There are a few things that are feared by almost everyone in this world. One is being in a place you’ve never been before, and not knowing anybody. Another is public speaking. And the last is going door to door trying to sell something spiritual. Combine all three of these, and you’ve got colporteuring.

This summer, six girls from the Detroit Youth group will be going to New York, on a mission to spread the gospel. They will be part of a colporteur program featuring three groups of 20-30 individuals each. Spearheading two of the groups will be two members of the first campus ministry program in North America, which was started this year at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor).

Starting June 13th, the program will go until approximately August 15th, spanning two months. It will be a time of hardship, exhaustion, and trials. But all of these things are expected, by both the colporteurs and our Lord Jesus Christ, for He expects us to “deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34) It may not be KAYAMM, where the Word is spread to other countries, but there are still many in our country who do not know the Truth. It is a sad, but very true and real fact.

The girls will be traveling to different churches throughout the summer, and hope to attend the Eastern campmeeting also. The only sightseeing they will be doing is hopefully visiting the General Conference in Maryland. Other than that they will be hard at work. During the last two weeks they will meet up with the two other groups and go to the New England Conference to work there.

Every year since KAYAMM started, Detroit has sent at least two people each year. This year, we’re not sending anyone, but these girls will be making an impact in their own way.

Here is a brief introduction to the six colporteurs. Julie Namm is the oldest, at 20. She will be a junior at U of M (Ann Arbor). She went to KAYAMM last year, and felt a calling once again this summer.

“The reason I’m going is because I feel like the end is near, and I feel like I’m not doing anything about it. It’ll be good to work for God, and the fact that a lot of people from our church are going helps a lot. It will also be a good time to be totally dependent on God.”

Hau Jung Pak is also 20, and she’ll be a junior at Michigan State University. For her, it’s more about experiencing something new. “It’ll be a new experience, and it’ll toughen me up. I think I’ll also gain a lot of memories, be able to witness, and grow mentally and spiritually.”

Next up is Judy Namm, who is 18. She’ll be a sophomore at U of M, and she feels the calling perhaps the most of the six. “I had such good role models, people going to KAYAMM, and good missionaries, but because of that I want to do something for the Lord. I wouldn’t be doing it if it weren’t for them. You can reach places that evangelists and pastors can’t go, it’s a really good work. It’s a really effective way of witnessing.”

Alice Park is 18, and she’ll be a freshman at U of M. She is still wondering why she’s going, because everything points against her spending her summer selling books. However, she feels that God is impressing her to go. “I don’t know why I want to go. I had so many reasons to stay home, but there was just something impressing me to go. I think God really wanted me to go.”

Kelly Baek is 17, and she’ll be a high school senior. For her it will be a time of growing up, away from home for the first time. “I think I’ll grow up a little, and become more dependent on God. I hope that I can learn to be a good witness for other people, and to become closer to God.”

Nina Pak rounds out the field at 15, the youngest of the group. That’s not a deterrent by any stretch of the imagination, she’s just as capable as the next person. “I’m going to do God’s work and witness to others. I think it’ll be a good experience, and I hope that God will work His way into my heart.”

When asked about any doubts, fears, or nervousness, the responses were what one might expect. Concerns ranged from not saying the right thing at the right time to people, to the bus ride (arriving in New York in the middle of the night), to the fear of just not being good enough. But when asked whether they would still go if all of the others backed out, every single person answered yes.

That’s what was impressive to me about this group. Nobody was going just to go, just to be with friends, or do it because everyone else was doing it. Each person was going for their own selves, and their own walk with God.

What also was striking was what Nina, the youngest of the group, said. “There’s no age too young where you can’t do something for God.”

That struck me personally as something that a lot of people forget. Nobody is ever too young, too quiet, or too untalented to do anything for God. I mean, with God, everything is possible, EVERYTHING! There’s nothing that should hold back people from witnessing to others. It doesn’t even take KAYAMM, or colporteuring, sometimes it’s just a simple question. You just need to ask, and let God to do the rest. “Spiritually, it’s a good time to be totally dependent on God,” Julie said.

That is what we need today. An attitude like that, that no matter what anyone else does, we should have a willingness to stand up for God and what you believe in, and to stand up and say “I am willing, send me.” We should be able to leave everything in God’s hands, and believe.

As a church we are proud to see these six girls take another step toward getting closer to God, and furthering the work of His second coming. We believe they are more than capable, because God is with them. They will be the first to tell you that they aren’t extraordinary individuals who have special talents, they just felt the calling and decided to act on it. God doesn’t look at the talents of somebody before He gives them work to do, God gives the talents as the person goes along willingly.

Peter’s talent was catching fish, Moses’ was herding sheep. Samson spent half of his life in jail, Esther was just a Jewish girl in a foreign land, Paul was a tentmaker, Matthew a tax collector. And Jesus? He was a carpenter, a manual laborer.

There is absolutely nothing holding us back from doing the work of God, nothing. There is no persecution, no fear of death, starving, torture, or anything of the sort in North America. The worst that can happen, the absolute worst, is that the person you ask about God says ‘no’, or ‘let’s not talk about that’.

Let’s all try to start spreading God’s Word, wherever we go.


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