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Josef Korbel, Brigadier
General in the Salvation Army, hero for Jesus, was the most Christ
like man I have ever met. It was my honor and pleasure to meet him
and co-minister with him for a short year in a care center in the
early 90's. Jim and I enjoyed dinner with he and his family in his
daughter's home. Alenka made dainty treats with strong European
coffee served by husband Slavic, who also played guitar, as did Jim.
Josef spent 10 years in prison for his faith, even tithed his bread
to weaker prisoners, and led numerous to Jesus. He was imprisoned in
1963 when Russian tanks came through the streets of Prague. His
family first escaped to Switzerland and he escaped later as well. One
son Victor was shot while serving in the army. His crime: reading his
Bible. Josef's wife Erna was a nurse during his prison years, leading
many enemy soldiers to Jesus during their stay in the hospital. They
came to America and spoke often around the U.S. and Canada of God's
faithfulness during these dark days. She died on one such engagement
in Canada. Josef wrote several books, and was best known for “In
Mine Enemy's Camp” about prison years and the love he had for his
God, his beloved Erna and his family. I have a signed copy and sadly
is out of print due to some mishandling of funds by a man employed by
the publisher.
How did we at Forgotten
Treasures meet God's General, Josef Korbel? One Wednesday evening
after church service in the old building on Platte River (formally
called Happy Church) one of the ushers came up to Jim and I asking if
we knew anyone who spoke the Czech language. She told the story of a
man in his late 40's named”Peter”, in a care center. No one could
communicate with him. He had owned a restaurant in town had a serious
disagreement with his wife and became so angry he picked up a gun and
shot her and then turned the gun on himself. Neither of them died,
she was superficially wounded and was released the next day. Taking
their children, she moved out of state. He however was seriously
wounded, having shot himself in the head. In a long recovery time,
followed by a stay in a rehab-center, Peter was unable to communicate
with staff or anyone. He was totally dependent on others for his
care. Staff were not sure if he were brain dead or if language was
the barrier of his lack of response.
The next day after
church, I was in my robe and gown sipping a second cup of coffee as
it was my day off from AT&T phone company when I thought of
Jessie Lopienski, a student from Poland. I met Jessie Lopienski when
we both were attending Marilyn Hickey Bible College. I called Jessie
that morning hoping he could interpret for me, as he spoke both
Russian and Polish, (what did I know... I thought the languages were
similar). He said “No, Marilyn, I cannot speak Czech, but if you
will call KWBI radio station they will put you on the air to ask for
someone to interpret.” I called the station and they put me on the
air to make my plea. Can you believe it, I was on the radio still in
my nightgown and robe?! I had no sooner hung up when my phone began
to ring with callers trying to direct me to an interpreter.
God's choice was Josef
Korbel, living then in north Denver with his daughter Alenka. Josef
answered the phone and wanted to meet the young man right away after
my having shared the situation with him. We did just that at 1:00pm
Thursday afternoon. I drove to his house to pick him up as his car
was in the shop. He was a gentleman in the finest sense of the word
opening doors for me, soft spoken, yet so full of the power and
wisdom of God. I truly was in awe. I previously called the home's
social worker to tell her we had located an interpreter for Peter. As
we arrived, the intercom loudly announced to all therapists and staff
to meet in Peter's room as the interpreter would meet them there.
Needless to say there was
an excitement in the air for us all to see if in fact Peter was brain
dead or if it was a lack of communication due to the language
barrier. We all crowded into the room gathering around his bed with
great anticipation as Josef spoke the first greeting in Czech.
Peter's striking blue eyes jumped and a look of relief came over him
as tears trickled down his cheek. At long last someone spoke his
language, someone who loved him, someone who became a weekly visitor
and friend for over a year. Josef shared Jesus with him, sang
Sunday school songs to him and tears would slide down Peter's face
each time Josef would visit.
Peter had one sister and
she came to visit him from her home in Canada. After her visit, he
seemed to give up and his health declined rapidly. Josef and I were
to meet in Peter's room on a Tuesday afternoon after I was off work
to sing and pray together, however, Josef's car broke and I was alone
that day. I sang to Peter, I prayed in the Spirit, also prayed for
him as he looked out the window wistfully that mid summer day. I
wondered what he was thinking? The following Saturday I received a
phone call from Peter's social worker that he had died peacefully
that day. Relating the news of Peter's death to Josef, he simply said
“it is better.” To die is gain Paul wrote. As I minister in
nursing homes several times a week, I often wonder why folk who know
the Lord hang on so desperately to this veil of tears with crippled
and pain ridden bodies when Jesus took all the sting out of death and
the grave has no victory. Often I quote 1Corintihians 2:9 to the
residents “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard neither has entered
into the heart of man the things God has prepared for them that love
him.”
I don't know the end from
the beginning as God does. Deuteronomy 29:29 says “the secret
things belong to God, but those things revealed belong to us and our
children” As the songwriter wrote “We Will Understand It Better
By And By” In the meantime I intend to occupy... 'til He comes
doing all that I know to do for the Kingdom.
The last time I saw Josef
he said “Marilyn I can't see you I am a blind man now.” He still
had the joy and that starched white shirt, a black string tie, soft
spoken gentleman, and an aura of God's presence. Josef went home a
little over a year later in his 90's, now having a reunion with his
beloved Erna and son Victor...
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