[Nehemiah Scholarship Fund] Would you stand with us for Grace’s vision?
2020/09/22 02:45 am
NGI is raising funds to provide scholarships to North Korean refugee students. These scholarships not only help the North Korean refugees who wish to continue their studies but are short of money, they also empower the students in both intelligence and spirituality, thus training them as leaders of the next generation, like Nehemiah in the Bible.
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Dear partners, I am Kenneth Bae.
I deeply appreciate your warm help in continuous prayer and financial support for the North Koreans and North Korean refugees. I earnestly pray that God's grace and peace may be with you in everything you do.
NGI is raising funds to provide scholarships to North Korean refugee students. These scholarships not only help the North Korean refugees who wish to continue their studies but are short of money, they also empower the students in both intelligence and spirituality, thus training them as leaders of the next generation, like Nehemiah in the Bible.
Today we would like to introduce this year's recipient 'Grace', who is currently studying as an undergraduate student. After a harrowing escape to the U.S., she is now working as a human rights activist to help North Korean refugees who came to the U.S. by revealing the reality of North Korea.
 Grace was born in Musan, North Hamgyong Province, as one of six children from a poor family. In the mid to late 1990s, when North Korea suffered from extreme economic hardship, her father died from torture, her grandmother died of sepsis, and her sister went out to earn money and went missing. The newborn brothers also had no food, so they went to Heaven soon after. But Grace persisted and didn't lose hope. She gazed upon the blue sky and prayed to the unknown god in the sky to take care of herself.
After her escape, she was trained as a disciple in China. There she realized the unknown God she had prayed to was the Almighty Yahweh, and was able to spend time appreciating his love and grace. "God protected me, loved me, and answered my prayers.
I have no doubt that He is alive and is with me."
Sadly, however, she was found in China, sent back to the North Korean camp, but she miraculously came out of the camp by the grace of the amazing God. Furthermore, she got a chance to flee to the U.S. At that time, as she left the camp, Grace firmly held in her heart the hope God had given her.
"Someday, I will let the world know the grim life of North Koreans, and I'm going to work on sending people to North Korea who will help the North Koreans."
Although she had a hard time escaping from North Korea, life in the U.S. was not easy either. She had to move from place to place in the U.S. by American government agencies. She also graduated from high school in five years, because she had to work and study at the same time to make a living. After 10 years, her dream came true. She became a college student studying at Seattle Pacific University. Of course, the current situation is not easy for her. She drives a taxi and works at a restaurant to raise funds for her tuition fee so she can continue studying. Because God gave her an unwithering dream, every day she holds onto hope rather than be frustrated.
▲Grace speaking at Oslo Human Rights Forum on July 13, 2017
  Despite the difficulties in her life, Grace spent her summer vacation working as an intern at NGI Korea. Since she previously worked on human rights in North Korea, she was heartbroken that young North Korean refugees who settled in South Korea were facing setbacks due to English even though they went to college. Because of that, she sincerely prepared for NGI's summer English school, and passionately taught her students. As a result, this summer the students of her class became confident in English and grew in other aspects as well.
Now, when she goes back to the U.S. in late September, she will face the reality again of the tuition fees which she couldn’t raise during the vacation. Especially as she came to South Korea and spent time with young North Korean refugees, she couldn't earn money during the semester break. Due to Coronavirus, the work she did last semester such as taxi driving also has become uncertain.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, please walk with Grace through the journey of her calling. I sincerely ask you to stand with her dream and vision. She is studying with great aspirations, taking steady steps toward the North Koreans. NGI is raising a scholarship fund aiming at $20,000 to support part of Grace's tuition for the upcoming semester plus living expenses and internship cost (approx. $25,804). This also includes two other North Korean seminary/bible college students for their tuition as well. (Information is down below) As of 22nd of September, we have raised $10,817 from 42 partners for Grace, Yoseph and Deborah so far.
We firmly believe that your precious giving will bring tremendous encouragement and comfort to their life, and a channel to open the door to North Korea.
I look forward to your generous support for their life. I love you and bless you. Take care! Sincerely, Kenneth Bae President of NGI
Organization Introduction
NGI is a global Nonprofit Organization established by missionary Kenneth Bae who was detained in North Korea for 2 years. It was founded in 2016 to protect vulnerable refugees of various nationalities and ethnicities. NGI’s Seoul headquarters was established in October 2017, and since then has ceaselessly worked to remember 25 million North Koreans and help North Korean refugees to physically and spiritually reestablish new lives in South Korea.
Nehemiah Scholarship Nehemiah scholarship is for the low-income North Korean refugees tp equip them with spiritually and knowledge. It is also to raise them as a leader for reunited Korea.
Announcement of Sponsorship Use
NGI has chosen Grace Jo as the second student of this scholarship program in 2020 after thorough screening and interviews. This scholarship fund that we are raising now will be used primarily for Grace for her next semester's tuition, intern support (Korea-US flight ticket fee, internship support, self-quarantine fees, residence fees, etc.). And the rest will be used towards the Nehemiah Scholarship fund, which focuses on supporting low-income North Korean refugees who have similar struggles in their studies due to financial needs.
Additional recipients of Scholarship for 2020
- Yoseph Kim (in his 40s, residing in South Korea)
He is a seminary student preparing to become a missionary for a unified Korea. We are currently raising living expenses for him and his family while he is studying.
- Deborah Jang (In her 40s, residing in South Korea)
She arrived in South Korea 1 year ago and is attending a bible college. We are currently raising the tuition fee for this semester.
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