North Korean soldiers patrol the Yalu River along North Korea’s border with China, looking for any who attempt to flee their repressive country

Dear Friends,

Can you imagine coming home one day to discover that your sister has been arrested and imprisoned in a labor camp for the “crime” of helping her church? Now imagine discovering, not only that your sister has been arrested, but also your mother, husband, and your 8-year-old son—only because they are all related to your sister. Now imagine the authorities seeking you for the same reason.

This is exactly what happened in North Korea to Kim Young. Knowing that she would face the same fate as her family members if she were caught, Kim had only one option: secretly cross the border into China. And so she did. Once in China, Kim found other believers who helped her find a safe place to hide.

China and North Korea, however, work together to search for North Korean defectors. Undercover North Korean police patrol the border cities inside China to track down escapees. Because Kim’s family had already been sent to a labor camp for her sister’s illegal church activities, Kim had become a high-profile defector. As a result, it was too risky for her to hide in China. So she made the difficult decision to relocate to South Korea. Kim knew that she would probably never see her family and friends again in this life.

Because of gifts to the North Korean Christians Fund, Heaven’s Family paid the expenses for Kim’s underground journey to South Korea. One of our operatives told Kim that he will continue to search for her family and, if he finds any of them, will try to help them escape too.

Please keep Kim in your prayers as she makes the transition to life in South Korea. Pray also for her family, that they may survive a very harsh life in prison and one day be reunited with Kim.

For the “least of these” in North Korea,

Elisabeth Walter
Director, North Korean Christians Fund

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