In recent years, the Danish European Mission's faithful donors have helped to ensure that the abandoned children of North Korean women expelled from China have received help. These abandoned children receive care, education, and help with daily necessities. At the same time, they receive a loving introduction to Jesus and the Bible.
Any mother who is separated from her child would be grateful that there are people who care for them. Especially if that mother is now in a North Korean prison camp because she has been discovered by the Chinese authorities and forcibly returned to North Korea, where she is considered a traitor.
Sold as bridal
Unfortunately, this is the harsh reality for some women. These women have fled the horrific conditions in North Korea, a country known for making its people submit to the will of the regime. Yet, in desperation at the situation, some women take a chance and flee. But along the way, the women are often tricked by cynical human traffickers and sold as brides for around $3,000 to men in Northeast China. These men have not been able to find a wife in the area. If they have a child together, it is considered stateless and in many cases the father does nothing to care for it.
It is estimated that 70-90 % of all female refugees from North Korea are caught in the web of human traffickers. In China, the woman must constantly live with the fear of being separated from her child. At any moment, the Chinese police could knock on her door and mercilessly send her back to North Korea.
When mom is away
It is said that some women are so afraid of being sent back to North Korea that they carry a razor blade or arsenic in their bags. They would rather die than be tortured and fall into the clutches of the regime.
Other of these women are separated from their child because they feel compelled to flee China before they are discovered. And unfortunately, Chinese men are often not interested in a child if the woman is sent back to North Korea. It's very painful for a child when both mother and father disappear from their lives. That's why it's so important that children feel that someone loves them, especially when their mother is gone.
When I visited some of these children, they were reluctant to talk about their mother - who may now be hidden away in one of North Korea's notorious prison camps. But I will never forget when the children sang Christian songs and danced in a small apartment. In one of the places, our partner helped the children with various school assignments. They had met love through Christian missionaries and others who put a smile on their faces.
Dangerous work to help
Today, there are a number of missionaries - especially with South Korean roots - who reach out to refugees from North Korea. It is not without danger that they do this work. When I last visited the area where the children are, I met one of these front fighters. She had been approached by North Korean agents. They had asked for her at the office in northeast China. Apparently, they were in possession of a crucial document with the front fighter's name on it. Fortunately, she was not present when they arrived, but she was very affected by the situation when I met her. The thing is, there have been several different cases of North Korean agents murdering Christian missionaries on the streets of northeast China. Apparently, they want to prevent North Korean refugees from being influenced by the Christian testimony. Being in contact with Christians is considered particularly punishable, especially if you are sent back to North Korea and questioned by the authorities.
There are also examples of Christian activists who have mysteriously died. They are said to be stabbed in the street with a needle containing a deadly poison or they die "accidentally" in a traffic accident. That's why it's also important to pray for these people. They risk their lives to help North Korean refugees and children who are involuntarily separated from their mothers.
