Won Pil Kim joined Father in North Korea when he was 18 and remained until the end, becoming the “first disciple.”

Whenever Father came to visit me, he never mentioned anything to me about his personal situation; he always wore a big smile and spoke to me so warmly, treating me so affectionately. (In April) Father had no place to stay, so he would go to the harbor to work on the docks. That winter, the nights were very cold, so Father sometimes worked all night instead of sleeping. During the day, when the sun was shining, it was warm enough for Father to sleep under the porch of some house. He had no blanket; he just slept in the clothes he was wearing. Sometimes he had to work all day and all night as well. (After working all night, Father would often go to the hills and pray or meditate all day, praying for the salvation of the world.)

When we look at Father, we have to see beyond his external appearance and look for his background and the process he had to go through in order to come before us. When he came to visit me at work, he never said anything about how he was working day and night and how he had nothing to eat.