Mr. Choi Sang-ik (who later received the name Bong-choon from his father), better known to many of us as Papa-san Choi, ascended to the spirit world in late February this year. A national-level Seonghwa Ceremony was conducted in California, USA, on March 18.
Papa-san Choi was our first missionary to Japan, and the first missionary True Father sent out with the mission to restore another nation back to our Heavenly Parent. This testimony has been translated from original texts that Papa-san wrote in Korean and Japanese and draws from both. Some of the content is written more in the form of a daily journal, and these parts are dated. The year is 1958.
By Papa-san Choi
Part 7 (Click here to read Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5 and Part 6)
Missionary Choi is in prison and his daily work includes doing menial work such as laundry, washing stairs, and factory work such as making baggage tags or gloves.
The days go by as slowly as a turtle with weights on its feet, but with each passing day, I feel like shouting out in joy. It is the last month of the year. When I consider that this is a precious time in history in which not one minute, one second can be wasted, although I try not to think about it until we are released next year, I am full of regret. I always remember the record of the Lord’s suffering course, every word of it, and I wanted to do as he did. Thinking of how the Lord always brought Satan to surrender under the worst conditions, as I also did not surrender in the worst of Satan’s world, I was able to bring the best result. My result was put up publicly, and I thought in my heart, “See, here is a child of God.” Wherever I was and at any time, I did not want to lose my dignity as a child of God.
December 3 – A package arrived for me at the detention house and they came to get my fingerprint. It was a pair of knit underwear, top and bottom, from my trinity, Jeon Ho-seon. Thinking of my hardship in the cold, he had sent it from Korea. This brought tears to my eyes. Who but heavenly brothers would send me something like this from far away? Printed matter, probably the Lord’s sermon or a Seonghwa newsletter was sent by Seong-il. In my circumstances, when I thought about our heavenly brothers, I asked myself and answered with joy, if this were not the true way, what would be?
December 4 – A staff member called me and Ueno, who was in the next cell, to talk about something. The others said we two were probably going to remain in this glove factory. I was then appointed as ward chief, which made me think… does he know I’m a child of God? This staff member did not discriminate against Koreans.
December 6 – I moved from cell 8 to cell 5. Luckily, the people in my cell were all good people. It was difficult when there’s a bad man, as I had to take responsibility for the group.
Training for newcomers began at the plant, and each section chief was in charge of education. This was probably a part of developing a democratic prison. They taught us general knowledge. The section chief said that the rule in a socialist state was to follow unconditionally, and I felt offended by what he said, which sounded cowardly. Because people had discerned what they viewed as correct, even if it went against the thinking and system of the time, and they even fought against that, democratic societies of today had emerged. If things were as he said, there would never be progress in society. That would create those who went on animal instinct, satisfied just to eat.
December 7 – They said a movie would be shown (which was not often), and we gathered in the hall. I felt happy, but at the same time sorry. Thinking of the Lord giving Sunday service at the headquarters, I faced my heart toward Kyeongseong [Seoul] to pray in the middle of the movie at the time when service started, and then watched the film. I did offer a condition and my sincerity. The movie lasted about three hours. There was news including the announcement of the engagement of Japan’s crown prince, and then a samurai movie in color, which I saw for the first time. It was called, “Human Peacock,” where good wins in the end. The meaning was to fight for the homeland.
December 10 – Yesterday there was a talk by the director and in the afternoon we were assigned to our respective factories. I was to stay in this factory, and was disappointed to be sent to the thread section. I didn’t like the work and it was cold to sit and just move your hands. The food was the lowest-grade, and of insufficient quantity. I wondered how long this would continue. As it was getting cold, they distributed Japanese socks.
December 11 – Real winter had come since the previous night, and the water in the jar was frozen. I put on a belly-warmer tie I didn’t like in the factory, and about 9:30am, was sent to the finishing section. Because of lack of food, I was in a complaining mode. When I came to cell 2, I found Ryang, a Korean, and we spoke in Korean that I hadn’t used in a while. He was a young man from Jeollado who used to be a student, and had come to Japan this time.
Here our personal books were taken away but you could borrow books in the library, so I got one on the research of world history to study. We should study so we’re not defeated by Satan.
This place was close to a train stop and you could sometimes hear the train whistles. It reminded me of the Lord, our heavenly brothers, the church and my past. I prayed quietly as I recalled these things and the present. The heart of father’s 6000 years, how he led the providence through the prophets and the righteous with an indescribable heart, his heart of having to strike before giving a blessing to the heavenly children who sought him, through repeated courses of indemnity. I thought of Heavenly Father’s heart in pain as he struck rather than our pain of being struck to eliminate Satan’s accusation. By praying for our Heavenly Father not to worry, that even with hardships or conditions that seemed as if God had abandoned me, even if dark clouds came to attack, if I prayed to comfort his heart without complaining about my pains and sorrows—and I myself was filled with holy grace. Whatever position, or environment, I was in, my single-minded determination to bear the cross and give rest to Heaven did not change. I was able to have this kind of absolute faith entirely because of the Principle.
I truly wanted to become free as soon as possible to fulfill my mission. I was reminded of this whenever I heard a train whistle.
December 13 – My physical condition is good; I am so healthy I’m almost embarrassed. I got a letter from Jeon. I was happy. We were three brothers of a trinity, bonded by the mission of restoring the cosmos. He said they were worried for me, and Teacher Eu was also worried. Of course, all the more so with the Lord. It said he and Brother Song would prepare some money and send it. Tears welled up when I thought about how concerned they were for me.
December 16 – I started working with needles at the glove factory today. The needles would prick my hands and make me bleed. If I worked carefully, I worked too slowly. I didn’t want to lose, so I worked, bleeding. As I worked hard, the cold went away but it was tiring. After 2-3 days, my whole body ached with fatigue. At night I almost could not study due to exhaustion. Yet, I was prepared to suffer and I didn’t want to lose to Satan, so I studied. One day I carelessly stabbed my wrist with a needle. Blood flowed, my arm went numb. It was like experiencing a tiny millionth of a part of Christ’s suffering on the cross as he was nailed to it. Each day is a battle with Satan. I won’t be defeated.
December 20 – I worked 3-4 days in a row, became exhausted and a little sick. I remembered that staying healthy was priority. Luckily I had a cotton quilt vest that helped me in the cold. It felt nice and warm on my back.
December 21 – A youth group from Shin-ai church in Yamaguchi came to show us a Christmas play. It was a simple play. Watching it, I felt sorry for humankind who didn’t know anything. I felt I should convey the Divine Principle as soon as possible and testify to the coming of the Lord at the Second Advent, and imagined the completed testament Christmas being celebrated in the near future.
Continued next week…