Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Stephen Choi and I am a 21 year old Korean-American. It’s funny how adulthood kicks in at the age of 21, you start to feel the shift in maturity compared to the teens years you identified with only a couple of years back. From silly trends like their fashionable drip (clothing) and tik-tok challenges and what-not. But I’m not here to talk about younglings and their crippling mental health or drug abuse. Which on a side note, is actually a very serious issue due to ongoing pressures and the feeling of isolation in our materialized commercial society. Anyways, I am blogging to tell my story of why I’m participating in The World Race, how I move forward to put my past traumas behind me, and why I think it’s important for me to travel abroad on this 11-month Christian pilgrimage. It is my hope that you, the people reading this, can help me embark on this missionary work and become closer in my relationship with God. Christianity obviously has it’s issues in the Western world and I can only speak about my personal experience being a second generation Korean-American Christian. I do believe that people, especially those around my age, don’t really care about God or reject him outright. I think this mindset stems from generational differences and America having a very biased attitude about what it means be Christian, it only being about going to church every Sunday or having an exemplary image of what a Christian should look like, and not about actual transformation in one’s soul and heart.
Some believers may want to know why they love Christ, but not about the purifying hardship and suffering that comes with trying to understand the nature of God, which I feel is an honest tragedy. I understand however, that it can be sad and traumatic for a lot of followers. I believe there is beauty that comes out of the ashes, from the fires amidst racial violence/oppressions, poverty, and abuse. With that hope, can come a generation of young followers willing to do the hard and dirty work of witnessing oppression and seeking to resolve the injustice of this world. Through the love of Reconciliation of Christ, and to seek unity beyond class, race, religion or denomination from that religion. So that was my short manifesto, but I hope to get to know my readers more as you listen to my journey. I will be going to the training camp in two weeks and meeting my fellow squad mates who will be with me for the entire 11 months. I also wanted to share the link to my fundraiser for this incredible journey, so that you may help me with the wonderful work I’ll be doing by donating. I am deeply grateful for any amount you can give, since fundraising money can be difficult in these challenging times.
Please feel free to shoot me a message and reach out to get to know me better, and my motivation to take part in the World Race. I’d love to share thoughts, experiences and inspirations from fellow Christians, those interested in my expedition and path forward in becoming closer with God.
Thank you and God Bless.
Hello Stephen!
My name is AJ Hebert, my wife Jenn and I will be your world race coaches!
Really looking forward to meeting you at training camp next week!
I appreciate the stuff you put out there in that blog. I wonder if the generation (and maybe people generally) are just rejecting religion and the boxes that have been created?
Maybe people are open to the genuine love of God?…
Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to meet you and everyone at training camp! See you soon. 🙂
I love these wise words Stephen! I can’t wait to learn and grow alongside you during this journey! You’re awesome!!!