Dearly Missed Pastor Han Kyung-ChikUntil now, God has led my life in many generous ways, but among them, I am most thankful to God for allowing me to meet and closely serve Pastor Han Kyung-Chik. I was in my early 30s when I was appointed to the Daegu Youngnak Presbyterian Church as the sole pastor. Afterwards at the General Assembly, I came to closely serve Pastor Han Kyung-Chik for the rest of my life. Someone once said, If looking at some person makes one readily believe in Jesus, that said person is truly a believer of Jesus, and Pastor Han Kyung-Chik clearly represents that person. I believe that the best way to lead a Christian life is to model ones life after Pastor Han Kyung-Chiks; that is how much he resembles Jesus Christ. Paul the Apostle said, Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ 1Corinthians 11:1

. Proper religious life cannot be learned through knowledge. It is not

something that is learned though constant discipline or penance either. It is learned through personally meeting and modeling ones life after a person who resembles Jesus. I have stood by Pastor Hans side for many decades, and in whatever he did, whenever and wherever, I have witnessed him live in God. Through him, I was able to get a glimpse of how Jesus led his own life in God. His pure and perpetually sincere warmth and humility so deeply moved me that I realized the extent of Jesuss own warmth and humility. And I have come to see Jesuss real love and service through his life of love and dedication to mankind. Pastor Han always preached, A pastor must not lie; he must be a man of consistency, between his speech and his actions , between his thoughts and his doings,

inside and out

.

A pastor must be honest in serving God, in

treating a person, in disciplining oneself, and in handling worldly possessions. I could see that he lived the life that he preached. Having personally witnessed Pastor Hans life, I was even ashamed because I felt that my lifes directions and goals were not clear. Through him, I realized my own insincerity and incompetence because his every action and every word was representative of the Golden Rule.

Pastor Han was a man whose life became a model for all Christians alike. In that regard, meeting Pastor Han was Gods blessing among blessings. Even if imitating his every action in life is not possible, I believe that having a strong determination to model ones life after his will lead to surprising changes. The more one tries to model their life after Pastor Hans, the closer one becomes to Jesus. Pastor Han has already passed away. But remembering and still yearning to follow in his footsteps is our true blessing. So I am very thankful that a transcript of Pastor Hans recorded oral autobiography is being published today. If you were to read this as if you were actually meeting him, with the same feelings and intentions, I am sure that the benefits that come with personally encountering Pastor Han will follow as well. I hope that this book will not only be loved by those of our time but also by generations to follow, and I hope that all readers will live out the teachings of Pastor Han. The German philosopher Kant once said, The only objects of practical reason are good and evil. If the Christians of Korea all modeled our lives after Pastor Han Kyung-Chiks, Korea will become the happiest nation of all.

April 2010 Senior Pastor at Noryangjin Christian Assembly In-Shik Lim

Prologue

While Starting the Recording

Today is July 29, 1981 and I am at Vancouver, Canada. I am recording this today at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Moon-Chang Choi and Soon-Hwa (my sole granddaughter) with the hopes that I can relay my thanks towards Gods grace that is locked deep in my heart to future generations. Grace is different for every person. Some people are moved by Gods grace when they are transformed into a new person after accepting Jesus into their hearts, while other people are moved when their health is restored by Gods grace. I will be 80 years old this year, and if I were to look back on my life and summarize the one heartrending phrase, it would be, God, thank you, and God, I am honored. Time and time again, I can repeat my innocent confession, Thank you, and it would still not suffice. Gods grace is too big, too wide, too high, too deep and too great. The fact is that God chose a sinner like me to love and to bring to salvation when the time came. And he appointed me, an unqualified follower, with the honorific of Great Educator. All this is grace. The Lord shed blood on the cross for my sins and forgave my sins. This is grace. The Holy Spirit is always by my side to comfort me and to give me strength when I am weak, to raise me up when I fall down, and to help me with his infinite abilities. All this is grace. I was originally born in body so weak that to live to this age of 80 would have been impossible without his grace. All this is to be grateful for.

The scripture Psalm 116:12 often enters my mind. How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? This is how I feel. The members of Youngnak Church may remember, but before the expansion of our church, there was a cross behind the pulpit, and above the cross, this scripture was inscribed.

And below the cross, John 3:16 was inscribed, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. These two Bible verses have left the deepest impressions on me. I have always thought about how big Gods grace has been and how I would repay this grace. Insignificant as it is, I confess to God that that is the only thing on my mind to this day. Of course, it is impossible to repay all of Gods gracious acts. Looking back, I havent done much to repay this. But if I have done anything for my church and for His gospel, I confess that it was with these feelings that I have done these deeds. And that is why I constantly memorize the Bible verse Psalm 103:2. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. However, there were so many instances in which I forgot this. Nevertheless, it is true that even in these darkest times, I strived to praise the Lord and to never forget his grace. When I wake up in the morning and when I go to bed at night, the verse that I always meditate alone in my heart is Thessalonians I 5:16-18. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus. God called us in Christ Jesus so that we would always rejoice, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances in our lives. Hence, a life of constant rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks is Gods will; it is life that is very pleasing in Gods eyes. And this is why I always remember the well-known verse Psalm 100:4. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Whenever I enter our Youngnak Church, I offer a prayer of thanks. Thank you for building this church. Thank you for allowing us to step into this churchs yard. Thank you for blessing this church. Thank you for preaching the gospel throughout our nation and blessing our nation through this church. I wasnt able to live my entire life like the Psalm 100:4 scripture reads, but I have always endeavored to do so.

There is a saying that the young live in the future, the middle-aged life in the present and the old live in the past. As I get older, I really do think more about the past. And whenever I remember that my days on this Earth are limited, I often look back on the past. As I wonder what one word I would use to describe my past life, the word gratitude pops up in my head. Nowadays, I have more time for self-reflection, and as I look to the past, I would like to take this time to profess my gratefulness before God and humankind. While many people write autobiographies after retiring, I have no such intentions. I always feel that

my existence is not significant enough to write an autobiography. I always declined when newspapers requested specifics about my past so that they could publish an article about me. I always declined because I believed that my past was not special enough to disclose and publicize to the world. But I came to a realization at this place that there is one thing that I would like to leave behind in this world before God and before mankind. It is that I am truly grateful for Gods grace. There is nothing else to say. There are many things that I have forgotten due to old age, but I have attempted to look back on my life from a perspective filled with gratitude. Apologetically enough, I have forgotten most things that I am indebted to God and to mankind, but I have started this recording with the hopes that I can leave behind a testimony of thanks before I forget it all.

Before I turn to my past to say my thanks, there is a verse in a hymn that I constantly sing in my heart that I would like to introduce. O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace (Wesley 1739). It is a hymn that everybody knows, but if I were to sum up my life in one verse of a hymn, it would be this verse. Or if you were to ask if there was another hymn, I can only reply with this verse. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see (Newton 1772). The more I think about how Gods grace has saved a sinner like me, the more

amazed I am. I cant express how grateful I am for finding my once lost life and sight.

Kyung-Chik Han

Chapter One: I thank God for my existence01 I am thankful to my parents who gave me life My parents are the first things that come to my mind as I would look back on my life with the intention of professing my gratefulness. Of course, my first thanks is to God for being my Lord, but that is Gods free-given grace, so what more is there to say. I am truly grateful to God for letting me be born under two people like my parents. Our family was not rich, but as landowning farmers, food was never scarce. My fathers name was Do for road

Poong

for abundance.

From what I hear, when my father was 12

years old, his father passed away, leaving all his inheritance to my fathers 15 year old brother. But my uncle was still immature at that time, and he began to lead a life of debauchery. And within a couple of years, he had already gambled and drank his fortune away. When I was younger, my uncle came to visit often, and even then, he was still drunk. It might have been due to his influence, but from a young age, I believed that a person should not be inebriated. After my fathers economic demise, my father went to work and run errands for my first cousin once removed, who was the wealthiest of our relatives. Of course, he didnt receive any proper education and had to be satisfied with learning to write the three letters of his name on his own. It must have remained his lifelong regret, for he always said, I wish I had been able to study like other people. But in the midst of such poverty and destitute, he worked hard enough so that by the time I was born, he was a land-owning farmer, successful enough for others to be envious of him. My father was so hard-working that he was already working in the field before any of his children would wake up, and he would come home when it was dark. Even when it was raining, he would ceaselessly work; he would weave straw sandals and bags or do other things. On market days, my father would trek approximately 5 miles to Sukcheuneup7

where he would sell wood, rice and other various things; with the money he

made, he would often buy pencils and notebooks and sometimes even taffy. Because of this, by the time he was heading back home, I would walk down to the valley on the other side of the mountain and wait for my father, hoping that he had bought some taffy. The

father in my memories is always a man of virtue. Not only was he a man of character, but his voice was also gentle. And even his face reflected his benevolence. Unlike his brother, my father did not drink. Nor did he know how to reprimand his children; this might have been because he felt sympathy for us since we lost our mother at a young age. There was only one time that my father ever reprimanded me. When I was younger, there was a large outbreak of measles, and my two younger siblings suffered badly from it. My father brewed a tonic for my siblings from the medicine he bought, but I carelessly knocked it over. My father then angrily scolded me. I have no other memory of being scolded or being spanked besides this one. Perhaps because of this, I still believe that a kind loving hand is the best way to raise children.

My mother was also a hard-working woman who was from the Lee

8

family of

Chungju, from the village of Jasan Jaeil. Now times have changed, and people do not make their own fabric even in the rural areas, but back then, industrious households would plant their own cotton fields, pick their cotton, and gin the cotton into raw bales. The bales would be spun down, starched and then woven in a loom. I can remember going out to the fields with my mother to pick cotton as a young child and waking up in the middle of the night to my mother spinning threads of cotton. But I do not remember her face very well. She passed away when I was so young. There arent any photographs to remember her by either, considering how residents of rural villages didnt even know they existed. No matter how hard I try, all I can remember is that she was a somewhat tall woman who was very hard-working. My mother passed away on January 14th (lunar calendar), when I was 7 years old. That day, I was flying kites at the top of the mountain with the neighborhood kids when I was told to run back home. But by the time I got home, my mother had already passed away. I dont know what disease my mother ailed from, but from what I hear, I am guessing that my mothers health, which wasnt very good to begin with, deteriorated from all the fieldwork, housework and clothes making that she had to do. Losing both my younger brothers at the same time must have taken its toll as well. When I ran into the room, my father told me, Run to your aunts house, and let them know what happened. I turned around and tried to run to my aunts house a few

blocks down, but I couldnt seem to find the house. Despite my young age, my mothers death must have been a huge shock to me. After much effort, I finally found my aunts house that I so often trekked to, but when I went inside, I couldnt say anything. My aunt must have had her suspicions because she quickly arose, took my hand and asked me, What happened to your mother? as we headed towards my house. By the time we arrived, our townspeople had already gathered around my house and were crying. I was too young to remember everything that happened, but my mothers death was my biggest source of shock and grief. My mother had raised me from birth without wanting anything in return; no matter the circumstances, she had sacrificed everything and had spared nothing for me. It saddens me that I couldnt repay her with anything for the love she showed me. For people to have living mothers that are able to hold their grandchildren and receive their childrens love and comfort, how happy they must be. There is nothing as lamentable as not having any means to repay the love that you have received. I hope that you take the time to comfort and to serve your parents while they are still alive. There is an old saying, , or, Honor the elders in your house so that that spirit might enter the hearts of the children next door. It means that one should honor other elders in the same spirit that one honors elders in their home. I once visited a nursing home where someone brought food and said, Today is my mothers birthday, but she is in North Korea so I have decided to celebrate with all the mothers here at this nursing home today. I, too, often visit nursing homes and recall fond memories of my mother.

Up to now, these are the memories of my mother and father that I vaguely remember. Nowadays, people debate about whether or not nature or nurture plays a greater influence on someones character and personality, but I am just grateful that I was born under my parents. It was Gods grace that I was born from benevolent, innocent, honest, hardworking parents.

02. I am thankful to God for providing me with my life partner I am so thankful in life that I met my wife. I got married at a very young age. As I

stated earlier, my father had to support himself after he lost his parents and as a result, he married very late. Back then, parents were in charge of marrying off their children at an early age, but my father married very late because of his challenging circumstances. He decided that he was at least going to marry off his children at an early age, and he took in a daughter from the Kim family of the Butang village, about a mile north of our home, as his daughter-in-law. At the time, I was 13 years old, and my wife was 16 years old. I dont even remember what day I got married, but I remember that it was a very cold winter day. Following the traditions of back then, I rode a white horse to the Butang village, where a large feast greeted me. Afterwards, I went to the frozen stream outside our village with the neighborhood kids and fell through a thin patch of ice, soiling my new silk pants. This was how I started my marriage, foolish and not knowing any better, but God blessed our family so that we served our Lord in harmony under one roof. This was all possible through Gods grace and His divine intervention, and for that, I am only grateful.

In retrospect, there are many things that I am thankful for during my marriage, but I am especially thankful for my college years. For the first year in college, I lived in a dormitory. However, the following year, I rented a room in a university-owned house where our three family members lived together: my wife, my young daughter Soon-Hee and me. Back in those days, we made a living out of 2 cents, which we used to buy a months worth of rice and wood. The first night, we had rice, kimchi and bean sprout soup for dinner. It wasnt just that first night either; we ate bean sprout soup for almost every meal. At that time, even sweet potatoes were rare, and so whenever we had them, we celebrated as if we were hosting a huge feast. In reality, bean sprouts were tasty, nutritional and inexpensive. Whenever I later visited the soldiers at the battlefront, we would enjoy bean sprout soup together. And every time, I would remember my college days and thank God for providing me with such a nutritional meal. I encourage people to eat a lot of bean sprouts, considering their nutritional value. When I look back on those days, I feel as if I owe my wife an apology. Whenever

my wife was in the room alone, she would take off her dress and sit in her underwear, and one day, I rebuked her for doing so. But it turned out that she only had one dress and was trying to preserve it. And in those days, we did not own a clock. We didnt own a wall clock or a table clock, not to mention a wristwatch. Despite this, my wife always woke up early to make me breakfast and to make sure that I wasnt late for school. It turns out that my wife would look across the street towards Missionary W.M. Bairds house, where his maid would turn on the lights and start working around 5 in the morning, and use it as a reference for when she should prepare breakfast. This was the lifestyle of poor college students. But even in these settings, I am thankful that my wife and I were always happy and thankful while studying, doing household work, and participating in church and school-related activities. In reality, a person does not need much to live. And true happiness does not reside in the material world, but rather in a higher order of faith, love, devotion and service among other things. My wife and I thank God whenever we remember our time in college. Afterwards, I immigrated to the United States by myself to continue my studies, but before I entered graduate school, I became sick with tuberculosis and was hospitalized in the Albuquerque Rehabilitation Center. I was worried about how I would inform my family about my situation. For a while, I didnt tell anyone anything because I couldnt bear to tell my wife, who was taking care of my 60 something year old father and my young daughter, that I was sick. However, rumors of my illness must have traveled to my hometown. As rumors traveled that I was lying on my deathbed and that I was even already dead, my elderly father and wife must have been devastated. The only thing left for me to do was to tell my father and wife the truth. At that time, my father was still farming and my wife had given birth to a boy a couple months after I entered the United States. My happiness was short-lived, however, because less than a year after his birth, my son fell sick with meningitis. With my son on her back, my wife walked 5 miles across the mountain to the nearest hospital in the town of Sookchun. But the doctor diagnosed my son with an illness too serious for him to treat and recommended that my son be treated at a large hospital in Pyongyang. My wife lifted my son again onto her back and took a train to Pyongyang, but the doctor there said that

the disease had already progressed too far and was untreatable. Devastated, my wife walked back to the train station. By the time she arrived at the station, it was already dark out and the trains were already discontinued, so she had to spend the night at the station. During this ordeal, the baby had already passed away. With the dead baby on her back and tears streaming down her face, my wife took the morning train and got off at Uhpa 12 train stop. She then walked another 3 miles back home. As a lone young woman without her husband, she had to go through this misery alone. How could she have expressed her grief, her loneliness and her shame? When I later heard the story, I didnt know how to comfort her; all I felt was shame, frustration and pity. For a long time afterwards, during moments of silence, my wife would recollect her bitter grief of that time. I do not know how thankful I am that God gave her strength and comfort when there was no one for her to lean on.

After my wife suffered such great sorrow, God gave my wife an opportunity to study. Of the several female missionaries who were working out of Pyongyang, there was a woman named A.S. Doriss k.

She had come to Korea alone to help and to deliver

Gods gospel to Korean women, especially disadvantaged women. She found Soong-Hae Womens Academy

for women who had no opportunities for education,

women who were kicked out by their husbands, women who were separated from their husbands and other women who were disadvantaged for various reasons. These women, of course, could not afford to pay tuition, so A.S. Doriss built a small factory next to the school for women to work in. They would learn how to make embroideries and sew so that they could support themselves through the factory. There still are many young women living in these adverse circumstances nowadays, but back then, there were a lot more. Doriss told me this much later, but the grant that was supposed to support her work was so meager that with the help of her friends, she had to run a fundraiser to cover the schools and the factorys operating costs. The factory produced napkins, tablecloths and other household items, which were then sold to missionaries. My wife also studied at this school. Thankfully enough, our young daughter was able to live in the dorm while she studied and worked. And whenever there wasnt

enough work in the factory, Reverend W.N. Blairs

wife, E.A. Blair

,

would

take her to her house for odd chores. Mrs. Blair was a very generous, humble and kindhearted woman that took pity on other peoples plight. My wife earned a living by going to their home and helping Mrs. Blair with various household chores, including sewing. And while I was studying in the U.S., my wife was studying and raising our young daughter in Korea. This is also Gods grace. How can a pastor serve a church, or Gods body, by himself? In reality, the pastors wife does more than half the work in a ministry. God has blessed our family so that my wife and I were able to prepare for serving a church together, in harmony. Whenever I think back upon these things, first, I am thankful for Gods grace, and second, I am grateful to the missionaries. Missionaries in Korea not only preached the gospel, but they also educated people and took a step further to help the disadvantaged. How can I possibly write down all their contributions towards Korean society; moreover, how can I possibly express my gratitude towards them? As Christians, we must never forget their evangelism, education and service, and we must strive to incorporate these three things into our daily lives. How busy and stressful my wifes life must have been: to try to study and raise a child at the same time. No matter how tiring and difficult her life was, my wife only depended on God and dreamed of a better future. But then to hear rumors that her husband was suffering from a serious illness and had possibly died in a far away land, how shocked she must have been! And so my father and my wife suffered more than bedridden me. Pain isnt something that you suffer alone. If something pains your heart, then those who are closest to you also feel that pain. But thankfully enough, in times like those, God comforts us and helps us withstand the pain through the Holy Spirit. And if you are able to endure the pain through faith alone, everything is brought whole again, and through the pain, He helps you achieve true joy. Likewise, my wife was able to raise a fine family through her patience and love in faith. I sincerely thank God for my wife.

03. I am thankful to God for providing me with great parents and siblings

I remember it being about a year after my mother passed away; another mother came into our home. My father raised us by himself for about a year, but with the busy fieldwork, he couldnt continue on alone. But I dont remember there being any conflicts with my new mother. But I do clearly remember her having a way with words; in the evenings, all the neighborhood kids would crowd into our small room to listen to her colorful tales. Her tales were so eloquent and she was so gracious that she made all the neighborhood kids jealous. Usually, there are many bizarre stories floating around about conflicts between stepmothers and children from first marriages. Even in our Han family, there is a legendary story passed down about the flower bud Han family and the cotton Han family. It is a story about how one of our ancestors lost his first wife in a tragedy and took on a second wife. Our ancestor already had one son from his first marriage, but together, the new wife gave birth to another son. In the winter, they would dress both sons in the same cotton clothes, but oddly enough, the son from the first marriage was always cold. Thinking something was wrong, the father tore open the clothes of the son from the first marriage and found that it was stuffed with flower buds. The new wife had dressed this son in clothes that were stuffed with the cotton-like byproduct produced by the flower. And inside the clothes of their second son, there was real cotton. And to this day, there is the flower bud Han genealogy living in one village and the cotton Han genealogy living in another. I am a descendant from the flower bud Han family. I often read stories of how stepmothers abuse their stepchildren in newspapers, and I am always grateful to God. My stepmother loved us the same way she loved her own children. Truthfully, I only vaguely remember the love that my birth mother showed me, but I can never forget the love that my stepmother showed me; and for sending me such mother, I thank God. Shortly after she moved into our house, my stepmother gave birth to a son and a daughter, and that son is my only younger brother, Pastor Seung-Chik Han. About a year after I finished my studies in the US, my father passed away. Pastor Seung-Chik Han was about 10 or 12 years old. Thankfully though, my brother graduated from Shinseoung Middle School in Sunchun,

which was erected by missionaries, and attended

medical school in Manchu Shimkyeong to become a doctor. But after our independence,

he migrated down south and became a pastor by Gods providence. He found the Third Church in Inchun and the Joonggokdong Church in Seoul, but in 1981, he moved to Rockford, Illinois, where he is currently a pastor at the Rockford Presbyterian Church. When I visited, my heart swelled at the thought of how much God had blessed our family. My older sister, who is two years older than me, got married and lived in Manchuria, but while I was in America, we stopped keeping in touch. After Korea was liberated, I heard that she passed away in Manchuria. However, her son Young-Ohk was able to move down to the South and find work at a orphanage and at an insurance company. Now, he is living in New York with his wife, and they are devoted to serving God by devoting their lives to the New York Presbyterian Church of Korean Americans. Looking back our family, my sisters son is an elder at his church; my brother and I are both pastors; my brothers oldest son Sae-Won is an associate pastor at the Korean Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles; my son Hae-Won is also a pastor at the First Church in Urbana, Illinois; Soon-Hees husband Pastor Young-Hun Lee, my son-in-law, served as a professor at the Soongsil Universitys School of Presbyterian Theology for a long time and is now their President. I cannot express how thankful I am whenever I think of how my family members, while unworthy servants of God, all do Gods work in their churches.

04. I am thankful to God for being born in the farmlands The exact date that I was born on is 1902,

The Year of the Black Water

Tiger, on the 29th day of the 12th month using a lunar calendar. In terms of the Gregorian calendar, this date is actually January 27th, 1903. But on my birth certificate, my birthday is written as December 29th, 1902 without any mention that this is using the lunar calendar. There is about a month difference, but I dont really mind. My name as a young boy was Chang-Soo. Of course, my birth certificate reads my current name Kyung ( for light) Chik ( for superiority), with Chik being in the names of our family members for generations. But I didnt understand why the

townspeople gave a weak child like me the nickname Chang-Soo, which means

longevity. Later, when my father explained the origin of my name, I finally understood its significance. My father had a dream when he briefly fell asleep while my mother was in labor on a cold winter night. In the dream, my mother had given birth to a baby, but on closer inspection, the baby wasnt a baby boy but a baby tiger. My father thought, Why this isnt a baby but a cub, and started to pet the cub. The cub was surprisingly docile, and as my father said, For a tiger, this cub is really tame, he awoke from his dream. While thinking about the dream, he decided to name me Chang-Soo, with the hopes that I would lead a long life like the Korean metaphor, the longevity of a tiger. My father, with high hopes, called me by Chang-Soo, but being the weak child that I was, I was never able to live up to my namesake. But for giving me life, and especially for raising me in the rural farmlands, I am grateful to God. My hometown is a village called Jajock or Saetmal in Gongduk, Pyeongwon. It can be located if you were to walk 26 miles into Pyeongyang to the Uhpa train station and then another 2.6 miles northeast. There are about 20 houses in Ganri that are comprised of Han family members, another 100 houses in Jangjaeri about 2 miles away from Ganli, and approximately another 50 houses in Ilsansolri about 1.5 miles away from Jangjaeri. I am not really sure how the Han clan came to settle in these areas, but according to the tales the elders told when I was a little kid, the story went something like this: Our ancestors originally settled in Seoul, but one of them, who was a government official, ended up as an ambassador in China. When he was coming back from China, he fell ill near Jangjaeri and passed away without ever reaching Seoul. So his family members buried him in the plains of Jangjaeri, where his eldest son decided to settle near his fathers burial ground. After many generations, it so happened that the number of Han family members had proliferated and settled near Jangjaeri, Ilsansolri and even the little village of Saetmal where I was born. Back then, Saetmal was the boondock of the boondocks. Despite this, I am always thankful that I was born there. I sometimes imagine what my life would have been like if I had been born in a big city like Seoul or Pyeongyang, and then I consider myself lucky that I was born in a small rural village comprised of 20-30 families.

I prefer the simple and honest rural lifestyle of waking up early in the morning, working in the fields, eating dinner and going to bed over the bustling city life corrupted by sin and evil. There were no fights either, considering that our neighbors were all living in similar situations. I would start off my mornings by watching the morning sun rise in the garden, while in the evenings, I would rush home to the sun setting behind the mountains. When I would walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I would follow the round moon and the innumerate twinkling stars would comfort me. There were a lot of flowers in the countryside too. In the spring, azaleas would color the entire mountain red. I remember walking up the mountain, Okryubong, behind our house and picking flowers for my mother. I thank God for guiding my life so that I was born and raised in a beautiful rural village. Someone once said, A city is made by man, but the countryside is made by God. I am thankful to have been raised in Gods garden, and when I think of it now, it has been all possible because of Gods grace.

05. I am thankful to God for sending us missionaries As I was growing up in the simple but beautiful countryside, Koreas darkest history was being written. Korean politics had become corrupted beyond corruption, and despite our national leaders attempts at reform, our nations downfall could not be stopped. In 1894 and again in 1904, Korea became the fighting arena for the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War respectively. And through the humiliation of the Japan-Korea Protectorate Treaty of 1910, Korea became stripped of its diplomatic sovereignty. Starting in 1910, Korea became a protectorate of Japan, and the Korean patriots who couldnt endure the Japanese oppression became political asylums of foreign countries, while those who stayed behind became victims of torture. But God heard our nations cries and constructed plans for our salvation God provided for the youth of Korea through the martyred missionary R.J. Thomas who settled near Datong River and Scottish missionaries Reverend J. Ross and J. MacIntyre in Manchuria who translated and delivered His message. In 1884, He sent missionary Allen from the North Presbyterian Church in the US, and then on Easter

morning in 1885, He sent missionaries H.G. Underwood Appenzeller .

18 and H.G. T 18

And in 1890, He guided Reverend S.A. Moffet

onto Korean soil. Through different denominations, God sent many missionaries to comfort, give hope and preach the gospel of life and light to the weary and tear-stricken citizens of Korea. The heartbroken and frustrated patriots gained hope and courage through the gospel, and the disillusioned youth found optimism in their newly lit futures. And this was how Christianity shined the light of truth and love during our nations darkest nights. And in 1907, the Pyongyang Great Revival spread the gospel to every corner of Korea. Everywhere the Gospel went, a new church arose, a school was built and rural movements took place. Thus, not only did the Christian movement spread hope and light to those lost souls in despair, but it also paved the road for the introduction of Western education, culture and ideas as well as the revival of Korean culture. Koreas written culture began to flourish when the Bible and hymns were translated in Hangul, Koreas long neglected alphabet. Christianity also liberated women so that they received the same education as men and were able to finally participate in the church and in society. And so whenever I think of how much the missionary movement

contributed to Korean society, culture and economy, I first thank God and pay homage to the missionaries.

06. I am thankful to God for allowing my spirituality to grow at Jajock Church Around the time I was born, a small rural church was built in our town as a result of the patience and efforts of missionaries. The church was called Jajock Church, and one of the most famous pioneer missionaries, Pastor Samuel Austin Moffet, traveled deep into the countryside to build it himself. We called him Pastor Ma; he came to Korea in 1890 at the age of 26 as a missionary, and in 1893, he moved to Pyongyang where he traveled and built churches all across the Pyeongan Provinces. His son, Professor S.H. Moffet18 or T 18,

was a professor at the Presbyterian Theological College

until he recently retired; I hear that he is currently a professor of missions at the Princeton Theological Seminary. Pastor Mas other son, Dr. H.F. Moffet,

served as the

superintendant of Dongsan Hospital in Taegu while doing great things for medical ministries. The first person to accept the gospel was probably my older cousin, Pastor Han Byung-Chik. He was an erudite scholar of the Chinese language, but after Pastor Ma converted him to Christianity, he studied theology and was part the 2nd graduating class of Pyongyang Theological Seminary. His ministry was originally in Youngheung,

Hamkyungdo until he moved to serve at Sasan Church in Sasan, Pyeongwongun. Around the time I was in in middle school, he moved back home to retire and shortly passed away. Of the original members of Jajock Church, one is Mr. See-Hyun Lee, the grandfather of Elder Chang-Gun Lee at Youngnak Church; Mr. Guk-Chan Kim, the father of Pastor Jong-Sup Kim at Youngnak Church; Congressman Hee-Sup Chung; Pastor Hock-Gun Chung, the father of the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and the father of the already deceased Pastor Tae-Jun Lee. By the grace of God, I was able to attend church from a very young age, learn hymns and listen to Gods words. The very first bible verse that I learned was John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. I learned this verse because it was written in big letters on my uncles front door. I cant remember exactly, but I think this verse was widely distributed during the 1 Million Salvation Movement that took place after the 1907 Pyongyang Great Revival Movement. Because I was just learning to read, I struggled to read and memorize this verse. I still believe that writing this verse in big letters on the streets is a great evangelical tool.

I remember there being about 40-50 adults and 40-50 children at Jajock Church back then. At first, there were very few pastors. We used to call, what is now known as jundosas, Josa. The josa would have to travel between many churches, so he would

come preach only about once a month; on other Sundays, Elders or Youngsoos

would preach and even lead our weekday services. Youngsoos were seminary students who had yet to choose a denomination and helped around the church. When I was younger, the Josa that would come to our church once a month was Josa Yong-Jin Woo, who later became a pastor. Elder Hock-Gun Chung became a pastor as well, but he also took care of four other churches besides Jajock Church. And so for the Sunday day services where neither of these two leaders was present, Pastor Hock-Gun Chungs younger brother, Elder Hock-Min Chung, would lead our church. And my cousin, Youngsoo Sung-Jae Han, would lead our Sunday evening services and our weekday services. Youngsoo Sung-Jae Han farmed a lot and also had a large guest room, so whenever there were church guests, they would stay at his house. Youngsoo Sung-Jae Han knew how to serve his church and was an invariably treasured member of the church. Besides him, there were many other Youngsoos that were dedicated to the church. There was one in particular, Youngsoo Guk-Chan Kim, who did his best to serve God even in the middle of a busy harvest. Despite the fact that Jajock Church was a small rural church, we have produced 9 pastors and many of this countrys faithful workers. The older I get, the more I realize that no matter how small a church may be, God will truly bless his faithful followers by using them for bigger and greater things out in society. Apparently, when I was growing up, the pastor that was newly assigned to the district that Jajock Church was in was Pastor Wi-Ryang Bang (Korean adaptation of William Newton Blair). Pastor Bang would travel around the churches in our district during the fall and spring, and he would teach and baptize the members of the congregation. At that time, it was like a holiday at the church if a missionary came to visit. From children to adults, everyone would wait for the missionary and when the missionary was seen coming at the horizon, everyone would run to greet him. Whenever Pastor Bang would come to the church as a young missionary, he would eagerly teach us hymns. Because he wasnt familiar with Korean yet, his speech was a bit hard to hear, but because of his eagerness, everyone was moved by his sermons and his praises.

As I mentioned earlier, Pastor Hock-Gun Chung not only served Jajock Church, but served a total of 4 churches including Uhpa Church, Sunghyun Church and Pihyun Church that were about 2.5 miles apart. And so once a month, he would hold a combined service at Sunghyun Church, which was located in the middle. The Christmas service was combined as well, but on this day, we each brought whatever rice or food we could to hold a feast. The children would also host a special performance, and there were many other games and festivities. For example, there was a game where we would try to pin a tail on a large drawn horse while we were blindfolded, and that was the most fun. It was a great experience for our four fellowships in our town to gather and spend our times together. One year, I read a speech at our Christmas service. It was a speech written by our schoolteacher, Mr. Kee-Joo Hong, titled, .

I dont remember

what the speech was about, but I do remember that I was greeted by laughter and applause. And like this, God sent a missionary to erect a church in the middle of nowhere, and allowed my childhood to be filled with memories of praising God amongst fellow members of our congregation. I cannot possibly express all my gratitude for His grace.

Chapter 02: I thank God for my education

01 Jingwang Elementary School Matriculation Pastor Ma not only erected a church in our village, but he also opened a Christian school named Jin (22 for true) gwang (22 for light) Elementary School. About a mile north of Jajock Church, there is a small grove named Saenaetgol. Its address was Gongdukkmyun Yangsoori and so we called it Yangsoori. This was where Pastor Ma opened the school. Bible and hymn studies, Korean history and many other contemporary courses were taught at Jingwang Elementary School. From what I hear, there was a village school that taught Chinese classics as well, but after much consideration, my father decided to send me to Jingwang instead. I never saw my father going to church, but he did approve of me believing in Jesus. My father probably decided to send me to Jingwang so that I would learn contemporary studies. Whenever I think of my fathers vision for me, I can only thank God for his plans. Back then, the school system was similar to the American school system, and so our elementary education was 8 years long. Shimsang Elementary School

was for 4 years and Shimsang Middle School

was for 4 years,

so the standard student graduated in 8 years. But I skipped a couple grades and graduated from Jingwang Elementary School in 6 years. That year, there were 3 people graduating: Deacon Chang-Gun Lees oldest brother Mr. Chang-Ho Lee, Mr. Seung-Do Kim and me. Out of happiness that I was graduating at the top of our 3-person class, my father bought rice cakes for everyone that day. There were only 30-40 students at Jingwang Elementary School, but Mr. Kee-Joo Hong taught all the grades (1st through 8th) by himself. Mr. Kee-Joo Hong studied at the Daesung School, established by Mr. Chung-Ho Ahn, and later became the pastor of a Methodist church. Whenever I look back on those days, I cant help but think that God built the church and the school for me. Nowadays, people can attend school and church as long as they have the desire to, but back then, people could not dream of attending these places without Gods grace.

02 I am still thankful to Osan School

Around the time I graduated from Jingwang Elementary School, my father faced a dilemma. At the time, our family could only afford to put food on the dinner table, and sending me away for higher education was not an option. But my teacher, Mr. Kee-Joo Hong, and Josa Yong-Jin Woo must have visited my father multiple times to try and persuade him otherwise. Kyung-Chik is a smart student. You need to send him to middle school. Knowing that sending me off to school would place an additional financial burden on him, my father still decided to send me to middle school. At the time, I didnt know what it meant to have faith, but I still silently prayed to God, asking him to send me to middle school. After it was decided that I was going to go to middle school, there was another question of where I would go. Some people suggested that I attend Baejae School in Seoul, others said Soongsil in Pyongyang, while there was another group that suggested Osan School in Jungju. After much discussion between my father, Mr. Kee-Joo Hong and Josa Yong-Jin Woo, they eventually agreed to send me to Osan School. Osan School was more than 50 miles north from where I lived, but the famous patriot Seung-Hoon Namkang Lee had found it. To pay for my middle school education, my father sold the only cow we owned. Thankfully, Mr. Kee-Joo Hong accompanied my fellow peer, Chang-Ho Lee, and me to Osan School. I remember when I first saw Osan School. I took the train down to the Gobi stop and walked about 2 miles along a beaten path to a large manor next to a small mountain. This was the school building. As soon as I arrived, I took the entrance exam, and around dinnertime, Mr. Kee-Joo Hong let me know that I had done very well on the exam and had been admitted to the school. He then asked if I wanted to take the 2nd-year exams on the following day. Doesnt the 2nd-year exam cover materials that are learned in your 1st-year here? Do you think I can do well? We can try. I talked to the teacher here and he agreed that you should take it as well. After I took the 2nd-year exam the next day, my teacher let me know that I was going to be enrolled in Grade 2. Back then, middle schools followed a 4-year curriculum, and since I enrolled as a 2nd-year, I was able to graduate in 3 years.

I entered middle school without even knowing my ABCs, so English was very difficult, but otherwise, it wasnt too difficult to keep up with the Grade 2 curriculum. I still remember my first day of English. I only knew that the black ink signified letters, and that day, we learned about kites. I didnt understand anything that day, but I did learn one thing for sure:How high is it? in English. I didnt even know what it meant, but I was able to memorize it. After sitting in class like that for 2 months, I was finally able to keep up with the class material. I enrolled in Osan School in the spring of 1916. It was a couple years after Seung-Hoon Namkang Lee was freed from imprisonment following the 105 Persons Incident. I can still see him walking towards the school from Yongdong where he lived, with his white beard floating in the wind. Osan School had a main campus in the center with all the classrooms and the dormitories surrounding it. In the center of the garden, there was a small statue called Danshinkang.

With the exception of students who lived near the school,

everyone lived in the dormitories. There were 4 students in each room, one from each grade, with the 4th year being the moderator. Under the moderators watch, we repaired and cleaned the room and even kept the fire going. The students were also in charge of taking turns cleaning the classrooms and the playground. Meals were eaten at sagas (private residences) assigned by the school. Osan School education was literally around the clock, 24 hours a day; we started off the day at 6 oclock in the morning when the bells would ring. Without any exceptions, everyone would wake up, make their beds and run to the field for morning exercises with our physical education teacher. And then a 30-minute race to the mountaintop would follow. All the teachers would participate as well. After the race, we would clean up the surrounding scenery, wash up, eat breakfast and gather in the chapel for morning prayers. Mr. Namkang or Mr. Man-Shik Cho would often lead these morning prayers. After dinner, the bell would ring again, and we would have to go to our individual rooms to review our days studies. During this time, we werent allowed to wander around and had to study quietly in our rooms.

This isnt something I heard, but as a person who was educated at Osan School, I believe that their education philosophy is as follows. First, it was a patriotic education. You cant be successful alone. The whole nation has to prosper for you to be successful. Without nation-states, man cannot live in this world. You must care for and protect our nation. Mr. Namkang, Mr. Man-Shik Cho and the other teachers made great efforts to instill this patriotism in students. Before we went to bed in the evening, we would always gather around the Danshimkang: dan25

for red, shim

25

for heart, and kang

25

for river. We built

this Hill of the Red Hearts so that it was leveled a bit higher than the playground and decorated it with flowers, trees and stones so that it formed a small but beautiful garden. We would walk around the Danshimkang while singing a patriotic song. Second, it was a Christian education. For our nations development, each and every student must become a good student. We were taught to be noble and have pure lifestyles; since humans were weak and fell prey to evil easily, in order to keep these qualities, we had to have faith in Jesus. We had religious services every day. Mr. Namkang or our principal led these services, and during these services, they would often pour out their patriotic zeal and nationalistic views. Listening to their passionate sermons, we were sure of our role models. They truly led pure, beautiful lives. Nowadays, I believe public schools have homeroom announcements instead of religious services, but if the school is a Christian school, I believe that this class time should be cherished. Third, it was an education founded on modern science and technology. We learned about Confucius and Mencius, but more than anything, modern disciplines of science and technology were stressed. They taught that our country could never be successful if we were to fall behind in science and technology. I cant imagine an education philosophy more important than these three. Is it not important to grow up to be a person who is patriotic, a person who has faith in God and leads a virtuous life, and a person who has kept up with modern science and technology in order to create a modern civilization? It is Gods grace that I was able to study under

great teachers with these foundations for three years. But later in the colonial period, Japans policies became more and more interventionist that teachers like Mr. Man-Shik Godang Cho could no longer stay at our school. And from then on, the spirit of Osan School began to wither away. People who didnt know any better were glad that Osan School became Osan High School, but Osan Schools philosophy had already become corrupted. Afterwards, following our liberation and our division, Osan School could not be rebuilt at the same location. Osan School was later rebuilt in Bogwongdong, Seoul. This occurred after Mr. Namkang had already passed away. It was a collective effort by alumni, but the one person who contributed the most was Mr. Namkangs son-in-law Mr. Kee-Yong Joo. Dr. Jin-Suk Cho, my fellow peer from Osan School and now Elder at Youngnak Church, and I served as co-Chairs for the Restoration Board. Whenever I see Osan Middle/High School and reflect upon the Chairmens and Board members efforts as well the current teachers and employees dedication for the schools restoration in Seoul, I am thankful. This is something that I particularly wish and pray for, and it is that Mr. Namkangs and Mr. Man-Shik Chos patriotism and faith, along with the Osan philosophy, is adopted into the education system of the current Osan School. Once again, I am grateful to God for his benevolence, and I thank everyone who has worked for Osan School of the past and for Osan School of today. 03 When I met my mentor, Mr. Seung-Hoon Namkang Lee Whenever I think of Osan School, there are two people that I cannot forget. One is Mr. Seung-Hoon Namkang Lee, the founder of Osan School, and the other is Mr. Man-Shik Cho, the principal of Osan School when I was a student there. They were educators that I truly admired and respected. Mr. Seung-Hoon Namkang Lee was born in the poor rural area where Osan School is currently located. Because his father passed away when he was young, Mr. Seung-Hoon Namkang Lee was able to attend school for only 2 years. There was a town called Nokchun near Jungju that had many ceramic factories, and Mr. Namkang grew up running errands for one of the rich factory owners. He says that hewas a diligent

worker. During the day, he would run errands for the owner, while in the evening, he would learn how to read and write from the owners secretary on his free time. To learn how to write, you need to practice, but paper was precious in those days, so he would wear a large satchel while running errands and pick things up from the ground that could be used as paper, such as cigarette wrappers. At night, he would practice writing on those surfaces. By the age of 15, he had earned the trust of the owners, and he would personally sell their brassware in rural areas. Afterwards, he borrowed money from wealthy families and established a large business. He was successful in everything he did and by the time he was 40, he already had substantial assets. At this time, Mr. Namkang says that he only thought of working hard, making money and living happily. But one day, a friend came over and said, A teacher named Mr. Dosan from the US has come to visit and is currently giving a speech down by Moranbong. Would you like to go see him? And so the fateful meeting between Mr. Namkang and Mr. Dosan took place. To summarize Mr. Chang-Ho Dosan Ahns speech that day: The Greater Korean Empires destinythis is what we called Korea back then

is starting to

look more bleak now than ever. If we continue on the way we are heading, I am concerned about what the future holds for us. But we cannot be dismayed. In the midst of all this, we must focus on two things. The first thing is to build many schools for nurturing our countrys talented individuals. The second is to build factories in order to revolutionize our industries. After hearing these words, Mr. Namkang realized that he should build a school with all the money he had earned up to then. And so he returned to his hometown Osan, Jungju from Pyongyang, bought a village school and established Osan School. He built an elementary school and a middle school. After hearing that the Korean industry needed to be revived, be built a ceramics factory in the suburbs of Pyongyang. He built the ceramics factory to prove that we could do it after seeing ceramics from Japan and deeming that it was more useful than brassware. After much effort, he was able to increase education and revive the Korean industry by building factories. However, a couple years later, the Japan-Korean Protectorate Treaty was signed, stripping all Korean government agencies of their power.

After hearing of this upheaval of Korean policies by the Japanese government, Mr. Namkang actually fell ill. But God sent an envoy to the dejected Mr. Namkang so that he was able to stand up again. Tonight, the famous Pastor Suk-Jin Han is coming from Seoul to deliver a sermon at Sanjungjae Church Sanjunghyun Church. It seems as if a lot of people are going. Are you interested in going too? Gods messenger must have been a believer, but for the first time in his life, Mr. Namkang went to church to hear something new. The sermon that day went along the lines of this. Our country is facing a great challenge today. The Japan-Korean Protectorate Treaty has been signed. Whenever I think of our future, my heart becomes heavy. Many of our nations patriots have lost their courage and energy and do not know what do anymore. But think deeply. What would happen to our country if we were to all lose hope and fall into despair? Wont we all really collapse into destruction? We have nothing to be discouraged about. The Almighty God exists. God created this earth and made man. He determines our history today. We must have faith in this God and not be discouraged. We must believe in His one and only Son, Jesus, our Savior. After hearing this sermon, Mr. Namkang decided to believe in Jesus. Mr. Namkang didnt fear the unknown and when he believed that something new was right, he put it into practice. The next day, Mr. Namkang built Osan Church next to Osan School in Jungju and served as an Elder. When I was a 2nd semester, 4th year student at Osan School, Mr. Namkang invited a few other 4th year students and me to his house one evening. He must have been feeling ill that day, because when we entered the room, he stood up to greet us from where he was lying down. While we were talking, he explained why he wasnt feeling so well that day. During the 105 Persons Incident, he was taken in by Japanese soldiers and beaten. Since then, every year around the time he was beaten, his entire body aches. He took off his clothes to show where he had been beaten, and there were spots where his body was still blue. As a result of the 105 Persons Incident, Mr. Namkang spent 5-6 years in prison,

and was imprisoned again for many years for being the sole Christian representative of the 33 protesting leaders at the Samil Manse Demonstrations. Words cannot describe the suffering he experienced as a citizen of a lost nation. There is a something that Mr. Namkang said that evening that struck me. He said that while there were many sycophantic people attempting to befriend the Japanese to find better means to live since our occupation, he would live and die as a Korean. The reason that these words struck me that night was probably because Mr. Namkang had lived his life by these words. Even now, when I think of his noble character and his pure patriotism, my heart reaches out for him. Mr. Namkang passed away while I was studying abroad in the US. When he passed away, he asked for his body to be donated to medical science. While Japanese authorities intervened in carrying out his will, Mr. Namkang attempted to donate even his remains for the betterment of his country. This was his mentality and his way of leading by example. In the end, his remains were buried behind Osan School, and graduates later built a statue in his honor on the school grounds. However, in the late colonial period, Japanese imperialists took down even that statue for use as war material. Many years later, after our liberation and the establishment of the 38th parallel, we could no longer cross into North Korea. So Osan alumni and community members built a statue of our beloved teacher at the Childrens Grand Park in Seoul under the auspices of the government. I am grateful to have served as the Chairman of the committee during this time. What other explanation is there for my studying under such great man of character and patriotism, Mr. Namkang, during my intellectually impressionable middle school years besides Gods will? All I can do is thank God.

04 When I studied under Mr. Man-Shik Godang Cho There is another person that I was grateful to while I attended Osan School. This person was the principal back then, Mr. Man-Shik Godang Cho. He is so well-known that to elaborate would be superfluous, but studying under him for 3 years was an invaluable experience; whenever I think back on those days, I am still grateful. Born in Bansukmyun, Kangsuhgun in Pyeongnam, Mr. Godang moved to Pyongyang with his parents, where they opened a large business. He grew up in a relatively wealthy family. He went to school until he was 15 years old, becoming skilled in both writing and Chinese classics, but he later joined his fathers business where he joined the other rich young men in drinking and gambling. He was no different from the rich boys in societys emerging class in Pyongyang. But he heard Gods calling. One day, a young man came to him and raised a question on a serious topic. Do you know what is happening to our country right now? How do you not know that our nation is facing annihilation if we continue along the path that we are currently on? Do you really think that we can hold on to our riches when our country is being destroyed? He became worried after hearing this young mans story. Then what should I do? Gods reason for sending this young man was clear in his reply. We need to wake up and become new people in times like these. We need to live right, and after we become better people first, we need to convince other people to do the same. There is only one way to do this. It is to become a new person. In order to become a new person, you need to believe in Jesus. When people believe in Jesus, an alcoholic stops drinking, a gambler stops gambling, and a person who goes to brothels becomes honest and transforms into a new person. After becoming a new person, we need to start a movement that saves ourselves and our nation. Hearing these words, young Mr. Man-Shik Cho was deeply impressed and reached a conclusion on the spot. Yeah! Youre right. I need to change my life first. Ill believe in Jesus! Whenever I think of this story, I realize how precious personal evangelism is. If

the random young man did not visit Mr. Cho and share this story, the Mr. Man-Shik Cho that we know today would not have existed. From then on, Mr. Man-Shik Cho began to reflect the visage of the teacher that we respect today. One evening, he invited all his drinking and gambling friends to a restaurant for drinks and food, to whom he told the following story. Today is the last day that I will drink and play like this with you. I have decided to believe in Jesus. This lifestyle ends this evening. If you want to remain friends with me, you will believe in Jesus too. From that day, he began to study at a missions school established by missionaries, Soongsil Middle School, with students who were much younger than him. There was no age limit in receiving an education, so he was able to receive a religious education for 5 years. Following his graduation from Soongsil Middle School, he received a degree in law at the Japanese Meiji University j 31

after which he returned home. As soon

as he returned to the country, he took off his Japanese-style suit and shoes and put on traditional Korean dress-clothes and shoes. This was his way of expressing his firm resolve that he would only work for a Korean, live as a Korean and die as a Korean. Mr. Man-Shik Cho was already well-known at the time that after hearing about his return, Mr. Seung-Hoon Lee invited him to become a member of the staff at Osan School. Mr. Man-Shik Cho did not receive even a penny for his salary, but rather used his own money while he was the principal. He was economical with everything that he even brushed his teeth with salt. He also took an initiative in everything, and whatever his students did, he participated as well. In late autumn, we would have to prepare firewood for the classrooms and the dormitories. There was a large mountain called Jaesuk Mountain about 2.5 miles south of our school, and there were many alder trees there. In the fall, Mr. Man-Shik Cho would travel to the mountain with the students and chop and gather wood from the alder trees. Like this, Mr. Man-Shik Cho educated students through his actions of dedication and sacrifice; this was a true expression of patriotism based on Christian faith. There is story involving Mr. Man-Shik Chos leadership. Osan School encouraged baseball, soccer, tennis, track and other various widely played sports. Every year, there was a school-wide sports tournament, where the entire

student body was divided into two teams, blue and red. One year, the red and blue team were point for point until it came down to the last relay. A player on one team dropped the baton, but his team captain picked it up and handed it to him; they eventually ended up winning the race. And so the other team started to protest and threw a fit. This all happened while Mr. Man-Shik Cho left his seat for a bit. Later, after seeing this commotion, Mr. Man-Shik Cho called the captains of both teams to understand the situation. Then he stood on top of a small chest, gave a brief explanation and declared that there will not be a winner. The other team led an outcry about how it wasnt fair. Mr. Man-Shik Cho replied in disapproval, Ive already decided that there will not be any winners, so I expect you to all abide by my words. Whoever doesnt comply is not a student in the spirit of Osan School so they can leave if they want. At this one sentence, the rowdy field fell silent as if someone poured a bucket of cold water on them. In reality, an educators authority must have this sort of impact for a student to receive a proper education. And this type of authority stems from a life that is morally and temperamentally flawless. There is a story that personally involves me as well. One night while I was reviewing my lessons from that day, I was so drowsy that I stretched and yawned loudly. Then suddenly, someone knocked on my door and Mr. Man-Shik Cho walked in. Who was yawning right now? I was yawning, sir. I couldnt play dumb so I confessed and was immediately rebuked. I understand that one can yawn while studying. But to yawn so loudly that a person walking outside your door can hear, what kind of practice is that? You need to fix that habit. He chided me for so long that after a while, tears welled up in my eyes. Since then, I am always careful whenever I yawn. Even in the smallest day-to-day performances such as yawning, Mr. Man-Shik Cho tried to teach students the proper way to act. Once in a while, Ill see a pastor or an elder yawn loudly on the pulpit. When I am standing on the pulpit, I see members of our congregation yawning often too. It isnt

pleasing to see, and whenever it happens, I remember Mr. Man-Shik Chos lecture. All I feel is gratitude towards Mr. Man-Shik Cho who taught me how to lead a righteous life.

05 The cigarette incident People experience the most change during their middle school and high school years. This might have been why my 3 years at Osan School were filled with so many mistakes and realizations. While I was a student at Osan School, I would attend Osan Church on weekends and teach Sunday school for little children; during the holidays, the student government at Osan would rally up a group of students to travel and evangelize in rural areas. But during one of those days, there was an unforgettable incident. Behind Osan School, there was a grove where we would often go to pray or hike with a couple of friends. But one evening, a couple of students went hiking into the woods when some of them started to casually smoke cigarettes and offered me one. So for fun, I smoked one. After that, whenever we went on walks once in a while, I would take a cigarette when I was offered one. I felt that I shouldnt only smoke other peoples cigarettes, so I secretly bought a pack of Jo-il and hid it in my room. But around that time, the student government was holding their elections and I was elected as the Security Committee Chair. The Security Committee was in charge of rules and regulations and made sure that students were acting in accord with school rules. But since I had started smoking, my conscience was weighed down with guilt. And so that night, I walked to the woods by myself, prayed to God and threw away my cigarettes. The next day, a student had visited the woods and came back telling a story of how there was a pack of crushed cigarettes. He assumed that a student had quit smoking. I just sat there quietly listening to the story. And so my rather short-lived experiences with smoking ended when I assumed the responsibility as Chair of the Security Committee. Smoking has nothing to do with faith, nor can it really be argued that it is immoral. But it is not a good habit either; in all health-related, environmental and economical aspects, it is harmful. I believe that the tradition of frowning upon smoking and drinking in Korean churches is a very good convention. But sometimes, ones smoking habits are put into the factor when determining office positions in church. In my experience, even if someone is a smoker, if they are fit for the position in other areas, I believe that he or she is a good candidate for the job. If someone has the faith and qualifications to assume a

certain position, I believe that their smoking habits can be overcome. In fact, I have seen many other people besides me who have quit smoking after assuming a responsibility. While my experiences are limited to when I was young, after I quit smoking, I have never had to have a guilty conscience on my plate for similar experiences since then. I am thankful for that, and I would like to recommend young people that they should abandon their unnecessary habits altogether.

06 My unforgettable teachers and peers I think that Mr. Namkang traveled all across the country from Seoul to Pyongyang to recruit the best possible teachers that were both reputable academically and personally for Osan School. That is how great the teachers at Osan School were. Mr. Do-Bin Jang, who later became famous, taught Korean history; Mr. Do-Tae Kim replaced Mr. Do-Bin Jang when he left. Geography and Bible Studies was taught by Mr. Man-Shik Cho; I can still vividly remember what he taught us about the book of Acts. The famous poet Mr. Uhk Kim, who graduated from Osan School and studied in Japan, taught Japanese. Mr. Gwang-Soo Kim from Seoul taught physics, and Mr. In-Yul Kim, who served as the principal of Osan Elementary School concurrently, taught chemistry. Mr. Bong-Hyun Byun, who was from Japan, was a great teacher as well. Vice Principal Kee-Sun Park, a famous Korean scholar and Elder at Osan Church taught us about Confucius and Mencius again. I also remember a physical education teacher who had graduated from a Japanese military academy. I cannot forget Mr. Kee-Sun Parks son, Mr. Kee-Jin Park, either. He graduated from Osan School, attended Seoul Technical High School and graduated from college with a degree in architecture. He designed the majority of the stone buildings at Korea University, as well as the earlier building of Youngnak Church. Construction of Youngnak Church started in 1949 and was completed in 1954, but later on, it was rebuilt to expand its size. It has lost most of its original design, but the front of the church remains the same. His family still attends Youngnak Church. One of Mr. Do-Bin Jangs sons was the president of the KOHAP Corporation for a long time, and another son, Chi-Hyuk Jang, was a soldier for a long time and later opened a successful business. His wife and he are currently deacons at Youngnak Church. The couple not only donated 2,000 square meters of land when Seoraksan Church was being built, but they also played a major role in being responsible for the construction costs. I can clearly remember my fellow peers at Osan School. Most of them have already left this world, but I especially remember Jin-Suk Cho, who was a classmate and a roommate. Our friendship goes back a long way, and he later even served as an elder at Youngnak Church. He graduated from Osan School and then medical school. He received

his medical degree from Japan and then served as a surgeon in the North and South for a long time. There was a person a year ahead of me who was very famous: Hong-Il Kim. He did many great things for our country as a general. After graduating from Osan School, he attended a Chinese military academy and later even served as a Major General under Chiang Kai-Shek. After our liberation, he returned to our country where he made great contributions to our Armed Forces. After retiring as a lieutenant general, he did a lot of work as a Korean ambassador in China. In addition, his wife and he contributed to the church as deacons. Whenever I think of my teachers and fellow peers from Osan School, I am thankful again and again for Gods generosity.

07 Following Gods directions In the spring of 1919 v ,

I was at Osan School. March 1st, 1919 was the day

that a series of demonstrations erupted all throughout Korea with people shouting for independence. Throughout Seoul and Pyongyang, in churches and in schools, this day marked the first day that Japan felt the ground beneath their feet shake from resistance, but it was also a day where many Korean patriots lost their lives; I was 16 years old. Osan School was set on fire and many of its employees were detained. The school had no choice but to close, and Osan Schools 10th graduating class had to go home without a graduation ceremony. I returned home to help my parents with the farming and was only able to hear about the independence movement through rumors.

One day, my fellow classmate, Soon-Min Kim, sent me a letter from Jinnampo. Soon-Min asked me if I wanted to work for his brother, who had started a large import/export company. When I got to his house, sure enough, Soon-Mins brother owned a large house, a large office building and a large storage warehouse. They specialized in consignment sales and imports/exports among other various things, and there were other employees as well. My job was to take and bring money from the bank and manage things that were coming in and going out of the company. Soon-Min mostly took care of the books, while I ran back and forth from the bank and the warehouse from morning to night.

Perhaps if I had stayed there, I would have become a merchant. But God had other plans for me. I briefly stopped back home to run an errand when I ran into Josa Yong-Jin Woo. He said that he had referred me to a school in Pyongyang that was looking for a teacher and asked me to meet with an Elder of Namsan Moru Church. While working in the commercial sector was a good job, he said that teaching students was a better opportunity and encouraged me to take the offer. Although I thought that I was too young to be a qualified teacher, I decided to take the job as the people around me recommended. But I hadnt been baptized yet. While I was away from home, I didnt have the chance to be baptized. Josa Woo suggested that it was a good idea to be baptized if I were

to become a teacher, and arranged for me to meet with Pastor Chee-Soo Lee at Uhpa Station since he was on his way to Pyongyang anyways. And so I dont remember the exact date, but Pastor Lee baptized me at Uhpa Church near Uhpa Station. I realize that baptisms normally take place inside the chapel during service, but depending on the circumstances, I think that they can occur in someones home or anywhere else.

Namsan Moru Church was located about 6 miles north of Pyongyang, and its L-shaped chapel was able to hold hundreds of people. Their congregation was much bigger than Jajock Churchs; they had many Elders and even had Josa Geun-Ohk Suk as one of their spiritual leaders. Josa Geun-Ohk Suk later became a pastor. Elder Eui-Joo Lee was responsible for the churchs school, named Youngsung School. There were about 40 students total, and I was the only teacher. I lacked any experience and expertise, but I taught to the best of my abilities. Of the students I taught, there was even a student that later attended Youngnak Church. And a few years back, I gave a lecture at a military base in Nonsan and then stopped by a nearby church to deliver a sermon. Memories of my years at Young-Sung School came flooding back to me when a female member of the congregation recognized me as her teacher and sang the school song that I wrote. Human life is like sowing seeds every day; one is not aware of all the seeds one plants, but wherever you plant a good seed, it is bound to bear good fruit. Josa Geun-Ohk Suk delivered exceptional sermons and sang hymns beautifully and now his eldest son Mr. Ri-Won Suk, and his son Dr. Sae-Il Suk, both attend Youngnak Church. One of my unforgettable memories of Namsan Moru Church was when they held a Bible study led by Elder Han-Kyu Ko. Elder Ko was only in his 40s, but he was a senior elder at Ibsuk Church, the treasurer of the General Assembly and an owner of a large business; he was a reputable man. That day, I met Elder Ko for the first time and was moved by him. That day was when the Park family who lived across the street from Namsan Moru Church decided to repent their sins and believe in God. Of the family members, Mr. Sun-Taek Park actually became a pastor. I have known and respected Pastor Sun-Taek Park since then. I am thankful that I have been able to closely serve him. Thus, I believe that it was Gods benevolence that I was able to attend Youngsung

School in Namsan Moru. Namsan Moru was a small rural village near Pyongyang, and so I would often visit Pyongyang. Whenever I did, I would pass by Soongsil Middle School and Soongsil University and would be reminded once again of my desire to further my education. That desire became reality a year later, when despite many peoples protests, I enrolled in Soongsil University.

Chapter 3- I thank God for helping young me become mature

01 My love, Soongsil University The most influential place in my life was Soongsil University in Pyongyang. I dont know who came up with the name Soongsil , but soongsil means to raise the truth ( for sil). However, its English name is Union Christian College. This translation of the word Soongsil has been implicated in the school song as well. As the Moran Hill turns to face the falling waters of Taedong River. Where the water pools near Baegun Mountain, the house is United Soongsil School. Soongsil, Hurray Hurray Hurray. The word united holds this meaning. Soongsil University was originally built when four missionary organizations came together: the North Presbyterian Church, the South Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church of Canada and the Presbyterian Church of Australia. The first missionaries not only created a joint educational institution, but the churches came together to build the Independent Presbytery of Jesus Church in Chosun as well. In other words, these missionaries belonged to different denominations inRefrain

Soongsil

Soongsil United Soongsil, Soongsil Soongsil United Soongsil, Soongsil Soongsil United

different countries, but they came together in Korea to form a unified Presbyterian Church on this earth. In modern terms, these missionaries were truly ecumenical, transcending their denominations to form a united front and church for a common purpose of evangelism. They also united with other denominations (i.e. Lutheran) to establish different organizations. They formed the Korean Bible Society, which specializes in translating and publishing the Bible, as well as the Christian Literature Society of Korea, which specializes in publishing Christian texts. The missionaries also found the Korean Sunday School Association which publishes standardized texts for Sunday School use. They cooperated with each other for evangelical purposes as well. In order to convert Japanese students, the Presbyterian Church and Lutheran Church came together to form the United Christian Council where they collectively sent a Korean pastor to Japan. As I recall, the

first pastor that was sent to Tokyo to preach to students was Pastor Suk-Jin Han. This united church formed through ecumenism was divided into several branches following some complications after the liberation of Korea. It is deplorable to think how even inter-denomination unity is almost impossible now. It is true that the Korean church grew in numbers after our liberation, but it makes me wonder whether or not we lost our most precious tradition along the way.

Soongsil education was through and through Christian, and so every day, faculty and students attended service. Not only that, but before every class, we first prayed. And in order to observe Sunday as a holy day, all sports were forbidden on Sunday. A ban on smoking and drinking was strictly enforced as well. This also applied to the junior high, as all the students and teachers were Christian. The purpose of the Mission School wasnt to evangelize and educate non-believers, but it was to train and educate Christian students to become workers of God. Although I received a Christian education at both Soongsil University and Osan School, I feel as though Osan School stressed patriotism while Soongsil University placed the kingdom of God before our nation. It might have been for that reason that many Osan School graduates became dedicated leaders for society and our country rather than pastors and church leaders (although Pastor Ki-Chul Joo did graduate from Osan School). On the other hand, many Soongsil University graduates went on to become pastors, deacons and elders: dedicated to building churches and spreading the gospel in Korea. In this sense, Soongsil University has played the greatest role in the development of the church in Korea. The 8a.m. lecture usually ended by 2p.m. unless there were special experiments that day, so financially challenged students like me worked in the afternoons for our tuition. At the time, not only were there classrooms and dormitories at Soongsil University, there was a machine shop to train students and to help them support themselves. Students would learn carpentry, bell 42 manufacturing, machine repairs and construction. Elder R.M. McMurtrie s ,

a bachelor missionary, was the general

manager of the shop. There wasnt a single place that self-supporting students were more thankful for. You couldnt help but be stirred by the passionate missionaries who not only worked hard to spread the gospel but also to educate people. You rarely hear the word gohak (self-supporting student) in Korea anymore. But in places like the United States, many students still put themselves through college. It is my belief that students who enter college should study and support themselves even if their families are relatively well off. Of course, circumstances in Korea are different than in America, but we cannot forget that it is the responsibility of school authorities and the nation at large to provide opportunities for students to support themselves.

02 The unforgettable professors of Soongsil University When I enrolled in Soongsil University, Dr. Samuel Austin Moffet was the President of the University while Dr. E.M. Mowry Professors included Dr. R.O. Reiner w , 43, zresided 43,

as the Dean. F.E. Hamilton

C.F. Bernheisel

W.P. Parker

L,

W.M. Baird and other missionaries, as well as Korean

professors such as Ho-Yeon Kim, Yoon-Gun Park, Jong-He Lee and Yong-Kyu Lee. And Mr. Man-Shik Godang Cho, the previous president of Osan School, gave Law and Economics lectures at the University while he served as the Treasurer of the Christian Youth Affairs in Pyongyang. At the time, there were only two colleges, the College of Literature and the College of Science, but by the time I graduated, there was a School of Agriculture. I was enrolled in the College of Science, and our freshman class was about 70 to 80 students with the total student body population being about 200. As I mentioned earlier, most of the professors at Soongsil University were missionaries, and not only were they pious, but they were all very conscientious and hard-working. The Dean of the college then, Dr. Mowry, was a bit quick-tempered, so we nicknamed him Angry Mowry. In reality, Dr. Mowry was more affectionate than anyone else and loved to personally meet and mentor the students. Dr. Mowry taught English and Biology, and if you werent prepared for his class, he would severely rebuke

you and would make sure that you studied for the next class. I especially learned a great deal from him when it came to English grammar. Dr. Mowry lived in jail for six months when Japanese authorities arrested him for helping students during the Samil Movement. After our liberation, Soongsil University presented Dr. Mowry and his wife with a Certificate of Appreciation, and the government presented him with an Order of Cultural Merit. In addition to Dr. Mowry, the government awarded Dr. Samuel Austin Moffet, who is commonly known as the father of the Korean church and who served as the President of Soongsil University when I was there, with an Order of Cultural Merit as well. Dr. G.S. McCune

served as the President of Soongsil University after Dr.

Moffet but was deported back to his home country by Japanese officials for refusing to obey the required observance of the Shinto Shrine. He was also awarded an Order of Cultural Merit. Professor Reiner originally served as the Principal of Soongsil Middle School, but he later became a respected professor at Soongsil University. He taught English and Educational Psychology, and because he taught so well, I learned a lot from him. Because I was in the College of Science, I was taught three-dimensional geometry, trigonometry, derivatives and integrals in Algebra and Geometry courses. And I learned it all from Professor Parker. Although his Korean was limited, he had an extraordinary brain for math; no matter how difficult of a problem I presented to him, he would easily explain how to solve it. He was also humble and gentle in nature that he never became irritated. Students often used his limited Korean to their advantage by using large words to make excuses for why they didnt do their homework. He would then reply that he had never heard the word before and write it down to ask his secretary later without every getting angry. One time, a student called him Elder instead of Professor, to which Professor Parker didnt say anything since he had never heard the title. The next day, he called the student forward and said, I not like Grandfather. His secretary must have told him that while the title Elder was used for people in higher positions, in this instance, it was used as a prank. Poor students would often borrow money, but he never refused anyone who asked; Professor Parker led a respectable life of a true Christian. He didnt have to be a man of many words to inspire students.

Professor Ho-Yeon Kim and Professor Yong-Kyu Lee taught most of the science courses. They both had studied in the United States and were popular among the students. Professor Ho-Yeon Kim was a naturally talented instructor and was able to teach physics, inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry among other classes. Professor Yong-Kyu Lee was originally from North Hamgyong and later studied in the United States for a long time, but his North Hamgyong dialect was so strong that I think students sometimes had difficulty understanding him. But when it came to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis pertaining to his lab courses, he was highly skilled. Outside of these professors, I didnt personally know any other professor at Soongsil University, but they were all were dedicated educators. I am thankful to God for this as well.

The number of schools built after our liberation was incomparable to before. This was a very fortunate thing. The first question to ask oneself when opening a school should be What kind of education will be taught here? and What will it focus on? A school is not where you simply acquire knowledge or where you learn a certain skill. School