On Friday May 30, 2003 Soon Ok Lee, a woman released from the horrors of North Korean imprisonment, graced the pulpit of the Hanmee Korean church in Itasca, IL. As she approached the pulpit one could see the effects of physical abuse from her imprisonment, and sense the emotional pain of her torment while living in North Korea. Soon Ok Lee's eloquent speech was filled with determination to present the case of her fellow North Koreans and grasp the compassion of the audience. Throughout her testimony you will not find many details of what she suffered. In her selflessness you will find out about the lives of fellow political and religious prisoners. She was once sentenced to death and now free by the grace and plan of God, you will acknowledge that the hand of God is upon her.

Her testimony of the events that led to her escape is encased with the thread of constant prayer from her mother, her son and the Christian prisoners in the camp that became her nightmare. She made a central point of discussing the treatment of Christians in prison. Their fate is to be valued as "less than human" and treated "worse than animals" by their captors, unless they are willing to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. That renouncement must be accompanied by a declaration of the sovereignty of Kim Jong Il. Ms. Lee knows first hand how that treatment is manifested in the prisons. The Christians in one camp were placed into a steel processing facility in the labor camp. Ventilation was non-existent and you gagged when entering the workshop. The noxious gasses from the process of making steel were overwhelming and caused the workers to appear as though faceless and very stunted in their physical growth. "She said that you could not tell that they were human beings," related my interpreter. They worked without protective clothing and had burns all over their bodies from the splatter of molten metal. The consequence of this type of hard labor results in premature death. The bodies of the fallen are buried in a hole under the trees and no record or decency is accorded them. And yet as Ms. Lee related they would continually sing hymns and looked up to heaven crying out to God even at the point of death. These same Christians prayed for Soon Ok Lee. They prayed for her to find freedom to speak out about the atrocities committed in North Korea. They also prayed that she would discover the mercy of the God that they served.

Because of those prayers Soon Ok Lee soon came into the realization of who God is and what His plan was for her life. She also found a way of escape from her captivity, miraculously. Thus, she stood in a pulpit in the freest nation in the world as an advocate of the voiceless imprisoned in North Korea. She is a true fulfillment of the Biblical proclamation that the prayers of the righteous avail much. She has asked that prayer be given for three things:

Kim Jong Il - that his heart may be changed.

The elimination of suffering by the Christians in North Korea.

The collapse of the Government in North Korea so the citizens may finally experience freedom from oppression.

The secular world has gathered much information from Ms. Lee, but the real Soon Ok Lee is a woman of incredible strength and faith in God. To sit in her presence confirms within your spirit that you are with someone special, a person touched by the Lord and that touch will reach your heart and move you to compassion.Lord may we never forget those brothers and sisters who are suffering in North Korea and throughout the world. That is my prayer.

Word of thanks
A special thanks to Pastor Lee of the Hanmee Korean Church, Insom Lee who was selected to interpret for me. Thank you Insom. A special thanks to Soon Ok Lee, a true hero of the faith and an inspiration for living life to the fullest, and to Lin Park who made us feel at home with Ms. Lee. Soon Ok Lee's full story and information are available at www.soonoklee.com