KINGDOM MATTERS
Speaking for the voiceless
Reah International encourages Christians
in North Korea
New anthology
focuses on
First Nations
Christian voices
FIRST NATIONS
CHRISTIAN
WRITERS is a
newly released
anthology from
Goldrock Press,
an independent
publisher in
Manitoba (www.
goldrockpress.
com). It features what the publisher
considers to be the seldom heard
voices of First Nations Christian
writers, including 16 contributors
from isolated Northern communities,
urban centres and university campuses
across Canada.
Joshua Heath, 14, the youngest
writer, recounts the impact of the
foster care system on his life, while the
oldest, Sylvia Polson, 79, writes about
the secure and loving home she had
with her parents living in a cabin on a
trap line in Northern Ontario.
The collection also includes poetry
and essays on issues like murdered and
missing Aboriginal women, residential
schools and Aboriginal identity.
Parry Stelter is another author
featured in the book. “As an Aboriginal
Christian, it has been hard to find
a voice for issues related to faith in
Jesus Christ and an expression of what
we have been through as Aboriginal
people,” he says. “This book is another
catalyst in that process that will lead
to more open doors and a wider voice.
I am so proud to be a part of what is
going on with this project. The Creator
who is three in one is very proud.”
First Nations Christian Writers will
be launched on March 31 in Winnipeg.
–DORENE MEYER
NOR TH KOREA IS the number one
country where the persecution of
Christians is most severe, according
to the Open Doors World Watch List.
This is an issue close to Jamie
Kim’s heart. Kim, executive
director of Reah International
( www.reah.org), is a Canadian
committed to making a difference
in North Korea. The mission of
Reah International – a nonprofit
headquartered in the United
States, but with a strong presence
in Canada – is to support North
Korea by empowering those in
the field, those going and those
staying home.
Reah International organizes
leadership retreats, matches
Christians with opportunities to
serve in North Korea, and plans
prayer and informational meetings.
Kim says the idea for Reah
International began in 2005, when he
gathered Christian expatriates living
in North Korea along with people
who wanted to support and pray for
them in California. These Christians
were able to meet each other for the
first time, exchange information and
be encouraged in the work they were
doing in North Korea.
“For the next four years we
held annual conferences where we
gathered Christian professionals to
see how we can pray and tangibly
engage the people of North Korea
through medical, educational
and economic development,”
says Kim. “Our work is to support
any Christian in North Korea
and Northeast China, regardless
of organization or theological
association, through spiritual and
relational development.”
Kim says they’ve held retreats
and Bible studies in China,
Thailand and South Korea, among
other locations. They provide a
time and place for international
workers to worship, relax and
talk about how they’re doing
spiritually. About 40 per cent of
attendees are working in North
Korea or China
through other
organizations and
about 60 per cent are
just Christian expats
who’ve decided to
live and work there.
Reah International
initiated a campaign
called One Christ, One
Body to encourage
people to pray for Christian unity
for North Korea and explore
practical avenues of engagement.
(This year the campaign was
carried out in New York, Los
Angeles, San Francisco, Maryland
and most recently in Toronto.)
“I believe that our unity begins
here in Canada,” Kim says. “If we
are not united here, we are going
to bring that same division to the
field. We are all God’s people, and I
believe we need to be the voice and
the advocate for the voiceless, like
those in North Korea.”
–ALLISON BARRON
…they encourage people
to pray for Christian
unity for North Korea and
explore practical avenues
of engagement
300,000
ESTIMATED NUMBER
OF CHRIS TIANS IN
NOR TH KOREA
#1
NOR TH KOREA’S
RANKING ON OPEN
DOOR’S WORLD
WATCH LIS T OF
PERSECU TED
CHRISTIANS