For four years, I was an active member of Ae-yang Ministry, a long-standing organization with over 40 years of history, dedicated to organizing retreats and recreational activities for children in underfunded churches.
Each summer, I participated in more than ten volunteer events at churches in the Gyeonggi area and on-campus activities, where I developed strong communication and teamwork skills to ensure smooth execution of recreational activities. During the winter, I contributed to strategizing for the recruitment of new members, fostering connections with senior members, and planning for the following summer’s volunteer work.
In my senior year, I was given the opportunity to lead as an event coordinator for our volunteer activities. One particularly memorable experience was our first summer service in 2022, where I led a team of five members at Yuldong Park in Bundang. We organized and conducted recreational activities for 30 children and their parents from underfunded churches.
Although we encountered unexpected challenges due to a less-than-enthusiastic response to the planned activities, we quickly adapted by switching to a recreation program we had successfully executed during a previous retreat. By communicating effectively with my team members, we were able to seamlessly make this change, ultimately engaging the children and parents and creating unforgettable memories for them. Through this experience, I deepened my understanding of the true meaning of service while also developing my teamwork and leadership skills.
