In September, a group of seven nervous refugees and instructors took the stage at a fall festival in Incheon to do a line dancing performance in front of an audience. ​​Up until the time of the performance, most of the women second guessed their decision to perform that day, but the consensus was they were glad they pushed through the doubts and fears. Their performance was a big hit and the women who participated felt a new bond with each other.

“We climbed a mountain together,” said one woman after the performance. 

Crossing Borders’ free Line Dancing classes in South Korea have become a fun and strategic way for us to share the Good News of Jesus to North Koreans who desperately need it. 

North Koreans arrive in South Korea with a significant amount of trauma that they have accrued from the time they are born and through their dangerous journey to freedom. But very few North Koreans understand that they have trauma and what they can do to address it. Furthermore, there is a social stigma about receiving any emotional or psychological care in North Korea that refugees carry with them to South Korea.

Through Elim Community, we offer a variety of classes aimed at addressing the trauma in North Korean’s lives. One of the classes that has taken off this year is Line Dancing, which is a k-pop version of country line dancing that is popular in the US. Studies suggest that moving one’s body rhythmically and in unison can aid in trauma care. It has also been great fun for refugees involved. It is our hope that they will come for enjoyment while experiencing the therapeutic effects of the class to help cope with the acute trauma that most struggle with. Furthermore, we hope that, as they attend our community classes, that they will hear with open ears that their help and healing is found in Jesus Christ.

The refugee women were proud of their performance in September but all participants agreed that there was room for improvement. They agreed to compete in a community talent show two short months later. They revamped their music to be more lively and modern. They upgraded their outfits, adding skirts to their sequin vests. A few more women joined the team. Their performance was a hit. They did not receive the coveted top prize, but many on the team felt like they deserved it.

After these performances, our line dancing classes have become even more popular and engaging. Our social worker Cindy said that the atmosphere at class after the performances has become more joyful and the women feel a great bond with each other. The North Koreans who participated in the performance, though they had to be convinced to join, now are the most enthusiastic about Line Dancing. 

Most importantly, these classes have become an avenue to share the Good News with the participants. One woman, curious about a Christian devotional one of our staff members brought to the class, asked about Christianity and asked if she could also have a copy of this book. Elim Community is just one channel through which we share the love of Christ to North Koreans, both in our serving the community and in directly telling them about the person of Jesus. This is our prayer as the community grows and bonds:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.- Romans 15:13