The People God Speaks To
/2025 Summer Mission Report Service
July 6, 2025
Title: The People God Speaks To
Scripture: 1 John 4:10
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
——
Testimony
By Daniel Lee
Hello everyone,
I'm truly overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible grace I experienced during my recent mission trip to South Dakota. I arrived back at Newark Airport yesterday and didn't get home until after 1 AM. As soon as I got in, I unpacked, tidied up, showered, and pretty much crashed. Then, on Saturday afternoon, our pastor called and asked me to share about the blessings I received on this South Dakota mission trip, which brings me here today to share this testimony—it might be short, but it also might feel a bit long.
This 2025 South Dakota mission trip was different from previous years; it was filled with abundant grace and powerful workings of God. If I were to share everything I saw and felt while on the mission field, five minutes simply wouldn't be enough. If I had more time to think, there would be so much I'd want to share. So, please understand that it's difficult to organize everything into a concise five-minute talk in a setting like this, and I apologize if it sounds a bit disorganized. I'd be grateful if you could just listen openly to my raw experience.
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### An Unforgettable Journey
Honestly, I still can't believe how quickly the past week on the mission trip flew by. As I mentioned, I received an immense, inexpressible grace from God, and I don't even know where to begin sharing it.
First, I want to extend my greetings to everyone gathered here today and to our church members watching online: **we returned safely and gratefully from our mission trip.** I also want to express my deep gratitude to all the church members who prayed for our mission team, whether you were in New York or elsewhere. I can confidently say that it was because of your prayers that our team returned without any incidents. While I was in South Dakota, I found myself thinking of each and every one of you who couldn't join us in New York. I know I'm not the best at keeping in touch, and some of you might even be thinking, "What's he talking about? He barely even said hello at church!" But I confess that thinking of each of you in that moment was entirely God's grace and providence.
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### God's Perfect Plan
I truly believe this mission trip, from its very inception, was completely designed, planned, and perfectly fulfilled by God. It all started around January of this year when some of the deaconesses from the Orlando mission team asked when our next trip would be. Unlike other years, we could see God's hand meticulously providing for all our needs, perfectly tailored to each situation over a long period. This was effectively our first time going on a joint mission trip with other churches, despite our MMC having been to South Dakota many times before. Naturally, there were many uncertainties about how to prepare and what to expect, leading to a mixture of worry, apprehension, and vague faith as we began our preparations.
As some of you may know, it's rare for churches to truly become one when they gather for joint missions or revivals. I was born into the faith, essentially growing up in the church, and throughout my spiritual life, I’ve hardly ever seen churches unite as one. In fact, it’s almost fair to say it's practically impossible for churches to truly unite for a mission. Yet, this time, I witnessed a miracle I've never seen before in my faith journey: three churches uniting as one. And it wasn't a forced unity; God brought about a complete, perfect unity through us on this mission trip.
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### Miraculous Provisions
Furthermore, we had a record number of 52 people on this trip, and we faced challenges with accommodation and shower facilities. But God miraculously resolved this: the male mission team members were able to stay at a nearby CNMA denominational church, and a large church right next to the male accommodation generously provided shower facilities. We were so thankful to be able to use them comfortably. Witnessing this process, I gained a fresh perspective on God's grace, as He meticulously provided everything the mission team needed.
Even at the airport, when it came time to board our flight, eight team members hadn't been assigned seats. We thought they wouldn't be able to board the plane. But God, through an airport employee, miraculously assigned seats to seven of the eight, allowing them to board. Of course, there was a bit of a mishap during this, where Missionary Jung-eun's husband, Mr. Ziang, ended up getting on the plane due to her unseen sacrifice. But Missionary Jung-eun also flew in on Monday and safely joined the Orlando team in South Dakota.
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### God's Work in South Dakota
Even before getting to the main events, I’ve already shared so much of God's work and grace.
In South Dakota, our ministry officially began on Sunday morning with a worship service. Afterward, we went to different areas to invite children to church. Unexpectedly, we ended up going to an area we hadn't visited last time: a neighborhood called **Long Hollow**. This area wasn't on our original list. We went there because the address for the neighborhood we were supposed to go to was incorrect.
In Long Hollow, we were able to see and invite many children. As a result, on the first day, about 90 children gathered at the church, over 100 on the second day, and a maximum of 120 participated—a record-breaking turnout! We were overwhelmed by the sheer number of children, far more than we had anticipated, and frankly, a bit flustered. However, God had provided through the Good Church of New Jersey, which brought three 12-passenger vans. This made transporting the large number of children much easier than before, and we could only give thanks and glory to God.
As we carried out planned activities like Bible School, Taco Night, Korean Night, and Revival Night, we witnessed living works of the Holy Spirit among the children of South Dakota, the local residents, and our united church team, including MMC. During the Revival Night worship service in particular, everyone—the South Dakota children, local adults, and all of us—became one, praising and worshipping God with all our hearts. It was a truly profound experience of the Holy Spirit. Please understand that what I'm describing cannot be fully expressed in words; it's something that only those who were there and felt it firsthand can truly comprehend.
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### You Are the Mission Field
There's so much more I want to share beyond what I've already talked about, but unfortunately, due to time constraints, I can't. I feel a bit regretful about that.
Finally, I want to share something personal: **the mission field is not a specific region or country; it is ourselves.** Why? Because the very fact that we ourselves are recipients of God's grace, love, word, and prayer—the fact that Jesus is our sole Lord and Savior, who opened the way to God, who is life itself, and who works in us—that fact alone means we ourselves are the mission field. Believing that Christ comes into us and works within us means that He transforms us and guides us to live as His children. This is the mission He performs in us.
I pray that all believers will trust that they are never alone, not for a single moment, and that the Lord is always working within us. With that, I conclude my short, somewhat rambling sharing. Thank you.
Sermon :
The People God Speaks To
One of the greatest blessings we experience after believing in God is directly witnessing moments when God intervenes so clearly. In such moments, the only word that comes to mind is "perfect."
On Thursday evening, after our ministry work, everyone gathered to share. The word "perfect" flowed freely from a seemingly mischievous 14-year-old boy, an 82-year-old elder, and a brother who experienced the Holy Spirit for the first time on this trip.
After encountering Jesus, I too have had moments that could only be described as "perfect." These are perfect moments where I am exactly where I should be, doing what I must do, and simultaneously what I desire to do. It's a time when God's plan for me and my obedience perfectly align. In Jesus' words, it's when "the kingdom of God has come."
This time, I had a clearer training on how such moments come to be. As a pastor, I've always strived to discern the Lord's will and have received guidance in my own way. But on this mission, more often than ever, I heard God's voice resounding in my heart multiple times, and I witnessed the unfolding of events as I obeyed.
In the Bible, there are various instances where humans hear God's voice. However, there were individuals who heard God's voice frequently, not just once or twice in their lifetime. The Bible calls them prophets.
A prophet, or "one who foretells," means someone who knows things before they happen. They are people who gain knowledge before an event actually occurs. Prophets like Elijah, Daniel, Isaiah, Samuel, and Ezekiel naturally accepted hearing God's voice and prayed to God frequently, as if in conversation.
While they were considered righteous in their time, they were by no means perfect. They were imperfect individuals who sometimes made wrong judgments and harmed others.
Elijah: After the showdown on Mount Carmel, he was discouraged, feared Jezebel's threat, and fled (1 Kings 19).
Jonah: He disobeyed God's command, fled to Tarshish instead of Nineveh, and complained when Nineveh was saved (Jonah 1-4).
Despite their imperfections, they shared another common trait. This commonality ultimately set them apart and made them prophets. They were all individuals who ultimately obeyed.
In the story of Adam's son Cain killing his brother Abel, what's truly difficult to understand is that God saw Cain's intense jealousy, knew the great danger of him killing Abel, and directly commanded him not to do it, yet did not prevent the murder.
This is the frightening aspect of our freedom. We have the freedom to disobey the words of God our Creator. Cain ignored God's warning, succumbed to his anger, and murdered his brother. The result was a terrible curse on all humanity: a disconnection from God.
The history of humanity, as evidenced by the Bible, ultimately records stories of immense blessings received when humans obey God using that freedom, and warnings about the misfortunes that come when they ignore and defy God with that same freedom.
God gave them two things to help them return to the cycle of blessing by fearing Him: a generalized law based on the Ten Commandments, and prophets to reveal God's specific will in particular situations. A new channel of communication was opened to humanity, which had been disconnected from God. That's why not just anyone could become a prophet.
Isaiah 55:10-11:
"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
Beings who possess the freedom to even commit murder that God wished to prevent, and at the same time, people through whom what God has spoken ultimately comes to pass! They are the conduits! These were the prophets.
Therefore, the most crucial condition for becoming a prophet must be obedience.
Jesus, through a parable, praised the son who initially said "No" but ultimately followed his father's command, over the son who readily said "Yes" but then did not do the work. This wasn't because the latter was exemplary, but rather, the parable spoke of the lesser of two undesirable situations. God desires people who ultimately obey well, not just those who answer well.
Every time I think of that parable, I can't help but feel like it describes me perfectly. There were times when a rebellious spirit would rise in me, even though I knew I would eventually do what was asked. Compared to the past, that rebelliousness has greatly subsided. Now, instead of rebellion, it's often a feeling of burden that makes me hesitate and delay decisions.
And while I now choose immediate obedience much more often, there are still many times when I do so reluctantly, as if being pushed, rather than willingly. Nevertheless, I have ultimately chosen obedience. Each time, I've learned, "Why did I hesitate? This is best for everyone... This is why the Lord gave me the opportunity..."
As I've accumulated more of these experiences, I've become someone who hesitates less and obeys more easily, even when faced with more burdensome and challenging callings. I've realized what a true waste and loss are, and I continue to learn that the obedience the Lord requires of me always ultimately benefits me the most.
This year, recruitment for the mission team started earlier than ever, but team member recruitment was slow. The number was too small to carry out the same ministry as last year. I was accepting that if it was the Lord's will, we could proceed peacefully with a smaller group this year. I had faith that, as Psalm 131 says, if I didn't try to do great things, we would be able to manage adequately according to the circumstances.
As I spent that time in faith, the participation of Chahm Joeun Church from New Jersey was decided. However, this church didn't give an exact number, initially saying it would be roughly 18-20 people. The number of participants continued to grow after that, eventually reaching 26. In Orlando, Pastor Park Tae-seok's group also grew from an initial 4 people to a total of 8, including his wife and family. This year's mission was originally going to be the smallest team, but it ended up having the largest number of participants. It was truly a clear testament to how weakness leads to strength.
While I was confident that God was working, having a team much larger than our church's, with so many teenagers eating and sleeping together, was certainly a significant burden. However, every time I prayed and meditated on the mission, it gave me a sense of anticipation instead. There was a peace that could not have come from my own heart.
Since last year, we had already decided on the team name "Better Together." This year, not only would three churches gather, but all age groups, from 7-year-olds to teenagers, and people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, would be together. So, we decided on "Better Together" once again.
To unite the churches and their hearts, we planned a joint retreat. As you may remember, we had some awkward yet enjoyable encounters. It was clear that the mission wouldn't be as comfortable as being with long-time church members, but the guidance became increasingly clear, and I slowly followed without hesitation or backing down.
However, an unexpected problem arose. Dakota Sonshine, a facility we used for the first time last year and found to be quite a good option for the Chahm Joeun Church members, was no longer operating. Even with a few training sessions, asking people who barely knew each other to eat, sleep, and shower in the same space was an unreasonable request, especially for the sisters.
Moreover, the church we were using for lodging at the time had only one fully functional shower. There were two shower facilities in the basement, but they were very old, the bathtub drains were almost clogged and poorly maintained, and one of the doors didn't even close completely. Therefore, the news that Dakota Sonshine was unavailable couldn't help but cause considerable discomfort for our team. Some people may have even wanted to cancel their registration.
From that moment on, this issue became my biggest prayer concern: the problem of lodging and shower facilities! I diligently searched Google Maps for potential accommodations in Sisseton and remembered a church from our denomination called Dakota Alliance Church, which I had vaguely seen in passing before. However, it wouldn't show up in searches, as if the church no longer existed. I had to keep searching church directories to even register it on Google Maps. It was hard to have high hopes for a church that was so poorly managed.
I had to find lodging somehow, so I contacted everyone I knew in the area. When I asked Sunny's grandmother if there was anywhere available, she mentioned Dakota Alliance Church. She said that since there was no pastor there, a deacon from our local church would occasionally go and preach, and she gave me a contact number.
That's how I got in touch with a kind older sister named Diane. I spoke with her right before Good Friday this year, and I was deeply moved during our first conversation. I was grateful that she warmly offered to help with anything she could and said we could, of course, use their space. But when she mentioned that the members had kept the church going for 10 years without a pastor... even now, it chokes me up. During that first call, as I prayed with her, the Holy Spirit led my prayer, and I earnestly prayed, "Please send a pastor to this place so that worship can be held here every week!" I had never met her, but I felt a sense of family in the Lord.
Now we had more available lodging space, but the problem was that this church had no shower facilities. I thought that if there were no showers for a summer mission, it might be practically unusable, so I kept looking for other places. Should we pay for tent camping at a campground about 10 minutes away just to use their showers? Could we get a motel room just for showering?
Ultimately, our final plan was to use Dakota Alliance Church as the male adult lodging, set up a camping shower tent in their backyard, and have people carry warm water in a pouch from the bathroom to shower. I'm not kidding; we were literally on the verge of ordering the supplies.
Then, I spoke with Diane from Dakota Alliance Church again. Diane's voice was excited, and she had good news. Less than a month after our first call and our joint prayer for a pastor, five young pastors from Watertown, an hour away, had begun to take turns coming to preach at this church every week! She exclaimed, "Hallelujah! God is good!" over and over again.
Then, she suddenly asked if I'd like her to inquire about a school-like building connected to the church next door that she'd heard had shower facilities. I wasn't sure what building she was referring to and didn't have high hopes, but of course, I asked her to look into it if possible.
After that, I didn't hear from her for a while. About two weeks before the mission, in a call, Diane said that the board of the church next door would soon make a decision on the matter. She also said that if we prayed together, a good God would surely answer.
Only then did I realize exactly where that place was. It was Family Life Church, the largest church in the town, where the Chicago team, whom we often encountered during our missions, used to minister. There had been a few times over the past 18 years when our visits overlapped, and children who had come to our team one day would go to that church the next. Some of our team members had even felt a sense of competition.
After this happened a few times, I thought it would be good to adjust our dates so that the children could receive more love from more teams during the summer. Before COVID, I even called Pastor Adam, the representative of the Chicago team, to pray together and discuss this. However, the last I heard was that their team had completely stopped after COVID.
We waited and prayed, not knowing what decision the church's board would make. Then, about a week before our departure, on a Thursday, we received word. And miraculously, they said we could use the shower facilities in the large gym connected to that church. Although it was a different building, it was only a 2-3 minute walk away and offered the cleanest and best shower facilities available. This was truly the most earnest answer to prayer, practically speaking.
Beyond this, the scale of the team, which I had never led before, and the significant age differences among the three churches, especially with so many teenagers, meant that practical issues that never required thought before became apparent during the preparation process. Each time, I thought of Psalm 131 again: "This is not my ministry, planned and executed by me, but something God started, and I am only playing a very small part. It's not about my wisdom or ability, but about simply obeying well in every moment."
So, I relied on the Lord at every decision-making moment, big or small. When it seemed good to listen to people's opinions, I entrusted it to them. Even when people expressed opposition, I did not compromise on what the Lord wanted, because it wasn't my ministry to be responsible for. The miracles that occurred during this process are too many to mention today.
One sister from the New Jersey church said it was a time when she received a rich outpouring of God's grace, as if for several years all at once. Another brother confessed that when he was baptized in May, he felt somewhat forced by Pastor Chun, and hadn't had a personal encounter with Jesus. But at Revival Night on Wednesday, he experienced something irresistible, and the next day, at his first communion service, he experienced immense love from God.
As I quietly reflected yesterday morning, I got goosebumps remembering that brother from the beginning of the year, who had appeared late for the joint worship service, sitting in the very back with a completely different look and expression. That brother confessed several times, "This is truly perfect." This happened to a brother who had sat in the back of the church with his arms crossed for 14 years.
Another important message God strongly impressed on my heart before the mission was, "As soon as you lay your hands on them, they will be healed." I held onto that word, and then first announced it to Pastor Owen and the other pastors who came with us from the local church. I told them that this Wednesday evening, we would have a time of laying on of hands for healing prayer. I also shared the message God had given me with the team.
And as I prepared the sermon on healing for Revival Night, the scripture given to me was 1 John 4:10:
1 John 4:10:
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
"Love is here!" God sending His beloved Son! This is God's love. I realized that one of the greatest proofs of God's deep love for the people there was the sons and daughters of MMC who had been continuously sent there for 18 years. So, I thought about collecting and showing old photos that would serve as evidence, but I simply didn't have time with the busy schedule. But then, I found a video. It was a video I had shown during the first mission meeting with Chahm Joeun Church from New Jersey, a slideshow I had made during my first mission in 2009, with recent photos added.
During my first mission in 2009, I had taken photos and created a clumsy slideshow video with worship songs we often listened to. Even then, when I finished it late on a Saturday night and showed it at church, I felt a certain thrill. So, those songs and photos always brought an inexpressible emotion whenever I saw them. On the night of Revival, I showed that video and cried out:
"We are the proof! The proof that God loves you!"
And then I showed the children's photos taken that day:
"For the past 18 years, the Lord has been sending teams like ours and the Chicago team, healing that land, and it has made a clear difference. But the Lord and I desperately long for that change to happen even faster. Because we love these children! These children don't have much time left... So, adults must return to the Lord and make the right choices every day! The Lord who loves these children and the adults here will help! If you decide! If you truly decide to follow the Lord!"
As I cried out like that... I don't think I'll ever forget the tear-filled, surprised eyes of many local adults.
Then, according to the Lord's command, I began to lay hands and pray. The first sister I laid hands on was someone who had participated in our VBS as a child, and though still young, already had teenage children of her own. She had greeted us warmly when we went to Dakota Alliance Church, which we were using as male lodging after Sunday service. From that day on, she continued to participate in VBS with her children, almost like a child herself.
When she raised her hand first and I went to her to ask what she wanted prayer for, she honestly confessed, weeping, that she still sometimes succumbed to temptations to do wrong things. I laid hands on her and began to pray, feeling the Lord's language being proclaimed through my lips and His Spirit powerfully permeating us. The Holy Spirit was pouring out like water, and this sister was shedding tears of joy and rapture.
The last person I prayed for was a grandmother named Vanessa, who had a newborn baby with her. Surprisingly, this kind-looking woman, advanced in years and caring for several children, also sighed and wept as she asked for prayer, unable to break free from drug addiction. She asked to overcome temptation and break the cycle of evil.
Again, as I laid hands and prayed, the Lord spoke through my lips, "My daughter... My beloved daughter..." I prayed for a long time, watching her tears fall on the baby she was holding. When the prayer ended and the final worship song, "Holy Forever," began, Vanessa held her baby with one hand and raised the other high, praising God with great joy.
Teressa, the building manager of Family Life Church who lent us the shower facilities, and Diane from Dakota Alliance Church were also there. So, the members of these three churches in the town were together, and the teams from the three churches who visited the town were together.
That evening, Diane sent a text message:
"Thank you for the beautiful worship! God bless and thank you for letting us help you in sharing the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. And we know all things work out for his glory!"
Isn't that true? If our church hadn't had space for the New Year's service and had a joint service with Chahm Joeun Church... And if Dakota Sonshine hadn't closed... If the New Jersey Chahm Joeun Church had stayed separately as per my original plan, and we only did ministry together... Then there would have been no reason to contact Dakota Alliance Church. And if Dakota Alliance Church had shower facilities, there would have been no reason to seek out Family Life Church, would there?
In that case, Diane and I would not have had our phone calls or met. And then we wouldn't have been able to pray together for a pastor.
It is in all this inadequacy and weakness, when we seek the Lord and humbly obey His leading, that encounters happen, and when we humbly come together, "Better Together" is realized.
Going through these processes this time, I understood more clearly how to hear God's voice. It's about humbly obeying and going to the place where the Lord leads me, the place where I can't do it in my own strength, where all my weaknesses are revealed. It is there that the Lord's voice becomes most vivid.
It's that point where it's uncomfortable and burdensome, but at the same time, you're sure that God will be pleased! It's about bringing yourself to that place. Putting yourself there is obedience. When you do that, like Elijah and Samuel, you can hear God's voice and participate in God's great work of leading people on the right path and saving lives.
Now, this ability is no longer only for prophets; it is already with everyone who has made Jesus their Lord. So why don't we hear? Because God still does not speak to those who ultimately will not obey. He speaks to those who will ultimately obey.
Do you know how much the Lord loves you and this church? It's uncomfortable and burdensome... but it's exactly here, isn't it? This church, isn't it? That's why here, we are being transformed into the people the Lord Himself speaks to.
Do you want to experience and enjoy that love more? Do you want to hear God's voice more clearly?
Then, remove all the veils of self, pride, and arrogance, and come to the Lord... And like Samuel, say this:
"Here I am, Lord. Speak, for your servant is listening."
