The Words of Won Pil Kim
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The Words of Won Pil Kim |
Here's some more testimonies dear Brothers and Sisters. Truly, Rev. Won Pil Kim is a great example of love, humility and faith.
It was the summer of 1978 and I was with the European One World Crusade in Coventry, England, the beginning of Home Church activities and Father was in the UK at the time.
We were informed that Rev. Won Pil Kim was to visit and speak at our evening program.
He came to our humble center (a 2nd floor office space where we held our meetings). He spoke to the group gathered for the evening program.
The same evening, he visited the house we were renting, a small 2 bedroom house where more than 20 of us lived and shared 1 bathroom.
Twenty young men and women from a dozen different nations living in such tight quarters. Many of our parents had fought in a war against each other just 30 years earlier. At times, the atmosphere was tense and heavy. In fact our center leader's uncle participated in the German air force's bombing of Coventry. Here we were, French, Austrian, German, Italian, Japanese, Danes, Portuguese, Canadians, Americans and more trying to save the British.
Rev. Won Pil Kim insisted on staying with us. No one had thought of this possibility. We had no furniture and hardly could provide proper accommodation. He then said it was ok. He would sleep on the floor like the rest of us. He had his sleeping bag.
This was definitely not what we were accustomed to.
This made a strong impression on those of us who were privileged to be in his presence. He shared about Father's life and had us all in tears. Much of what he said about Father's life in the UK can be found in the text "Father's Life and our Life of Faith."
At the time, Sung Soo Lee (famous for his activities at News World in the late 70s) served as his translator. Because I knew Sung Soo Lee from his time in Canada some years earlier, Rev Kim invited me up to his room in the early morning before breakfast to share my opinion about how we could improve in our work in Coventry.
I was a kid in my early 20s and here was Father's first disciple asking for my opinion. I shared what came to mind. He listened to me and offered some advice. Most important he said, was to overcome your own internal issues. He spoke gently and with such care. Even though, it was more than 30 years ago, the feeling is as though it were yesterday.
There are other experiences with him from later years. A book of testimonies is surely a good idea.
God bless Won Pil Kim.
Franco Famularo
My love, gratitude and prayers are with Won Pil Kim at this special time in his new eternal life. He was my first Korean leader. I joined under him as a Home Church baby from the Bronx was he was in charge of Home Church in New York. My spiritual mother was his secretary at the time, so when I joined she would take me to see him and he would always, always be kind and thoughtful, no matter how busy he was or no matter how trivial my struggles were. I don't know if anyone has had a similar experience, but I experienced a lot of Heavenly Mother through Won Pil Kim, because he was so kind, gentle and patient.
One experience I remember was when I was just a few months in the church. His office was at the New Yorker Hotel then in 1980. I was feeling sick that day and couldn't go out to my Home Church area in Greenwich village. So I stayed at my spiritual mother's room in the New Yorker. When my sp. mom told him I was sick, he gave her his lunch and asked that she bring it to me. I was touched that he gave me his lunch, though I didn't know exactly what is was. It was some strange Japanese fish called Sushi. I took my first bite ever with some green paste on it and almost past out because my mouth was on fire, tears starting rolling down my face. When my sp. mom told Won Pil Kim what happened he thought it was the funniest thing. He laughed and laughed. I finally got to laugh too.
A truly lovely man. God Bless him.
Myra
I never had the chance to work with Rev. Won Pil Kim, but I remember him very well, from the many testimonies he gave at Belvedere. It was very often that Father asked him to talk after Father himself had finished talking. During a holiday, after Father left the Ballroom, he asked Rev. Kim to speak, and he did for about nine hours, about Father's life -- with many tears. I also remember his humility, and how accessible he was to members. He was a personal hero of mine. God bless him and may his passing be filled with joy.
Celia
On the Ascension of Won Pil Kim
A new star glowed in the sky that night, A new moon rose over the snow-capped mountain. There, the young man crossed the great river at dawn, And those on the far bank noticed the brightness of his lantern.
I was in awe of the Master and trembled at his word, But the young disciple comforted me with his smile. There was a gentleness in his manner that calmed my soul, And made my footsteps lighter on that rocky mile.
Those who sit below the Light can sometimes burn and fade. Those who follow the Light can shine and grow much faster. The young disciple watches from across the river now. His lantern still guides our way to meet the Master.
It came to me while I was praying about Mr. Kim, who I spent time with in the UK in 1978.
John Haydon
I'm in perfect awe to read/know more about Rev. Won Pil Kim through real experiences of lucky brothers and sisters who have worked with him in the early days till his last breath. Deeply moved of his exemplary life. I thought of sharing here knowing that God works in mysterious ways and his examples can be a spark / may lead us to changing our lives/perspective too, as many brothers and sisters have been blessed by his exemplary life, heart and attitude.
I wanted to relay a personal experience with Rev. Won-Pil Kim. Years ago I was the Church leader in Wash. D.C. He had, as always, some special role/position with Father. I got a call from a sister (his interpreter) that they were on their way to D.C. from N.Y and would be visiting D.C/me for 2-3 days. I picked the two of them up at the Amtrak station and we drove home to Upshur house. We sat down on a coach and he said -- "I'm here to help you in any way you would like. Please make any schedule for me that you would like. I can talk with any individual member you would like, or to any group of people, whatever would best help your mission. If there are some special topics you want me to speak on, I will be more that happy to focus on those. After such humility, I could hardly talk. I did make a schedule, and he carried out each request I asked of him. I remember asking him about what Father's really like and his incredible answer. He said -- "as one of the very first disciples, I always knew I would be a leader in the Church. So I proceeded for years to study Father, and specifically what is the role of Abel. I came to understand by studying Father that the role of Abel, is to come under Cain. The member who is your most difficult challenge is actually your Abel -- so Cain is your Abel" It makes me cry to relate this story, but his words did change my life, but I have to admit his incredible teaching was much too hard for me to actually keep following. I saw him over the years and had some great times, but these 2-3 days changed my life and I can never forget them or him.
Mike Leone
Rev Won Pil Kim was a great man of God and a great elder brother. One small anecdote. In the headquarters church in Frankfurt in late 80's, during a meeting, he asked for some testimonies about our experience with God. So everybody went "Ten years ago... 2 years ago" and so on. Then he came to the mike and asked "Why always so and so years ago? We should experience God every day". This stayed strongly in my mind until today.
JP