순수한 여자 대학생 하나 더

This English Literature student of mine is named..... Well, I am sorry but I can't say her name, but I will say that she is one of the many students I have had the amazing opportunity to share the Gospel with.

 

I have written many stories of some friends here in Korea and my ESL university students, and I am aware the experiences usually revolve around the female persuasion, but considering the majority of English students at my university are female, this is all due to the circumstances and the statistical probability of coming in contact with females over males.

 

I am not complaining, though. Sharing the Gospel is Sharing the Gospel.

 

Anyway, this student─who I will call Minji─was taking my English essay writing class a few semesters ago, suffering through my heavy workload and demand for creativity and details in a foreign language. And, like my English conversation classes, the students chose one book from a list of ten and answered an autobiographical question about said book. Half of a sixteen page MLA essay was to be written at midterm and the final required them to edit the eight pages written at midterm and add eight more pages. The essay topic was for the students to apply the contents of the book to their modern, university life. I purposefully chose that question to get the students to think about their present situations and to keep them from doing the ctrl C ctrl V cheating prevalent with the invention of the Internet.

 

Also, keep in mind that this was all at a Catholic university in which religion was a main focus of the learning. So, every semester, I put a religious book and the New Testament on the reading list the students could choose from, and nobody found it odd or offensive, even the Atheist and Buddhist students. And, Minji was one of those Atheists who decided to read Heaven Is For Real; but, as she later admitted, the original selling point of the book was how short it was.

 

 

 

 

Minji had just come back to university that semester, having taken three semesters off to work at a cell phone store and get her act back together after a drunken freshman year that ended as anyone would expect it to end:  Disastrous. Time and seeing her friends become better, and grow while she was stagnant, she decided she was ready to come back to university and try again.

 

She was, after her return, I am glad to report, doing better─significantly better. She even bought the book for the writing class early and began reading it long before the other students even decided what book they wanted to read. And, I know she was reading it because she asked me about the contents of the book about a week after she started reading. She had taken the required Catholic Catechism classes and the Ethics classes all freshmen were required to take, but her knowledge and understanding of Christianity and Catholicism was almost null, at best. It was like she was a blank canvas when it came to God and what He was all about.

 

Heaven Is For Real was about to start doing some magnificent artwork with this blank canvas.

 

Minji honestly asked me in class, two weeks after starting the book, if the events were true. I will never forget the look in her eyes and the tone of her question, both of which portrayed a young girl who wanted answers. Colton and his father Todd seemed trustworthy to me when I read it and I told her such. My faith was strengthened a little by that boy Colton, and Minji listened intently as I told her my feelings about the book. She agreed and said; I quote: "How could a young boy like him make it up? He is too innocent?" The father was a little questionable to her, but probably because of the problems with her own father, but Colton's words were enough to bring her faith back and get to invite the Spirit back into her life. She confessed that the book was a deciding factor in believing in God again, and I continued to be amazed at how Todd's pen strokes and belief in his own son led to the conversion of a young girl in South Korea.

 

 

 

I told her to come to my office after class and gave her a Korean Bible. She was overjoyed at the pink, handheld Bible I gave her. And, after telling her to ask me questions anytime, she put the two books in her bag and left my office, bowing and saying the very polite salutation in Korean, "고맙습니다, 교수님." (Thank you, sir)

 

ADDITION:  Minji is doing well these days and her faith is growing in minute fractions every day. Any growth brings me happiness, and I hope it continues.

순수한 여대생

There are many events that happen around my ESL university teaching job, and here is another one for this journal. For my English Conversation class (similar to Intro to Public Speaking) midterm tests, my students have to choose a Korean book from a list I provide and then make an English ppt presentation and prepare a twelve minute speech about a certain question about that book.  There are usually ten books on the list and one autobiographical question which applied to all the books.  Every semester, the booklist and question changes so as to cut down on cheating and plagiarism, especially the action taken by many Korean students where the higher classmen/women give their assignments to the lower classmen/women.  

Luckily, being employed at a Catholic University gives me leeway in terms of assigning religious material, so I always put the New Testament (in Korean) on the list, but many students don't read it for the midterm or the final for many semesters. However, the opportunity is always there for students. 

There was one girl who is taking three of my classes, which means she was supposed to read three different books, prepare two different presentations, and write one essay. She was facing a very stressful midterm time because it is common knowledge that my expectations for my students are high. 

But, I told her I would make a deal with her (the same I made with a few other students in the same predicament as her):  If she read the New Testament, she would only have to read that one book for her three classes. She would still have to prepare two different presentations and one essay, but it would considerably reduce her work load because the reading load was dramatically decreased. The deal was quickly accepted and she promptly went out during the break time between two of my back-to-back classes and bought a copy of the New Testament so she could get her extra credit for buying the book (one benefit of working at a religious university is that Bibles are plenty in the campus bookstore). 

When she showed me the New Testament and a receipt a few weeks ago, she said, "I have never read the Bible before. My whole Korean family is all Buddhists and my friends are all Buddhists or Atheists. Even my roommates I have had were not Catholic or Christian, but I have always been interested in reading the Bible, especially since I have been studying at this Catholic university. So, when you made the deal with me, I thought it was a good chance." (She didn’t use the English word for Atheist, because it is not common to use she used the Korean word). I happily told her that it all worked out well for her and if she had any questions, I would be more than happy to help her.  This student was a double major (History Education and English), so this was the first semester I had seen her, and most of the double major students always attempt to take three or four sections of my classes all in the same semester (not a good idea considering the workload of the midterms and finals). 

The question for one of the classes was: "What did you learn from the book? How did your thinking change after reading the book?"  

As she prepared the presentations and the one essay, she was surprised by the content that unfolded as the onion skin pages passed. She would message me constantly, saying things, like:  Jesus dies in the first twenty pages of the New Testament!!! What is the rest of the book about? 

I told her to just keep reading. 

One pet peeve of mine has been when believers tell me how to read the Bible. I mean, when believers tell me to start at a certain book or read a certain verse or to have a certain state of mind when reading or to also read some other books or whatever. I have always just thought that the Bible should be enough and that anybody should just read it as it is. And, I take this stance when giving the Scriptures to other people. 

I got another message a few days later telling me that Jesus died again. Was the New Testament just the same story over and over again?

I told her to just keep reading. 

A week later, I get a message saying that Paul's teachings were inspirational and easier to follow than Jesus' teachings, although both had good moral and ethical ideas.

I told her to keep reading. 

Her final message said that Revelation was very weird and strange. What in the world was happening?

I agreed that it was weird and said we could talk about it a little later. 

She gave a very honest and interesting presentation about how she learned a lot about kindness and altruistically helping others from Jesus, but that she really liked Paul, because he seemed to have a deep love for people and a strong ambition for what he was doing.  She said she didn't know if she could truly believe in the miracles of Jesus, but his teachings stood on their own merit and were cause for further interest in him. She also said that one thing Catholicism/Christianity needed were temples (or holy places) like Buddhist temples where she could hike up to and see beautiful nature as she was surrounded by peaceful nature. It was very interesting hearing about the New Testament from someone with almost no pre-knowledge of the Bible and then see her gain something spiritual from it and gain an interest in it at the same time. 

I have seen some people read the Bible with absolutely no knowledge of Christ or almost none. It is amazing to see the power of God's Word in the form of the Scriptures work on people─and nothing else but the Scriptures that had that affect. The examples of believers have always had a big impact and epiphanies have brought conversions, but the Scriptures can also have that kind of power. 

It is always inspiring and uplifting to see the Spirit work through those around me. 

감동이 있는 선물

감동이 있는 선물

Let’s change the tone a little bit and get into a nice, light story—a unique event that I have kept in my heart and will always remember. It is times like this following tidbit of a story that make all the difference in the world. It doesn’t involve possessions or things, but human relationships, which I find most important in life. 

Having taught in the same department at the university for about ten years, it has been my home just as much as it has been my job and employment. I have taught about 5,000 students in total over the years. They mean the world to me, and I have tried to keep a relationship (friendly, at least) with many of them, even after they graduated. 

And this story revolves around a student (whose name shall remain secret, per her request-but we shall call her ‘Happy’) who took my classes the first and second semesters I ever taught at the university about nine years before.  

Happy graduated and promised that we would remain friends.  

Well… the years passed and I didn’t hear from her until one fateful day.  

She messaged me and asked for my help with applying to grad school in Seoul. There was a very good and well-known school for studying English Education and TESOL. If a Korean wanted to do higher level studies in one of those two subjects, they all apply to that grad school. When Happy messaged me, she told me her name, but it was a very common name in Korea, so I didn’t exactly remember who she was. But, I would have helped her regardless. I never mind giving help to those around me especially my former students, so I told her to come to my office on a certain day and I would help her.  

On the set day, I was in my office writing as used and a knock came to the door. In came a very recognizable smile and a face that I knew very well. I instantly remembered her. I helped her with her applications and essays, checking the grammar and content, and I helped her with her admission interviews. She left, promising to contact me. About two weeks later, she was accepted and she wanted to get me a present. I told her to get me a book.  I like books ―I really love books. She came to my office again about two weeks later and presented me with a Bible—a Marine's Bible. She said, "You always read the Bible these days and I remember you said you were in 해병."  I was surprised and pleased and a little confused.

(This is the same Bible mentioned in the previous post)

'해병' is the Korean word for 'Marines.' I talk about the Bible on Facebook a lot (she is a Facebook friend) and all Korean men have to do two years of compulsory military service, so it is common to talk about the military among young Korean guy students.  I looked long at the Bible and them.  I laughed and told her, "No. I almost joined 해군 (Navy) when I was 17, but I didn't."

She turned red and blushed. I told her I was surprised she remembered me talking about the military because I had talked about it to one student in one class at one time. She must have over heard it. I told her that the gift was awesome and I would treasure it forever because there is a good story behind it, and because she gave me such a thoughtful gift. Nowadays, when I read this Bible on the bus or subway, I always remember Happy and how kind-hearted she was and how we both affected each other. This marine Bible is a Bible for general reading while waiting to arrive at my destination. I don’t like being glued to my smartphone, wasting time with mindless games and reading about peoples’ mundane lives on social media sites. I really like to read the Bible, but it is hard to do scriptural studies on the bus or subway. A handy little red Bible is great, and it holds a lot of memories. Plus, I can always remember the soldiers who sacrificed their lives and how their duty helped bring about the modern Korea that I live in and have built a life in.

However, I was changing jobs and ended up misplacing the Bible, probably donating it to the campus library. It is possible. The Humanities building was being renovated some time before, so the professors needed to box up all the stuff in their offices. My office mate and I didn't feel like packing up all our books, so we called up the library and said we had a lot of books to give. Turns out I accidentally donated my small sized quad to the library. Oh well. At least, some future university student has easy access to an English language, small sized quad. 

Anyway, I got on the Internet to get a new Marine Bible, but found that the Law Enforcement Bible was cheaper and so I purchased it. I didn't quite remember where I was in the Bible, so I should probably just start over. 

In my opinion, giving people Bibles or a +The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quad or a Triple Combination or a Book of Mormon shows more of a deeper feeling for that person A book is a good present and the receiver will more than likely hold onto a book over the alternative, which is usually a pamphlet. Giving some a flyer or a pamphlet or a little paper cutout with some phone numbers on it is like giving the person a an empty coke can and asking them to throw it away. I mean, books are much better, and can reciprocate a pay-it-forward moment...potentially. 

I intend to just read through the whole Bible like a novel. Maybe, I am alone in this idea, but I don't like verse and chapter numbers in the scriptures and I don't agree that the little chapter summaries should be there. The Bible should be read as a whole, not as random verses, sometimes taken completely out of context or misinterpreted somehow. Chronicles one and two, Leviticus and Deuteronomy, some of the minor prophets, etc....their contributions to the Scriptures and the overall theology that God wanted brought to the world goes generally ignored by the lay believer most of the time. I mean, Numbers was put in the Bible for a reason, but it seems lonely these days, often being put into a corner and forgotten. When I was teaching the youth about Moses, one of the young girls asked, "There is a book in the Bible just about Numbers?" I was flabbergasted. How could she not know about the Scriptures, even after many years? 

I am not trying to be condescending or anything, but since God wanted something particular in the Bible, don't you think that we should read it all and pondering it all with an open heart? 

군대의 성사

군대의 성사

A Korean friend and a Saudi friend both, at independently different times, brought up the idea of military editions of the Scriptures. The LDS church has the red covered, handheld set provided for those soldiers who are CO-J-COLDS. And, in terms of just the Bible and the Protestants, there are numerous editions for military use, especially the HCLSB, which have specific editions for the different branches of Armed Forces. I have seen KJV military Bibles and the U.S. Armed Forces Military Bible. And, there are stories of NIV special editions for Special Ops soldiers. These Bibles are everywhere─issued to soldiers who want to find comfort with God in times of harsh times and stressful, depressing encounters with death. 

The US government issuing such Scriptures brings hope to many believers in the west, but to those outside of America, the idea of special Bibles for American soldiers is a strange, almost scary, idea. 

Going to the Mosque near my apartment for the Quran study group, this topic came up among two Saudis, two Americans (me included), an Ethiopian, an Iraqi, and a Tajikistani. The whole conversation started when we were making a comparison between Moses as represented in the Quran and Moses as represented in the Bible, mainly in terms of Moses going against God’s Wishes and striking the rock. The Muslims didn't even know that Moses was in the Bible. They were curious about what I said about Moses from the Bible and they wanted to see the references in the Bible, so I brought out the Marine Bible my former student had given me (in the next post). This caused some interest and a little fear from those in the group. The conversation turned to the idea that Bibles were made for the different branches of American Armed Forces.

So… I started thinking about this idea. 

Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) (قوات العمليات الخاصة العراقية‎) was organized by the Coalition Forces and aid in helping the Allied Forces during the ongoing struggle in Iraq. 

There might not be much contention against an organization of this kind of allied forces unit, but if they are issued military editions of Qurans, would that be okay? 

In Israel, there is Unit 669 (יחידת החילוץ והפינוי בהיטס) and considering that Israel is America's ally, the idea of this highly trained unit potentially being issued Torahs may not seem that bad, but to the Iraqi and the two Saudis in the group, this was scary and tantamount to religious war. And... well… many people around me opposed Israel.

Iran's special-forces unit has been deemed a terrorist organization by the United States. The Quds Force (نیروی قدس) is what they go by and since Iran is an Islamic state, they use the Quran as they train and study to become better soldiers. The Quran guides them and influences them. 

If they are issued Qurans, would this be okay? How would it be different from the US Marines being issued Bibles?

하나님을 봤어?

하나님을 봤어?

When I was in university, I did a lot of drugs.  I mean, A LOT of drugs.  It had been going on since I was thirteen years old or so, slowly increasing in amount, usage and stupidity.  I was a very bad kid, I know—but, I haven’t touched the stuff since I was twenty-one.  And, it has taking me a few years to really mature about the whole situation; so, when I write about it, I can write pretty normally without resorting to hyperboles and adolescent quips. My life back then was a string of stupid decisions that I blame no one but myself for, and it was all just something I did and which I waste no time blaming any of my current misgivings on. I took a lot of speed, barbiturates, and hallucinogens—especially gel tabs, which came in sizes from 5mg to 30mg, which you melt on your tongue with your own saliva. This was back in the late nineties and early 2,000’s so I don’t know if gel tabs have changed much since then.  One particular spring night, I had taken three purple 30 mg gel tabs about six hours before (the effects last for over ten hours).  I was deep into the psychedelic experience and, the fun, sinful night was coming to an end, as I was walking back to my dormitory room.  The red clay which made up most of the land around that area always promised cool nights, so it was not uncommon for everyone to be hanging outside, just as I had been that night with some friends. The campus was right in the middle of Tuscaloosa and so everything was in walking distance from most everything else―especially the bars.  There was no need to drive and it was nice and quiet because all my friends never carried cell phones or cameras (we were usually doing something illegal and anyone caught with a camera at a party or get-together was roughly let go of that camera so as to not cause any undue attention on any of us through photos turning into evidence.  I mean, seriously, has no one ever watched TLC and seen those cop and CSI shows where young people always get caught because they recorded what they were doing?) I was in the dorm room at the very end of the hall on the fifth floor of one of the male dormitories.  When you are on gel tabs, everything slows down in terms of time and movement, but everything outside of you attacks your senses.  Every sense: sight, hearing, smell…all of them. When I made it to my dormitory, my fat roommate was asleep and the lights were off, but there was someone sitting on my bed.  My bed and my roommate’s bed were in an L-shape.  My bed had its side up against a wall so I could sit on it like a couch and my roommate’s bed was next to it at a right angle.  On my bed, there was someone else sitting on it.  He looked like Ziggy from the old Sunday funnies and the depiction of God on the Sistine Chapel mixed together. I stopped with the dormitory door half-way open as I stared at this being in my dark room, illuminated only by the weak light from the hallway.  

He turned his face to me with a smile and said, “HI, I’M GOD.” 

His voice was deep and raspy, but had no echo to it. I was in a strange state of mind and consciousness so I wasn’t completely thrown off by this image in front of me. Now, you must understand that hallucinations are not limited to sight-all the senses are attacked with every form of hallucination.  I could feel God’s presence, I could smell the detergent on his clothes, and I could taste him in the air.  Every sense was on overdrive and, to me; God was real and on my bed right then.  

I didn’t say anything, so God continued with a suggestion, saying: “LET’S WATCH TV TOGETHER. DO YOU MIND?”  

I said it was fine.  I entered the room and closed the door, completely darkening the dorm room until I turned on the TV, being careful to keep the volume low so that my roommate wouldn’t wake up.   God suggested that we watch the Weather Channel.  I was always scared of that channel since I was much younger.  My dad used to always watch it and it frightened me as we listened to stories about flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, destructive weather, and losing houses… so I never wanted to watch anything about the weather.  

God must have seen the look on my face, voicelessly saying that I didn’t want to watch the Weather Channel, so He said, “THE WEATHER CHANNEL FLASHES A LOT OF BRIGHT COLORS ACROSS THE SCREEN WHEN THE TEMPERATURES OF EACH CITY FLASH ACROSS THE SCREEN.  AND, THERE IS MELODIC JAZZ MUSIC PLAYED IN THE BACKGROUND.  IT WILL HELP YOU RELAX AND FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION.” 

I saw His point and calmly sat down. We watched the Weather Channel together in silence. Music and bright colors are very influential and perpetually serendipitous to someone on hallucinogens.  I stayed in my room and fell asleep-I don’t know when exactly.  I don’t remember the details of falling asleep, but it must have been pretty quick.  And, it was strange, because it is very hard to sleep when in a deep trip.  When I woke up in the late morning, my roommate was still asleep and God was gone.  I went and took and shower and came back to see my roommate waking up but still lying in bed.  I told him that I was sorry if he was kept awake by the TV last night.  He gave me a strange look.  

I said, “What?” 

He said, “We don’t have a TV.”  

It was true.  We had never had a TV in our dorm room.  In fact, I hadn’t watched TV of any sort for over a year, but the events of the previous night were still real in my head, and I was coming down off the trip, so my mind and body were not in premium condition at that time.  He asked me what had happened that night, obviously expecting a great story because his roommate (me) had watched a non-existent TV…somehow.  I told him of the gel tabs (and a massive, stupid amount it was) and God and His Idea about the benefits of the Weather Channel in connection with psychedelics.  

I don’t know if it was really God.  I am not going to make a solid claim in anyway.  It may have just been a hallucination.  But, whatever it was, it stuck with me.  I was in my Atheist stage at that time in my life, having never really truly believed, despite growing up in the Bible Belt and attending religious schools.  I had made the official jump to Atheism when I was eighteen, but when I had that experience in my dorm room, the whole ordeal stayed with me, really affecting me. What was happening?  Chemically:  I was high and tripping; hallucinating.  Spiritually:  At the beginning.  Responsibly:  Nowhere close to normalcy.  Literally:  Going downhill very quickly.  Theologically:  Awakening―minutely.  

A few years later, I had switched universities to get away from that lifestyle, broke off all contact with my draggy friends, and got clean.  I was working on my health and I had changed my major to Literature, all the while I was working at a butcher shop.  There were two evangelists who worked with me.  One believed that Asian people were products of alien breeding (seriously) and the other thought that Evolution was a lie and later got in legal and social trouble for stalking a local female Methodist minister.  Anyway, we had many discussions about religion.  I was still in my Atheist mindset, but I still had that experience on my mind.  I told Rusty (the Stalker) about the experience and he told me under no uncertain terms that I had met a real being. It was not an hallucination, but it also wasn’t God. It was Satan, not God, who had visited me that night, because God would never manifest himself like that to someone like me and he would never talk about drags in a positive way.  Robert (the alien guy) told me that it could have been God, because God appeared in interesting places sometimes, like on tortilla shells and through the tears of statues-but probably not to an Atheist.  Despite the lack of belief I had, I couldn’t shake this experience that I was slowly considering to be some kind of epiphany and/or revelation.  

What I didn’t understand until I finally found my faith in Korea and joined the CO-J-COLDS was that any transcendental experience could not be the result of chemicals or pharmaceuticals.  Transcendental experiences are natural and spiritual, brought on by God through prayer, blessings, and living a moral life.  Revelation comes through sincere belief and a good heart towards God.  Fungi and chemistry cannot bring about a spiritual experience, but simple, earnest prayer can…. And certain semiotics through reading scripture can have a similar effect.  Despite nitrogen and oxygen and carbon being natural, mixing them together into a prescribed form does not compare with real spirituality in any way, shape, or form. 

I had missed this point throughout my young life. And, well....I missed the point throughout my life. 

노인과 몰몬경

노인과 몰몬경

I suddenly remembered a story today after reading a CO-J-COLDS's Facebook post. This was from a few years back when I was a new convert, happily sharing the Gospel with others for the first time in my life. 

I've told this story a few times before, so those who know me will also know this story.

Many years ago, I lived in a small, university town a rock's throw from the end of civilization and the beginning of the country side. Rice fields in every direction, occasionally decorated with the random roadside diner or gas station. The town I lived in became a ghost town during the vacations, leaving the small population of residents with peace and quiet until the first day of classes. 

Every morning, I would walk through the small line of stores, coffee shops, cell phone stores, hair stylist places, and chicken shops on my way to the office. And, most every morning I would see the shaky, bearded old man pushing the metal, makeshift handcart (리어카), slowly collecting the recyclables willfully given to him from all the shop owners up and down that street. He was a nice old man who was always thankful for the small amount each shop keeper would give him. The morning yield would probably just be enough to provide him a meal or two that day of the basic essentials. His sun beating and time worn body didn't match the thankful and joyful heart he had which shined to those around him.

When the summer came, it was abnormally hot, but this old man would still be pushing the handcart up and down the road. And one particular day, I stopped and gave him a big bottle of water (like I usually did) and my normal load of cardboard I collected near my apartment to give to him. He asked me if I was a store owner (because I always had a handful of cardboard to give him). I told him that I was just trying to help him out. Then, he offered to pay me for the water (this blew me back) and I told him that it was a gift and that I wanted to give him something to read. I handed him a Book of Mormon and he told me that he knew of the Mormons and that he had seen them around and talked with them sometimes through his very long life. The conversation went on for a moment that he had gotten a Book of Mormon many years back but had never gotten around to reading it. I told him to keep it and read at his own speed. He thanked me and put the BOM in his little backpack strapped to the handcart and then took a big drink of water.

I continued to see him and give him cardboard and water and until one day, he stopped showing up. The shopkeepers were curious what had happened, but I expected the obvious.

I am just happy that some of us could help out an old man full of integrity. But, I wish I could have done more. And, it is nice that he had some experiences with the Mormons throughout his life that ended up being somewhat fruitful.

낙서

낙서

Okay, enough about my back story for right now. More will come shortly, also written with 20/20 hindsight and a tinge of sarcasm. 

With this post, I want to write about one thought that I have had since becoming CO-J-COLDS.

I wish there were JST Bibles in other languages than English. Koreans mostly use the 개역개정 which is based off a hundred year old Chosun Dynasty (조선시대) form of Korean, which is hard and too esoteric for most Koreans to completely grasp.

So I usually use NIV Bibles to help with Scriptural studies among non-native speakers if I don’t share my Testimony in Korean.

Even the Korean Book of Mormon 몰몬경 is a word-for-word translation in a similar style to the Chosun Dynasty form of grammar that the Korean language Bible was written in, which is a newer translation than the meaning translation that the LDS church in Korea used for awhile.

Some of the older Korean members from my Ward still have some of those earlier translations; which, I am told, can be taken differently when read into. Either way, both translations/interpretations are slightly complicated for native Korean speakers. I mean, English phrases, like "나의 허리의 열매들" ("fruit of my loins") translated directly from Korean to English comes out as "my hip area's fruit," with "fruit" being the actual edible kind of fruit. With parts like this that don't flow easily between cultures, language comes to the central stage.

Wherever I got, I either need to decide to bring an English Quad and a Korean Book of Mormon and a Korean Bible, or I chose between either language. But, regardless of the language I carry, I always have a Korean Ben Gates copy of the Book of Mormon.