Ups and Downs

Back in early December, we had an exciting opportunity to take a one-day retreat together with the ministry team from our local church. What a thrill to witness God working in His church, bringing growth during a truly difficult season! Despite the pandemic and extremely limited opportunities to be physically together as a church, new people have found hope in the message of the gospel through video sermons, small group Bible studies, and counseling.

On our retreat that day, we discussed plans for strategic discipleship and ideas for potential community outreach events. Only six weeks later, it became clear ministry in 2021 would be quite different from what we’d imagined.
“Kyu, I feel like Job,” our pastor lamented over a phone call, “just in the last 24 hours, I’ve had several people from church call bearing bad news, asking for marriage counseling. These are people who seemed like they were doing well and growing…” In the span of a few days, ministry plans have shifted to respond to an obvious need for teaching and discipleship in Biblical marriage. Kyu and the pastor have already begun co-leading a men’s small group, and Anna and the pastor’s wife will soon start a women’s group on the same topic. The beauty of co-leading groups like these is that while there are clear Biblical principles for marriage, there is additional benefit in having diverse examples of what a healthy marriage looks like, factoring in aspects like personality, background, and even culture.

With Eyes toward the Future

Pandemic ministry is weird. There, I (Anna) said it. 🙂

While we stretch and flex to meet needs that pop up, we are still keeping our eyes pointed toward future ministry plans. We continue praying about, planning, and preparing for future ministries. To that end, I (Anna) recently finished my course as a Mental Health Coach, which trained me as a “first responder” for those who arrive at our church seeking help. Many times, such individuals need both Biblical counseling and mental health support. Having completed this program, I can now choose to receive further training in areas of specialization (i.e. grief, addiction, senior care, etc.). I am praying for discernment to know if I should continue studying right now, and in which area.

Kyu is designing strategies for building leadership development opportunities for Colombian pastors, as well as for training a small team to take over filming and editing tasks while the need for online church services are required due to pandemic restrictions. Considering that many people living around Medellín lack consistent access to the internet, Kyu is brainstorming ideas for podcasts and/or radio programs to broadcast in the city.

Our weekly routine recording the Sunday message

Ongoing Ministry

Kyu continues to film and edit Sunday sermons for our local church and the children’s series Descubriendo la Biblia Kids for kids (mostly) in Colombia and Peru. Several kids have sent messages to Kyu saying “thank you,” or sharing how they memorized the prayer he says at the end of each episode. (Those messages are SO cute!) Watch Descubriendo la Biblia Kids on our channel!

Anna is mentoring leaders and facilitating small group Bible studies for women in our local church, as well as meeting for one-on-one Bible study with another foreigner currently living in Colombia.

Kim Kids

The girls are doing well! We grieve for their lack of social interaction, as do many parents around the world. But the Lord has been faithful–they are healthy and content, curious, growing, and learning. Lucia has been enjoying puzzles and writing creative short stories, while Noelia is showing wonderful growth in reading and a special delight in art. As part of our inaugural homeschooling year, Mountain View Academy is pleased to debut our new mascot, the Great Kiskadee (bichofué), which we can spot almost daily from our balcony.

Prayer Requests

Closeness in our individual and family walk with Christ
Wisdom and endurance to respond to current ministry demands.
Special discernment for facilitating small groups on Biblical marriage (and other general Bible studies).
Productive and meaningful preparation for future ministries
Solutions to physical problems with allergies (everybody) and migraines (Anna)
Healthy balance of work and rest

Thank You

We praise God for your, our financial partners, prayers partners, and loved ones! God has richly blessed us through your consistent giving and prayers. We know many of you have endured difficult circumstances through 2020 and now into 2021, and pray God will sustain and bless you for participating in ministry with Team Kim in Colombia. If you have specific prayer requests, please reach out to us by email or through social media.