A small group of foreign businessmen visiting North Korea are walking to the
hotel where they stay under the direction shown by their guides. Before
entering the hotel in North Korea, suddenly a teenager at about seventeen
years old runs toward this group. This teenager grabs the hand of one group
member and pushes his finger to the palm's hand of that person. This is
obviously not common in the Korean's culture. Because a child is not
permitted to touch a foreigner visibly.
This businessman tries to pull out his hand, but this teenager keeps holding
it. Soon, this man realizes why the teenager does not want to release his
hand. He tries to write a message by drawing a cross on his palm's hand.
The busineeman looks at the thin face of the teenager. He keeps silent, but
his eyes speak. The message that he wants to convey is very clear, "We are
still alive and stay in North Korea. We are still alive !"
On the next morning, this group has an opportunity to meet this teenager
secretly once again. They meet his father, who are Christian and was
prisoned for several years. Although this teenager never confesses his faith
in public, he has some requests for them. He asks the group to accept his
tenth-gift which was saved for several years, then baptize him, hold a Holy
Communion; and also give him a Bible.
This teenager is deeply in starve. Actually he can beg for getting food, but
he doesn't want to do it. Eventhough his physical body is thin caused by the
pressure from North Korea's government, but his faith keeps growing and
continuing praise God in Heaven. Probably he knows that physical foods is
only temporary, so he prefers to collect treasures in the eternal Heaven.
