A Mission of Love and Trust
Masai Bolton, 18, lives in South-Central Los Angeles and was one of seven African-American students who traveled to Seoul, South Korea, on a goodwill mission in October. He is a freshman art student at Santa Monica City College and likes sports.
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Our mission was to learn about the Korean culture and to educate Koreans about the African-American and American culture as a whole. We hoped to achieve a mutual understanding of love and trust.
I believe our mission was a complete success.
Going to Korea made me further realize there is so much more to life than money and material things. Love and respect are so important, for without them there is no reason for life. All the love and knowledge I received from Korea could never have been bought or given to me. It was a very enlightening and educational experience that I will always remember.
The majority of the people we met in Korea were very kind and pleasant. Although a few people looked at us with cautious faces, I didn’t take it personally. No matter where you go in the world, people will always be people.
The Rev. Yung Duk Kim was a senior pastor that showed us around. I’m sure I speak for all of us students when I say that he and his associates went above and beyond the call of duty to make us feel as comfortable as possible.
He made sure we were well-fed and on time to our destinations. He answered all our questions openly and honestly--and believe me, we had many questions.
During our two-week stay we visited universities, churches, industrial and cultural sites. The universities were similar to the ones in the United States. The churches were huge, with 2,500 to 3,000 members.
Hyundai Corp. of South Korea was fascinating. We saw the cars being built from start to finish. Samsung Electronics Co. was amazing. The technology was so advanced you wouldn’t believe.
Cultural sites, such as the King Secret Garden and the museums, were welcome attractions.
My visit to Korea was a great experience. Not only will it help me understand the Koreans in Korea; it will also improve the relations I have with the Korean-American population right here in the United States. And if there’s another trip next year and I’m invited, you can bet your kimchi Masai Bolton will be there.
