In memory of my father: 007. Out of the bus

April 19th 1960, there was a civil revolution in South Corea. This is not about the revolution itself but about my father, so for more information, please refer Wikipedia.

On that day, my father was in the bus – he was at the rear door to get off at next bus stop. The bus stopped and my father was about to step down when a man behind pulled my father back shouting, “Let me get off first.”  My father almost fell down in the bus.

As soon as the guy got off out of the bus, he was shot probably by a police and killed.

My father said he could not understand why the guy suddenly got off first by pulling my father back. If he wanted to get off first, he would ask of my father before the bus stopped.

Anyway, the guy died in my father’s place and God saved my father even when he was not a Christian.

I thank God about it. And fifteen years later, I was born. 🙂

This is series posting. Read previous postings in this series:

In memory of my father: 001. Pilot
In memory of my father: 002. Birth
In memory of my father: 003. First shock
In memory of my father: 004. In the temple
In memory of my father: 005. Crossing the river
In memory of my father: 006. Bullet disappeared

In memory of my father: 006. Bullet disappeared

In the Korean war, the red army kept winning all the battles and took all the land of south Korea except around Busan before UN joined the war.

My fathers home was at near south east coast in south Jolla, and the red army came into my fathers village. The soldiers took several young men, the sons of the rich to kill, and my father was there with his younger brother.

The soldiers lined up the people side by side, and they began to shoot. One man in the leftmost fell down with band sound. My father closed his eyes.

A little bit later, he heard another bang, and shortly heard the sound of falling to the grass. His heart began to beat with great tempo – faster and faster. He could not count how many people fell. “This is the end of my life,” he thought.

One more bang and falling sound hit his ears. That was his younger brother. His legs trembled with fear. “God, if you rescue me, I will devote my entire life, I will life for you,” he prayed quietly in his heart.

He opened his eyes and saw his brother’s body with blood. He also saw the soldier pointing him with a gun. He closed his eyes again. He felt the tears flowing down. Each and every second was like an hour.

My father heard another and last band sound…

He did not feel anything, and heard people’s noise murmuring. He opened his eyes again and saw the soldiers being so much astonished and surprised. He was able to hear the words of the soldiers. The one who shot to my father said, “I surely shot, and I saw the bullet flying, and just DISAPPEAR!”

And the soldiers began to run and flee. My father and the ones who were lined up at the right side of my father lived and were not killed.

After that, my father forgot his pledge to God completely until God called him again. God is so gracious to forgive such one like my father. 🙂 I praise God and Jesus, my Saviour.

Related postings:

In memory of my father: 001. Pilot
In memory of my father: 002. Birth
In memory of my father: 003. First shock
In memory of my father: 004. In the temple
In memory of my father: 005. Crossing the river

In memory of my father: 005. Crossing the river

In the Korean war, which is called 6.25 in Korea because the war had begun 25 June, almost everyone including my father had to flee from the North Korea‘s red army led by Ilsung Kim.

On the way, my father and other people faced a small river where there was no bridge. That time was just after a heavy rain, and the water flew with great speed. But people could not hesitate for the red army was following them.

My father stepped into the water first, and others followed. He crossed the river praying “God, please save me.” Crossing the river was very dangerous.

When he finished crossing the small river, he was very surprised and astonished. No one succeeded to cross the river but him. Some of them were drowned. Some of them were washed out on the rapid flow. And some of them began just to be killed by the red army.

Only my father alone survived!

I don’t know where the small river was, neither my father knew. All that I know is that my father alone survived there. I praise God for saving my father. God saved my father alone because He chose my father to be His people.

I give all my praise and honour and glory to God and Jesus Christ for choosing and saving my father and me also.

Related postings:

In memory of my father: 001. Pilot
In memory of my father: 002. Birth
In memory of my father: 003. First shock
In memory of my father: 004. In the temple

In memory of my father: 004. In the temple

My father went in a buddhist temple in his young days and lived there for about three years. I don’t sure that it was because of his shock from the death of his sister or not. (Please read https://crinje.wordpress.com/2007/01/02/in-memory-of-my-father-003-first-shock/ for detail)

Anyway, in the temple he studied much about the buddhist religion and books. In spite of all his efforts, he failed to find the truth to satisfy him, and he decided to quit his study. So he came out of the temple without hesitation. I call it the exodus of my father.

I thank God also – there were, are, and will be so many people who believe and think the buddhist way is the truth. God gave my father spiritual eyes to see to find that there was no truth.

In the end of all his wondering, he found Jesus and believed. I thank Jesus about this.

Related postings:

In memory of my father: 001. Pilot
In memory of my father: 002. Birth
In memory of my father: 003. First shock

In memory of my father: 003. First shock

My father had two older brothers, a older sister, and two younger sisters.

It is told that his youngest sister was a great beauty with dark long hair. Almost all young man admired her, and at last, there was a rumour saying a young man in the village and she were going with each other.

Those days were very severe and strict in sexual aspect, and it was a rule to keep – A man and woman older than seven years should not even sit together (男女七歲不同席: Nam-Yeo-Chil-Se-Bu-Dong-Seok: Man-Woman-Seven-Year-Not-Same-Seat).

When she knew about the rumour, she felt great shame which she could not bear and which drove her to suicide in the end.

The death of his dearest sister was great shock to him even though it is common and normal at those days for women to keep her dignity and sexual cleanness by killing themselves.

Her death was his first great mental shock in his entire life. I don’t know how he overcame it – probably the time rescued him.

Through the history of my family over 2,000 years, Jesus chose my father only. I thank Jesus.

Among all the six children of my grandfather, Jesus chose my father only. I thank Jesus again. Not only my suicided aunt, but also all other uncles (the other two aunts are alive) must be in hell for they did not believe in Jesus. I give my thanks again and again to Jesus.

Related postings:

In memory of my father: 001. Pilot
In memory of my father: 002. Birth

In memory of my father: 002. Birth

I am now poor, but I heard that my grandfather was so rich when my father was young.

My grandmother already had two sons, but she wanted to have one more special. So she had built a buddhist temple with her own money, and prayed there 100 days for a son. And she got pregnant on next day of last pray day. And she gave birth to a boy – yes, he is my father.

My father was born by the 100 days’ prayer to buddha. But in his late days, he came to church, had believed God, put his trust in Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of our souls.

I really thank God for this. Jesus drew out my father of the hand of buddha. If I am the 99th descendant, 97 ancestors of mine in the history over 2,000 years had not been chosen by God. Only my father and I have been chosen. I praise God, I extol Jesus on high.

Related posting: In memory of my father: 001. Pilot

In memory of my father: 001. Pilot

My father, Byoung Seok Leigh, died when I was a freshman in University. I miss him. I want to write down about his life as a series of articles.

My family has begun over 2,000 years ago. In the myth, my ancestor was one of the founder of Silla, the ancient Korean kingdom. My family name is Leigh of Kyoungju where the kingdom had begun. My family name in chinese character is 李 whose koreanised pronunciation is /ɪ/ and could be written in English as Lee, Ree, Rhie, Yi, Leigh. and Lee is most widely used. Kyoungju is the place of origin.The ancient tree of my family book is not accurate, and there are several versions. According to the longest version, I am the 99th descendant of my family beginner.

According to the myth, the beginner of my family, Al Pyoung Leigh, was the head of one village, where there were six villages. It is said that his village was most powerful and leading one. He brought Hyeok-go-se Park (the first king over Silla) and made him king over Silla. The group of villages turned into an ancient kingdom.

Al Pyoung Leigh came down from the sky in B.C. 117 according to the myth. And the founding fathers all became royal – Park, Seok, Kim, and my ancestor. There were two royal classes – Seonggol and Jingol.

• Seonggol means Sacred bone. Both parents should be sacred bone. (Upper royal class)
• Jingol means True bone. One of the parents should be sacred bone or both parents should be true bone. (Lower royal class)

It is written one of his descendant, Keo Myoung Leigh, is true bone. And there is no record about Al Pyoung Leigh‘s class, but I believe he must be sacred bone for he is one of the founding fathers. Anyway, I am the descendant of ancient royal line. 🙂

After Silla, the Korean dynasty became Goryeo (royal family name is Wang), and Joseon (royal family name is Yi of Jeonju). And my family remains number 1 noble and one of the most powerful family.

In my family, there are twelve branches. I am in Ikje branch. The branch beginner is Je Hyoun Leigh, one of the greatest writer, poet, and diplomat in the times of Goryeo dynasty. Next year, my family is 2124 years old (2007 plus 117).

This is the brief instroduction of my family.