Written by South Korea Summer student Jessica Giddings. Check out the program here!
The time I spent in South Korea has touched my life so profoundly, so personally, and in such an encouraging way that I don’t feel like I can exist in my college town and turn a blind eye to the things that stir my heart anymore. If Seoul has taught me anything, it’s taught me about proactivity, compassion, and not being afraid to pursue justice.
My mission mentor, Katherine, was such an addition to my time in Seoul. It was comforting to know that there was someone out there for me should I need to talk, and someone who shared my same heart and passion for Christ. It was hard to find people to talk to about Jesus, especially considering my very different Western perspective on Jesus. Catherine was a link to home for me, to home’s opinions and views, and a bridge between one culture to the next. I learned from my mission mentor how far intentionality can take a relationship even in a short time.
Through Katherine, I got to participate in some amazing ministries: the homeless ministry at Seoul Station and suicide prevention at Mapo Bridge. These are two ministries that I am very active in within my home university and my hometown, but doing them in Seoul (especially considering the extensive language barrier) was a completely different experience for me and added to my picture of global missions and ministry. There is no accomplishment or effectiveness. There is just love.
I am so glad for the ministries I participated in; I think they both serve an incredible purpose in Korean society and touch many lives within such marginalized groups. Homelessness and suicide are such rampant social issues that are not addressed or talked about. Ocean City (the Church I attended with Katherine) assesses these issues in a way that’s sensitive to the taboo culture surrounding these topics.
South Korea is the first country where I have gotten to experience missions that are not third-world. Rather than attaching the gospel to some sort of humanitarian aid, missions in Korea felt much more vulnerable than that. My understanding of cross-cultural ministry has been broadened so much simply because South Korea has introduced me to a whole other spectrum of people in the world. It’s introduced me to people who are content with their lives, who don’t even realize that a Christ-shaped hole in their heart is present. Among Seoul’s neon lights and drinking culture, I found less warm welcomes and more hard hearts. It’s a different tactic that needs to be used within the city and a different side of Christ that gets portrayed.
My cultural views have dramatically changed as well. I was raised by Japanese parents and grandparents, and contrary to what many think, these two peoples (Japanese and Koreans) have very different perspectives and cultures, not to mention a long history of hatred and oppression. I have been taught by my grandparents to hold prejudice against Koreans and to consider Koreans rude or entitled. My grandfather served in the Korean War, fighting for South Korea with the American troops. That being said, I’ve had opinions on South Korea pressed on me from a young age.
What I’ve learned, in short, is that you can never let history cloud your judgment or your opinion of a people. The culture of a big city is so different from my own. In a small town, you have to be open and loving towards others to really convey Christ, but in the city, when even a small smile or showing an interest in someone else’s day goes such a long way. In retrospect, I hope they say, “There was something interesting about that girl.” I want them to discover that it’s Christ.
During this program in South Korea, I met some of the kindest, most caring, and most unique individuals that I ever had. I have fallen in love with humanity all over again and become infatuated with the beauty of experiencing life through someone else’s eyes. I feel like a different person coming home. I feel less shy, less self-conscious, and more aware of the grace I am surrounded by. My time in South Korea has impacted my ministry, my idea of ministry, and, ultimately, my picture of our global community of Christians. I made lasting friendships with my peers and had lasting experiences in my classes, all in a country that I never thought I’d love. I found a home in South Korea among people who seek to discover, befriend, and whom I now pray for every day.