Far removed from his hometown of Northbrook, junior David Kang found himself riding inside a small, scooter-like taxi that navigated its way around dusty roads, surrounded by buildings made from dirt, concrete and manure. Kang arrived at a set of gates in front of an Ethiopian church, and just beyond it were the welcoming smiles of the church members.
“One hundred kids were waiting for us at the church gates, and they didn’t even really know who we were or what we were doing there, but they were still so excited to see us that they came running and started giving us hugs and holding our hands,” said Kang. “These kids were just so overwhelmingly loving to us, and we hadn’t even done anything for them yet.”
Following in the footsteps of his two older sisters, Kang chose to attend a mission trip this summer organized by his church, the Northfield Presbyterian Church of Wheeling.
Kang spent eight days in Jimma, Ethiopia, where he worked with local children at a church and school. Kang also played a role in establishing a Vacation Bible School, a religious event aimed at teaching children about the Bible and their faith through various activities. Kang organized activities such as singing and dancing with the children, painting faces, performing skits and playing games.
“There were about 800 kids in total, and almost all of them were in poverty and had struggling living conditions,” said Kang. “However, even though these kids were in poverty and had almost nothing, they still felt like they needed to show us as much love as they could.”
Although there were language and cultural barriers, Kang had never seen a group of people love others as much as the Ethiopians did, he said.
“In Northbrook, everyone is like, ‘How can I serve myself?’” said Kang. “But in Ethiopia, everyone is like, ‘How can I serve my community?’”
During Kang’s first meal in Jimma, various local church members began washing his shoes along with the shoes of the other members of Kang’s group. To return the favor, senior Bree Paek suggested they clean the church members’ shoes.
“I need to be able to do this more,” said Kang. “Not physically washing people’s shoes, but in general … I can just humble myself in a place where I just want to serve.’”
According to mission leader Juchan Jung, Kang was a natural leader and had a positive influence on the children.
Despite occasional struggles, Kang consistently persevered, and his attitude and optimism only improved throughout the trip, Jung said.
“Even though his body was tired, there was a time difference and his stomach hurt from the food, he always got through it and tried to be with the kids and show love,” Jung said.
One night, while the group was eating dinner, two kids wandered off. Kang went to find them and saw them in a small classroom with a group of local teenagers, playing a piano with only two working keys.
“All the kids were singing, but it was in a different language,” said Kang. “I asked the translator what they were singing and he said, ‘Even if I don’t have clothes, even if I don’t have money, I will still worship you, I will still praise you.’ I just started to cry.”
During his trip, Kang discovered his sense of purpose through the act of giving back and realized the significance of helping others, he said.
“When we got there, that second, we realized, ‘Oh my gosh, we are not teaching these kids. These kids are teaching us,’” said Kang. “To this day, I still 100 percent believe that we received so much more than we gave.”