As I walked along the halls of the church, I noticed some posters hanging on the walls. These were not just any posters, they were inspirational posters—posters that had something positive or uplifting to say, posters that portrayed beautiful nature scenes and had words of praise to God on them.

I read each one; some I glanced lazily at, while others I analyzed carefully. Then one caught my attention. It said, “Preach the gospel to all the world and if necessary, use words.” This was one that I read and reread. I didn’t fully understand the depth of the words but felt there was a hidden meaning. It was not until I went on a mission trip to Mexico that I finally grasped the message of that poster.

I had been on mission trips before, but this one was different. I traveled to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, with the Chicago-Westmont Korean youth group, to hopefully touch the lives of the people there and share God’s love with them.

When we arrived, our goals seemed easier said than done. Most of us had only a few years of Spanish, with me being the most unqualified to speak it. Throughout the week, the only Spanish words I could understand or say seemed to be at the level of a six-year-old. Even with the heavy language barrier and my very poor pronunciation of words, we somehow got our message of Christ through. It was like a sermon without words. Instead, it was a sermon of actions. Our smiles, hugs, gestures, and even eye signals gave way to what we were trying to tell them.

It was in Mexico that I learned how powerful actions really are. Even with a different language and culture, God’s Word and the gospel of Christ could still be shared. This is what true witnessing to all the world is about. And Jesus knew this, too. He didn’t just preach with words all the time. Most of the time, Jesus shared God’s love for the people through His very own actions.

This realization hit me even harder when I thought about the message on that poster. This was what the hidden meaning was!

I went back to the church to see the poster that intrigued me, but couldn’t find it. It was okay, the words were no longer only on that poster anymore ... they were written on my heart.

Anna Park is a senior at Hinsdale Adventist Academy where she has attended since fourth grade. She hopes her article will “help others realize the power of witnessing through our actions.” She will receive a $100 scholarship for having her article selected for this column.