There are several things my wife Christina and I have done to prepare our children for the mission field in Thailand. We have prayed together throughout the entire process. Early on, I asked them to pray with us while discerning our call to both Thailand and Southwest Florida. We also read biographies of missionaries together for storytime, which provides history for how God has used people to spread the gospel. Every week we pray as a family for other nations and for what God is doing around the world prayercast.com and Operation World are great resources). We also recognize the importance of community and connecting to a local church to ensure that they themselves have a vibrant and growing faith.

Most importantly, we have found that God Himself is preparing our family for His call on our lives. For example, God prepared us for the weather in Thailand by allowing us to move to the Thailand of the United States—even allowing us to experience the preparation for a potential hurricane (or a typhoon on the other side of the globe). In following His call, we have found the wise sayings in the book of Proverbs to be true. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9, ESV). “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV).

In trusting God through this process, we have found that He truly does give far more abundantly than we can ever ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Pastor Su Kim, who joined the church staff in July, is planning to eventually move his family to Thailand to serve on the mission field. He and his wife have been leading short-term mission trips to Thailand since 2006. In 2016 the Kims sensed a call to minister to the Thai people as a family. After interning at First Church in January 2018, Su received his Master of Divinity summa cum laude from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary this past May. In June he was ordained as a pastor for mission service by the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.

The Kim family has settled into Bonita Springs while Pastor Su serves in the areas of student ministry and missions, and assists with the general pastoral duties of teaching, worship, and visitation. During their stay at First Church, they are preparing for their cross-cultural transition and overseas service while raising funds for mission support. The Kims hope to head to Bangkok in the summer of 2021.

by Pastor Su Kim