"I am a missionary kid", is not the most comfortable introduction that I make when I am asked why I have been in Japan for such a long time. It's because I know that it takes more than a few minutes of introduction to explain what may life as a MK has really
been; it is more than simply not having enough money or giving up everything to serve
God, as some may think of missinaries. Though it would be wrong to say that my family
didn't make any sacrifice to become missonaries in Japan, but I believe now that as
much sacrifice as we have put in for God, He has filled us with even greater blessing.
Through my unique experience as a MK, He has given me a purpose and a dream, and
most of all His unending love and faithfulness.
There were many things that bothered me since I was very little. First, I was just different than all the ther normal kids I went to school with.(I went to a local Japanese school untill 6th grade.) My name didn't sound like all the other Japanese names, and even though I spoke perfect Japanese, kids always asked me why my name sounded so weird.
Plus on Sundays, I missed many school activities because I was probably the only one
in my class who went to church on Sundays.(Christian population in Japan is less than1%) During the summer vacation(the busiest time of the year for my family because many short-term mission teams from Korea and America came to Japan), my parents were
barely home, and I always had to help translating in local churches where Korean
mission teams served. Many things that went on in my house was just hard to explain
to local Japanese friends who had no idea what Christianity even was. I was stuck in
between multiple cultures that I could not quite define myself with;Korean, Japanese, and American.
I breezed through these small awkwardness, simply thinking that was the life I had.
But as I grew older, I became more conscious of what my life meant, and that's when
it hit me. God put me in this shoe as a MK, provided me with exposure to different cultures, gave me a talent to be trilingual, and a chance to lood at the wider world. There are so many opportunities that I could not have enjoyed if I wasn't a MK. I was able to live
in Korea, Japan and Americ, learning languages and the cultural difference, to see how they can come together as one despite their differences. Through the exposure to different cultures, God has given me a great interest to learn more about other counturies. I have been blessed with mission trips to Papua New Guinea, and Philippines. In Papua New Guinea, I saw the need of education for the local people and the most beartiful nature God has provided.
In Philippines, I was taught by the small local church what true faith is even though they lacked in so many goods and even a sufficient building to call it a church. In both countries, I was constantly challenged to ask myself what I can do for the people in need, and how I should live my life in order to help them. And on the other side of the harsh reality in these countries, God has shown me how mighty He is through amazing nature, smiles of local kids, and the love people have given me. I grew in faith, because when I saw God taking care of smallest matters, I knew He was in control of my life.
"Does not the potter have the right to make our of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"(Romans 8:35)
This scripture moves my heart because I can truly believe from my heart that God has molded me through every experience I had as a MK. And I am so thankful of many opportunities God has given me up until this point, because through them I am now able to see my goal; to serve God through helping third world countries. Every tear has turned into a fruit that helped to see God's purpose for me more clearly. And I believe God will continue to open my eyes through every suffering, challenge, experience as a MK go to waste, but to turn that into my talent and power to live accordingly to God's purpose.