by Sandra Lowen
There were rumors spreading in the prison camp that war was coming. The communist guards of the camp seemed nervous. Something was about to happen.
One day, one of Father’s prisoner disciples came to him and said that he might have a chance to work in another part of the camp where the work was much easier. He asked Father if he should go there.
Father looked at the man and said, "No, don’t go."
But the man continued to think about the easier work at that camp. He had been working so hard, and his bones were crying out for some rest. When his chance came, therefore, he decided to take it and he went.
A second prisoner disciple came to Father, and told him he also had a chance to work at the easier camp down the road; what did Father think? Father looked at the man for a moment, and then said, "All right, go. But if anything seems suspicious to you, run back to this part of the camp immediately." That man also went.
A short time later, in June 1950, North Korea attacked South Korea. It was the beginning of the Korean War.
In August, Mr. Pak was released. Before leaving, he asked Father what he should do. Father told him, "Go to Pyungyang and tell the members not to worry about me, I will return soon."
The Korean War progressed, and by October the bombing began near the Tong Nee Camp. The guards were terrified for their own lives, and even more terrified that their prisoners might escape. They decided that they would just shoot all the prisoners so they couldn’t escape. The guards began with prisoners outside the main camp. They ordered some prisoners to line up and walk down the road.
The second man, who had received Father’s permission to go there, became suspicious of what was going on and he quickly ran back to the main camp. The first man, who went without Father’s permission, was never heard from again.
The prisoners in the main camp were then herded into their cells. Taking one cell at a time, the men were brought out to be shot. The communists were determined that no one would be spared. Cell by cell, the prisoners were killed. The communists reached the cell next to Father’s, but by this time it was very late. They decided to continue this terrible work in the morning. It looked as if Father had only a few hours to live!
Before they could start the next day, however, bombs began falling on the camp. The United Nations forces had arrived. Terrified, the communist jailers ran to underground shelters, leaving the prisoners out in the open. Staying alive among the falling bombs was almost impossible. Hundreds were killed.
But Father had received a message from God that no bombs would come near him. He could not tell his disciples this message clearly; it was a secret between him and God. He just said to them, "In times like this when we are being attacked, let us keep very close to each other; if we die, we die together, and if we live, we live together." His disciples and other people gathered around him. As others, including some communists, realized that wherever Father went the bombs did not fall, they gathered close to him, too.
Father was set free by the United Nations forces on October 14, 1950. He had survived two and a half years in that terrible place. It took him ten days to get to Pyungyang, and he stayed there for forty days while looking for his disciples.
Why couldn’t Satan kill Father in the camp? Why didn’t Father die from starvation, hard work, from the shootings, or even from the bombs? It was because Father won the victory of love. It was a terrible time for Satan. Satan had accomplished so much through hate. So much evil was in the world because of his hate. But he was defeated by a stronger force-love. Because Father had so much love in his heart, he couldn’t be destroyed.