Twenty-three youth and young adults from the Dae Kwang Church of the Nazarene in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, visited Okinawa, Japan, from 4 -11 February 2026, for an exposure to cross-cultural missions.
The team spent a day cleaning at Keystone Nazarene Church, after which one team member shared that the experience “helped me let go of all the worries I had at the start of the trip.”
The team members also served at two elderly day-care centers in Okinawa. They sang songs, did crafts, shared about Korean culture, and provided hand therapy.
“Volunteering at the nursing home gave me a chance to rethink the true meaning of service,” Yecheon Kim said. “I learned that even when we don’t speak the same language, our hearts can still connect. Seeing the residents’ reactions, I felt like I came away with more comfort and love than I actually gave.”
The team’s service also provided a long-term community connection for Keystone to continue building relationships in the community.
Youth from the Urasoe, Chatan, and Keystone Churches of the Nazarene on Okinawa gathered with the mission team for a day of fellowship. The group played games, getting to know one another and finding common interests despite language and cultural differences. They also worshipped together, singing in Japanese, Korean, and English.
“On Saturday, I spent time with our NYI friends in Okinawa,” said Yuhwan Oh. “If we had met for any other reason, it might have just been a fun memory of hanging out with foreigners. But because we met within the ‘NYI’ family, it felt like home. Living only in Korea, I hadn’t deeply felt my identity as a member of the Church of the Nazarene, but being here with fellow Nazarenes made me feel a strong sense of belonging and unity. No matter where we are, we are one in [our Nazarene identity]. It was a wonderful time.”
On Sunday, the team served on the Keystone worship team, led children’s ministries, and one member shared his testimony. Minkyung Seong shared, “Worshipping together on Sunday, I felt that we are truly one in Christ despite our different cultures.”
Simple exposures to similar missions are a blessing to both the receiving church and the sending church. It provided the youth a chance to practice faith in action through service. It helped people experience how the Body of Christ transcends language and culture in a tangible way, and opened everyone’s eyes to the gift of the church.
“I had so much fun worshipping and praying at Keystone church,” said Soohyun Kim. “The ministry at the nursing home was also incredibly rewarding. I [was emotional] when it was time to say goodbye. But the emotions and the new perspectives on service I gained here will stay with me forever. I felt a much stronger bond with NYI and realized that as long as we have one heart and one mind, language [differences] didn’t matter.”