Earlier this year, after graciously completing a mission report in South Korea, I returned to the mission field with a new heart. I came back to the mission field after I decided that I would dedicate myself as a missionary for the next generation and spend the last year for missionary work as a short-term missionary, but I heard that Covid-19 was spread in South Korea.

“What? Covid-19? It’s fine here. I will pray for Korea!”

I just worried about South Korea, not knowing what would happen in the near future.

After about one month from that time, my team faced a problem bigger than that in South Korea. “A martial law has been announced. Please refrain from going out and stay at home.” At first, I was puzzled. I didn’t think that Covid-19 would be spread out here. Besides, because of the martial law, I couldn’t go out. Over 10 kg of rice and flour were bought for emergency food, and I endured day by day with the desire to survive. At first, it was bearable. At the beginning, I felt like I was taking rest because school classes were canceled and I didn’t go out, but when a week passed, I couldn’t stand out anymore. As the situation continuously deteriorated, my team moved to a safe dormitory of a university which was closed. There, I did some work and took a short online class every day.

The mind that I had when I was in the missionary field was ‘Let’s survive.’ There was no one to protect me, so my goal was to survive with people who were staying with me in the place where we had no one to rely on.

However, “as I thought,” I just survived. There were conflicts in the team, and thus I had to have suffocating time. Nevertheless, I thought that I was doing fine.

When Covid-19 spreading was less powerful, I came back to South Korea. When I was reading the Bible and praying in a group, my Lord told me that my attitude in the missionary field was not based on the faith.

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Psalms 3:6)

It was possible to receive God’s guidance when I acknowledged the sovereignty of God over everything and gave the initiative to the Lord. When I made a plan and tried to apply my own opinion by insisting it, there was disharmony in the team. However, I realized that the Lord guide me when I pray “Let your will be come true to me.”

I have started living alone with faith in South Korea. Following the heart given by the Lord, I started teaching Korean to the next generation of ethnic Koreans from the post-Soviet states. There were also difficulties in dealing with young children, but when I prayed about what these children really needed, God gave me the heart to teach them the Word of the Lord. Now, I find the Word of the Lord every morning to acknowledge God and to seek God’s will. I still don’t have enough faith, but I want to deliver the news about the Lord while asking to God and having relationship with God. I trust that the Lord will guide my path.

Ji-Hye KIM (21)