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In-Jun Cho immigrated to the US from Korea as a young adult, in part to escape a contentious relationship with her Christian mother.
She quickly found the freedom she’d always wanted—drinking, clubbing, a series of marriages and divorces—until a boyfriend introduced her to a new life of hard drugs, and she dove headfirst into theft, crime, arrests, abuse and abandonment.
It took losing custody of her beloved son for her to reach her reckoning…and to come face to face with the life and faith she’d crossed an ocean to escape.
Editor’s Note
This release is a special one: our subject is bilingual, so she told her testimony in both English and Korean, and we’ve created a video in each language. The videos are similar but not exactly the same (bonus points if you can spot the differences!).
Below is a transcript of the video edited for readability.
In-Jun Cho: I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
I [was] born and raised in Korean Christian family. My mom was actually one of the evangelists. One week, sometimes more than one week, I know she go different city.
Because she’s absent, she cannot show the love. How come she save and help other people? How about me? I was so very lonely.
My brother come to America first. It was a perfect, great opportunity. As soon as I get out, I’m bye bye! I came to America, and then I am free.
I start to drink. Then I start to go to clubs…almost everyday. Then I marry—first marriage. I got married again. And then I got divorced.
I start to date a guy. He was like, “In-Jun, I want to introduce some new life.” Then he gave me some weird stuff, and then I just inhaled one time…addiction start…with hard drugs.
My life start going down the hill, faster than I thought. Start losing everything. Losing jobs, of course. Losing money, of course.
Every time I go somewhere, I stole. Sometimes I got caught. I went to jail. But my using, addict thinking is next time, I’m going to be better. That’s how sick I was.
My boyfriend was abusive. If I don’t bring drugs, he start harassing me, abusing me.
You know this scar? He did it. He was dragging me on the tile. There was blood all over. But I couldn’t leave him, because I was using together with him. Never thinking about, million, million years that, I can live without using.
I’m tired of stealing so, now, just maybe I start selling. Maybe that’s less trouble, less work. I just get it, and sell it. I have a little bit left, I’m going to use it. So, I start selling. My trouble in the law get deeper.
I wanted to give my son [a] protected environment. I didn’t go to church, but, I know one thing: if you go to church, you’ll have less trouble. Very close church was a Salvation Army church. Sometimes he missed a church because I couldn’t take him there.
A lieutenant at that time, they said, “Oh, I’m gonna give a ride [to] your son, every Sunday. You know, it’s okay. You know, you don’t have to worry about it. Just, be ready for him to go to church.”
So, many years, they come. They know I’m something off, you know, but they didn’t come and judge me. They just wait for me with patience.
One day, our house got raided. Police came, and upside down everything. My son was in the other room. He was, you know, a teenager but he was at the house, so they handcuffed him too.
So, if I go to prison now, I’m really over. He’s gonna go to foster care. I go to prison…years.
Then I plead and beg, “I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again. Please forgive me. My son is over there. You know, I’ll never use it again. I’m not going to do this again. Please.”
In a couple of hours, they find a gun somewhere.
One of the officer came, “I’m going to only take your boyfriend. You have a son over there, he’s a good kid. Change your life. It’s not worth it.”
God had mercy. He saved me. He gave me a chance. But as soon as they left, I start using again. Later on, I got caught with a case that, I was driving a stolen car. So, it’s a felony.
They took my son. CPS. That’s it. Where is my son at now? I don’t even know where he’s at.
Everyday my son, he’s saying, “If I got [an] A, my mom, because I’m doing great, my mom gonna come and take me home.” How desperate he was to come home.
I have to do something about my addiction. I’m so sick and tired of my life. Sick and tired of hurting myself. Sick and tired of hurting my son.
I have to stop. There is no way I can do this using. I tried everything. But until surrender to God, never stopped the cycle.
I start to have Jesus in my life. And then I start to do recovery programs. God gave me a gift of recovery, and restore me, renew me. That’s why I’m here.
The Salvation Army saved my life. I at least wanted to do more for God. God put me to the translate. Every time I do it, I have joy. I have something that I did for God’s glory.
The way my son looking at me changed. Before he looked at me like this, anger. Now he look at me like this, loving, respect, proud. And I’m so proud of him. He has an education. You know, God gave him a scholarship.
God is always amazing. Even when I just feel like I’m not good enough, God says, “Yes, you are enough.” God is using me, and I’m willing to follow and obey. He gives me joy. Real joy.
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