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Plant City Church Answers South Korean Library's Prayers

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By DAVE NICHOLSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 5, 2007

PLANT CITY - Some South Koreans have the opportunity to improve their English, thanks to the U.S. Air Force and an area church.

Members of a charitable committee with the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base last month delivered 150 books donated by Kingdom Bible Fellowship to a library in Gunsan City, South Korea. The church, established a year and a half ago, was looking for volunteer opportunities and learned that the municipal library in the city of about 273,000 residents wanted some books written in English.

"We are a new, but giving church," pastor LeQuita Porter said in an Air Force news release. "We were excited to help others in the world learn to read."

Porter couldn't be reached for comment. The Air Force said her church is in Plant City.

The book collection project was initiated after Porter had a conversation with Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Brinkley of the 8th Fighter Wing.

"I knew Chief Brinkley from a previous church and asked him about opportunities for our church to be involved in," Porter said. "He gave me several ideas, library books being one. The whole congregation pulled together and collected books for nearly a month."

Pak Sin-Yeal, a Gunsan City librarian, said the books were appreciated, the Air Force said in its statement. "Every day we have people coming in to read English, especially on the weekends when parents and groups read books to kids."

Books written in English are so popular that the Gunsan City mayor is budgeting for more.

The books were delivered by the fighter wing's Airman Committed to Excellence committee, which has delivered nearly 700 volumes this year, the Air Force said. Since Kunsan's donation program began in 2005, more than 2,000 books have been donated to the library to help residents improve their English reading skills.

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