D E MO C R AT I C P E O P L E ' S R E P U B L I C O F KO R E A
The Runaway’s Gospel Even though I might get captured, I want to die with the hope of salvation.
D
uring a Friday evening vespers service at my church, I saw a stranger slip in. She was about 30 years old with a tanned face and determined look. Who is she? I wondered. When the program finished and nearly everyone had left, I sat next to her, quietly and respectfully. She broke the silence first: “I escaped from North Korea,” she said in a barely audible whisper, glancing around to make sure no one else had heard. “Please listen to my request.”
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I already knew what North Korean escapees needed, but I decided to let the conversation continue. Generally, they and I are on different wavelengths. I was a preacher of the gospel. North Korean escapees usually had no interest in the gospel, but they often pretended to show interest in order to get something from people like me. “How can I help you?” I asked. There was a heavy silence. Then she softly replied, “I know the assumptions that other people have about North Korean escapees.” Her response surprised me. I had never heard an escapee talk like this before. They usually only wanted a temporary hiding place or money to flee to a neighboring country. The things we could do to help these runaways were usually limited to the particular
circumstances, so I was already prepared with my answer. But what she said next shocked me even more. “I only have one request. Please, I want to be baptized.” Flabbergasted, I found myself replying, “We can’t baptize someone without their studying the Bible first. Do you know the meaning behind baptism?” “Yes,” she answered. “While I was hiding during my escape, I learned about Jesus through radio broadcasts.” “Radio?” Her story made me more and more curious. She continued telling her amazing experience. When she escaped North Korea and had no place to go, she met a kindhearted family and lived with them in secret for many years. Because of the language barrier, she couldn’t
