While at the first location, guards kept him awake constantly and forced him to sit motionless for days. All for ice skating into China. Down the hall from him was a man who had spilled ink on a picture of North Korea's last leader. Another who had not adequately dusted a photograph of the "Great Leader."

At the second site, it was time to get to work. His first job was to break the ice, jump in the water, and wade waist-deep looking for stones and laying boards to re-channel the water. Many died at this same job from exposure, or lost body parts to frostbite. Second job: go to the top of the mountain, cut down huge and heavy hardwood trees, and carry them down by hand. Many died in this project too.

Thank God he was able to escape, tell his story, and be a part of the gradual unfolding of the evil that is North Korea. Too bad for most of us, the book he published in Seoul (Yodok List) was written in Korean.

Now, my brother-sister in the Lord. If spilling ink, not dusting photographs well, and ice-skating into China brings on periods of misery such as this, imagine the pain of a believer in Jesus who will not give up his faith in our Lord Jesus. What can we do for a North Korean prisoner today?