Korean-born Christian returns home after four years in a Chinese prison

Steve Kim was involved in the furniture business and made frequent trips to China. There he frequently saw North Korean refugees who were so desperate that they had fled to the communist country because it was better than their homeland. Still, the refugees suffered horribly, so Kim raised funds to provide food and shelter for the people until they were healthy enough to travel to South Korea. Once in South Korea they would be granted automatic citizenship. Kim even provided them with a safe route to freedom through yet another communist country -- Vietnam.

"God led me to meet a couple of Vietnamese people who can be my guide out of China to Vietnam, so since then I started to send the North Korean people through that route and it was very successful," says Kim.

But on September 23, 2003, Kim was arrested by Chinese authorities and imprisoned, until finally being released this year. During that four-year period, he was able to share the gospel. "Many people converted to Christians. But always I was struggling with the Chinese authorities because they do not let evangelism to them because they are always saying it's against the law. But I never stopped even one single Sunday without having a service," he says.

Kim says he is proud that even though he is not permitted to return to China, the escape route he created for North Korean refugees is still being used. "I'm very thankful [the route remains open]," he shares, "and whatever opportunity is given to me, then I will do my best because I know this is God's job [for me]."