parentage o f American and Ko rean, hit him with sticks, spat upon him, and called him hateful names. His joyous smile disap peared and his bewildered face contorted in anguish. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Hold ing his arms high to shield his face, he turned and ran through the labyrinth of lanes. Lua and Evelyn rushed after him. They found him at the outskirts of the market, huddled behind a box. In spite of this unfortunate in cident, the nurse wrote to friends, “ I am glad that I came to Korea. There is no place I would rather work. The need is so great! Over a thousand children have found parents since the beginning o f the organization.” She also wrote, “You remem ber baby Sue, the little one res cued from the grave. Last week she was adopted by a kind Ameri can couple.” When this reg istered nurse first arrived at Ilsan, the build ings were small, and facilities were inadequate, but before many months a move was made into new two-hundred-capacity quar ters. With this added housing, teenage boys and girls were also accepted. Mrs. Bray taught them English and Bible, and trained thirty o f the girls in each phase of the orphanage work. At night she taught English and Bible to students at Ewa University. This teacher-nurse discovered many interesting customs. I f a girl is unmarried and is looking for a husband, she wears bangs.
If she is too young to marry, she wears pigtails, and if she is al ready married, she wears a bun on the back of her head. During time spent with the Holt Program, Mrs. Bray made five escort trips to the United States with orphans. The project grew steadily until there came a time when seven hundred chil dren a year came to the orphan age doors. In 1960 native Koreans as sumed responsibilities at the or ganization, and Lua was able to leave and do mobile clinic work with the country and island peo ple. While working in the sector of the First ROK Marine Bri gade, she became known as “Marine Grandmother.” She was given an Honorary Membership in the Corps, and was cited for “ conspicuous accomplishments in evangelical and charitable activi ties.” The Commandant, Kim Du Chan, also noted that her service had “materially enhanced the friendly relationship existing be tween the United States and the Republic of Korea.” When she left Korea to return to the United States in April, 1964, at the age of sixty-seven, Lua took with her gifts of words of praise from many high Korean Officials, among them letters from the Minister of Health and Social Affairs. Mrs. Bray now resides in Cali fornia, and lives an active life nursing the sick. She continues to practice her theory — love will cure the ills of the world.
Kum Boonie is a polio victim. Miss Ahu is blind. Both became Christians.
Bray’s penchant for helping chil dren resulted in something quite opposite from what she desired. That was the case with Ting, a little ten-year-old boy who capti vated all hearts with his winning ways and fair face. Lua and Evelyn, a secretary at the orphanage, decided to visit one of the huge open-air markets to buy medicines, writing materi al, rice cookies, and some of the delicious Korean fruits and vege tables. They asked Ting to ac company them. Ting’s eyes be came bright pools of light. From the bus, the trio saw the p lodd ing oxen pu lling tw o wheeled carts. They were fascin ated by the “ living trucks,” men with wooden “A” frames strap ped to their backs on which they carried live pigs, roofing tiles, doors, and quantities of green vegetables. When the three left the bus, Lua and Evelyn gave Ting coins for the beggar children. The boy laughed and threw his cap in the air. The market place consisted of a maze of narrow, mucky lanes, with stalls on both sides. Farm ers, fishermen, and their wives and children swarmed through the area. But in this noisy, color ful crowd, Ting was not welcome! The people, sensing his mixed
Mrs. Bray on her
way to Mai Island
where she taught
the Gospel and held I
medical clinic.
FEBRUARY, 1967
41
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