Valencia, Mari Ellyzsa
Mari Ellyzsa Valencia is a Global Missionary with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries. She is the Mission Advocate for Young Adult Mission Service at the General Board of Global Ministries in Atlanta.
Mari is a member of Augusta (Georgia) Korean Methodist Church. Her parents were missionaries and pastors. Her father’s last pastoral appointment was at Trinity United Methodist Church, Rahway, New Jersey.
“My relationship with the Lord began before I was even conceived,” Mari said, “as the faith has been passed down from many generations. My parents always encouraged me to form my own relationship with Christ, reminding me that it isn’t just religion. They also encouraged me to recognize God as my own personal savior, which inspired my goal of helping others recognize Jesus Christ as their savior.”
Prior to this assignment Mari served as a Global Mission Fellow in 2022-24.
“If I were to describe my faith journey in one word,” Mari said, “it’s ‘unfamiliar.’ I never know if it’s a season of ups or downs. I do know that it’s always moving forward. With that in mind, it motivates me to continue finding new ways to discover the unfamiliar with God. As the adage goes, ‘God doesn’t call the equipped. God equips the called.’ As I walk into the unfamiliar, I find that God has truly prepared the path for me, and I walk in that confidence, preparing me for whatever I face.”
Mari looks forward to partnering with God in God’s mission. “This is a time where I truly get to focus on God and his desires for me,” she explained. “More than that, I am eager to learn more about the world and God through his creations. Through this, I find that I learn a lot about myself, and I know this time is an investment that continues to shape my life as I grow older. My favorite part of mission is all the new experiences and getting to share these experiences with people around me. While it can be challenging and, at times, lonely, I am encouraged by the knowledge that God has been and will continue to be faithful to me as I walk in obedience with him.”
Mari’s first exposure to mission and missionaries was from her parents. “They actually met through missions and would always share their adventures of how God shaped them and the people around them,” Mari recalled. “I continued to be exposed to missionaries as my childhood church was a big supporter of missionaries and partnered with different organizations that allowed me to go on a few mission trips. Because of this exposure, I always viewed missionaries as people who went to different countries and just shared the gospel.”
Her experience as a Global Mission Fellow proved enlightening. “I realized that being a missionary is more than sharing the gospel,” she said. “It’s in how we choose to love the people we encounter every day. I also learned that each mission is unique, as God made us all different with particular skillsets, talents and desires. God purposely places us where we are needed and uses our strengths to fill in the gaps to bring justice wherever we go.”
She is excited about her new role as Mission Advocate for Young Adult Mission Service. Her goals are to raise awareness of young adult mission opportunities, cultivate/recruit young adult missionaries and placement site partners, and increase support for young adult missionaries. Participation in events may include offering presentations, leading workshops, resourcing Global Ministries/YAMS booths, creating presentation templates/resource materials, and developing online resources.
Mari also will work directly with program alumni in supporting the program and building community, including regular communication through newsletters and Facebook groups. She will liaise and contribute in interviewing, selecting and training Global Mission Fellows. On behalf of Global Ministries, she will represent a human face, a physical presence and a voice that speaks to Global Ministries’ commitment of young adults being in mission.
Mari found her greatest encouragement from the words of Bob Goff, founder of Love Does. “Instead of saying you’re a missionary,” Goff said, “why not just go somewhere to learn about your faith from the people you find there and be as helpful as you can be?” ”With that quote in mind,” Mari said, “I go to learn and be as helpful as I can be.”