and a whole lot of other things. Yet, despite that, God is still working in Philadelphia. He doesn’t neglect even the worst neighborhood.

To give one illustration, while we were at St. John’s Hospice, there were two men on the piano—one of them homeless and the other a staff member. When you think ‘hospice’, you think of a desolate, plain depressing place. But these two guys on the piano were just the opposite; they were actually emanating joy. You could see it on their faces, not to mention the faces of the fellow guys at the hospice, volunteers and staff. These guys were jamming out on the piano and belting their hearts out for half an hour straight. I’m pretty sure if they were any more happy, sunshine would’ve actually been radiating from their faces. And one of these guys was homeless! Yet, he still found a reason for joy, regardless of his situation. The whole thing was just too great.

The only place we spent all four full days at was a summer camp-like place called Lighthouse and it’s something I won’t forget. It was equal parts chaos/learning experience/really great. If there’s one thing that the kids at Lighthouse taught me, it’s that people have reasons for acting the way they do and you still have to love them nonetheless. A lot of these kids grew up in neighborhoods of crime or violent households and it’s not an excuse to act all crazy, but you still have to understand where people are coming from because most of those kids live lives a lot tougher than ours and at such a young age. One of the kids I met was a wise-beyond-her-years ten year old named Giana. She was pretty unresponsive at first but by the end of those four days, we had grown pretty tight. She told me that she was well aware that Lighthouse wasn’t the most orderly place but it was still a safe place where she could come and have fun. It made me realize that the Lighthouse was actually a blessing for a lot of the kids. It would’ve been easy to give up trying to form a friendship after the first encounter but that wouldn’t be loving people well.

A prayer request I had before the mission trip was to build and deepen relationships with others and I thank God that that has happened, not only with the people we served but the people we served alongside. As a group, we grew—maybe because we had to eat and sleep and talk with each other for seven days. We shared many laughs and bonded but in the end of it all what we really did was love each other and love Jesus and people and work for the glory of God with the people we loved.

It is only because of the grace of God that we were able to love the people of Philadelphia and love each other. Again, thank you supporters for all your help through this mission trip.

Brandon Lee’s post Philly Testimony

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This year I was blessed to go with 7 friends to CSM (Center for Student Missions) at Philadelphia to meet many great people. I had seen what God had done in the city and what he will do for the people of Philadelphia. This might sound cliché but my only regret is not being able to do more and meet more people.

 

One way I have seen God working in the city is a thrift shop called Whosoever. At Whosoever they find homeless people that want to turn their life around and so they give them meals, work so they can get used to a schedule and free counselling. While I was working I saw how happy the workers are and how gracious they were for the shop. At Whosoever I was conversing with a man named Joseph and i could tell that he was actually trying. I just wished that i could talk with him more and actually get to know him.

 

A way God worked through me was at a summer camp called lighthouse. After our first task of the day my group would go to lighthouse every day from Monday to Thursday. The first day was very rough. I tried to get the kids to like me and they didn’t really open up, i feel like i was not needed and it was very hot. But the grace of God showed me to give them a second chance like he has to me every time I screw up. On the second day and after I really tried to get to know the kids. Nana was one of the smart kids of the group, she always tells me how I was playing goldfish wrong when I let the other kids take all my cards.(hahaha) Gina was very feisty and always wanted to play basketball then got pouty when I would make more shots than her. And there was Angel that was obsessed with the game speed but he eventually beat me. I know it was God working through me because it was definitely not my bright and sunny personality that make these kids love me.  I now think that i could have done a bit more but i will always remember the kids at lighthouse.

 

This is my second year doing missions and as time progressed I have learned to love missions and what it does and I know i will just love it more as time progresses. Whether missions is my real calling or not, I will always love what missions do. As writing my testimony for the Philadelphia missions trip means it is really over I will never forget what what i have done here and what it has done for me.

My Post-Philly Trip Testimony

Sam Kang Post-Trip Testimony

 

Here I am, safely back from my weeklong trip to Philadelphia from July 20th to July 25th! We headed to a small retreat center in Maryland for our debrief from the evening of July 25th to the afternoon of July 26th. It has been less than a week since our return and I am still processing all that we’ve experienced throughout the course of that week. Nonetheless, I want to start off by saying thank you, dear supporter, for your backing because without you, that trip would not have happened.

 

We spent the week helping various organizations, who through partnership with us as well as some native Philly folks from around town, to serve meals to over 1,100 people! In two occasions we served food to nearly 300 individuals in one work site! Needless to say, it was chaotic and fast paced! And you know what? Even in the middle of that we witnessed the hand of God working through His people to love the least and forgotten ones in Philadelphia. We, the team, got to witness indeed that the Gospel is advancing all around the world, even in the darkest and most seemingly hopeless places (Col 1:6). In one evening, before serving hot dinner to about 300 people, we held a worship service led by a local Baptist church. After hearing the proclaimed Gospel, two individuals stepped forward to trust in Jesus for the first time! One of them was actually a volunteer!

 

And as great as those numbers are, the great highlights of the trip has to be the relationships. At one of the service locations, I got a chance to meet and speak with a man named Rusty. He was working and living in a halfway house ministry which provides Bible study, housing, and work experience to people who otherwise would be stuck in a cycle of poverty. Rusty and I, along with the other team members, organizing piles of donated clothing into different bins. Rusty shared that he was very blessed with the counselor the center had provided and was interested in becoming a counselor himself! He wanted to be able to talk to people in their darkest moments and speak truth and light to them! We laughed and quickly bonded as the morning progressed. Over lunch, we continued our talk about his desires for becoming a counselor and I shared a little nugget of wisdom I heard from a seminary professor. He appreciated that and said with a big smile, “Man that’s so cool! I’m going to have to use that!” As we said our farewells, we shook hands and parted by saying, “Either on this side or the other side, we’ll see each other again.” That was super awesome.

 

Perhaps and unexpected source of relational bonding came from the team members themselves! Over the long 6 month period of monthly meetings, countless emails, questions, and texts, our team had formed fairly strong bonds going into the trip. Little did I know that our relationships would only grow during the week! The team spent the week sharing each others’ struggles and accepting each other regardless of their weaknesses because we follow a Savior who had accepted all of us regardless of our weaknesses.

 

There were so many laughs, tears, and moments of terror and joy shared throughout this whole ordeal. I can only thank you, the supporter, and our great Savior who saves not only from our sins, but also from our self-centeredness and invites us to go with Him to love and serve the least and the forgotten. To God be the glory.

SJ Lee

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SJ Lee testimony (with edits)

Before i met God, I was just a kid that did not know what I was doing and basically did every bad thing there is. One day a family friend told me about God while visiting our family. When I first heard the story it was amazing! I wanted to know more about this God. Our family started going to church around that time. The first few churches were not a good fit for our family. In the mean time, I was still a lost sinner, doing whatever I liked. Finally my parents settled on a new church and I thought it would be like other all the other churches: small number of people, no one my age, and me not understanding the bible. But it was the complete opposite! It was awesome. When I got home that day I told my mom that the church was awesome and I wanted to go back. However to be honest, I wanted to go back not because God, but to play with my new friends.

As I continued to attend Risen Sun church I began to grow in faith. I began to notice that I desired to learn more about God. One Sunday service, we learned about not just going to church but being the church. When I heard that phrase I understood what that meant! I knew what the pastor was talking about! After the message, I responded to the invitation to pray. I prayed that I wanted to be the church and not just go to church. I wanted to be a member of God’s church! Thats when I knew I had finally met God. That’s when God became important.

From that day on, I have been growing in my faith and my life started to change. Even my thought process has changed. Before God I would do whatever I wanted. But now God has changed me. Now I think before I act and try to spend more time with God. I am growing in my faith and I trust God to continually work in my life.

Sylvia Kim

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Testimony – Sylvia Kim

I was blessed enough to be born and raised in a Christian home. All throughout my childhood, I never missed church, loved to sing and dance to worship songs every Sunday. But as I grew up and entered into my teenage years, it was no longer about the Sunday school songs and the pleasant stories I heard about Jesus. Church became more of a social network to hang out with friends than a place of worship. I always wanted to fit in with the kids at church because I felt like I was always the outcast in school since the move I had in 2nd grade from Korea to the United States. To be more involved at the church, I served and became a student leader. I never really knew what it really meant to serve God but the winter retreat I went to in 7th grade has really changed my life. The guest speaker was talking about the love of Jesus how He died for our sins on the cross and rose again from the grave. At the end of the message, he brought out a notebook and a pen to write down your name if you felt in your heart you wanted to dedicate your life to Him. Something in my heart tugged and I decided to write my name on the book. Shortly after in April, I was baptized and accepted Jesus as my Lord and savior. Though I didn’t fully understand in 7th grade what it meant to write my name on that notebook, I am slowly but surely understanding the love that the Father has for me. I am a sinner but I know that Christ died for my sins (1 Peter 3:18) and His grace is sufficient for me (2 Corin. 12:9). No matter how hard the circumstances nor how big my sin is God is always faithful. He will never leave me nor forsake me, I believe that Jesus will make my difficult situations into a path I can walk on. (Isaiah 49:11)

Brandon Lee’s Testimony

hunterOn November 24, 2013 Brandon Lee will be confirmed… and join as a full fledged member of our church. Here is his testimony:

 

“When I think about life I think of life as a book. My book has ripped pages, dirty pages and even pages that have been ripped out. I grew up in a Christian family so I did Christian things and did Christian stuff. But at that time if someone would have asked me who Jesus was I couldn’t have answered.

Before I became a Christian I found myself constantly looking for new things. Even after I was hooked to the “new thing” I would eventually get bored with it and search for something else. I now realize that I was trying to fill a hole that I could not fill.

Growing up in a Christian home I knew that Jesus died on the cross for me and that if I believed in him then I would be clean. So during the summer of 2012, Jesus came into my life and I acknowledged that I am a sinner, looking in the wrong places searching for God’s love. Finally i found someone (God) who can tape my old pages and put new pages into my book.

Since becoming a Christian, God has made me into a new being. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”. Though I am not perfect God has shown me that my actions good or bad does not make God love me any less. And where I have failed over and over, God has yet to fail.

Cristin Choi’s Testimony

xmas IMG_4104-copyTomorrow (11/24/13), Cristin is getting confirmed… or publicly declaring her faith in Christ and joining our church as a member. Here is her testimony:

“I was born into a Christian family, I went to church on Sundays and knew that Jesus died on the cross for us and how we should do everything for the glory of God and I had a jumble of head knowledge. But I knew only about Him and I never knew Him. This summer, I went to a retreat and I wasn’t expecting anything much…signing up for retreats was simply what I was used to doing. But during the retreat God revealed Himself to me. It’s solely because of God’s grace that I was saved and it is by His grace that I grow and mature in Christ. I could not have loved God if He had not worked in my heart to change me. God’s working in me every day cause the walk with God is a long, slow walk and I’ve just barely begun my journey with Christ.”

Gloria Cho – Mexico – Summer 2013

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Over the past month and a half, I lived in Yucatan, Mexico, with Pastor Kyle Wilson, his family, and other interns. His family consisted of his wife, his biological son Ethan, his two adoptive daughters Carla and Leydi, and his adoptive son Enrique. I stayed at the Nathanael Center in Cacalchen, Yucatan, where his family resided, and I shared a room with his two daughters and my two friends who came with me. By only the second or third day, everyone felt like family to me, and it was a smooth transition from American life to Mexican life.

The first day I was there, we went to a town called Santa Elena. We helped a church from North Carolina do a VBS there, and then we spent time with the kids. I didn’t really know what to expect, but so many kids showed up and praised God. It touched my heart, and yet, I was saddened by their living conditions and the lack of love from their parents I witnessed when I went to visit their homes.

For the first two weeks, school in Mexico was still in session, so I helped the Nathanael Center with their music and art program. The Nathanael center is like an afterschool hagwon, providing kids with opportunities to learn piano, do crafts, practice English, get homework help, and play with other kids in a safe environment. I helped the kids with music beats and reading simple notes. After school, we played with the kids and got to know them and their families. Most of the children were not so fortunate; some kids did not know their fathers, their mothers abandoned them, their siblings got pregnant at a young age, they were so poor some could not eat, and some did not come to school because they needed to work to support their family. I knew two students who were offered a full scholarship to go to high school, but turned them down because they had to go work to support their family. (School in Mexico is expensive: if you don’t pay something, it adds up, and if you have a debt at the end, you can’t graduate).

Then, after school ended, I taught a two-week intensive music program. It was three classes (piano, violin, and music theory) and there were approximately 30 students who took the classes. These kids are the kids who I spent the most time with, and the kids I miss the most. They had so much talent and intelligence to share. Every day, I was continually surprised by their eagerness to learn, and their passion inspired me and urged me to get up early in the mornings to teach them. I wish I had more time to further their education and fathom a relationship with them. The 5 weeks I was there was not enough time.

I then helped with the Nathanael Academy graduation. Graduations in Mexico are different than the ones in the United States because there are many performances to showcase what the kids have learned over the school year. For example, our English students made a cake using English, the dance students performed Harana (a traditional dance) and the music students each performed a song they have learned since their last performance for Mother’s day. Watching these kids, I knew that God has placed so much talent and heart in the town of Cacalchen.

I spent some time in another town called San Antonio, where there is a feeding center. Many kids from different towns come and stay there to attend school. Most of the children come from unfortunate backgrounds. Some of their mothers are prostitutes, some are already in gangs, some are unbelievably poor, and others are simply not taken care of at home. Although these kids may seem very hostile and barbaric, these kids have more heart and potential than the average kid. I did not spend too much time with them, but they were most of the kids I highly adored from my time in Mexico.

I spent some time in Ticul, building, supporting, and painting a home. This home was for Gustavo’s family (Neysi, Gustavo, Carlitos, Chucho). These four children grew up with no father, and the mother did not make much money. Their house before was just a hut with a few pots and pans for cooking. The funds that you have supported me with amounted to $1,500. I donated all of that to pay for the construction of Gustavo’s bathroom, and to buy a new refrigerator. This family was so grateful that they wrote on the wall “this home has been built by the dedicated Pastor Kyle and his family”. Thank you for making this possible. Having spent time with these kids, I know that these kids have so much potential, they will amount to something great. With their new, safe environment to grow in, I know that they will change God’s kingdom for the better.

The last week, a mission team joined us to host a VBS at the center. There were about 200 children present. The theme was “Everything that breathes, praise Jehova”. The kids varied from 4 year-olds to middle schoolers. We were blessed to have two professional pianists, and a conductor to help us host this camp. However, at first, when they showed us their program, I thought it would be impossible because it was so difficult. Singing with 4-year-olds? Playing two songs on the recorder with 150+ children? Performing with handbells and xylophones? Most of these kids did not even know what those things were. But I saw the Holy Spirit working in our VBS. Although there were so many kids, we had no major accidents, and all the kids who usually misbehaved, behaved so well. All the middle schoolers who we thought would be “too cool” for VBS, were very into playing the recorder, singing, AND playing the drums. At the end of the VBS, we had a free concert at the Concha (center of the town). It was so amazing to see travelers stop by to adore the performances by the kids. They were so good, and I really felt that these kids were beginning to encounter God’s love through our love and passion for the work that we did for the kids… that their lives may be unfortunate, but if they surrendered to God, there was still hope for them.

Everyday I would have morning and nighttime devotionals. This was the time where I would sit down, praise, and talk to God. Being in Mexico has made it so much easier to listen to God’s voice. Life was so still there, and I felt like I could talk to my Father for hours on end. Sometimes, when everyone has gone to bed, I would stay behind and have my own time with God. I have received answers to many of my deepest prayers during those times. It was unlike any other time. I hated leaving Mexico, because I knew that it would not be easy to listen to God’s voice like it is in Mexico.

Honestly, I felt so dry serving the church before I came. I was so caught up in serving others and shoving God’s word into other kids at the church, I never had time to fill myself up with the Holy Spirit. Even during worship, I would feel nothing. But when I was in Mexico, I felt God’s presence in everything I did, and I was filled from the time I woke up to the time I went to bed.

I could not fit every little detail in this presentation, and I wish I could tell you about the different stories I have heard, and the wonderful, inspiring people I have met, and the lessons I have learned. I truly want to thank you for supporting me and praying for me throughout this experience. I was so blessed during my stay, and I wish I could have stayed for a longer period of time. But I hope that you will continue to pray for me as I continue my walk with God, and if you want to hear more about my trip, I would love to share my experience with you. Thank you.