People often ask me, “Why do you send Bibles to North Korea when they could get people arrested or even killed?”
The answer is simple: We send them because our persecuted brothers and sisters continue to ask for them!
They know the risks, but they also know that growing their relationship with Jesus Christ is worth it. Christians in North Korea are facing more persecution than you and I could ever imagine. But they still cry out of the Word of the Lord.
I’ve traveled to the North Korean border and heard the tragic stories of persecution. During one of my trips, I learned of a man whose story depicts just how cruel persecution in North Korea can be. To keep him safe, I’ll call him Eun. The story of his childhood is heartbreaking.
“There was one homework I wish I had never done,” Eun said.
Eun knows the consequences of being a Christ-follower … but he is still committed to spreading the Gospel
One day, Eun’s third-grade teacher announced that the students would have no homework that evening … but she did have one request.
“When you go home, I want you to look for a Book,” she said. “Normally [the Book] is black. Normally it’s hidden, and your mom or dad read it when you are asleep. If you look hard enough, you can find this Book. And if you bring it, we will honor you.”
Eun rushed home to look for this Book. Finally, he found it — his parents’ Bible. He proudly presented it to his teacher the next day and received a red scarf as a reward. But when he returned home to show the scarf to his parents, they were gone.
His parents had been arrested … along with the parents of the 14 other children who had been honored for completing the assignment.
Eun never saw them again.
Incredibly, when Eun grew up and heard the Gospel himself, he also accepted Christ as his Savior … even knowing what it had cost his parents and what it could cost him.
Unbelievable cruelty — like Eun’s family experienced — is still happening today to North Korean believers. But you can provide help and hope to a believer in North Korea.
When someone owns a Bible in their native language, they can begin to build a relationship with Christ
Here are two critical ways that you can make a difference for North Korean Christians:
1) Pray
The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is coming up on Nov. 5. Will you join the World Help family in praying for persecuted Christ-followers in North Korea?
In addition to praying that God will give them strength in the face of intense persecution, you can also pray that He will meet their urgent physical needs, too. North Korea is in the middle of a historic famine, and many families are starving.
Download these free prayer resources for other ways you can pray for North Korea.
2) Give
Despite the persecution, the underground church in North Korea continues to grow! There are an estimated 400,000 Christ-followers in North Korea … but there aren’t nearly that many Bibles in the country.
When you provide North Korean believers with God’s Word, you will help them grow in their faith. You will be part of something incredible!
Can you imagine trying to grow in your faith without God’s Word? Or going through almost unbearable trials without being able to read your favorite verses of comfort? That’s the reality for our brothers and sisters in North Korea.
For just $20, you can send a persecuted North Korean a Bible — PLUS a week’s worth of lifesaving food.
And when you send a Bible to a North Korean, you impact more than just one person. North Korean Christians often share their Bibles among family and trusted friends — meaning each copy you send will touch an average of five people!
Thank you for praying for the persecuted church in North Korea and for giving generously to send lifesaving aid to someone in desperate need.
Note: This article was originally published on CBN.com.