causes...

I begin this post with this video:


i recently started watching documentaries on netflix and one documentary in particular caught my eye. It's a National Geographic movie entitled "Inside North Korea". The video boggled my mind. Apparently i have been living under a rock for the past 25 years b/c i had no idea what it was like to live in that country. This documentary REALLY opened my eyes (you can youtube the video and watch it in its entirety if you don't have netflix- i encourage you to watch the video sometime this week. It is about an hour long). Anyways this video startled me. I started reading all i could on North Korea

In case you didn't know:

North Korea is a closed country. No one is allowed in it and IF you are then you will be escort by police, under surveillance, and pretty much everywhere you go has been planned out for you. North Korea is all about putting it's "best face" forward but here are some alarming facts:

"The only acceptable religion is Cheongogyo, or 'Kim Il-Sung-ism', the cult of the deceased leader, inextricably tied to Juche ideology.
- Juche ideology pretty much teaches self reliance. North Koreans are encouraged to grow their own food etc with little assistance from other countries. With only 15% arable land you can see how this is an impossible ideal leading a lot of the country to starvation/extreme means in order to have enough to eat. More than 3 MILLION people have starved since 1994.

- Possessing a bible, saying 'GOD' or 'Jesus' and meeting as believers are all punishable by death. 'Kim Il- Sung' worship is the only lawful act of worship. There are over 70 bronze statues of the leader. Every citizen must wear a pin with the leaders face on it (or else they can be sent to a concentration camp or shot on sight) and every household must have a picture of the "Dear Leader" and his reigning son in it.

-If a North Korean escapes from North Korea his family is sent to concentration camps to the THIRD GENERATION. Actually, you can get sent to concentration camps all over the country for no reason at all, which helps enforce fear all throughout the country.

-If a North Korean citizen leaves their country, everyday you risk the threat of being captured and sent back. If that occurs you are publicly executed in your village. There have even been instances when North Korean agents act as Christian pastors in China and South Korea, even establish a church, in order to capture North Koreans to send back.

THIS IS JUST A LITTLE OF WHAT I FOUND OUT! I'm not even telling you about the indoctrination of North Korean youth, North Korea's exportation of MISSILE'S, and anti- American philosophies.

Right now there is an organization called Link global which is established in order to help these refuges. I encourage you to check it out.
This organization can be compared to the Under Ground Railroad for North Koreans and provide shelter, paperwork, food etc in order to help North Korean escape and live, for the first time, freely. It costs 2,500 to help ONE North Korean escape. I want to be able to save enough to help at least on refuge.

Until then there is another way that i am helping. If you know me you know that coffee is close to my heart. I will spend 9.99 for a bag of starbucks coffee and i found out that there is this organization where you can purchase a bag of coffee at $14 they will ship you one bag a month and 30% of the proceeds will go link. If you are a coffee drinker like me or you know of a coffee drinker this is a great gift that helps a great cause.

I signed up for it. I picked the option where i get a different bag per month. I look forward to receiving them and also to praying for north Korea every morning while i make my coffee. It actually saddens me that i can experience the comfort of coffee while thousands in that country starve to death (ironic?) which is why I can't just stop at coffee. I hope to save enough to help. I also hope to pray everyday and not forget the struggles in that land. How much do i complain- WHEN I HAVE SO MUCH. Tez and i already save money to help out the college students in the ministry we're a part of but this is really just a practical way for me to give something i would already spend money on. I encourage you to look into it.

And also to spend some time this week being thankful for what freedoms you have and, quite possibly, take for granted.