VOICE OF THE MARTYRS KOREA HOSTS “MINISTRY TRAINING PARTIES” FOR NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS OVER CHINESE NEW YEAR

VOICE OF THE MARTYRS KOREA HOSTS “MINISTRY TRAINING PARTIES” FOR NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS OVER CHINESE NEW YEAR

VOICE OF THE MARTYRS KOREA HOSTS “MINISTRY TRAINING PARTIES” FOR NORTH KOREAN DEFECTORS OVER CHINESE NEW YEAR

127 North Korean defectors came to three “ministry training parties” hosted by Voice of the Martyrs Korea in Seoul, Daejeon, and Busan around the Chinese New Year holiday. As Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley explains, the events gave North Korean defectors the opportunity to do ministry rather than to be recipients of ministry done by others.

“Korean churches and organizations often hold events for North Korean defectors, but typically at those events North Koreans are the ‘guests of honor’ who receive gifts, special food, and sometimes luxury trips,” said Representative Foley. “But at our Chinese New Year ministry parties, we emphasized to North Korean defectors that today is the day for gospel ministry to North Korea, and that North Korean defectors have both a responsibility and an opportunity to be leaders in gospel ministry to North Korea because there are things only North Korean defectors know or can do. So the ministry training parties are an opportunity for North Korean defectors to serve, rather than to be served. 

The day-long events, which were held at the ministry’s regional offices in Seoul, Daejeon, and Busan, included a Bible translation workshop, where North Korean defector attendees participated in the ministry’s multi-year project to create a new “reader’s edition of the John Ross Bible. “Missionary Ross and his team of Chosun translators first published the Ross Bible in the 1880s from China, with between 15,000 and 50,000 smuggled into Chosun before the first Western missionaries even arrived,” said Representative Foley. “The Ross Bible was done before the standardization of the Korean language, so the text represents every word phonetically. You have to sound out the word, figure out what it is, write it out, figure out how it is written today, figure out what the whole sentence is, figure out what words are obsolete, and research those.” She says that since the Ross translation was originally done by Koreans from the north and west parts of the country, ordinary North Koreans of today can better understand some of the dialect and vocabulary than professional South Korean translators. “North Korean defectors say, ‘Those are words my grandparents used to say.’  

Participants at the event also learned about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s camping ministry, which divides the country into six regions to which North Korean defectors regularly travel in the ministry’s camping vehicles to visit North Korean defectors who live beyond the reach of ministries focused on North Korean defectors in Seoul. “30 percent of North Korean defectors live outside of Seoul, and often they have no contact with other North Koreans,” says Representative Foley. “Through the camping ministry, these North Korean defectors are able to meet with other North Koreans, prepare North Korean food together, and work on gospel ministry projects like the Ross Bible translation.”  

Attendees at the party participated in dramatic skits and songs drawn from the ministry’s John Ross Bible Musical Drama. “We frequently use drama and dance to teach Bible stories and the early history of Christianity in Chosun to North Korean defectors,” says Representative Foley. “North Korean defectors love to participate in drama and dance, and they eagerly participated in these skits at our Chinese New Year parties, with small prizes being given to those voted as the best performers.” 

“The event was so so good and I was impressed. It was shown for us through the drama when, from where, through where, and in what form the Bible came to our land and I had the honor of actually going up and doing the movements. I do not think I will forget this until I die and even when I go to heaven…”- KJH 

“It was a very enjoyable day that gave me a variety of experiences. Although I don’t deny God, I was very nervous about God, but after hearing the experiences of four missionaries, I realized that I should believe in God more urgently. It was a time to realize once again that God is alive and it was a valuable time to know our history.” – JEY 

Attendees at the events were encouraged to apply for admission to Voice of the Martyrs Koreas Underground University, a missionary training school equipping North Koreans to evangelize and disciple other North Koreans, wherever they are found. More information about Voice of the Martyrs Korea’s Underground University for North Korean defectors is available at https://vomkorea.com/en/project/northkorea/uu-school/.  

Individuals interested in serving as volunteers in Voice of the Martyrs Koreas North Korean or other ministry programs can call 010-8844-2065. 

50 NK defectors attend the ministry training party hosted at the VOMK regional office in Seoul

50 NK defectors attend the ministry training party hosted at the VOMK regional office in Daejeon

27 NK defectors attend the ministry training party hosted at the VOMK regional office in Busan

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