Grateful for the Unchanging Presence through the Holy Dew Spirit

Though I was overwhelmed with vague fear and anxiety
due to the Pacific War and the Korean War,
meeting and following God has allowed me to live joyfully.

After hearing about life in the village of faith,
my father, who had initially opposed my attending the Chunbukyo Church,
began supporting everything I did.

I am grateful for God creation of a foundation
where we can live a true life of faith.

In 1958, I received the laying on of hands at the Sosa Faith Village. Among the many people standing in long lines to receive the blessing, I watched the people in front of me with a nervous heart. God only touched people’s eyes and stomachs lightly, but some screamed in pain, and others struggled. Especially when the woman in front of me received the laying on of hands, I saw God pointing out her sins, saying, “Why have you committed such filthy sins?” This made me tremble with fear, thinking that all sins are revealed to the world. However, after receiving the laying on of hands, joy and happiness overflowed within me. I couldn’t stop laughing and had to cover my mouth with my hands to calm myself.

I also started avoiding looking at messy images like movie posters, and when passing through busy streets, I would lower my head and walk without turning my gaze. God explained to me the Bible verse from James 2:12: “Speak and act as those who shall be judged by the Law of Liberty,” and taught me that keeping the law of liberty means not sinning with the eyes, in mind and thought. I wanted to live my life in a pure and clean way, just as God had taught me.

My parents, deeply rooted in Confucian traditions, never approved of my attending Chunbukyo Church from the beginning. As I attended more diligently over time, their opposition grew stronger. I had always respected my father and never disobeyed him, but I could not comply with his command not to go to the church. Every time my father became furious, I repeated to myself, “Father, no matter how much I try to deny the grace I’ve received, I can’t. I know that living according to the teachings is the most valuable path, so how could I leave?” Even though my parents and siblings tried to prevent me from going to the Chunbukyo Church, my resolve to follow this path only deepened, and my heart was always filled with peace, free from anxiety or distress.

Later, I moved into Sosa Faith Village and witnessed a deceased baby’s body bloom beautifully. The baby was the one-year-old son of Elder Woo. After he passed away, his body was washed with the Water of Life and laid in a glass coffin. He looked as if he were peacefully sleeping on a warm floor, with radiant skin, rosy cheeks and an angelic smile. I couldn’t help but think, “How could such a beautiful child be buried in the ground?”

When I first entered Sosa Faith Village, God was still imprisoned. As the Chunbukyo Church and the faith village were established and many people flocked to God, certain religious groups and some politicians formed an alliance to unjustly imprison Him. On March 26, 1960, God was released from prison and returned. A great number of people lined up from the entrance of Sosa Faith Village to greet Him. Instead of visiting His home, He headed straight to Nogusan and stood at the Fifty-Thousand Altar. Walking around the altar, He looked down at us with loving eyes, as if meeting long-lost children. Despite enduring great suffering, He gently said that He would cleanse everyone’s sins, and I couldn’t help but weep. I still vividly remember the moment He led us through the night, singing hymn 253, “Far away I wandered, lonely, sad, and lost, with nowhere to go…” Even now, my heart aches when I recall that scene. After all the suffering He endured, His love for the branches never wavered, and how could I ever forget it?

On September 11, 1962, I moved into Deokso Faith Village and began working in the personnel and administrative department of the bakery factory. The products from the factory, including castella, caramel, and candies, became so popular that they were sold out quickly. I sent large boxes full of these to my home in Anseong, and my father, enjoying the taste, ate half a castella every day. After some time, I visited home and sat down to talk with my father. He said, “You’re 27 now. It’s time for you to take care of your life.” I replied, “Father, no matter how great a person may be in this world, they live their lives knowing that death is the end, but I have found the true hope of life. The Water of Life, blessed by the Olive Tree, never spoils even when kept for a long time, and even the wicked heart can bloom beautifully like a lily when washed with grace.

If you knew this path, father, you would have followed it more passionately than anyone.“ My father, who had once strongly opposed my attendance at the Chunbukyo Church smiled and listened to me attentively, without leaving his seat. As I shared my story of the grace I had received and the diligent life in the faith village, my words seemed endless. He smiled brightly at me and said, “I’ll buy a house in the faith village for you,” and from that moment on, he supported me in everything I did. Whenever I sent him products from the faith village, he was pleased and even boasted to his friends. He especially valued the clothes and undergarments blessed by God, asking that they be worn at his funeral.

During my time in the faith village, I often witnessed God’s direct involvement with us. When constructing the altar in Deokso Faith Village, He personally led the work, crossing the Han River with the people to gather gravel and taking on the difficult task of providing water to the hundreds of laborers carrying heavy loads. God, who sacrificed and suffered so much to grant us salvation, worked tirelessly to provide a foundation for the congregation to live a genuine life of faith, ensuring they could solve their own needs without help. I now deeply realize that despite numerous obstacles, it was God alone who led this divine work.

In 1999, I received the Water of Life in Gijang Faith Village and stored it in a wardrobe, intending to keep it safe. However, I soon forgot about it as I stopped using the wardrobe. Not long ago, I remembered it and opened the wardrobe to find the Water of Life as clear and pure as the day I first received it. Even now, I witness bodies washed with the Water of Life blooming beautifully and the Holy Dew Spirit falling. Words cannot fully express my deep gratitude for God’s unchanging presence with us.

Looking back, during my teenage years, I lived though the Pacific War and the Korean War, filled with vague fear and anxiety about how I would survive through the harsh times. But after meeting God and following His path, all fear and anxiety vanished, and I have lived my life joyfully ever since. God was always patient, gentle, and humble. “How remarkable that He, who possesses all power, remains so humble!” Whenever I recall the time God spent with us on this earth, I am filled with gratitude and pray endlessly, yet it never feels enough. Even though heaven and earth may change, the word of the Creator, God, will never change. I earnestly pray to live beautifully according to His word and to be able to meet Him on that day, even from afar. Thank you, God.

(The Chunbukyo Weekly, dated 5/20/2007)