On Not Picking Up Unattended Pencils: The Humble Ethical Witness Of The North Korean Underground Church

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Pastor Foley

SUSA-KoreanNorth Korean underground Christians aren’t only found inside of North Korea. You’ll find them in South Korea, too—or, rather, they’ll find you…if your ministry has a reputation for protecting their identities at all costs. Because even though North Korean underground Christians may defect to South Korea, they can’t very well announce it once they arrive. If they did, their remaining family members—and the church of which they were a part—would be snuffed out in an instant.

So we were delighted recently to visit with a newly arrived underground Christian sister at her apartment in Seoul. She prepared fruits, boiled eggs, bread and juice and welcomed our visit warmly. We worshiped together in the underground North Korean Christian style, and our sister shared her testimony.

Her family was an underground Christian family in North Korea. Her grandmother and grandfather were Christians and her parents were as well. Actually, her father and mother were killed for their faith in God when she was three years old.  So she was raised by her grandmother.

She said that her grandmother taught her many Christian values when she was young. For example, she was not allowed to pick up unattended items like lost pencils. Her grandmother also taught her to appreciate God and help the poor and those in difficult circumstances.

She remembered that she went with her grandmother to an underground church meeting in 1956, as persecution was intensifying to an absolute level. About 20 people gathered in a small house and worshiped. She remembered one praising song, “Singing I go,” which she shared with us.

Most underground Christians share these kinds of stories about their life in North Korea—small stories, daily life and faith. The North Korean Christian stories that make the news always seem to involve valiant witness, torture, executions. But the stories North Korean underground Christians tell about themselves seem to have more to do with successfully resisting the nearly overpowering temptation to filch a pencil left momentarily unattended, thanks be to God.

 

Posted in North Korea, Works of Mercy, Worship | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Video – The Biggest Problem Facing North Korean Defectors In South Korea

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Pastor Foley

Pastor Eric Foley and Dr. Foley recently preached at the Saemoonan Church, the oldest Presbyterian church in South Korea.  He said that North Korean defectors receive money, housing, help with their health care, job training and educational assistance when they move to South Korea.  And yet North Korean defectors living in South Korea have the highest rate of death due to suicide in the world.  Pastor Foley said that the reason for this is that North Korean defectors are lonely.  In Isaiah 58:1-12 , God instructs people to “share their bread,” and “open their homes,” and this is different than giving away food or providing housing.  In North Korean ministry it is vitally important that we build relationships and share our own lives, instead of just providing assistance.

 

For other videos on North Korea, visit the Seoul USA video page!

Posted in North Korea, Videos | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

There Are No Limits To Where God’s Healing Can Go . . . Including North Korea.

Posted on July 9, 2014 by tdillmuth

WLO_healcomfortWe might assume that all North Koreans outside of North Korea have simply escaped the tyrannous regime, but that assumption would be flat out wrong. Over 100,00 North Koreans are on official work release in places like Russia, Mongolia, Africa and the Middle East. It may sound a little exotic to us, but unfortunately these NKs often work very difficult jobs in less than ideal conditions.

Even though the NK workers are often not well-equipped to do their job, it is still very hard to get them to accept gifts from us.  Recently one of our ministry teams brought New Year’s gifts to an NK dormitory: socks, underwear, and chocolates. The NK workers proceeded to toss the gifts in a pile and urinate on them. “Why do you do this when you are not wearing any socks and it is so cold outside?” our team leader asked, incredulous. “We have everything we need,” one of the NK workers responded. “We don’t wear socks because we like being barefoot.” In responding this way, the NK workers are carrying out what is required of them: Not embarrassing the Kim regime with the admission that they are poorly provisioned.

Consequently, we’ve had to adapt our evangelism and discipleship strategies to reach these NK workers, but one of the new strategies was initially a little surprising to me – healing and comforting! Healing was always something that I thought took place in churches and revival meeting with those who were already Christians. It was certainly not something that happened in remote NK worker villages with individuals who did not know Christ! But yet when these NKs were sick and hurt, our missionaries were the first ones they reached out to. One of our missionaries recently wrote this,

After I arrived I went to see the NK workers with whom I spoke last time. I learned that a week before a furnace heater exploded in a building. Four NK workers suffered. Immediately I ran to hospital. Two of them were in really bad condition. I spoke with the chief doctor. After a long conversation he let me inside the burn unit. I openly prayed for them and left packages. Out of the other two one refused to speak, but took the pack. With another I had a good talk. In a whisper, he HIMSELF asked me to pray for him (he was very much afraid of death). I prayed, gave gospel literature and a New Testament. I bought some medicine in a drug store. I stayed there almost until the evening, visiting the rest of the people. There are about 70 of them there.

An NK worker asking for helping is extremely rare. It is almost inconceivable that they would accept prayer and a New Testament.

But nothing opens up NK workers to evangelism like illness. Remember that NK workers receive neither medicine nor provision for recovery when they are ill, and most have no money for doctor’s visits or badly-needed prescriptions. So when illness strikes, NK workers will often remember the missionaries who previously expressed care.

It reminds me that God is not bound by people, places and situations and God’s word and healing are not bound by these things either.

Posted in Healing and Comforting, North Korea | Tagged , , | 6 Comments