Day 33 – Lauren Kim

1. What do you do for a living? (occupation/field of study)

While I am certified to teach grades 1-6 in MD, I am still working on getting my NY credentials. In the meantime, I have been working as an after school kindergarten and first grade teacher for ELA and Math support.

2. How do you like to spend your free time?

On my productive free days, I like spending my time reading, trying out new recipes (baking or cooking), dabbling in the arts, or cleaning up/organizing my space. On my less productive free days, you can find me napping anywhere at any time, chilling with my precious doggos (Teddie and Barley), or snacking while watching a movie/binging whatever show I’m into (currently, it has been Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast).

3. Share one interesting fact about you that most people don’t know!

I am fluent in Spanish. While I was a sophomore in college I lived and served in a small community in Mexico for 8 months. Then, the following year, God convicted me to commit another 6 months. I didn’t like relying upon a translator to communicate my thoughts (whether it was for teaching purposes or ministry/relationship building reasons), so I was determined to learn the language. With the help of some peers and my students, I not only grew in fluency, but I also fell in love with the culture. My time abroad is what led me to want to become a dual language teacher.

4. Do you have a favorite book in the Bible? If you do, which one is it and why?

I can’t say that I currently have a favorite book in the Bible, but I have grown fond of reading about the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-45). While my circumstances pale in comparison to what he went through, I resonated a lot with how misunderstood he felt and cast aside by those he only intended to love and care for. I have always felt misunderstood by those around me, which led to a lot of hurt and feeling like the “black sheep” in my family, social circles, etc. But reading about the humble, servant heart Joseph continued to carry throughout his many trials has always brought me encouragement. Especially when he finally makes himself known to his brothers, it never fails to make me feel some type of way…

Genesis 45:4-8 “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you… But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God.”

5. Is there a verse/passage in the Bible that has significantly impacted your life? If so, which is it and why?

Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

When I was saved, my spiritual father gave me this verse to meditate upon before he even really knew me, but God knew I needed these words. I used to joke that it felt like I had two hearts in my body because I had so much love I wanted to give. When I loved or took an interest in anyone or anything, I would give my everything, all of my heart. However, as could have been expected, this caused me a lot of heartache and suffering because my heart doesn’t belong to people and things. This verse has become a continuous reminder in my life to guard my heart from being swayed by the world, to give it to the only person who knows how to and will take care of it. And in doing so, I would be able to bring glory to God in everything that I do.

6. Is there a prayer request that has been on your heart recently? If so, please share with us.

As my husband mentioned in his Lent testimony, we are expecting our first child this summer! We are incredibly thankful and in awe that God would entrust us with the honor of becoming parents to our daughter, but we also have a fair share of worries. Pregnancy has not been the easiest for someone who has led a self-sufficient, very independent lifestyle. I sometimes feel disappointed that I am not capable of being who I used to be or doing what I used to do as easily. Please pray that I would be able to fully let go of my self-reliance; to further trust and depend upon the Lord’s leading, strength, and timing.

7. Tell us about how you met Christ? (feel free to share a brief testimony)

I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian household. My grandpa was a pastor and while he was alive, he always emphasized the importance of faith and family. As I have been getting older, I have grown a deeper appreciation for the faith that he and my grandma had that became the foundation of the faith and values my family has today. While I can’t say that I gave my life to Christ in my younger years, I definitely felt the joy of the Lord when I would worship in Sunday School, and I knew the importance of prayer (even in the silly prayers I would pray to not wet the bed or to not fight with my brother). 

I would say I met Christ when I was a junior in high school. While I have struggled with depression and anxiety most of my life, things definitely escalated during that time because of a cumulation of factors like the loss of my aunt (who was like a second mother to me); financial difficulties which led to familial division; self inflicted guilt that I was contributing to the burdens placed upon those around me. I felt so hopeless and unworthy to be alive. However, I encountered God’s love at a random revival my mom and aunt said I had to go to. While I entered the room filled with doubt and already set on ending my life, I felt a small tug in my heart during the time of prayer. As tears rolled down my face, I remember asking God if I gave Him my heart, would He be able to take care of it for me? Almost immediately, I felt as though I was being given the warmest, most intense embrace ever, and I just knew I was so loved by God. Since then, I have had my share of ups and downs (and then some), but one thing I have never wavered in is that God is a man of His word. His faithfulness and who He is continues to be worthy of trust.