Death seemed near. The famine, exacerbated by North Korea's communist economic policies, continued unabated—and malnutrition was taking its toll. Although her name was Hope, her hopes were fading. She had been crying out to God for help. Where were the answers to her prayers?

"I will go!" With those words, Naomi made a commitment to lay down her life. She had just volunteered to join a secret team of evangelists who move throughout her homeland, sharing the gospel and helping desperate fellow citizens with basic necessities like food and medicine.

I felt as if I were in a spy movie. As I stood at a designated spot in a Chinese city near the border of North Korea, an unmarked vehicle pulled up. I slipped into the back seat, and the driver whisked me away through a maze of streets. When we reached our destination, I was ushered through a dark alley to the back door of a restaurant. Once inside, I was led to a hidden back room. There, Mrs. Joon was waiting for me. She was visibly apprehensive about our dinner meeting, but she knew that she would have to trust someone if her mission was to succeed.