PHILIPPIANS 4:13
When I arrived in the United States, I was filled with panic, fear, and confusion. People looked very strange and somewhat intimidating since they all appeared so different from what I had known in Korea, and they spoke a language that I could not understand. I felt like the people at the airport were staring at me like a monkey in a zoo. There was no one to protect me in this strange environment. I was alone. My parents were back in Korea, praying for me to have a safe trip to my new school. Loneliness overwhelmed me. Even after I started the new school year, I still felt scared. When nice American girls asked, “What is your name?” I looked away and pretended that I did not hear them, because I could not understand them. On my first day of science class, the teacher assigned homework, which was due next class. I did not understand what “due” meant and didn’t comprehend the homework. I went to the next class with an empty binder and received an academic warning. I definitely needed someone to help my situation and comfort me. My mom shared a verse over the phone to encourage me. Because I was in such a foreign situation, the verse touched me more than ever. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” As soon as I heard the verse, I realized that God had always been there for me, and I started to develop confidence. I still get nervous when talking with Americans, and I still struggle with my English. I still get homesick and cry, but I am not scared anymore. God is always with me.
Stephanie Ki-Yeon Yoon, 18, Houghton Christian Academy, Houghton, NY
Life can bring some really big,
really frightening changes. When it does,
I want to trust You to get me through, Father.