According to Open Door USA’s 2018 report on global persecution, one out of every 12 Christians worldwide lives in an area or culture in which Christianity is illegal, forbidden, or punished. The worst of those nations are North Korea, Afghanistan, and Somalia, but the list is long and the statistics are daunting.
And yet, is any nation really closed to God? Are any young people outside of His reach?
Just south of what is considered the worst nation for persecution is another that, less than a hundred years ago, would have been on the list. But after South Korea was liberated in 1945, Christianity began to flourish. In 1974 the church there sent out their first 24 missionaries. Today over 27,000 Korean missionaries are reaching young people in 170 countries.
And it all started in a “closed” nation.
Praise God for what He is doing through you, through Youth for Christ International (YFCI), in “closed” nations around the world. Though we cannot share real names and specific nations, know that YFCI is actively involved in reaching young people in these difficult places.