{"id":44841,"date":"2022-12-06T14:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-12-06T05:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=44841"},"modified":"2022-12-07T10:22:18","modified_gmt":"2022-12-07T01:22:18","slug":"vomk-report-232","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/12\/06\/vomk-report-232\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA PASTOR IN HIDING: \u201c1 DAY IN JEJU IS BETTER THAN 1,000 DAYS IN THAILAND\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44830″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea traveled to Thailand late last month to continue its persecution training for members of the embattled \u201cMayflower Church\u201d\u2014the congregation of the Shenzen Holy Reformed Church which fled China for Jeju Island in 2019 before relocating to Thailand this past August in their ongoing efforts to seek religious asylum.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe church members and their pastor, Pan <\/span>Yongguang<\/span>, loved <\/span>Jeju<\/span> and were grateful for <\/span>the tremendous help they received from Korean churches<\/span> during their time in <\/span>Jeju<\/span>,\u201d says Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span> Hyun Sook Foley. \u201c<\/span>They hated to leave their adopted home. <\/span>But a<\/span>fter consulting with different groups, they decided that <\/span>Jeju<\/span> was a <\/span>\u2018<\/span>dead-end<\/span>\u2019<\/span> in their hopes for asylum and that a move to Thailand could <\/span>open up<\/span> a new opportunity for asylum in America or elsewhere.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says the <\/span>group already misses Korea.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cPastor Pan told us, \u2018O<\/span>ne day in <\/span>Je<\/span>j<\/span>u<\/span> Island is better than 1,000 days in Thailan<\/span>d,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>They haven\u2019t forgotten those they met in Korea, especially the North Korean defectors <\/span>in our Voice of the Martyrs Korea ministry. <\/span>During our visit<\/span> to Thailand<\/span>, several of the Mayflower Church members gave us offerings for North Korea ministry <\/span>from money <\/span>they <\/span>had <\/span>earned <\/span>in <\/span>Jeju<\/span> from <\/span>picking <\/span>tangerines.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Still, she says, the group is grateful to be in Thailand and remains hopeful in their prospects for asylum.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>In practical terms, the<\/span>ir<\/span> situation in Thailand is much harder than Korea, which they fully expected. <\/span>They are not free to move around like they want. When out in public, they need an escort and protection. They are surrounded by Buddhist temples and idols.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44833″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea Discipleship Manager Pastor Tim Dillmuth leads the Mayflower Church in a persecution training session.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]But u<\/span>nlike <\/span>Korea<\/span>,<\/span> in Thailand <\/span>there is <\/span>an<\/span> office of the <\/span>UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)<\/span> where groups like theirs can register <\/span>in an effort to<\/span> be officially declared refugees<\/span>, and very recently several families have had their first interview<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that <\/span>the church is in a high<\/span> security situation<\/span>,<\/span> as <\/span>church members report that <\/span>Chinese secret police have been <\/span>tracking them <\/span>and <\/span>have <\/span>on a few occasions physically threatened church <\/span>members <\/span>while they were in public areas. To help mitigate this threat, there <\/span>is<\/span> a team of people who are living in Thailand and <\/span>are <\/span>dedicated to <\/span>the group\u2019s <\/span>security.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Technically speaking, the church members are living illegally in Thailand<\/span> because their tourist visas have expired<\/span>, so <\/span>it is best for them to stay completely outside of the public eye,\u201d says Representative Foley. She said that is why the <\/span>persecution <\/span>training event her organization conducted had to occur in secret.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cI<\/span>t was extremely special to learn that our training was the first time that the <\/span>Mayflower C<\/span>hurch was all together for a teaching\/worship gathering in Thailand<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Despite the danger, the elders of the church felt like it was important enough to bring the church together to hear the <\/span>w<\/span>ord of the Lord in person<\/span>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In additional to the teaching times, <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea <\/span>also personally visited <\/span>each of <\/span>the Mayflower Church members. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Through these visitations, we were able to share the <\/span>w<\/span>ord of God in each home and <\/span>to <\/span>pray for the needs and concerns of each family. We were also able to pray a blessing upon each home<\/span>,\u201d she says<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44836″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The Mayflower Church assembles together for the first time since all the members arrived in Thailand, to receive persecution training from Voice of the Martyrs Korea.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley<\/span>, the Mayflower Church <\/span>members told them that <\/span>though <\/span>they have <\/span>received help from around the world related to their asylum, the help they receive from V<\/span>oice of the Martyrs Korea is <\/span>different.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Our <\/span>persecution training<\/span> is centered around the cross and is designed to bring them <\/span>\u2018<\/span>face to face<\/span>\u2019<\/span> with what the Bible <\/span>teaches <\/span>about <\/span>martyrdom, which means simply \u2018<\/span>faithful witness<\/span>\u2019,\u201d says Representative Foley<\/span>. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>During our training times, we neither affirm nor reject their decision to leave China or <\/span>to seek asylum abroad<\/span>. We simply point them to the <\/span>w<\/span>ord <\/span>and <\/span>also<\/span> share with them <\/span>the example of <\/span>the faithful witness of <\/span>their brothers<\/span> and <\/span>sisters around the world where Christians are persecuted.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says that the <\/span>Mayflower Church has always received this message well and <\/span>is continuing to <\/span>attempt to put the principles into practice in the life of their church and their families.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>One of the first things that Pastor Pan <\/span>told us <\/span>when we arrived was that the whole church was still practicing family <\/span>household <\/span>worship<\/span>.<\/span> We taught them detailed strategies for this when we first met them two <\/span>years ago<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley says no one knows the timetable or the probability of what will happen next to the church.\u00a0 \u201cPastor Pan and the church members know they must focus on today. As the Lord Jesus taught us, today has enough troubles of its own,\u201d she says.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in learning more about Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s work in partnership with underground Chinese Christians wherever they are found can visit <\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/china<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44839″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”This girl was one of several children born to the Mayflower Church on Jeju Island. Several more children have now been born to the church members in Thailand.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”44830″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Voice of the Martyrs Korea traveled to Thailand late last month to continue its persecution training for members of the embattled \u201cMayflower Church\u201d\u2014the congregation of the Shenzen …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":44831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44841"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44856,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44841\/revisions\/44856"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}