North Korea (MNN) — On a global scale, North Korea is a sort of school-yard bully. Their recent nuclear testing has spiked further alarm from the international community.
And on the heels of North Korea’s latest, the country is steeped in disaster with the inability to relieve the situation all on their own. Severe floods have invaded the northeast part of North Korea.
CNN says over 133 people have been killed so far, with hundreds more missing. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of lives have been affected. On top of immediate needs, there is the concern of subzero temps that next month will bring.
And so, despite the distaste for North Korea’s nuclear endeavors, ministries are sending in relief. It’s a picture of true compassion.
Alpha Relief is a ministry of Global Advance. David Shibley of Global Advance says, “There is the very serious flooding in parts of North Korea. This is against a backdrop of some of what most nations would consider very serious provocation — nuclear testing from North Korea.
“Alpha Relief has been able to bring relief and much needed supplies to people in general affected by the floods. We will of course continue to do that.”
Believers in North Korea
Alpha Relief has the opportunity to allocate relief aid through believers in North Korea with the help of intermediaries.
“It is North Koreans themselves who are helping. They are followers of Christ, ministering in His name in this very challenging situation for them,” Shibley says.
Christians in North Korea are constantly under the weight of persecution. Communism, the national push to recognize the leader as ‘god’, and the association of Christianity with the West, all make Christians a target.
Even so, they know the freedom of the Gospel, and desire for their neighbors and families to know it, too. So, in this hard situation, they’re finding an opportunity to minister.
“I always believe there are opportunities for the Gospel that surround these events of disaster. We are called as Christians to be interventionists, just as Jesus has intervened on our behalf,” Shibley says.
(Photo courtesy of Alpha Relief)
You can help intervene through their relief fund. Find that here.
And, disaster or no, there is plenty of reason to pray for North Korea.
Shibley suggests: “I think we need to be praying that the Lord will give both wisdom and courage to believers in North Korea. They have not been able to stamp out the Christian faith even after these many decades of communist rule.”
