Prayer for North Korean Refugees: Suicide

Mia came to China from North Korea at the height of the North Korean famine in 1998. Like many, many North Korean refugee women, she was captured by traffickers right after she crossed the border. What was unusual about her case, however, was that she was put in a burlap sack and thrown into the back of a truck. “I felt like I was less than a pig,” said Mia.

She was sold for 5,000 Chinese RMB (about $600, according historical exchange rate data) to an abusive Chinese farmer, with whom she had a son.

Mia’s husband beat her so mercilessly that she saw suicide as the only escape to her situation. She tried sleeping pills, which didn’t work. She tried rat poison, which hospitalized her.

When Mia came to in the hospital, she was placed in a bed next to a Korean-Chinese prostitute, who told Mia to be strong and that there was a way out of her situation. Mia didn’t want to believe her. When Mia was ready to go back home, there were policemen outside her room patrolling the hospital. As a North Korean refugee, she would be arrested, imprisoned, sent back to North Korea. Mia's roommate told her to step outside. What happened next was both horrific and extraordinary.

Mia’s roommate exchanged her body for Mia’s freedom. After the police emerged from the hospital room, they allowed Mia to move to another village with her son. There, she was sold to another man, who was disabled but did not beat her.

She now attends church and has a job in the kitchen in a small boarding school in the countryside. She said that she realizes now that suicide was not her hope, her hope was God.

We believe there are many more like North Korean refugees who are living hopelessly in forced marriages and are waiting to be set free.

As we pray today, let us ask God to mobilize the church so that North Korean refugee women like Mia can be saved from their utter despair.

Thank You! Two New North Korean Orphans in Our Care

Last winter Crossing Borders ran an email campaign that said your donation of $10 or more could help save two lives. With the generous contributions of our supporters, the campaign raised just short of the desired goal of $6000. We were able to make up the difference and commit to support two North Korean orphans in our Child Sponsorship program.

Your donations have changed the lives of these two children, and we would like to introduce them to you.

Sun Mee

Sun Mee is an 8-year-old girl. Her mother was captured by the Chinese authorities when she was a year old. Her father has psychological problems. She comes from a very small town and her grandmother takes her home every other weekend. Her favorite food is strawberries. Sun Mee wants to own a clothing shop one day. When asked what kind of clothes she wanted to sell in her shop she said, “Only for women!”

Hoonie

Hoonie is a 7-year-old boy. He was told by a relative that his mother is in another town but we were unable to verify this. All we know that his mother left him at a very early age and has never come back. His grandmother, who is also a North Korean refugee, was raising him. He is sickly and he misses class often. He loves to draw.

Most North Korean orphans in Second Wave have North Korean mothers who have abandoned them. Crossing Borders runs group homes, which provide them with holistic, compassionate care. All of these children are desperately poor and would be left in the streets had it not been for your help.

You can profoundly alter the course of a North Korean orphan's life by donating to this program. Please click here to see how you can powerfully affect the work that we do in sharing Christ's love with them.

Thank you to those who donated to this campaign. We look to build off this success throughout this year and beyond. We really feel like we are on to something great. Stay tuned.