Part of why hosting means so much to me is it’s one way I am able to give and receive spiritually. One good example of this is with the Potters.
The Potters are a volunteer gospel praise group from Korea who tour and sing for different churches. We first met them when they visited our church at the time, KUPC, in 2010. We were blessed by their ministry, and when they returned to the NY/NJ area in 2011, we wanted to host them. The group is mainly young people in their 20s and 30s, and we knew giving back to them in this way would be appreciated.
We initially offered to host four female members at our place. The other four male members stayed with someone else about half an hour away, but transporting them back and forth for practice wasn’t easy. So, we decided to simply have them all stay at our house by setting up mattresses on the floor for the male members in our basement.
Having eight strangers stay for two weeks might sound like a lot of work, but there were definitely more benefits than discomforts. Our house was filled with amazing live a cappella harmonies and ongoing Bible studies. They prayed for us at every meal and blessed our table.
Since that first year, we’ve hosted them every time they’ve toured the East Coast, from 10 days to two weeks. The members change each time, so we’ve had the chance to meet new people on every visit. Nowadays, when we go back to Korea, it’s become a regular event to see those who stayed with us, like a reunion.
In 2013, we were able to help them perform on the stage of the famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Church. When they sang in front of 3,000 people, we felt a similar excitement to parents whose children are on stage. They received multiple encores that evening. The Potters sing with sincere passion, filled with love for God, and that’s why their performances touch so many hearts.
Through them, we received more than we gave. We saw people living their lives with zeal for God, and it reminded us how grateful we should be every day.
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