Ester Palma is not a nun, but rather a devoted missionary. It was a decision that changed her way of life 22 years ago. In 2006, she left Spain to assist the poorest in South Korea. Now, she is also developing her vocation online.
Palma says she fell in love with the simple missionary lifestyle and realized that directly serving the poor could bring about great change in the world.
ESTER PALMA
Missionary in South Korea
“What is most fulfilling for me about this lifestyle is when you see that, through our poor life, God touches people's hearts and changes them. These are people who come to us tired, with deep wounds, people whose lives are very broken. After a moment of prayer, a moment of encounter, they leave completely renewed, transformed.”
Ester Palma has found a way to use the Internet as a tool that allows the mission to reach the whole world, instead of being limited to a city. This cyber-missionary is part of the Servants of the Gospel community, an association very active on social media, where she shares her day-to-day life.
ESTER PALMA
Missionary in South Korea
“We have discovered social networks not so much as a means of evangelization, but rather a place. We, as missionaries, have felt God sending us to that 'continent,' to be present in those digital streets, because that's where people are. They spend many hours on those digital streets, and we want to be where they are.”
In addition, Ester was the official translator for Pope Francis' trip to the country for Asian Youth Day in 2014. The pope visited the birthplace of the first priest and martyr of South Korea, St. Andrew Kim Taegon. There, he challenged the young people to be daring.
POPE FRANCIS
August 17, 2014
“Wake up! It's no good when I see young people who sleep. No! Wake up, go, go ahead.”
The Church in South Korea is growing. More than 30 percent of the population is Christian. In fact, these 16 seminarians have just been ordained priests, adding to the numbers.
This cybermissionary wants to do the same thing on the Internet as in her life: spread awareness of the message of God's love to everyone. She does it through two ways, mercy and mission.
