North Korea

Before I left the States at the end of last summer, my knowledge about Korean history and current political situation was minimal.  This is what I knew:  South Korea was good, a place I could easily live, but North Korea had some funky stuff going on.  

"Funky stuff" is the tip of the iceberg.  Conditions in North Korea are horrendous.  Freedom of religion doesn't exist.  Christians are persecuted and thrown into concentration or work camps. Many people are starving; Kim Jong Un is oppressive.  

Many South Koreans Christians have immense compassion for their North Korean neighbors; some even have relatives still living in North Korea.  Cornerstone International Ministries is a large group of South Korean Christians who are spreading the gospel to North Korea through many different methods,  smuggling Bibles, broadcasting worship services, and floating balloons with scripture written on it over the border. On Thursday two students and I went to volunteer with the balloon ministry. Please watch the YouTube video below to get a background on what 'the balloon ministry' before continuing to read this blog post. 

"Bible Balloon Offensives Float Into North Korea"

My students and I joined approximately 15 others as we drove north toward the border.  Before dinner we visited the place where we would launch the balloons later that night.  Here's a picture; the mountains are North Korea. I'm sure the DMZ is there, I just can't really see it.  We were less than 10K from North Korea.

Sorry, taken through a car window. 

As we waited for it to get dark, we visited a rest stop area for dinner.  The rest stop was entertaining and had a few memorials and historical artifacts on display.  This town, so close to North Korea, does not want to have a negative depressing atmosphere.  They have built the rest area up to be a tourist attraction (that even includes a few amusement park rides). 

Notes and prayers for those (family and friends) who still live in North Korea. 

Old train that was attacked in the Korean War. 

My students and I. 

Finally around 8:30pm we traveled north for a second time.  We stopped in the middle of rice patties, and after a few instructions on safety began to pray.  Our leader opened the back of the van, where the helium tank was and began to fill three balloons.  After they were full we prayed as a group that the wind was blowing north and the balloons would fall into the hands of those who need to hear the gospel.  As soon as the balloons were released, the wind blew them south.  What a disappointment. 

"Even the wind and the waves obey Him!" Matthew 8:27.  I believe in God's power to change the wind.  We prayed passionately, whole-heartedly, believing that the wind direction would change.  Fifteen minutes later we filled three more balloons.  This time I held the balloon facing north, and as I prayed for the path of the balloon and the person who would receive it I felt a cool breeze on the back of my neck.  What an immediate, concrete answer to prayer!  I released the balloon and joyfully watched as it flew north.  I watched and watched as it climbed higher into the sky.  Unfortunately the higher it got the more south it came.  The wind at ground level was blowing north, but the wind at higher altitudes was still blowing south.  Not enough yet. 

Our group turned to prayer with more fervor than before.  I say fervor because Koreans praying in the technique they call 'One Voice' is undeniably fervent. What a blessing to lead the two girls in prayer during this time. Another fifteen minutes passed and we sent up three more balloons.  Immediately they went northeast, but ultimately the headed southeast.  Still not the correct direction for us to send hundreds of balloons. We turned to prayer again. Fifteen minutes later as our leader reached down to fill up three more balloons our last try of the night, he found the helium tank to be empty.  Somehow there was a leak and we were not able to send anymore balloons.  This was the first time for the leader, who has been doing the balloon ministry for five years, there were problems with the gas tank.   Instead of packing up and leaving right away we prayed again as a group for North Korea.  Here are some of the things we prayed for: (This could also guide you in praying for North Korea.)

- North Koreans would come to know Christ. 

- Christians living there would be safe. 

- The Word of God would continue to spread throughout the country. 

- The statues of Kim Jong Un would be torn down. 

- Underground churches would grow. 

- Safety for North Korean Christians who escape and return to share the gospel. 

- The Unification of North and South Korea. 

The wind didn't blow north; we were not able to send up as many balloons as we hoped.  I was disappointed and confused.  Why wouldn't God answer that prayer?  Mark 11:24 says, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."  When I felt the cool breeze on the back of my neck, I believed 100% that the wind had changed, when ultimately, it hadn't.  For about the past year I have struggled with praying expectantly.  Having the wind not change, as I hoped, only discouraged me more.  

God is big enough to answer prayers in ways we don't expect or can't understand.  He can also see the heart of our prayer and the big picture.  There were nine balloons sent up that night.  Although they didn't head toward North Korea, maybe God directed them to where they would best be used at that time.  One of the purposes of visiting Cornerstone Ministries was to spread the word of God, and yes we were able to do that. God did answer the heart of my prayer.  During the time balloon launches, we prayed hard for North Korea.  Praise God for the opportunities and experiences we did have!