Sometimes a lesson in faith can take you across the sea, to the highest mountains or to distant jungles. Or, if you’re Paul Kim, all of the above.

For Kim, a PUC digital video technology and theology major, his lesson in faith was captured on film and earned him the 2003 People’s Choice Award at the SONscreen Film Festival II, held this past October in Orlando, Fla.

The SONscreen project was created by the Adventist Communication Network to mentor and encourage young Christians who are interested in media and cinematography to use their skills and talents to benefit and uplift humanity.

Paul Kim’s film, “Mission to Mindoro,” was judged in the documentary/promotional category, competing with eight other films. “Mission to Mindoro” follows the tracks of three students and their professor as they head for the Philippine jungles to discover what mission is all about, come face to face with human need and answer the call of service in their own hearts.

Just how Paul Kim became a student missionary is a testament to his faith and dedication to Christ. Kim had not originally planned on going to the Philippines. His initial plan was to go to India, but that fell through, along with his backup plan to go to Thailand. Ultimately, he and his friends were left with one choice—Mindoro.

Kim was reluctant to jump into the project. After all, he had already visited the Philippines. He also didn’t have the money to go and didn’t have a passport. Feeling as though these roadblocks were a sure sign not to go, Kim went on with business as usual at PUC.

However, during a campus Bible study on faith, he changed his mind and decided to go to Mindoro, letting God handle the details of how he would get there. Through a series of events, the money for the trip was fronted and the passport, due to arrive in four weeks, managed to reach him in two weeks. Kim counts his experience as faith-building and even points to the People’s Choice Award as God’s stamp of approval.

This award is one step in the direction of Kim’s dreams for his future. His goal with Mindoro was to take his experience and present it in a way that makes mission work appealing to young adults. He has a passion for documentary filmmaking because he feels it is the most powerful way to tell a story and still be realistic. He also has a passion for youth, a burden that grew from his experience as a youth pastor in Maryland. “My ultimate goal is to combine my two passions and produce youth-oriented Christian programming for the Church,” says Kim.

For Kim, the experience in general put many things into perspective. “I came back with an admiration of the missionaries and laymen who are serving all over the world,” said Kim. “I believe that no matter what ministry a person has, whether it be music, Bible studies or individual talents, God can use it.”

By Holly Watkins