The Words of Won Pil Kim
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The Words of Won Pil Kim |
I recently found my notes of this lecture, sorry for the spelling. This is Won Pil Kim's lecture.
Hungnam was an industrial area. The prison camp was 3 -- 4 kms away. The area was a UN target. The workers could escape bombs but the prisoners not. True Father felt this and guided people where to go, within 12 meters of him and you would be safe. The prison guards were not safe in their shelters but those who followed True Father were saved. True Father thought peacefully about the future. The North Korean People's Army had to retreat to the north and couldn't take prisoners with them so killed them one by one. They did not inform the prisoners about the retreat and moved them to another place to avoid rioting. True Father felt what was coming. The prison officers called a number out in the night, that number was taken. Later gunfire was heard. The prisoner was taken out, told to dig a grave and was shot. Slowly they worked through the prison and approached True Father cell. The war situation became very tense and the North Koreans had to leave, saving True Father life.
One of the 12 followers of True Father came from Hungnam. After he got his freedom, he said goodbye to his family and followed True Father on the 10 day trip to Pyongyang. True Father brought some rice powder with him to give to the followers there.
In the end of October it is the beginning of winter. On the road in the mountains in the empty houses there was no real food, perhaps some rotten potatoes, which True Father ate for 10 days on the way to Pyongyang. Across the peninsular the North Korean People's Army was retreating, and executing anyone suspected of being a traitor. If they had found True Father, they would have killed him at once.
One old lady, a follower of True Father, hid a number of young men in her house to avoid them being drafted into the army. Won Pil Kim stayed there for 6 months hiding underground. When he heard True Father was free from Hungnam, Won Pil Kim went to meet him and returned to the home. The old lady aged 85-86 was still alive in 1988, living in Seoul. True Father stayed there over 40 days to contact and visit his followers, meeting in their houses or elsewhere, before the UN retreat. Although True Father home was 3 days travel from Pyongyang he visited the followers first, wanting to share with them the rice powder saved from the prison.
I could not appreciate it then but later I started to realize the value of this rice and the cake True Father made. It was more precious than life. Strong desire to give gifts but at that time we did not realize the value of those gifts. When we receive a gift we should learn the background because only then can we really appreciate it, just to be grateful is not enough. One of the things was a poem of thanks to God. In all the 40 days True Father gave all to his followers, from 24th October to 4th December. Leaving after ordered to go, but True Father had to visit an old lady who understood who he was. Those who follow True Father because of the spirit, slowly lost faith, but True Father never changed and prayed 3 times daily. On being freed he went to visit these followers. He never changed his trust and belief in the followers until they said -- no longer believe. Even those followers who escaped to the South, True Father went to visit in the South.
True Father gives more than his own life. The powder was brought in a situation of extreme hunger, which is nothing externally, but how much expressed and invest the heart? In our lives often there are situations where we reject someone. True Father never did. His relationship to a person is not just a personal relationship as he can see the ancestors behind you. A man of God must love goodness. The foundation of goodness in each who has met with True Father. If the person rejects and you still love, then another one better will come, the higher love you give the higher love returns. The one who does not want it will maybe raised up and be replaced. God will send such a person. God cannot cut off one who has goodness, no matter what degree.