Final Words on the Ride Against Traffick, Busan to Seoul

Riders finishing strong 

At the worship service on the morning of our last day, a few of the riders and support crew took the time to express before everyone else their thoughts at the close of our trip.  Here are a few of their words.

June
Rider, Gwangju

"I thought that when I finished the trip I would be so proud of myself... but after worshiping with the team I realized it's not about me going back to Gwangju and being proud of myself, it's about going back and giving glory to God. At my church right now there is no hand helping the people in the area of human trafficking. Please pray for my church and I, that we would become a light to those in need."

Lila, 

Rider, Jubilee Church 

"The Korean speakers are the mouthpiece for our mission - we are able to share information with people on the street because they can speak with the Korean riders and support crew. Even strangers, once they knew that we are Christians, stopped to pray for us. As internationals we can daw a lot of attention to the issue, but it's the Koreans who have the power to speak into the government and make a permanent change in this country.

Joel, 

Rider 

"While we were riding I saw 3 snakes completely obliterated on the road, and road kill is not very common to see in Korea.... it reminded me that, even as we are fighting sex trafficking, our real enemy Satan is already defeated. Jesus already crushed Satan under his feet."

Kim Palma, 

Rider, USA 

"Going though this land, it is so incredibly gorgeous - it is so worth fighting for, interceding for, and reaching out to the people who will be God's people... We pray for Korean churches to receive orphans knowing that they are God's royal family."

This year's ride from Busan to Seoul was both exhilarating and incredibly challenging.  The physical strain of the riders and the mental stress of the team trying to support them were difficult for many of us to endure.  To my dismay, I did not always react to the challenges as I should have. The South Korean countryside was exquisitely beautiful, and yet my heart was not always worshipful.  The work we were doing was in God's service, and yet I did not always feel submitted to Him.  As the computer issues piled up one after the other in rapid succession, for me the bike trip became a 5-day fight against the power of my own selfishness, weariness and exasperation.  

Yet as the days went by, I also grew increasingly aware of the power of God at work within my weak self.  Whatever was done well was certainly done in the strength of God, for as Paul says: "it is God who works in you both to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose." (Philippians 2:13 NIV)  I believe that it was according to His good purpose that we complete the ride well and testify against sex trafficking in this country.  God gave us the power to complete it, and He will watch over the money raised and the hearts of those who witnessed the event.  God, who has the power to move even the hardest heart, can certainly bring justice to this country.  

Next year there will be another bike trip to raise awareness against sex trafficking in South Korea, so if you have felt compelled to ride with us, begin your training now!  Remember that, in the words of Thomas Paine: "The battle... is not to the strong alone.  It is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."  You will grow stronger if you choose to ride, and you will certainly be challenged if you choose to join the support team, but more than strength, this trip requires courage, motivation, and endurance.  For those in training for next year, "let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)