Page 7 - Good News September 2018 paper

hen Sister Ki was a child Some time after leaving school, Ki continued to go to the meetings verses 6 and 7 from Psalm 62:
in North Korea, her she went to the Chinese border with her mother-in-law, and grew 'Truly He is my rock and my
Wfather came home one and swam across the river that in faith and knowledge of God. salvation; He is my fortress, I will
day, completely distraught, cry- divided the two countries. She After some time, Ki wanted to let not be shaken. My salvation and
ing so loudly that she feared the then trekked inland until she her family back in North Korea my honour depend on God; He is
neighbours would tell the police. came to a village. “I was caught by know that she had become a my mighty rock, my refuge.'
She thought someone must have human traffickers and sold to a Christian. However, her Chinese
died. Chinese farmer,” she recounted. family, probably less naïve than “Then, I begged God for mercy. All
“He wasn't as bad as most she was, did not want her to make I wanted was a chance to be
Ki's intuition was correct. Her Chinese men who buy North this dangerous journey. But in the reunited with my family and to
father's younger brother had Korean women. I had a child with end they let her go. worship God together with them.”
been executed for his faith in him. But still I thought I could
Christ. She was let in on the family never feel at home in this family.” The border crossing back into After a few months in the camp,
secret: most of her relatives were North Korea went horribly wrong. the prison guards found out her
Christians! But Ki knew that Her mother-in-law also lived with Ki was almost immediately family background, and - as is the
'threats' against the Government Ki and her Chinese husband, and arrested by a military patrol and custom in North Korea - she was
were not tolerated, and she did Ki began to notice 'suspicious sent to prison. “When I saw how transferred to a camp closer to
not want to have anything to do behaviour' by the woman. Some the other prisoners and I were her hometown. This camp had
with the Christian faith. “I wanted days the mother-in-law left the treated, as if we weren't humans, I less surveillance.
life to go back to normal, so I house without telling where she gave up on life. I trembled often in
focused on school,” she told was going. “One night, I decided prison and thought I would never “I took this as a sign from God to
Open Doors. to follow her. It was a long way see my earthly family again.” try to escape,” she recounted. “I
before she reached the place knew He would protect me. One
Nevertheless, she wanted to where some kind of meeting was But after some time, something night, the guards were drunk and
leave North Korea. When the going on. I called her. Of course, stirred in her heart that was they hadn't locked the door of the
North Korean State gave her the she was very surprised to see me, impossible to resist. “It was like barracks. I snuck out and ran
opportunity to go to China in a but she also invited me to partici- an invisible power,” she said. “I through the gate. My heart was
sponsored student programme, pate. I quickly discovered it was a felt it every time I wanted to give pounding so fast! I didn't stop
she refused. “Going abroad under Christian meeting, which made up hope. That power was God running until I came to a sign that
the umbrella of the State meant me uncomfortable because in my Himself. He was with me and pointed me the way to my
they would severely monitor and country I had always been against didn't want me to give up.” hometown.”
control me. No, if I wanted to Christianity. My curiosity beat my
leave, I had to go by myself with- fear and I decided to stay to learn Ki remembered Bible verses she After her escape, Ki was finally
Continued on p. 8
out telling anyone.” more about God.” had memorized, especially Continued on p. 8