From 4 -11 February 2026, twenty-three youth and young adults from the DaeKwang Church of the Nazarene in Pyeongtaek, Korea, visited Okinawa, Japan, for an exposure to cross-cultural missions.
The team spent a day cleaning at Keystone Nazarene Church. One team member shared, “Usually, I’d want to avoid or procrastinate on cleaning, but I did it with a joyful heart this time. My body was tired, but I felt so proud to be able to help the church. This experience helped me let go of all the worries I had at the start of the trip.”
The team also served at two elderly day-care centers in Okinawa. They sang songs, did crafts, shared about Korean culture, and provided hand massages. Minkyung Seong said, “The most memorable part for me was giving hand massages and dancing for the seniors at the nursing home. It was a new experience that touched my heart deeply, showing me that even small acts of service can share God’s love.” Yecheon Kim shared, “Volunteering at the nursing home gave me a chance to rethink the true meaning of service. I learned that even when we don’t speak the same language, our hearts can still connect. Seeing the residents’ reactions, I felt like I came away with more comfort and love than I actually gave.” The team’s service also provided a long-term community connection for Keystone to continue building relationships in the community.
The Okinawa NYI gathered together from the Urasoe, Chatan, and Keystone Nazarene churches with the mission team for a day of fellowship. The group played games, getting to know one another, and discovered similarities of interest despite language and cultural differences. They also had a time of worship together, singing in Japanese, Korean, and English. Yuhwan Oh reflected, “On Saturday, I spent time with our NYI friends in Okinawa. If we had met for any other reason, it might have just been a fun memory of hanging out with foreigners. But because we met within the “NYI” family, it felt like home. Living only in Korea, I hadn’t deeply felt my identity as a member of the Nazarene Church, but being here with fellow Nazarenes made me feel a strong sense of belonging and unity. No matter where we are, we are one in Nazarene. It was a wonderful time.”
On Sunday, the team served on the Keystone worship team, led children’s ministries, and one member shared his testimony. Minkyung Seong shared, “Worshipping together on Sunday, I felt that we are truly one in Him despite our different cultures.”
Simple exposures to missions such as this are both a blessing to the receiving church and the sending church. It provided youth a chance to practice faith in action through service. It helped people experience the body of Christ that transcends language and culture in a tangible way. And it provided opportunities for everyone’s eyes to be opened to the gift of the body of Christ. Soohyun Kim summed it up: “I had so much fun worshipping and praying at Keystone Church. The ministry at the nursing home was also incredibly rewarding. I’m actually tearing up a bit because it’s time to say goodbye, but the emotions and the new perspective on service I gained here will stay with me forever. I felt a much stronger bond with NYI and realized that as long as we have one heart and one mind, language doesn’t matter. I really hope we can meet and fellowship again!”
By: Rev. Brian and Julie Woolery