"As I reflect on the people in my life who have displayed the most courage and the qualities of a warrior, I realize that I met most of those people at the China-North Korea border. During my four years there, I met an amazing group of individuals. The border draws courageous souls. If I were to put together a list of heroes in my life, the people I met in Northeast China would be at the top of it.

"[Besides an incredible array of Koreans] The China-NK border also attracts fascinating people from all walks of life: activists, missionaries, reporters, businesspeople, professors, English teachers, and government workers. Because of its proximity to North Korea and the presence of North Korean refugees there, it has become a melting pot for intelligence activity. Government workers, activists, missionaries, and agents flock to the border to get the latest word on North Korea. North Korean [espionage] agents there try to gather intelligence, infiltrate networks, and sabotage the work of activists and missionaries. These agents will sometimes employ extreme measures, even abduction and murder. Pastor Kim, an elderly pastor with many years experience operating in China, once visited me there and warned of imminent danger: 'You think you're safe here? You feel safe? Right now, living here and with all the work you're doing, you have about a 50% chance of getting caught and kidnapped by North Korean agents.' He reminded me that the area was a hotbed for spies and tried to convince me to move further inland."

Are you able? Remember Jesus' question? Remember the disciples' answer, to a man? And remember the Garden of Gethsemane?

Far be it from me to discourage NK ministry! But let's be sure we are being led by God's Spirit and the purest of motivations. Getting caught up in spies and intelligence and mystery fantasies will take our eyes off Jesus, Who continues to cry out to us for help from over the border. If we try to help in our human strength alone, guided by Western pre-occupation with thrill-seeking, and disdain the connectedness of the Body of Christ with its authority figures to guide, we could become another of the horrible statistics that KJIl is producing daily.