Dear Friends,
I wanted to share with you some important news of how Heaven’s Family is helping to save a life in North Korea. The report below comes to us from our partners in North Korean ministry, Alpha Relief. We’ve just sent $500 to help meet the need described in the report. Be blessed as you read, knowing that you have been used to be an answer to many prayers.
Mrs. Kim, one of our smugglers working from inside China, is currently imprisoned in North Korea for feeding starving family members and sharing the Gospel. For the last six months our underground network has been working tirelessly to discover where she is being held. Mrs. Kim knew the risks involved in bringing Christ to her loved ones in North Korea. Now, since she has been captured, she has not only risked her own life, but the lives of her two sons as well. As you can see, the punishment is severe for Christians. The boys are safe in China for the time being, but at this point, they face an impossible decision. If they
keep their Chinese citizenship they forsake any possibility of returning to North Korea to look for their mother. However, in reclaiming their birth citizenship they risk imprisonment or even death in an attempt to rescue her.
An answer to our prayers came last week when one of our contacts located Mrs. Kim in a prison not far from his underground smuggling route. To our relief, she was found to be alive, but suffering severe malnourishment and sickness from months of surviving under horrific prison conditions.
Our smuggler immediately made his way back into China to let her boys know of her condition as well as give us the details for her needs. We have a very small window of time to ensure that the lives of the Kim family are rescued from possible death or long-term imprisonment.
Here is our plan:The North Korean prison officials and guards are impoverished. Our smuggler can provide them gifts of food and money in exchange for access to Mrs. Kim. Through these gifts, we can get medicine to her as well as prepare our underground network for her eventual release and removal from the country. In order to make these preparations, $1,300 is needed. Additionally, we also have an opportunity to provide her sons with visas to protect their citizenship in China and prevent deportation back into North Korea where they would be treated as criminals. The visas cost $1,250 each and would ensure their safety.
Again, we have helped to meet this need by sending $500 to Alpha Relief.
As the new director of Heaven’s Family’s North Korean Christians Fund, I hope to keep you informed periodically via email of what your contributions are accomplishing, as the NKC Fund is only highlighted in our monthly magazine about twice a year. We are, however, helping Christians in North Korea continually because of your compassion.
On behalf of the Kim family, thanks so much.
Elisabeth Walter
Director North Korean Christians Fund
thanks!