Get to know our new AMI Interns!
Madelyn Yi
Sent from Symphony Church
To Cisterna di Latina, Italy
Madelyn grew up in Queens, New York, came to Boston to study, and graduated from Northeastern University with a degree in Business Administration. She enjoys rollerblading, rock climbing, and making different drinks. Madelyn’s deepest desire growing up was to be fully seen, known, pursued, and loved and it came true in an encounter with the Lord. She’s discovered a new deepest desire, which can be defined through Acts 13:36 “For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation…” Madelyn’s new desire is to serve the purpose of God in her own generation.
Prayer Request
- I would be living out Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”
- People would come to understand the heart behind the gospel beyond what has been ingrained into Catholic Italian culture
- There would be a hunger and thirst for something greater and that people would be drawn to Living Word Church.
Elizabeth Martinez
Sent from Church of Southland
To Cisterna di Latina, Italy
Having been brought up in Church of Southland, Elizabeth knew from a young age just how good God is. As she explored the blessings offered to her from the Lord, she found that God stirred her heart for people and formed her to be an extrovert that was invigorated by socialization. Since sharing with others about God’s goodness became easier by the day, Elizabeth decided to take her faith a step further and apply to be a missionary for a year. She is eagerly anticipating how the Lord will use her in Italy to draw more souls near to Him!
Prayer Request
- A focused heart that stewards His blessings well.
- Safe daily commute to evangelize with classmates.
- Unity among those I’m serving alongside.
Koa Fujii
Sent from Church of Southland
To Coban, Guatemala
Koa Fujii grew up in Honolulu, HI. Raised in a Christian home, he rededicated his life to God in high school, and went on to attend Biola University in SoCal for Business Management. During his time at Biola, he was an active member of ACTS College Ministries at COS. Koa is a foodie who enjoys spending time with his friends, playing guitar, going to cafes and running/exercising. Koa is excited to live in Guatemala, learn more about what God is doing there and build lifelong friendships!
Prayer Request
- Prayer for God to give me a heart for the people in Guatemala
- Prayer for easy language acquisition
- Prayer for good stewardship of spiritual gifts to serve well
Ellie Matsuno
Sent from Radiance Christian Church
To Coban, Guatemala
Being from the Los Angeles area, Ellie grew up at Church of Southland until college where she started attending Radiance Christian Church. She enjoys reading, playing basketball, and hanging out with friends. While going to UC Berkeley and studying civil engineering, God challenged and grew Ellie’s faith and ability to surrender all to Him. Consequently, she realized her heart for those who need God but do not know Him, which led her to become a 1 year intern, and not only go and serve the Lord, but see how He is moving beyond California.
Prayer Request
- Trust in the Lord and seek Him daily (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- Physical and mental health + protection (1 Corinthians 10:13)
- Quick acquisition of the Spanish language (Exodus 4:10-12)
Christian Kim
Sent from Church of Southland
To Coban, Guatemala
Christian grew up in the Orange County, CA area and graduated from King’s College London with a double degree in History and International Relations. He enjoys all things bouldering, making silly videos for the internet, and watching the same movies over and over again. While Christian grew up in the church, he fully committed himself to Christ in high school and has been serving in praise at his university church. In Guatemala, he hopes to learn from the people and share the love of God to those that he connects with.
Prayer Request
- To earnestly seek God in all things
- To Quickly acclimate to Guatemala and Spanish
- To be spiritually and physically protected
Melissa Martinez
Sent from Church of Southland
To Coban, Guatemala
Melissa Martinez was born and raised in California and graduated with a bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. She’s been a member of the Church of Southland for just over 20 years and has had an incredible experience there. Melissa enjoys watching movies, coloring and painting, spending time with family (especially her niece & nephew), going on walks, and finding new restaurants/cafes with friends! As she served in the children’s and the college ministry in the past few years, God gave her a passion for helping others gain understanding and confidence in any area of study, including the Bible!
Prayer Request
- That I would spend my energy wisely and act when God commands me to. (Job 36:11)
- For the joy of the Lord to be my strength; and that I would operate out of gratitude every day. (Psalm 33:1)
- That there would be an outpouring of wisdom, gentleness, and kindness from God to all of the children I will be teaching and connecting with at both the school and the church. (Proverbs 22:6 and Matthew 19:14)
Virginia Situ
Sent from Church of Southland – Chino
To East Asia
Through God’s grace and mercy, Virginia came to know the Lord in her junior year of high school. Her relationship with God grew in her college years at Biola University where she studied Business Management and Data Analytics. Virginia has a love for puzzles, music, bouldering, volleyball, and time with family & friends. Her heart for missions is driven by an urgency to share the Gospel which is why she is so grateful for this opportunity to serve God’s people in East Asia through this AMI 1YR internship! 🙂
Prayer Request
- For my heart to take delight in the Lord
- Increased faith and trust in my Good Shepherd
- Complete surrender to be used by God
Melodie Ahn
Sent from Tapestry LA Church
To East Asia
Born in Asmara, Eritrea, Melodie Ahn is a daughter of two missionaries. She spent her early childhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and came to the States in 2009. She is a current senior at UCLA majoring in International Development Studies and minoring in Global Health. All the peaks and valleys of her life testify to the faithfulness of the Father and she desires for people of all nations to know and experience of the fullness of His love! The little joys of Melodie’s life are a nice cup of iced coffee, jogging to music around Westwood, and the precious combining of good friends, good food, and good conversation. As she heads to East Asia, she hopes to discover and share joy founded in Christ in the folds of everyday life!
Prayer Request
- That I would seek first the Kingdom of God and daily abide in His calling.
- That my heart for the people of East Asia would not be fueled by my own love but by the love of the Father.
- That I would be bold and unwavering in declaring the hope of the Gospel to the people God surrounds me with.
Adam Lee
Sent from Church of Southland – Chino
To Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Adam grew up in Southern California and graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a degree in Criminal Justice. In his free time, Adam enjoys playing sports, jamming out on his guitar, and creating escape room puzzles. During his time in college, God comforted Adam in his loneliness and revealed God’s Presence is always with us. Adam gives thanks to the Lord for the joy he has while serving, and hopes others may experience true joy when they encounter Jesus! On 1-Year, Adam hopes to be uncomfortable, yet boldly proclaim God’s restorative power and love to all he meets!
Prayer Request
- Passion: To serve with a heart of reverence and awe for the true and living God
- Truth: To be refined by God’s Word, and share who Jesus is in all my relationships
- Life: To be diligent in everything I do as an active way to glorify God
Eric Lee
Sent from Kairos Christian Church
To Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Eric was born and raised in Southern California, in the city of Cerritos. He started attending Church of Southland in high school, but moved down to San Diego to study Business Psychology at UC San Diego. Currently, Eric serves at one of Southland’s sister churches, Kairos Christian Church. It was during his time at Kairos that God had grown Eric’s desire to be a servant and a steward, eventually leading him to the country of Vietnam. By grace alone, he grew under the influence and discipleship of many faithful individuals, and trusts that God will use him mightily in Ho Chi Minh City. As he prepares for his 1 year internship, Eric likes to use his time playing the guitar, reading books, and spending time with friends.
Prayer Request
- To grow in submission to the Lord; to trust the direction and movement of His Spirit (1 Peter 5:5-6)
- To grow in the love of Christ for His people (John 15:12-13)
- To remain vigilant against complacency and continuously seek the will of God (Hebrews 4:12)
Jamie Kim
Sent from Symphony Church
To Taipei, Taiwan
Jamie was born & raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia before moving to Boston for school in 2018. She received her BA in Philosophy & Architecture Studies from Boston College, and it was during her undergraduate years that her relationship with Christ was deeply transformed. She is excited to live wholeheartedly for the glory of God while serving the young people of Taipei! In her free time, Jamie likes to cook, enjoy the Boston Public Library, and visit coffee shops in new places.
Prayer Request
- For the hearts of the young people in Taiwan to be softened and open to the gospel
- For a smooth transition & unity with my co-intern once we arrive and begin getting plugged into Thrive’s ministries
- For personal growth in boldness and empathy
Janine Keys
Sent from Church of Southland – Chino
To Taipei, Taiwan
Born and raised in the Inland Empire, Janine graduated from UC Irvine in 2023, where her passion for loving people grew through studying Sociology and Anthropology and serving with the college ministry. During these past few years, God has stretched and walked alongside her as He refined the foundation of her relationship with Him and helped her find what a childlike joy in the Lord looks like. In preparation for 1YR, she was reminded of a few words she shared over a ZOOM call freshman year, “I hope to explore and do research on the ways in which the Gospel is known and digested cross-culturally.” This moment is far from research; however, a year devoted to pursuing the Lord and being with those who are eager to know and experience the sweetness of the Gospel is far better than anything she could imagine.
Prayer Request
- The Lord’s courage would be my momentum to persevere in all circumstances – Ps 27:1
- I wouldn’t neglect my personal love relationship with God while serving – Matt 7:21-23
- Eyes to notice and eagerly support all who are seeking His truth – Ps 119:103-105
Hannah Lee
Sent from Symphony Church
To Tokyo, Japan
Hannah grew up in San Jose, CA and started attending Symphony Church when she moved to Boston for college. She will be graduating from Boston University in May 2024 with a B.S. in Health Sciences and will attend nursing school upon her return from Japan. She enjoys going on runs, finding good coffee/matcha with friends, cooking, and grocery shopping. Ever since Hannah’s life was transformed by God’s love when she was a sophomore in high school, her greatest desire and joy is to see people experience the love of God. As God refined her through all of the ups and downs of her college years, she was reminded of the simplicity and the beauty of the Gospel and wants to obey and love God more and more. Hannah hopes and envisions the eyes and hearts of the Japanese people being open to receiving Jesus!
Prayer Request
- God would continue to soften the hearts of the Japanese people so that they may receive the truth of the Gospel of Jesus and be transformed by His love!
- Please pray for wisdom and God’s guidance for our team as we continue preparing for our church plant!
- I would be sensitive to the work of the Holy Spirit and obey, completely yielding to Him and allowing the truth and love of Jesus to continue doing a transformative work in my life
Dena Rahel
Sent from Church of Southland – Chino
To Tokyo, Japan
Born and raised in Indonesia, Dena pursued her studies at Biola University in California and graduated in 2023. She enjoys spending a lot of time at home listening to music, playing the guitar, or even… cleaning! When not at home, she loves exploring nature, where she feels closest to God, and playing sports with her friends. By the grace of God, her faith took a transformative turn during college, igniting a passion for serving people from all walks of life and learning to recognize the image of God in each person. God has also softened her heart to share the Gospel beyond her immediate surroundings, which leads her to AMI 1YR!
Prayer Request
- Complete surrender to the Lord in the unknown.
- For my ministry to flow out of my intimacy with the Lord.
- To see the world through God’s eyes and have cultural humility.
Joy Chew
Sent from Church of Southland – Chino
To Tokyo, Japan
Joy was born and raised in Orange County, CA and graduated in May with a Bachelor of Architecture. Despite having attended Church of Southland Anaheim since childhood, it was only in college that she grew to love serving college students and found a calling for sowing seeds in places of spiritual dryness. It was during her final year at Cal Poly Pomona and after migrating to Southland’s new Chino campus that Joy accepted God’s calling to missions and committed the next year of her life to the Lord! In her free time, Joy enjoys baking, crafting, and traveling to other states in the US!
Prayer Request
- Dependence on God’s strength, not my own (John 15:5-11)
- Fearless, God-driven pursuit of relationship building (1 John 4: 7–21)
- Spiritual awakening + revival in Japan (Psalm 85)