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You’re bringing hope to North Koreans like Hannah

Following Christ in North Korea often means imprisonment, torture or death, as the government classifies Christians as a “hostile” class. So, North Korean Christians must practice their faith in secret.

Meet Hannah Cho*. She has faced many challenges in her life – war, imprisonment, persecution and the loss of her husband.

While growing up during the Korean War, Hannah never knew about God. Her only remembrance of anything Christian came from her believing mother, whom she would often see praying.

“My father and I had to watch out for our neighbours. If anyone came close, we’d cough and she’d stop praying…” said Hannah.

Years later, Hannah, her husband and their children moved to China in search of a better life. “My husband’s relative brought us to church, and this is where we first heard the entire Gospel. All of us accepted Jesus Christ that day.”

Hannah was so severely tortured that when she and her family were released and reunited, they barely recognised one another.

They were discovered by Chinese secret agents, arrested and finally sent back to North Korea where they were imprisoned and tortured. “They’d beat us so harshly. When there was no interrogation, we had to kneel in our cells from 5 AM to 12 PM and not speak.”

Hannah’s entire family was then put in solitary confinement due to their Christian faith. During their imprisonment, they were so severely tortured that when they were released and reunited, they barely recognised one another.

Immediately, they began planning to escape to China again. Hannah and her daughter were the first to leave; her husband and son were supposed to meet them a month later. But a month became three years without Hannah hearing from her husband.

“I found out [my husband] died shortly after we left. He was never able to overcome the pain and illnesses from prison. My son… is still in North Korea. I haven’t seen or spoken to him in many years.”

This is the stark reality for many North Korean Christians. But thanks to friends like you, so many “Hannahs” in North Korea are receiving the hope, strength and courage they need to stand strong in the faith. That’s because friends like you are helping provide them with critical support such as food aid, clothes and medicines.

So as the needs of our brothers and sisters in places like North Korea continue to increase, please be in prayer with us as we launch our Global Summer Offensive campaign this month. Pray that many friends would give generously to help more believers, like Hannah, who live where faith costs the most!

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