{"id":21473,"date":"2022-02-26T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2022-02-26T08:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/?p=21473"},"modified":"2022-02-11T20:36:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-12T04:36:07","slug":"from-enemies-to-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/from-enemies-to-friends\/","title":{"rendered":"From Enemies To Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

She returned to her captors.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Life is full of twists and turns many of which we do not want or are not looking for.\u00a0 <\/span>But life for sure is not ours to tell God how to run things.\u00a0 <\/span>God makes no mistakes.\u00a0 <\/span>He never violates His personal character.\u00a0 <\/span>He is in full control of everything that happens to, for, or against us.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b>Walking in total faith and trust of Him and His plan for our own lives takes lots of courage, love, patience, and forgiveness.\u00a0 <\/span>That is what being a \u201cbeliever\u201d is all about.<\/span><\/p>\n

Judy Hyland grew up in a small town in northern Minnesota.\u00a0 <\/span>She gave her life to Jesus Christ while still a high school student.\u00a0 <\/span>Soon thereafter she made a commitment to world missions.\u00a0 <\/span>On October 5, 1940, she set sail for China with nine other Lutheran missionaries. \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Their ship did not reach China but was redirected to the Philippines because of Japan\u2019s war against China.\u00a0 <\/span>They settled in the mountain city of Baguio and immersed themselves in the difficult task of learning Chinese, still hoping to go to China.\u00a0 <\/span>They heard rumors that the war was spreading but were not concerned about themselves, as the U.S. high commissioner to the Philippines had assured them of their safety.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus it came as a total surprise when Japanese bombers attacked their city on the same day that the news of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor reached them.\u00a0 <\/span>Shortly thereafter, as the Japanese army marched towards the city of Baguio, the missionaries read Psalm 91 together:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHe who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.\u00a0 <\/span>I will say of the Lord, \u201cHe is my refuge an my fortress; My God in Him I will trust.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.\u00a0 <\/span>He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge.\u201d (Ps 91 : 1-4, NKJV).<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The Japanese captured Judy and approximately five hundred other Americans and held them captive from December 1941 to February 1945.<\/span><\/p>\n

They were held at a U.S. military rest camp in Baguio until May 1942, then in a Filipino camp in Baguio until December 1944, and finally in old Bilibid\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Prison in Manila until February 1945.\u00a0 <\/span>Crowded into austere barracks, they fought hunger and boredom constantly.\u00a0 <\/span>They were cut off from all news of World War II, and for more than three years they did not know what was happening or whether or not they would ever be released.\u00a0 <\/span>It was as if time stood still.<\/span><\/p>\n

On February 4, 1945, American troops launched a surprise attack on the Japanese in Manila, and the American prisoners were freed!\u00a0 <\/span>They were unable to return home immediately because the military had to focus on winning the war rather than transporting freed prisoners.\u00a0 <\/span>The former prisoners used the time to learn abut the last three years and to reorient themselves to American life.\u00a0 <\/span>So much had changed that they were frightened about returning to their old life.\u00a0 <\/span>They also struggled with feelings of hatred toward the Japanese.\u00a0 <\/span>Could forgiveness really ever come?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When the announcement finally came that they were going home, Judy Hyland was surprised by her lack of excitement.\u00a0 <\/span>She knew she should be happy but was somewhat afraid to leave the life that had been reality for her for over three years.\u00a0 <\/span>Resuming normal life seemed impossible, as they left, she later recalled, \u201cThere was no sentimental looking back, but there was also no joyful anticipation.\u00a0 <\/span>We went through it all as if we were sleep-walking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the ship reached Los Angeles on May 8, 1945<\/b>, and Judy disembarked, a Red Cross volunteer approached her and said, \u201cMy dear, you look tired.\u00a0 <\/span>Would you like some coffee and a doughnut?\u201d Judy\u2019s emotions burst forth like a flood.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCoffee and doughnuts!\u00a0 <\/span>We had daydreamed about it, and it had been in our daily conversations.\u00a0 <\/span>And now to actually hold coffee and doughnuts in my hands–and even more to receive the kindness and sympathy–was too much.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Returning to Minneapolis by train, she was met by her family, friends, and fiance\u2019.\u00a0 <\/span>With tears streaming down their faces they sang, \u201cNow Thank We All Our God.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>She later wrote, \u201cA foretaste of the great homecoming in glory! I went through it all, however, as if it were happening to someone\u00a0<\/span>else.\u00a0 <\/span>But now after 40 years I cannot speak of that homecoming without tears.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Judy Hyland and her fiance were married and became Lutheran missionaries in Japan, serving there for thirty years. Those who once were captors and enemies became dear friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

Things to Ponder\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Judy found meaning in her suffering by ministering to the very people who had hurt her.\u00a0 <\/span>God gave her a forgiving heart.\u00a0 <\/span>Do you have trouble forgiving others?\u00a0 <\/span>Judy Hyland\u2019s experience is an example of how through Jesus Christ we can forgive the most grievous wrongs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Matthew 6 : 12\u00a0 <\/span>NKJV<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Learn Well The Lessons of History……………<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

She returned to her captors. Life is full of twists and turns many of which we do not want or are not looking for.\u00a0 But life for sure is not ours to tell God how to run things.\u00a0 God makes … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21473","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-great-people-of-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21473"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21476,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21473\/revisions\/21476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesevern.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}