Dear Friends and Family,
Going on overseas missions has been a closed door to me for a very long time due to personal circumstances. As an undocumented resident in the U.S, I was denied from many basic rights necessary for personal advancement post-college. Leaving the U.S. and coming out to Korea two years ago was not an easy decision, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made.
Upon arrival to my homeland, I was finally freed from the state of restriction my status (or the lack of) in the U.S. held me under. I left Korea as a kid and it took nearly fourteen years for me to return. I’ve been out of the country for so long that I really didn’t know what to expect – but letting my faith in Him overrule my worries, I dived into my new life in Korea as its authorized citizen. As a result, the last two years have overflowed with discoveries, experiments and many surprises (both good and bad) – which ultimately led me to meet Jesus, whom I knew only intellectually before Korea. I am getting to know Him one day at a time – very slowly, but very surely. My rejoice in the truth that I have been so purposefully, so beautifully and so uniquely designed by Him is getting louder each day.
God has opened up a new chapter in my life since 2011 and He continues to write stories that fascinate me (and some of you whom I have shared these stories with!). He is such an amazing writer that I feel so secure in surrendering the full authorship of my life to His Name. This summer, He plans to share with me another exciting story in Cambodia and I want to invite you to take part in it!
This summer, from July 21st to 27th, I will be going to Cambodia to share the gospel with ten other teammates from Jubilee church. We are planning VBS, community outreach and mobile clinic to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters in Cambodia. We will be serving at Center of Peace Orphanage the first week and traveling down to Sihanukville to invite the locals to Retreat and Baptism services. Other teams from various churches in the U.S. will join us on site and each of us will offer his and her spiritual gifts to bring glory to one cause: Jesus Christ.
I will need to raise 1,650,000 KRW and spend the upcoming weekends in training and prayer with my teammates to greet the brothers and sisters of Cambodia, waiting behind the door of Jubilee. I humbly ask for your financial and spiritual support in any form to help my team submit to our calling for the Great Commission. These are our prayer requests:
For Brothers and Sisters of Cambodia,
· Please pray for the children at the Center of Peace Orphanage who come from broken families. We will be asking God to bring personal and spiritual healing as we embrace their sense of brokenness, abandonment and loneliness with the Love of Jesus.
· Please pray for the local women who will be coming together for the annual Women’s conference with New Life Church to celebrate her freedom and empowerment from pain and oppression. Pray that these women will be filled with hope and sense of restoration - all fully and already paid by the Cross.
For the Team,
· Our members are from international backgrounds; our nationalities, cultures, perspectives and paths on life are all different. As exciting as this is, we will need much understanding, acceptance and selflessness to unite as one body of Christ. Please pray that love for one another will overflow; His will be prioritized above all else; and for us to find joy in serving each other.
For me,
· Going on overseas missions (overseas anything, really) has been a long waited prayer of mine. I still can’t believe that it has been answered and I am actually going to Cambodia really soon! Because of my history behind ‘traveling abroad’, I sometimes find myself dwelling on the personal significance of this trip. As much as this long waited mission trip is worthy of celebration, I want to remove the focus from my ‘eligibility’ to go and devote all my cause and purpose to serving His people in Cambodia. Please pray for me to lift the names of my brothers and sisters higher than mine, and the name of Jesus to the highest of the highest.
Dear friends and family, thank you for all the support and prayers you have given me all throughout my journey in Korea. Please extend your love and generosity to our brother and sisters in Cambodia!
May Kingdom Living pour down on the land of Cambodia! And wherever you are!
God bless you. I bless you.
Yours truly in Seoul (and soon, Cambodia!),
JeeYoon Hong