Flying (in) Happiness

Grace Park YANA USA

This past February, I was given the opportunity to join Flying Happiness (Project Homecoming) on the West Coast. The itinerary was San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Utah.

I was excited as the last time I saw people from Dongmyung was a year ago when I visited them during a personal vacation, and the last time I was on the West Coast was 15 years ago.

I was looking forward to meeting some of YANA’s board members as well as hearing about their own personal stories and how they got involved with YANA Ministry.

We are Flying in Happiness

The nine days out on the West Coast turned out to be one of the most blessed moments of my life. I have been involved with YANA Ministry through Flying Happiness East Coast since 2012. Throughout the years, I have spent a couple of days each winter joining the Dongmyung group in their travels in NY/NJ.

In July of 2014, I went on my first mission trip to Dongmyung and have been there three times.

I sponsor a child through “Become a Family Forever”. I contribute to YANA magazine by translating some articles, and I try to spend time with and support students who are studying here through YANA Study Abroad Program (YSAP).

I thought I had already experienced what it meant to be a vessel that conveys the mission and vision of the organization, “you are not alone”.

However, there was something much greater and deeper that I experienced through Flying Happiness this year.

The reason God desires us to be in close relationship with Him, to only spend time with Him, is that one will realize that they know and feel the love of God.

The same goes for human relationships.

There is something special, deep, and more meaningful when you actually spend time, share life, and serve life together. Spending 9 days straight with the students allowed me to know each one better, understand a little bit of their lives and in that process, my heart grew fonder.

The two greatest commandments we as believers are called to obey are to love God and love people. When we are faithful to these two commandments, it results in happiness because this is the purpose of our lives.

We are given opportunities around us and in our community and when we are in front of that door, we must open it and walk through.

In the beginning of the trip, I was unsure of what my role was. I didn’t know what I had to do, how much I had to do, or if I was even needed. I was unsure of what my boundaries were and how far I could let myself go to enjoy the trip aside from being the female chaperone that represented YANA. 

I realized later on that I was thinking in such a selfish and self-centered way. I was there to share life with them and love them by showing care, kindness, patience, and interest in their lives; not out of obligation but out of genuine love. It didn’t matter that I had to sacrifice things like comfort, sleep and time. I kept thinking about what would happen next when they go back to Korea? How are their lives going to pan out? Who is going to take care of them? Who is going to love them? How will they survive on their own? At certain moments, I wondered what the point of Flying Happiness was because it is so temporary. 

At the end of the trip, I realized that the battle is not mine nor is it YANA’s. We cannot change the situations of the students and we cannot solve all their problems or save all of them. But it is not up to us. Our job is to follow after God’s heart to do His work in faith and obedience as He calls us according to our abilities and gifts. This applies to every area of our lives, and as believers, we all know how difficult it is to be obedient.

The three board members and their families shared their stories with us and they were all so amazing and encouraging to hear. The common lesson I learned from all of them was to be faithful and walk with God.

When you are faithful, God will lead you in the path He created for your life which includes success, failure, happiness, sadness, wealth, and poverty, etc.

But in this path you receive the blessings of God and opportunities to share those blessings with others.

Grace Park

YANA USA