Change of Plans

My campaign is taking a new turn!

This year I went to Washington, DC with the Korean Church Coalition (KCC) for the 4th time. I love to help in their lobbying efforts and show my support for the WONDERFUL work they do to raise awareness and help pass legislation on behalf of North Korean defectors, refugees and citizens. Here is a picture of my Chloe helping Linda with her speech in front of the White House a few years ago:

"FIX BAYONETS!"

For this t-shirt campaign I'm doing, I wanted to be able to support some of my favorite NGO's so I started with the KCC, knowing that in the Fall I would choose another NGO to support. And now...that time has come!

I am proud to introduce my new partner in spreading awareness: ENoK (Emancipate North Koreans). ENoK is a 501c3 Chicago-based group whose mission is to help North Korean refugees in America transition to the new society and life through life-support programs such as life-skills training, job training, and education. I love the fact there is a place of residence specifically designed for these students to be able to receive one-on-one tutoring through what they call "Real Pal" and "Empower House."

REAL PAL mentoring

If you have a burden for the cause of helping North Korean people, you can BE THEIR VOICE by buying this t-shirt--

I AM THEIR VOICE

which will support Free North Korea Radio AND ENoK! (50% to each organization).

Please contact me at iamtheirvoicenk@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing this shirt and supporting two very worthy causes.

BE THEIR VOICE!

~Lisa

HOW TO BUY THE SHIRT--

T-Shirt Order information:

Please send $20 (plus $4.50 shipping)  in exchange for one of these t-shirts. 
Adult sizes Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. 

The high quality Tultex brand shirts are soft and light-weight, made from 100% pre-shrunk cotton --unlike the typical common heavier fundraiser- type shirts.

Please email me at iamtheirvoicenk@gmail.com, or message me through this blog denoting your contact information and size requests.   I am able to take credit card payments as well as checks or money orders.

 

Inspiration

About 13.5 years ago I had to take my three month old baby son (Micah) to the emergency room because he was sick with RSV. Even though he was my second baby, I felt completely out of my element and afraid of what the medical personnel would tell me. On the way to the hospital I listened to an uplifting, encouraging radio program; it was like the message was being given to me specifically! When I got to there and was told my baby was very sick and had to be admitted, I was calm and even fortified with the courage I needed to face the situation. Without that special message from the radio show, I would have felt overwhelmed at the terrifying prospect of my baby's compromised health and his need for hospitalization.  Thankfully, this story has a good ending: Micah is now 14 years old, 6'2", athletic and a very hard worker!

Have you ever been inspired by a message you've watched or listened to on the radio? Did you walk away feeling encouraged and uplifted like your thirsty soul had received a drink of water?  It truly brings new life to a person when a special word is given.

Would you like to be part of a movement to bring many people inspiring messages?  Wouldn't it be rewarding to know that a small t-shirt purchase you have made goes to support an underground radio program that broadcasts into the most oppressed Communist nation in the world?  Free North Korea Radio needs help to continue its broadcasting into North Korea so it can send messages of hope and inspiration to a people group that lives under extreme conditions that you and I cannot even fathom.

Please send $20 (plus $4.50 shipping)  in exchange for one of these t-shirts. 

Adult sizes Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. 

The high quality Tultex brand shirts are soft and light-weight, made from 100% pre-shrunk cotton --unlike the typical common heavier fundraiser- type shirts.

Please email me at iamtheirvoicenk@gmail.com, or message me through this blog denoting your contact information and size requests.   I am able to take credit card payments as well as checks or money orders.

FUNDRAISER KICKOFF!

FUNDRAISER KICKOFF!

After being blessed with a part-time second job I finally saved enough money to do what I've been wanting to do for a VERY long time--sell t-shirts to benefit a cause for one of my favorite North Korea NGO's: Free North Korea Radio (FNKR). I love so much of what this group stands for.  The cost of this initial offering has been borne totally by myself and if successful I hope to be able to produce more designs in the future.

FNKR is a defector-run non-governmental organization that brings life-giving news to people who live in North Korea. It was established my by friend, Kim Seong Min (rewarded the 2008 Reporters Without Borders award), and is run by NK defectors. I invite you to click on this link (KIM SEONG MIN) to read an article and video about his personal story of life as a propaganda writer for NK, his incredible escape that occurred on the way to his execution, and his new life in South Korea as a human rights activist for his people. 

The fund-raiser goes like this: 75% of the total proceeds go to Free North Korea Radio, and 25% goes to another NGO or NK ministry that I choose to highlight. 

At this time I have chosen the KCC (Korean Church Coalition: link is here) to donate the extra proceeds to as this body of believers has played an important role in passing legislation related to North Korean issues. Currently the KCC is working with Congress to pass the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act which will help bring down the regime by imposing stricter economic starvation. 

With a $20 donation (plus $4.50 shipping USPS) you may be the proud wearer of this originally designed t-shirt which embodies the true hopes of those who are fighting for a unified Korea, free from tyranny and evil persecution. 

The high quality Tultex brand shirts are soft and light-weight, made from 100% pre-shrunk cotton --unlike the typical common heavier fundraiser- type shirts.

Please email me at iamtheirvoicenk@gmail.com, or message me through this blog denoting your contact information and size requests.   I am able to take credit card payments as well as checks or money orders.

BE THEIR VOICE!

My Born Again Oven and North Korea

So about a month ago, my FAB-U-LOUS husband and I were painting the town red in celebration of our two year anniversary when we got a call from the kids:  the oven was throwing a temper tantrum in the form of an incessantly blinking F1 light and refused to turn itself off no matter how many times OFF was pushed. It stayed RED hot until we got home and cut it off at the breaker. My new-to-me oven was no longer new to me. (Thankfully, my gracious husband didn't say, "I told you not to get a used oven from Craigslist," even though he indeed HAD told me, "I don't think you should get a used oven from Craigslist.")

I decided to redeem the situation by turning it into a do-it-myself job. Reading the handy instructions I determined it was best to order the blah-blah-blah part recommended. We anxiously awaited the arrival of this miracle piece day by day, and I managed to feed our family a number of meals cooked in the electric skillet--and, I'll admit, with the help of $1.50 hot dog meals at Costco and coupons for Wendy's. Then the UPS lady arrived--our salvation from Hamburger Helper meals! Crossing our fingers I flipped the switch and WALLAH--the magical part turned out to be the not-so-magical part. The oven scoffed at us as it got warmer and warmer, once again refusing to allow our push button commands to take effect.  Singing "If I only had a brain..." (think Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz), we reluctantly diagnosed it with: oven brainus shut-downus and a severe neurological malfunction; an oven lobotomy was the required procedure [For those in medical field, the Px was 316207502.]  

I'll spare you the culinary malfunction details we encountered during the second waiting period, as well as the incredible drain on our budget when only fast food would do--the kids actually grew tired Little Caesars! The good news is the surgeon of the household performed a life changing procedure on said patient, and the recovery period was zero time as the successful results were immediate! "I'm born again!" the oven rejoiced as we deposited frozen chicken nuggets into its big mouth.

I know you're wondering, "What does all this nail biting drama have to do with North Korea?" I recall a conversation with a friend a few years ago when I told her I could turn any subject into something related to North Korea. I'll be the first to admit, I'm a little OCD about it. So here goes--

The above story required our family to live through a few weeks of inconvenience. During that time I grew a newly found appreciation for the amenities afforded by my slick hot box. Isn't it nice to be able to push a few buttons or turn a small knob and with minimal effort feed a small group of people? And it's all because of a fantastic invention called electricity. When I think of the incredible conveniences that electricity has allowed us, I am amazed at what we can do! Our food is kept safe in large cold coffers; we are entertained by big boxes that display pretty moving pictures and sound; we can maneuver contraptions on four wheels that can take us anywhere near or far in great luxury with heat/air/radio/comforts...there are too many things to name, but pretty much everything we do in our lives revolves around the use of electricity. 

Can you imagine NOT having such a luxury? Can you imagine living without these everyday comforts? The picture below shows such a place. Note the stark contrast along the borderlines between China/North Korea on the north side, and North Korea/South Korea on the south side. 

Please pray for this country!

IAMTHEIRVOICENK--from the beginning

Thank you for visiting IAMTHEIRVOICENK! Here's a bit about me:

I have been a human rights activist for NK refugees and defectors since 2008. My journey began after I had become a Voice of the Martyrs area representative. One of the monthly issues that came to me highlighted the atrocities in North Korea. I was immediately drawn to the subject and as I delved further into it, I was continuously surprised. 

At that time North Korea had been voted as the #1 persecutor of Christians in the world for the 8th year in a row. I read testimonies of how people had lived in concentration camps (which I thought were obsolete in this day and age) and stories of their harrowing escapes. The ultimate turning point came when I watched this video: Shin Dong Hyuk Born and Raised in a Concentration Camp. With tears rolling down my cheeks I watched the video three times over a three day period. After that, I pleaded that God would give me a mission for this cause. 

Since then, God has opened up door after door, allowing me to meet the most amazing people and experience things I would have never dreamed. 

COMING SOON: How you can help!