ContextHea-Woo is a North Korean who lived most of her life under the communist regime of North Korea, where Christianity is persecuted and Christians are considered enemies of the state. Her family has been Christian for three generations, but she grew up without understanding the faith, as her mother hid the cross necklace and never spoke about Jesus, fearing the family would be sent to detention camps.
The TrialDuring the Korean War, at age 7, Hea-Woo saw dead people on the streets and orphaned children crying from hunger. Her father died in the war, and the family returned to North Korea in 1958. She watched her mother praying silently while cooking, but thought she was talking to herself. Her mother helped widows and orphans but never revealed her faith, fearing for her children's safety.
Faith and OutcomeHea-Woo only understood Christianity later, when facing hardships she learned to believe in Jesus. Her mother died without ever sharing her faith with her children, which deeply saddens her. Today, Hea-Woo serves the Lord, but cannot reveal her face or current location, as persecution against Christians in North Korea remains intense.
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