Out of the darkness and into the light

I was born and raised in a Christian home. My Dad is a pastor, and both of my grandparents and even Great-Grandparents were in the ministry. I received Christ at a young age, and served in the church as much as I could growing up. Like many who grew up in ministry families, I have experienced incredible blessings, but with these blessings, I also faced many challenges that were difficult to walk through. By the time I was in High School I had decided that I was not called to work in the ministry vocationally. I had struggled with depression for years, and I made many of my decisions out of fear.

I faced a few years that were dark. I struggled to find purpose and fulfillment in the things that I was doing, and I had no idea what direction to take with my life. In the summer of 2018, I took a step of faith and moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to Birmingham, Alabama in what would become one of the best decisions of my life. From the moment I moved in, I knew that God had brought me to this place. He spoke to me, and broke chains off of my life that were holding me in the darkness. I knew that God had called me to attend Highlands College but I didn’t know why. For years I had been telling myself that I did not want to work in the ministry. Little did I know six months after I moved, I would hear God’s call to the ministry, and I would begin the journey to finding where that ministry would begin.

A City on A Hill

I’ve spent the past three and a half years, going to school, serving, and interning at Church Of The Highlands. These have been some of the greatest, and yet, most challenging years of my life. One of the requirements for graduation, was a cross-cultural missions trip. I planned to go to Japan and serve at Lifehouse International Church, but in March, the Coronavirus shut the world down. I completed my semester requirements and graduated in May of 2020 but found myself struggling with the cancellation of a trip to which I felt like God was calling me.

Although that trip was cancelled, I was able to build a relationship with some of the team at Lifehouse. Around that same time I found out that they were launching their first church campus in South Korea. Many of you supported me when I was planning to go to Japan, and when that fell through, I really was devastated. It was through that frustration and disappointment that I heard God’s call to South Korea, a location and a people group I normally would not have considered to pursue.

You may know, South Korea has been targeted by many international missionaries and churches since the end of World War 2. Thirty percent of the country identifies as a Christian. Up until a few years ago, they were also home to one of the largest churches in the world. Looking at some of these numbers I was conflicted. Why did I feel so strongly about going to a place that was already “reached?” Even facing those questions, the conviction to go to South Korea hasn’t left me since April of 2020.

A lighthouse for those lost at sea

During the fall of 2020, I was confused. I was still trying to see if God truly wanted me to go to South Korea or if I was just this crazy guy who wanted to go on a trip. I ended up taking twenty-one days to pray over my situation. During that time I was given a vision of a Lighthouse on the shore. As the body of Christ we are light-bearers. I believe that God is calling each of us into the world to build our lighthouses. God is calling us to bring people out of the darkness and help guide them safely to the shores of the Father. It is His light that shines through us now. God showed this to me during those twenty one days, and I believe that the church I will be going to support, Lifehouse, will truly be a Lighthouse in a dark place.

South Korea has known darkness for a long time and still faces it to this day. Even though about thirty percent of the country identifies as Christian, most of these are in the older generation, and they are struggling to pass that faith onto the younger ones. This is the reason why churches like Lifehouse who have a vision for the youth are essential. The younger generation is just as desperate for hope and truth as the older generation. Many people have heard about the statistics of incredibly high suicide rates in Japan, but are unaware of those same rates in countries like South Korea. It is the fourth-highest country in the world for it’s suicide rate. God is calling me to this place, and He continues to confirm, and open the doors that I need to get there. I need all of the prayers that I can get.

Thank you

For taking the time to read all of this. I would love to connect with you and talk more about all of this if you would like to hear more details. You can click the link at the bottom of the page for my contact information and you can also sign up for email updates below. If you feel like God is leading you to make a financial contribution on top of supporting me through prayer, I have all of the information on how to do that on the ‘Give’ tab at both the top and bottom of the page.

Thank you again,

Colin Buffington

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