After forty years of hardship in N. Korea, *George crossed the border into China, hoping to find a better life. He had endured decades of hunger, fear, and oppression, and all he wanted was to earn enough money to survive. But God had something far greater in store.
In China, George met a man from South Korea who told him about a God he had never known—a God who loved him. The man gave George a Bible, and for the first time in his life, he began to read the words of truth that would one day change everything.
When George returned to N. Korea, he hid the Bible carefully, reading it in secret whenever he could. But one day, the authorities discovered it. Possessing a Bible was a crime, and George was arrested and sentenced to a labor camp. There, he was beaten and tortured as they demanded to know where he had gotten the book.
In the filth and despair of the camp, George’s body was broken and his spirit nearly crushed. Yet in the midst of that darkness, something unexpected happened. One day, he found himself singing softly through his tears: “For God so loved the world.” Even as he sang, his heart cried out, “God, if You exist, please get me out of here!”
Years later, George was finally released. But life outside the camp was no easier. His body was frail, his neighbors despised him, and the bitter cold of winter threatened to finish what the camp had begun. With no hope left, George fled once again to China.
There, he met a Christian pastor who welcomed him, shared God’s Word, and helped him understand what it truly meant to follow Jesus. One day, George read the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:19–20:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Those words pierced his heart. That same day, George was baptized, publicly declaring Jesus Christ as his Savior.
In the days that followed, the Lord began to heal George’s heart and remind him who he was in Christ:
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God…” (1 Peter 2:9)
Today, George carries that truth with him. Though he still struggles to believe that God could choose someone like him, he knows he has been called out of darkness into God’s wonderful light. And now, his deepest longing is to see his people in N. Korea experience that same light—the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.
*pseudonym
JOIN US IN PRAYER:
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Pray for Strength and Healing
Ask God to heal the deep physical and emotional scars left by years of persecution and hardship. Pray that believers like George would experience daily renewal through the Holy Spirit and remain steadfast in their faith, even when faced with isolation or fear. -
Pray for Courage to Witness
Pray that God would fill George and other N. Korean believers with boldness to share the gospel wisely and courageously. Ask that their testimonies of grace and endurance would draw many others in darkness to the light of Christ. -
Pray for the Church in N. Korea
Intercede for hidden believers and underground church networks. Pray that God would protect them, multiply disciples, and open doors for His Word to spread in one of the most closed nations on earth.