“Why can’t you just stop launching for a while?”: A word to Christians around the world about our situation in South Korea

“Why can’t you just stop launching for a while?”: A word to Christians around the world about our situation in South Korea

“Why can’t you just stop launching for a while?”

This is the question we at Voice of the Martyrs Korea are always asked about our work of sending Bibles into North Korea by high-altitude helium balloons. It is work that began 18 years ago in response to a promise Dr. Foley and I made to underground North Korean Christians. It is work that has continued every night over the past 15 years when the weather has permitted us to successfully launch (typically 10-15 times each summer), as according to our computer modeling software and GPS tracking devices. It is work that has continued even during the moments of greatest conflict between north and south: when Kim Jong-Il died, when the Cheonan submarine was sunk, and when Yeonpyeong Island was shelled. By the grace of God, it is work that has enabled us to place more than 600,000 Bibles inside North Korea, raising the percentage of North Koreans who have seen the Bible with their own eyes from 0% when we started to nearly 8% today.

However, from the day we started, it has always been unpopular work.

In 2018, people said to us, “Peace is upon us now. Why can’t you just stop launching for a while?”

Now in 2020, people say to us, “War is upon us now. Why can’t you just stop launching for a while?”

The answer is this:

As long as it is day, we Christians in South Korea must all do the works of the Lord Jesus who sent us. Night is coming, when no one can work. (John 9:4)

From now on, each day that passes, it will become more and more difficult for Christians in South Korean to partner with underground North Korean Christians. The goal of the enemy (and our enemy is not flesh and blood; Ephesians 6:12) is to cut off South Korean Christians from North Korean Christians, to make us believe we are two bodies, not one.

People think that it is the South Korean Christians who are supporting the underground North Korean Christians, but from the moment Christianity came to Korea, continuing on up through today, the North Korean underground Christians have been and still remain the foundation and the pillars of the whole Korean church, north and south. So when the enemy cuts off the South Korean church from the North Korean underground church, it is not the North Korean underground church that will struggle but the South Korean church.

The South Korean church is always in danger of trusting in its money and whatever freedom the government grants it. That is how it allowed itself to become separate from the North Korean underground church in the first place.

But the North Korean underground church has never had money or freedom. It has only ever had Christ. And it has always found that Christ is sufficient. Christ is and always has been the light of the North Korean underground church. That light has always shined from the North Korean underground church to the South Korean church.

God’s word for today for all of us Christians in South Korea is this:

“Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you.’” (John 12:35)

Warmly in Christ,
The Rev. Dr. Eric Foley
CEO,  Voice of the Martyrs Korea
July 5, 2020

12 Comments

  1. 진리의 행보

    Says July 14, 2020 at pm 5:18

    귀한 글에 동의하고 귀한 사역에 응원하며 기도합니다. 아직은 빛이 있을 동안에 우리가 할 일을 하는 것이 청지기들의 마땅한 책무입니다. 우리는 마땅한 것을 하기에 또한 무익한 종이기도 하지만 그 날에 주께로 부터 칭찬과 위로가 있을 것입니다. 힘내십시오.

    • VOMK

      Says August 07, 2020 at am 10:56

      격려 감사합니다.
      청지기의 책무로 함께 동역하실 수 있는 방법을 몇 가지 소개 드리고자 합니다.

      https://vomkorea.com/prisoner-profiles/
      믿음 때문에 갇혀 있는 기독교인들에게 편지를 쓰셔서 함께 나눌 수 있습니다.

      또한 아직 영화 ‘그리스도를 위한 고난’을 시청하지 않으셨다면, 시청하시면서 지하교회 성도들의 믿음에 도전받으시고
      주변 분들에게 나눠주시기를 권면드립니다. 하나님 나라가 하늘에서 이뤄진 것처럼 땅에서도 이뤄지는 그 역사를 기대합니다.
      칭찬과 위로가 있는 자리에 함께 해주셔서 감사드립니다.

  2. 정인국

    Says July 14, 2020 at pm 5:46

    복음을 북한에 보내는 일을 응원합니다.

  3. Kyou Hwa Park

    Says July 14, 2020 at pm 9:29

    때가 아직 낮이기에, 남한에 있는 우리 기독교인들은 우리를 보내신 분의 일을 해야 합니다. 밤이 올 것이고, 그 때에는 아무도 일할 수 없기 때문입니다. (요9:4)

    맞습니다!! 전적으로 동의합니다
    너무 귀한사역 묵묵히 해오셨으니
    또 그 길을 신실하게 주님의 허락하실 때까지 계속 가시길
    멀리서 중보하며 지지합니다

    • VOMK

      Says August 07, 2020 at am 10:29

      함께 기도해 주셔서 감사합니다. 더 다양한 소식들을 유투브 ‘순교자의 소리’에서도 시청하실 수 있으니 참고해 주세요.
      영화 ‘그리스도를 위한 고난’을 시청하지 않으셨다면, 시청하시도록 추천드립니다. http://www.vomkorea.com/tfc
      핍박받는 기도교인들의 신앙을 생각하고 삶에 적용하실 수 있는 기회를 드릴 것이라 생각합니다. 가능하신 때에 저희 순교자의 소리도 방문해 주세요.
      감사합니다.

  4. Hanumenaik india

    Says July 15, 2020 at pm 7:25

    I am praying for this ministry

  5. 박소민

    Says July 17, 2020 at pm 1:17

    Thank you..!!

  6. 이경환

    Says July 23, 2020 at pm 4:33

    preach the gospel all of the world. that is a command of Jesus our king.
    I pray for your ministry…

    • Pastor Tim

      Says July 23, 2020 at pm 5:03

      Thank you for your prayers! God is in control!! ~ Pastor Tim

  7. 김순자

    Says August 05, 2020 at pm 8:37

    경기 부천시 부흥로150,1605동803호

    • VOMK

      Says August 07, 2020 at am 9:59

      안녕하세요, 순교자의 소리입니다. 저희 소식지를 받고 싶으셔서 주소를 남겨주신 것인지 여쭤보고 싶습니다. 010-3151-2065로 연락주시면 감사하겠습니다. 순교자의 소리 사역에 관심주심을 감사드립니다.

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