This Week's NATIONAL ETIQUETTE AWARD goes to.... North Korea!

North Korea- Wikipedia

World Factbook- North Korea

Democratic Republic of North Korea- government site

Infoplease- North Korea

I hereby grant North Korea the National Etiquett Award, as it is customary in that country to remove shoes in homes. Or at least, I am guessing that is the case, with it being a Korean custom. North Korea is one very secretive place and most people outside the country know little of what life is like for North Koreans. If I was to visit North Korea, I would probably not be able to visit the homes of any North Koreans to find out if they removed their shoes. And I would probably be given a government minder to make sure I did not go talking to any North Koreans about forbidden subjects.

North Korea has been in all the headlines this week with the firing of those missiles. It seems a dumb thing to do, but it is a very volatile region of the world. I do hope there is not going to be an East Asian war in the event of my going to Japan as a missionary.

North Korea is a terrifying place. Angie expressed her horror at the regime in Turkmenistan, but they are amateurs next to the repression and totalitarianism of North Korea. Stalinism never came to an end in this place.

To make matters worse, the county has suffered from famine in recent years.

Christian activity is strictly prohibited with dire consequences for believers.

You hear Christians in the West say some silly things about persecution. You often hear the glib comment that 'persecution makes the church grow.' Well, there seems little evidence of spectacular church growth in North Korea despite the worst persecution on earth. I am sure there are some very brave Christians who share their faith as best they can in that nightmare regime, but let us rejoice in the freedom of the West and rejoice in the huge church growth of its free neigbour, South Korea.

Some Christians say that all believers will show spectacular courage in the face of persecution. Well, if they only lived in North Korea, they might be able to be sure of that. I am not so sure I would show much courage in the face of torture and slave labour camps.

For me information about the suffering church worldwide, please visit:

Barnabas Fund

Open Doors International