North Korea’s “eternal” leader, Kim Il-sung, is portrayed as a loving man, but thousands in his prison camps suffer unthinkable injustices

Dear Friends,

In August, David Servant appealed to all the friends of Heaven’s Family for a sister in Christ who has been incarcerated in a North Korean prison camp. She was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for telling someone about Jesus. Her sentence was reduced to 8 years, but from what we know of the camp’s hellish conditions it is very unlikely that she could survive that long.

We have been trying to secure her release through some bribes—the only method, aside from prayer, that works in the North Korean system. We are grateful that we received all the funds needed. Unfortunately though, there were some major security leaks in the underground railroad that our contact uses to get people safely into South Korea. Thus her rescue has been pushed back to early spring, after things have quieted down again.

The last time our contacts visited her, however, she was near starvation. So until she is released, we are sending medicine to combat the effects of malnutrition and food to help her survive through the next few months of harsh winter conditions.

Please pray that God will sustain her through the winter months—a season that takes the lives of many weak prisoners. Pray also that He will use her as a witness to the prison guards and to the other inmates.

Finally, I’m so happy to report that Heaven’s Family provided the needed funding for the rescue of another North Korean believer who was on the run from the authorities, and her recent escape was successful! Next month I’ll be sending a mini-update with more details.

In Service to our Lord,

Elisabeth Walter
Director, North Korean Christians Fund