Starving and with little to no resources, you are forced to move. You bravely leave what you know, hoping the unknown will have better options. You pack your bag of meager belongings into your knapsack, and to make it easier for your frail body to travel, you place your one-and-a-half-year-old child inside and carry everything on your back. You're not 100% positive about where to go or what to expect, but you imagine it will be better than where you started.
On your trek for new possibilities, hope, and courage as your left and right armor bearers, life instantly comes to a halt. You feel a massive yank from behind when someone takes your possessions without realizing they also stole your greatest treasure, your only child. A homeless vagrant stole everything you owned and possibly the only person you ever loved.
This is the true life story of a North Korean survivor. Her testimony is one of many that will impact my heart forever. Even though I didn't hear everyone's stories during our time in South Korea, I know a common thread knits them all together - the unimaginable Herculean effort to prevail and the haunting guilt to survive.
These heroic biographies deserve to be heard and honored. I hope to return and document these remarkable stories so others can be impacted by their physical and spiritual journey to freedom.
We have been back for a couple of weeks now, and I'm definitely going through withdrawals. I miss the culture and the people, making new connections, and creating fun memories with the powerhouse friends that we went with.
I was heartened to witness the hunger, dedication, and passion for the Lord amongst all the generations. The "cherry on top" for me was witnessing God's captivating love for His people. I could go on and on. As I continue to process, I will ramble about it here in the coming weeks. So get ready to join me on a whirlwind mission trip to South Korea. ☺
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