By Court Wood

North Korea is killing, torturing, and committing to labor camps those who are caught fleeing across the border into China. Chinese Christians, along the border, are bravely helping these refugees, and are leading many of them to faith in Jesus Christ. This puts the Chinese Christians themselves at great risk, not only for being Christians, but also for helping the North Korean Christians who are illegally in China.

If Christians are discovered inside North Korea, they are often executed as enemies of the state. In spite of this grave danger, after becoming Christians, many are returning to North Korea, at the risk of their lives, to share the Gospel with their countrymen. Just the week before my visit to the Chinese-North Korean border, several of these brave Christians were executed inside North Korea, That same week, a North Korean woman, who had escaped to China, was returned to the North Korean border police. She was beaten and handled so severely by the North Korean border police, that her back was broken. She died without medical treatment. We were told that If caught and returned to North Korea, prisoners have the palms of their hands pierced by searing hot rods. Steel wires are then run through their pierced hands, and used to bind their hands together as cruel handcuffs. By this means, the unfortunate prisoners are controlled and led back to slavery in North Korea.

Because of the severe famine in North Korea, cannibalism is not uncommon. Often, fresh graves are dug up at night and corpses are eaten for food. Millions of North Korea’s citizens have starved to death because of the devastated economy and the cruelty of the communist dictatorship.

Working with ministries who have smuggled millions of Bibles into China, and North Korea, we were carefully guided to the North Korean border area.

While along the border, on several occasions, we met secretly with North Koreans who had escaped from North Korea into China. They are being helped, at great risk, by Chinese Christians who hide them, provide them with food and shelter, and teach them the Word of God.

During our meetings with these North Korean believers, we learned of the sufferings in their homeland, and of their newfound hope in Jesus Christ. They asked us to appeal to the Christian American community to plead through our government for the Chinese to allow those fleeing North Korea to remain in China where there is food, and relatively speaking, more freedom. One evening we met secretly with a husband and wife, and their two children who had escaped, and found the Lord Jesus Christ. Together we shared a meal and prayed. On another evening, we met with a young woman and her brother and two other young men who had escaped and become Christians. The young woman had formerly been a soldier in North Korea, specifically trained to one day, kill American soldiers. Small children in North Korea are taught arithmetic with examples of one dead American plus one dead American equals two dead Americans. (In place of apples and oranges.) This lovely young woman now knew of the love of God through Jesus Christ, and beautifully sang to us that evening of the love of Jesus Christ. One of the young men had written the words to her song, and she had composed the music. As she sang, I thought how wonderful it would be if one day she could come to the United States and sing of the love of Jesus Christ in our American churches. As they left us, we knew that they could be discovered, and returned to North Korea to face probable torture and death.

The Chinese believers are also helping North Korean orphans who have escaped to China. These children must be housed secretly in small apartments with no more than 3-4 children per apartment. Late one night, with no one on the streets, we were hurried into one of these havens for the children. We were deeply touched by the Christian love and care shown to the three boys we meet that night. We guessed their ages to be 9-11 years old, and were shocked to learn they were 18 and 19 years old. Although they were no longer thin, and were obviously well fed by their Christian house parents, we were told they had suffered malnutrition so severely at an young age that their growth had been permanently stunted. They appeared to us as dwarfs. We were further stunned to learn that these young men were prepared to return soon to North Korea to bring the Gospel to that barren land. It was a great blessing and honor to meet these precious saints and to be with the beautiful and devoted Chinese that love these children and care for them.

We have the following opportunities:

1. We are able to secretly bring financial aid to the remaining Christian families inside North Korea. $100 will enable a family of four to survive for one year! Designate your gift: "for North Korean Christian families"
2. Christian Chinese are caring for the North Korean refugees who have embraced the Lord Jesus Christ, and who have escaped to China. They need our help in hiding, and caring for these Christian N. Korean refugees. Designate your gift: For Christian N. Korean Refugees.
3. Christian Chinese are secretly caring for N. Korean orphans who have escaped to China. These children are receiving love and are being raised as Christians. Many will be returning to North Korea as witnesses of the love of God. They need our help. Designate your gift: For N. Korean orphans.
4. We can give to bring Bibles to North Korea. Bibles are needed to teach the North Koreans who have fled to China, and you can give to help smuggle Bibles into North Korea. Designate your gift: Bibles for North Korea.