Sam Kang Post-Trip Testimony

Here I am, safely back from my weeklong trip to Philadelphia from July 20^th to July 25^th! We headed to a small retreat center in Maryland for our debrief from the evening of July 25^th to the afternoon of July 26^th. 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.