Christianity in Restricted Nations – Voice of the Martyrs

It is a pattern in our home to begin our school week with “Magazine Monday”.  On Mondays Lynda will read articles from several magazines as a way of keeping our kids and family connected with the world at large.  One of the magazines she reads from is Voice of the Martyrs.  This week, I filled in as the “reader” and I wanted to tell you about one of the articles.

Today I’m highlighting a “Special Update” that was included in our mailing this month.  It is entitled “The Rejected Become the Cornerstones” and it highlighted the plight of young women in North Korea.  The article details the life of Soon Lee (name changed), a 19 year old living in North Korea.  The crux of the article is that the North Korean government pays “handlers” to befriend young women such as Soon.  They come alongside for a season and offer support and encouragement for a season.  Once they have become “friends”, they begin to speak of employment opportunities in other villages.  Soon, like so many of the young women, sees no hope in staying where she is, so she sets off with the new “friends” to find employment to support her family.

Things take a turn for the worse when Soon realizes that these “friends” have actually led her to the border with China, where many North Korean’s cross in hopes of finding a better life.  The crossing is extremely dangerous with the North Koreans employing bunkers and towers to guard the border.   When Soon realizes the option is to cross into China, she asks her “friends” to take her back to her village, only to have them turn demanding and to tell her that the consequences of her not going through with the plan will be devastation and the loss of her own father’s life.

Trapped and seeing no other options, Soon crosses the border only to be sold for $3,000 to an older chinese man as a “wife”.   If the young women like Soon refuse to marry, they are turned over to North Korean spies who then take them back to North Korea to be arrested and tried as “defectors” which results in imprisonment.

These “wives” go on to bear children, but since they (the women) are not Chinese Citizens, their children have no citizenship either, leading to the abandonment of many and the rise of orphans with no hope.

Voice of the Martyrs has stepped in to begin offering hope and ministry to these women and children.  The article actually goes on to say that some of these children and women have actually become very effective evangelists to the North Korean people.

As we read the article, we were led to pray for these women, their children, those who are carrying out this horrible practice, and for North Korea and China as a whole.

If you are not a subscriber to Voice of the Martyrs, I encourage you to become one as well as a supporter of their ministry if possible.  The people they are ministering to and with are some of the most oppressed Christians in our day.  While most of us will never set foot in any of these highly restricted areas, we can, and I think we must, be aware and a part of helping organizations like VOM and others who are actively sharing hope and the good news of Jesus in these dark and hopeless places.

Consider reading more at www.persecution.com, or go here to subscribe to their monthly newsletter by mail.