The Eight Miracles

It was December 1950. At a negative fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, a bitter winter in Korea bites 14,000 desperate refugees in Hungnam port, North Korea, as they boarded the Meredith Victory, an American freighter. A ship that was only designed to carry twelve passengers made space by dumping its cargo, and thousands of freedom-seeking Koreans packed on like sardines. For four days and four nights, there was no food or water and no access to bathrooms. Despite the harsh conditions, a miracle took place. God watched over the ship and listened to the prayers of its people. The Meredith Victory and its passengers completed a long voyage without storm and dangerous tides. The ship arrived in a South Korean port on Christmas day and three children were successfully delivered on board. At any moment, the ship could have suffered strong winds, unfavorable waters, or been at the mercy of an enemy attack. My wife, Helen, was an eleven-year-old on board the Meredith Victory. She later became a nurse and married me in the summer of 1971.