Eun Hye closed the bathroom stall door. She was now in the safest and dirtiest place in the kotjebi camp for North Korean street children.
Only a few weeks later, she was caught by the police and brought to a camp for street kids. It was a crowded place with over 2,000 children. There wasn’t even enough room to sit. She had to stand day and night, which made her legs swell up. For food, she received five tiny dirt-covered potatoes three times a day.
With no opportunity to wash themselves, the children’s bodies were filthy and tormented by maggots. Every day, children passed away because of the malnutrition.
In the quiet of the stall, Eun Hye remembered the prayers of her grandmother. Could this invisible God save her? she thought. She remembered the way her grandmother would secretly find a place to kneel and speak to the one she called “Hanonim,” which means Lord.
Eun Hye whispered the words she had heard her grandmother whisper on so many occasions before. “Hanonim, please save me. Please rescue me. Bring me back to my family,” she said with the quiet voice of a 16-year-old girl.
In this place, nobody wanted to go to the bathroom unless they had no choice. But Eun Hye came to appreciate those precious moments alone with the God of her grandmother. “Lord, save me from this pain, sadness and death,” she would repeat in the quiet of the bathroom stall.
Two months after her arrival in the camp, the guards asked for volunteers to collect chestnuts by climbing up trees in the mountains. It meant a long, difficult journey. Eun Hye and the other children were very weak and she had no intention of participating in what could become a walk of death. But then she heard a voice in her head she didn’t recognize that told her to volunteer. So she joined the group.
Crossing the Reservoir
On the journey, they had to cross a large reservoir with small boats. Then she was placed in a unit of four children. Two climbed up the trees to pick the chestnuts, while two others stayed down to collect them.
Eun Hye saw this as an opportunity to attempt an escape with another girl in her group. “Can you swim?” Eun Hye asked. The girl shook her head. Once again, Eun Hye prayed for help.
Later, when no one was around, Eun Hye and her friend escaped and found a rope at a nearby house. When they arrived at the reservoir, the girls tied the rope around their waists. The girl would try to float, while Eun Hye used all the strength she had to swim to the other side, dragging her friend through the water.
They reached the shore safely and walked all the way to the city. Afraid they would be caught again, they decided to board a train. Because they didn’t have train tickets nor travel permits, they dug a hole under the wall with their bare hands and accessed the railway track. Once they were through, they went their separate ways.
Eun Hye went back to her hometown to see if there was any word of her parents or siblings. She found neighbors and strangers who helped give her a little food to survive. Again she prayed, “God, I have no place to go. My future looks so bleak. Please guide me.”
Eventually, the family of a nearby farmer took her in. At least she was safe for a while. Now her prayers shifted from survival to finding her family: “Thank you, Lord, for what you’ve done for me. May I please continue to live here? And please help me find my family.”
One day, a family friend contacted Eun Hye. “Your father is with us,” they said. “And your brother too.” She ran to see her father and brother. She was elated at the answer to her prayer. Eventually, she asked, “How is mother?” “Your mother is fine. And your sisters too,” her father said. “They are married in China. Life is so much better [there].”
Upon hearing his words, Eun Hye made up her mind to escape North Korea and return to China with her father and brother.
Passage into China
They went to the river at night. Her father tied her little brother to himself with a rope and made sure both of them arrived at the other side safely. Eun Hye swam on her own. Behind her, North Korea was pitch black. The Chinese city in front of her burst with lights.
When they finally reunited with her mother and other siblings, they celebrated. Eun Hye told her mother about her prayers in North Korea. She quickly noticed her father had told the truth about the living standards. There were no street children, no blackouts, every household ate rice, and everyone was friendly.
That Sunday, Eun Hye went to church with her mother. For the first time in her life, she saw the cross on the wall. And she could see other people praying. They prayed with the same gestures and the same words as her grandmother had, so many years ago.
She didn’t understand the Chinese sermon, but she felt at home. She realized that the prayers of her grandmother, of her mother, of her father and the prayers of the church allowed her to make it safely to China.
“I was so thankful for their prayers. Later, a translator explained more about God to me. [How] Jesus had died and was resurrected to cleanse us of our sins,” Eun Hye says.
Back into North Korea
Only a few weeks later, she was caught by the police and brought to a camp for street kids. It was a crowded place with over 2,000 children. There wasn’t even enough room to sit. She had to stand day and night, which made her legs swell up. For food, she received five tiny dirt-covered potatoes three times a day.
With no opportunity to wash themselves, the children’s bodies were filthy and tormented by maggots. Every day, children passed away because of the malnutrition.
In the quiet of the stall, Eun Hye remembered the prayers of her grandmother. Could this invisible God save her? she thought. She remembered the way her grandmother would secretly find a place to kneel and speak to the one she called “Hanonim,” which means Lord.
Eun Hye whispered the words she had heard her grandmother whisper on so many occasions before. “Hanonim, please save me. Please rescue me. Bring me back to my family,” she said with the quiet voice of a 16-year-old girl.
In this place, nobody wanted to go to the bathroom unless they had no choice. But Eun Hye came to appreciate those precious moments alone with the God of her grandmother. “Lord, save me from this pain, sadness and death,” she would repeat in the quiet of the bathroom stall.
Two months after her arrival in the camp, the guards asked for volunteers to collect chestnuts by climbing up trees in the mountains. It meant a long, difficult journey. Eun Hye and the other children were very weak and she had no intention of participating in what could become a walk of death. But then she heard a voice in her head she didn’t recognize that told her to volunteer. So she joined the group.
Crossing the Reservoir
On the journey, they had to cross a large reservoir with small boats. Then she was placed in a unit of four children. Two climbed up the trees to pick the chestnuts, while two others stayed down to collect them.
Eun Hye saw this as an opportunity to attempt an escape with another girl in her group. “Can you swim?” Eun Hye asked. The girl shook her head. Once again, Eun Hye prayed for help.
Later, when no one was around, Eun Hye and her friend escaped and found a rope at a nearby house. When they arrived at the reservoir, the girls tied the rope around their waists. The girl would try to float, while Eun Hye used all the strength she had to swim to the other side, dragging her friend through the water.
They reached the shore safely and walked all the way to the city. Afraid they would be caught again, they decided to board a train. Because they didn’t have train tickets nor travel permits, they dug a hole under the wall with their bare hands and accessed the railway track. Once they were through, they went their separate ways.
Eun Hye went back to her hometown to see if there was any word of her parents or siblings. She found neighbors and strangers who helped give her a little food to survive. Again she prayed, “God, I have no place to go. My future looks so bleak. Please guide me.”
Eventually, the family of a nearby farmer took her in. At least she was safe for a while. Now her prayers shifted from survival to finding her family: “Thank you, Lord, for what you’ve done for me. May I please continue to live here? And please help me find my family.”
One day, a family friend contacted Eun Hye. “Your father is with us,” they said. “And your brother too.” She ran to see her father and brother. She was elated at the answer to her prayer. Eventually, she asked, “How is mother?” “Your mother is fine. And your sisters too,” her father said. “They are married in China. Life is so much better [there].”
Upon hearing his words, Eun Hye made up her mind to escape North Korea and return to China with her father and brother.
Passage into China
They went to the river at night. Her father tied her little brother to himself with a rope and made sure both of them arrived at the other side safely. Eun Hye swam on her own. Behind her, North Korea was pitch black. The Chinese city in front of her burst with lights.
When they finally reunited with her mother and other siblings, they celebrated. Eun Hye told her mother about her prayers in North Korea. She quickly noticed her father had told the truth about the living standards. There were no street children, no blackouts, every household ate rice, and everyone was friendly.
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| Eun Hye (Open Doors) |
She didn’t understand the Chinese sermon, but she felt at home. She realized that the prayers of her grandmother, of her mother, of her father and the prayers of the church allowed her to make it safely to China.
“I was so thankful for their prayers. Later, a translator explained more about God to me. [How] Jesus had died and was resurrected to cleanse us of our sins,” Eun Hye says.
Back into North Korea
All North Korean refugees are at risk of being caught in China and sent back to their homeland. And eventually, someone reported Eun Hye’s family to the officials. Shortly after, her parents, her brother and Eun Hye were arrested. Eun Hye cried when they were driven to a bridge connecting China to North Korea. Her parents were shackled together. Eun Hye, almost 17, and her 13-year-old brother were shackled as well.
Continue reading Eun Hye's story
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