A real look at ministry with North Koreans (Part 2)

In Part 1 of this story, we had a rare glimpse into the extreme risky life of an Open Doors fieldworker, Sung-Eun*, who works with North Korean believers. In this article, he continues to share how God’s word directs his daily work and some precious moments in his work. He also has a message for you.

The Scriptures guiding the work

Two Scripture passages go with Sung-Eun into every meeting. The first helps keep his daily work in context.

“I think of John 21: ‘Feed my sheep, tend my sheep.’ I am helping these people, but ultimately, they are not my sheep,” he says. “They are the Lord’s sheep. He entrusts them to us and works through us. That is why I can go to a meeting confident that the Lord Himself will make a way for us to meet.”

The second reveals something unexpected about the people he sits across from.

“The other verse I try to share is Hebrews 9:27: ‘Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.’ Most people never become indifferent to death,” he notes. “The people I meet live with the conviction that they cannot afford to die—not because they are afraid for their own lives, but because they are deeply worried about what would happen to their families if they were gone. They left home on behalf of their families, and they feel responsible for finding whatever means they can provide for the ones they left behind. So I talk with them about death and share the gospel with them.”

Every meeting is precious

Because every meeting must be checked and verified before it can go ahead, the moment it finally happens carries a weight of its own.

“The moment we actually meet is always filled with deep emotion and gratitude. We think about how this precious man or woman could have lived an entire life and died without ever hearing the gospel, because of the oppressive system and the ideology of their country. And yet God chose them and gave them this opportunity. In those moments, I can feel that God is working and speaking through me. I am always honoured to be part of this and to witness these moments in God’s work.”

One of those moments was a baptism (note: the method depends on the safety).

“I once had the opportunity to baptise two young North Koreans,” Sung-Eun remembers. “I felt God’s presence powerfully throughout. They had been trained and had studied the Bible with the purpose of sharing what they learned with their families afterward. They gave their lives to Jesus. That meeting gave me hope that the Kingdom of God will expand through young people like them. In that barren land of darkness, God is planting seeds, and one day they will bear fruit.”

And it is not only those two. Many other secret believers are studying the Word with the resolve: “If I am caught, so be it. If I die, so be it.”

Unity in prayer

Sung-Eun carries risks of his own, and he has a message for you.

“We are one body in the Lord. They are the people we are called to pray for, to care for, and to embrace with love. The situation may feel so far removed from life in the free world that it can seem almost unreal. But this is their reality, and it is far worse than most of us imagine. When we hear about their persecution, if we who share the same faith in Jesus do not stand with them, who will?”

The intensity of the persecution increases daily. A few articles can only tell part of the story, yet many secret believers are experiencing hardships and persecution right now.

“There are many stories we cannot tell, because a person’s life may be at stake,” Sung-Eun says.

“That is why their need for our continued support and prayer is so great. I want to use this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude. Through your prayers and support, they are able to remain faithful and to share even one more word about Jesus. You help to protect them and preserve their lives.”

*Name changed for security reasons

please pray

• Pray that good and faithful workers will be raised up and committed to the ministry, and God will prepare their hearts to serve.
• Pray that God will make a way of escape, restore their health and protect the ministry at every dangerous moment.
• Pray that the Open Doors family and Christians around the world may be united in one mind in prayer for the persecuted church.

Please give

• Every HK$220 could give practical, medical, and pastoral support to an secret believer.
• Every HK$330 could train secret believers to persist through persecution and support others.
• Every HK$520 could build future churches through a youth leadership programme.

*Any excess funds from this appeal will be used to support vital long term work for Christians facing high levels of persecution.