North Korea (MNN/ODM) — North
Korea sentenced a U.S. Christian missionary to eight years of hard labor. His treatment shows the plight of believers
in that reclusive country.
Carl Moeller with Open Doors USA says, "I think any time a government has no
vested interest in playing by basic human rights rules around the world, you're
in very dangerous places because they just don't care what the world
thinks."
Brother John supervised the work of Open Doors in North
Korea. He agrees, noting that "North
Korea is a country close to my heart. Nowhere in the world are Christians
persecuted with such hatred and violence. Nowhere are people so misled by the ‘father of
the lie' than in North Korea. I love every North Korean. I pray desperately
that they will know that it is not ‘father' Kim Il-Sung who is taking care of
them, but Jesus Christ."
North Korea Freedom Week (NKFW) will be
held April 25-May 1. The event will have a different look this year because
the North Korea Freedom Coalition, which sponsors the event and of which
Open Doors is a member, is holding most of the activities with other groups in
Seoul, South Korea, instead of Washington D.C., as in the past.
They've partnered with several
other organizations and South Korean radio broadcasters to start a campaign
called 50,000 for 50,000.
Moeller explains, "That is
50,000 people signing up through social networking sites to send an
encouraging message to Christians in North Korea."
The spiritual encouragement is vital, and Open
Doors is making it easy. Moeller says
this campaign is accessible to everyone with an internet connection. "I
can be at my computer and send a prayer message that will be read in the North
Korean dialect over the radio to North Korean believers."
There's still time to sign up. With the verse "For where two or
more are gathered in My name, there I will be also" (Matthew 18:20) in
mind, Moeller says, "Picture
the Christians, huddled in secret in a dark place, tuning in a radio broadcast
and literally hearing people around the world praying for them."
The social media campaign allows participants to engage through prayer, e-mails, e-cards and radio
"messages of hope" to North Korean believers. Those who use the Open Doors Web site will be able to do many of the same things, as well as view videos and
download a prayer guide for North Korea. Click here.
