Frontline Faith, 2016 Issue.1 - North Korea

FRONTLINE FAITH SHARING THE INSIDE STORY OF THE PERSECUTED CHURCH

NEW

H INE FAIT FRONTL A EDITION KORE NORTH B 2016 JAN/FE

North Korea AN INTRODUCTION Page 3

Escaping North Korea THREE STORIES Page 4

Five Ways OPEN DOORS HELPS Page 6

Amazing Grace YENA & YOHAN Page 8

WE BELIEVE THE PERSECUTED CHURCH SHOULD BE PART OF THE DNA OF EVERY CHRISTIAN.

WE ARE ONE BODY Welcome to a new year and a new Frontline Faith!

Over the last 12 months in the role of CEO I have been blown away by countless messages of love and support for our ministry from people I’ve met, or people who have contacted us. It made me realise how committed and passionate our supporters are – a small (but mighty!) group of about 9,000 Christians across Australia.

As I spent time in December seeking God on how we could better strengthen the persecuted church in 2016 and beyond, I dreamt of seeing... ...17,000 supporters of the persecuted church by the end of 2017.

Let me tell you why…

At the end of last year I spent some time in Northern Iraq meeting with people who had been displaced by the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

As I heard story after story of people who were suffering emotionally, physically and spiritually, I realised for the first time that I hadn’t found a stereotypical “heroic” persecuted church; I had found a “heartbroken” church. A church that still loved and trusted in Jesus, but a church that was tired, worn out and exhausted.

I met children who would wake in the middle of the night screaming, “They’re coming, they’re coming…” I met fathers trying to deal with the shame of not being able to provide for their families. I met mothers learning to live off food parcels and other relief they were given through our ministry.

It was during this trip I felt God speak to me about our role as a ministry – calling us to be bold, take risks and ask questions – because strengthening the persecuted church should be part of the DNA of every Christian.

In some ways, I felt God was calling us to return to the boldness Brother Andrew had when he started our ministry in 1955. A boldness that saw people driven to prayer, drawn closer to a radical God and expressing their faith fearlessly. They became storytellers of the persecuted church and ultimately called to willingly contribute financially to equip effective on-the-ground ministry to those living out their faith in some of the most confronting places on the planet to be a Christian.

To reach our goal of 17,000 supporters, we simply need each of you to tell one friend about our ministry and how they can help. Would you be willing to commit to asking one person you know to consider supporting our work in 2016?

Thank you so much for your ongoing support. I hope and pray that you will join us on this journey.

Mike Gore

CEO Open Doors Australia

NEW FRONTLINE FAITH! You might notice a few changes in this Frontline Faith newsletter…

Open Doors is passionate about telling the story of the persecuted church.

And we believe the best way to do this is to provide you with a newsletter that you can be excited to share with your church and your friends.

We want you to know what’s happening on the frontline of the church in countries where Christians risk a lot to shine the light of the gospel. And we want you, as part of the body of Christ, to be equipped to stand shoulder to shoulder with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world in prayer and support.

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Nor th Korea AN INTRODUCTION Behind this hill is a prison camp, Yodok, one of the largest prison camps in North Korea.

NORTH KOREA IS THE MOST DANGEROUS PLACE IN THE WORLD TO BE A CHRISTIAN.

How are Christians persecuted?

Reading the Bible, gathering for worship and sharing the gospel are forbidden.

Punishments include execution, torture, and life imprisonment. Violence is routine in prisons and ‘labour’ camps. North Korean society is indoctrinated to uphold and celebrate the state system, so faith must be kept secret, even within families.

The following questions and answers will help you understand why.

Why is Korea divided?

At the end of World War II, the United States of America controlled South Korea, and Russia installed a communist regime in the north.

While North Korea’s oppression of Christians is unparalleled and growing, South Korea has some of the world’s largest churches and is one of the biggest supporters of global mission.

Why is Christianity illegal?

All religion is considered a threat to the nation’s socialist vision. For 70 years the secret police has waged a brutal campaign to eradicate religious belief. Christianity is considered ‘western’ and particularly dangerous. Anyone who challenges the god-like dictatorship of Kim Jong-Un is considered an enemy of the state and severely punished.

How many Christians are imprisoned?

Thousands of Christians are incarcerated in labour camps. Despite the harsh oppression, the church is not only surviving, but slowly growing. The estimated 300,000 North Korean Christians are evidently willing to sacrifice their lives for their faith.

How does Open Doors work with North Korean Christians?

It is very difficult, dangerous and undercover work. We run safe houses in China where we help Christian refugees from North Korea.

We also deliver aid and broadcast Christian radio programs.

In extremely diverse ways, God is working miracles through His body in North Korea. Let us uphold our courageous Christian family called to suffer for Christ and thus glorify His name.

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Escaping North Korea MEET THREE UNLIKELY PEOPLE GOD IS USING ON THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER. Along the border between North Korea and China are Christians who take great risks to grow God’s kingdom. An Open Doors contact recently travelled to visit Chinese believers carrying out the dangerous work of ministering to North Korean refugees. Here are his stories...

I know God has not abandoned this land. Too many people I’ve met bear testimony of His saving work in North Korea. But still… most North Koreans live and die under the rule of the Kims and have never heard of a God who creates cares, and cherishes.

One thing I have learned is that God makes a way for His servants. He miraculously opens doors and hearts to fulfil His great commission.

The Refugee’s Ranger In a private room of a restaurant, I meet a cautious man in his sixties. After prayer, he confides how he grew up in the area roaming the mountains like a ranger. Now he uses his skills to find refugees hiding in the woods. He told me, “Six months ago, I met a North Korean man. I was able to share the gospel with him and he came to faith.

“A month ago, I had heart problems and was near death. God miraculously healed me. The doctors couldn’t explain it. Now, I provide food for three refugees. One of them is the man I helped six months ago. He now leads an underground church of sixteen believers.”

The Transformed Alcoholic I meet with Sister P* in an old church that had sheltered North Korean refugees until one of them was arrested. “It was our duty to help them,” she declared.

“Fortunately, God granted these refugees faith.

During services, they sat near the exit so, if the police came, they could slip out. But one of the ladies was arrested during a Bible study.

She disappeared, leaving her children with an abusive husband.

“With the support of your organisation we were able to take care of this poor family. Every morning, members of our congregation prayed with tears for our lost sister. The husband started to attend church. He transformed. He’s no longer an abusive alcoholic but a faithful servant and good father. He is very important for our local ministry now.”

Recently his wife called from North Korea. After spending several years in a prison camp, she was released. “She hopes to escape to China soon,” Sister P continued. “Fifty per cent of inmates don’t survive their prison sentence. I’m sure our sister survived thanks to prayer.”

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Image one: The river that separates North Korea and China. Many attempt to cross this river to escape.

Image two: A North Korean man looking out of a crowded train. Image three: A lady and a young girl in a rural area in North Korea.

The Shelter of His Love Before me sits an extraordinary lady we call Mrs Shelter, because she risks her life to run one of Open Doors' safe houses for North Korean refugees.

“Five years ago I was so sick I almost died,” she shared.

“A pastor prayed for me. I was miraculously healed.

God saved me and I know why. He wanted to use me for North Korean ministry. Ever since, I’ve realised I’m living on extra time. I don’t want to waste the days I’ve been given.”

Living in a city where “people from the other side” regularly appear, her ministry is fruitful.

“They wander the streets, looking for places to sleep.

I approach them, offer them a free place to stay, and serve them until they go back or move on.

“They want to know why I do this without asking anything in return. I share with them about God and the Bible. Many return as believers.”

The moment Mrs Shelter became involved in the work among North Koreans she also became a target for the Chinese authorities and North Korean government.

She has had spies under her roof - humans trained to deceive, destroy and murder.

“ I’VE REALISED I’M LIVING ON EXTRA TIME. I DON’T WANT TO WASTE THE DAYS I’VE BEEN GIVEN.” “God grants me supernatural discernment. I can tell if the person is genuine or sent to spy. But I never shy away from serving. I treat the spies with as much love as I help real refugees. Some confessed at the end of their stay they were there to write a bad report about me back in North Korea, but they promised they would make it a positive one. ‘We don’t have your faith,’ they say, ‘but we’ve seen your life and character and want to resemble it’.”

Open Doors trains and supports many people like Mrs Shelter, both in and outside of North Korea.

With your help Open Doors can continue to empower courageous Chinese Christians to minister Christ’s love to their desperate neighbours. *Names changed for security reasons.

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WAYS WE ARE HELPING NORTH KOREANS Although our work in North Korea is limited due to security, God still makes ways for Open Doors to be involved in a broad range of ministries.

BIBLE & CHRISTIAN BOOKS

FOOD, MEDICINE & CLOTHES

TRAINING & SHELTER FOR REFUGEES

Owning a Bible is forbidden in North Korea.

Hye’s grandmother owned an old Chinese Bible and her father had a Korean Bible.

“I remember many North Koreans passing through our village in 1996, begging for food. They looked like zombies, with ragged clothes, exhausted, more dead than alive. Sometimes entire families walked through our village”

Did you know that the ‘refugee church’ is the biggest and fastest growing church of North Koreans? An Open Doors field worker shares,

“They read from the Bible and sang songs, but there was almost no sound coming from their mouths. Other Christians didn’t own a Bible. They shared books which my grandmother had written by hand. She would hide it immediately if she heard someone coming to the house.”

Pastor Yun leads a church that still opens its doors for North Korean refugees. It’s a big risk to take. Not many members of his small congregation know that their church, in partnership with Open Doors, secretly supports North Koreans.

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“When I started my ministry among illegal, North Korean refugee women in China, I knew it was going to be hard.

And it is sometimes. I pray and fast before every meeting with them. But the fruit is incredible.

When I am introduced to new women, they embrace the gospel so quickly. It is like… they are just ready. They have been prepared by God.”

CAN YOU HELP US SHARE? INTENSIVE TRAINING FOR FUTURE LEADERS

RADIO BROADCAST

When we strengthen the leaders, we strengthen the church. A North Korean church leader shares,

Believers in North Korea are hungry for the Word of God. Over the years, we have brought an estimated 35,000 radios into the country and produced several Christianthemed programs. Church leaders tell us the programs are very well received. Praise God that, despite the darkness and isolation in North Korea, His Word can come to those who seek Him through radio.

“To us who are living here like in the wilderness, your prayers and support are a blessing like manna and quails from the Father God, and like a fountain of life which is springing up in the desert… Your endless care, support, and encouragement motivate us to carry out our work with a high sense of responsibility and we obey our holy calling in this land with an Amen.”

Every one can make a difference We are so grateful for the 9,000 Australians who support Open Doors' ministry all around the world.

We believe that the persecuted church should be part of the DNA of every Christian in Australia. That means every individual, family, Bible study and church.

Who do you know that might be interested in joining us?

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Amazing Grace DESPITE THE DANGER, THEY LONG TO RETURN HOME TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.

Her Story - “My mother was always murmuring.

I didn’t know why and I didn’t ask,” Jung Yena explains cautiously. “Only years later did I realise she was always praying. In North Korea, I never knew I was part of a Christian family.”

The power of their families' secret prayers brought two North Korean musicians to Christ.

Yena found joy in the “heavenly” music her mother gave her to play on the piano. They were songs from a hymnal she was startled to learn were forbidden. One day when police surrounded their apartment for a house check, her mother ran sobbing to the stove and burned her hymnal book before it could be discovered.

It was one of many incidents that eventually led Yena to realise she lived in a ‘fake paradise’ based on lies. In 2004 she escaped to China with her mother.

Yena learned that her relatives in China were Christian and that they had endured severe persecution. Her uncle had been killed for his faith. Attending church, she was moved by the same beautiful music she had once played from the hymnal.

After six months in China, Yena and her mother sought refuge in South Korea. They devised a risky plan to escape, but were caught by the Chinese authorities.

“I spent almost three years in a basement without sunlight,” Yena explained. “I still suffer because of the malnutrition. To kill the time, I closed my eyes and moved my fingers over the floor as if they were touching the keys of my piano. I spent so many hours ‘playing’ that my fingers still often hurt.”

In 2007, they were finally allowed entry into South Korea. Four years later Yena married Jung Yohan, a North Korean violinist with his own remarkable testimony. A gifted musician, Yohan had been chosen to perform for Kim Jong-Il, whom he worshiped as a god.

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His story - On an exchange project in Eastern Europe, he secretly attended church, discovering the faith of his grandfather, an elder in the underground church. “Only later in my life did I realise he was a Christian. As a child he brought me to my music lessons and secretly prayed for me.

“I realised that I had been indoctrinated all my life.

My grandfather had been a good man and it was the North Korean government that was evil.”

Afraid his new faith would be exposed, Yohan sold the only valuable thing he owned, his violin.

He then undertook the dangerous journey that eventually brought him to South Korea.

Now, he and his wife help North Korean refugees settle in the south, and glorify Jesus through their music. “Our dream is that one day we can return to North Korea and share the gospel through our music,” Yohan said.

Have they ever thought about composing a song about their life?

Yena and Yohan look at each other.

“We don’t have to,” Yohan replies. “It has already been written.” The same song they play as they visit churches to share their testimony and music. The beloved Christian anthem known all over the world - Amazing Grace.

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HOW CAN I HELP? We believe that supporting persecuted Christians should be part of the DNA of every Christian.

Monthly Giving Sacrificial giving on a monthly basis is the best form of support for the persecuted church. A monthly gift ensures ongoing ministry to those who share our faith but not our freedom. By doing this you are partnering with us on the frontlines.

Give Your generous gifts allow Open Doors to continue supporting persecuted Christians from North Korea and around the world.

Every gift makes a difference!

How to give To set up your monthly Frontline Partner gift or to make your donation see the enclosed response form or visit www.opendoors.org.au | (02) 9451 2999

LIFE-CHANGING TRAVEL IN 2016

Don't miss out - register your interest today Travelling to visit the persecuted church is always challenging. Your life will never be the same, and you will be a source of encouragement to the Christians you meet. Spaces for 2016 are limited so call or email today to find out more.

The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken “What can I possibly say about this book?

It completely and utterly wrecked me. Half of the time I found myself sitting in heartbreaking silence on the verge of tears, and the other half I found myself wanting to shout and dance over some of the stories. No one will read this book and be the same person after the last page.

If you want a front row seat to the raw, potent, heart transforming power of Jesus, this book is a must read.”

- Jeff Bethke, Author: Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

Enquire at (02) 9451 2999 or gotravel@od.org

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Buy online www.opendoors.org.nz $20 + Postage & Handling

WRITE TO A BELIEVER ENCOURAGE PASTOR DAYARATNE AND MALA TO NOT LOSE HEART IN THEIR FIGHT FOR AGAPE CHILDREN’S VILLAGE, SRI LANKA. Called to care for abandoned, orphaned and abused children, Pastor Dayaratne and his wife Mala opened Agape Children’s Village in 2001.

Starting with only one child, they grew to care for more than 130 children. Regardless of age or background, Pastor Dayaratne and Mala raised them as their own for 12 years.

Agape flourished. Volunteers flocked to the home and they became ‘home mothers’ for the children. By 2010, Agape was recognised as the best orphanage in southern Sri Lanka.

Due to government pressure and a media smear campaign, Agape Children’s Village was forced to close down in April 2013. The children were taken away - back to their families or even left on the streets, many of them desperately wanting to return to Agape.

The media smear campaign was started by nearby Buddhist monks who were jealous of the children’s village and concerned about the number of children aspiring to become pastors and missionaries. They circulated false accusations about Dayaratne and Agape.

“The media didn’t give me a chance to explain.

They didn’t give a chance for the children to say anything,” he lamented. “I couldn’t use public transport because I felt like the people around me would beat me or kill me.”

Devastated, Dayaratne has fought hard to appeal the decision and hopes to one day reopen Agape.

As they wait to appeal their case, they continue to serve through Agape Without Walls, educating children in rural villages and visiting the children who used to stay with them, now on the streets.

Please write to Pastor Dayaratne and Mala to encourage their ministry to Sri Lanka’s vulnerable children in the name of Jesus.

Writing Guidelines - Do not mention Open Doors -G reeting cards, artwork by children and postcards are best (send postcards in an envelope, do not write the Open Doors' address on the postcard) -P rint clearly in English, be brief, encouraging and include 1–2 Bible verses - Provide your name and country, not your full address - Do not send money with the letters Please send cards and letters by 29 February 2016 to: Open Doors Australia, PO Box 6237 Frenchs Forest NSW 2086

COUNTRY PROFILE

SRI LANKA

#44 WORLD WATCH LIST

Population: 21.6 million ( 1.9 million Christians ) Main religion: Buddhism Type of Persecution: Religious nationalism

The local community places a lot of pressure on Christians.

Buddhist monks often look at Christians with suspicion, and in some instances persecution becomes violent.

Pray • That Christian converts from Buddhism will keep their faith as they face intense pressure from their families.

• For Pastor Dayaratne and Mala and the children from the Agape Children's Village (see top of page above).

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RESOURCES RELEASED -1 FEBRUARY M A P | H A N D B O O K O F P R AY E R | C O U N T R Y PA C K S

T H E R E I S O N LY O N E B O DY O F C H R I S T.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO FOLLOW JESUS IN THE 50 MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES? In 2016, use the Handbook of Prayer to have your church or Bible Study Group pray through the world’s 50 most persecuted countries.

For regular stories, updates and resources about persecution in the world’s most dangerous places, visit WWW.OPENDOORS.ORG.AU

Follow Open Doors Australia on social media Open Doors Australia PO Box 6237 Frenchs Forest NSW, 2086 (02) 9451 2999 | odaustralia@od.org