the 21 remaining south koreans held hostage by the taliban are growing sick and weary. apparently, doctors are being sent in for two of the girls who are near-death. amnesty international had a phone call with taliban spokesperson qari yousef ahmadi, appealing for the release of the south koreans and warning the militant group that they are commiting a war crime.

my heart is really going out to this situation. i keep imagining these 21 people, scared and sick, angry, hungry, unsure of their fate. imagine going into a remote village of afghanistan with the hope of providing medical attention to the people, only to find yourself kidnapped, starving, dying.

this is a startling picture of modern-day persecution. our lives are not our own. we were bought at a price, and christ relives his sufferning and sacrifice in the willingness of these 21 people. maybe they didn't expect this sort of reality...but the went under the warning of such things happening.

this is my prayer, my cry out to god, and god's promise for these beautiful servants:

"blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for the in same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
they body of the first korean, shot 10 times in the head and chest, being taken out by taliban officials.



south korean protestors outside a mosque in afghanistan.



protestors holding candles at an anti war rally in south korea.


but, coming from a different perspective, i really wonder if these pretty faces in the first picture understood the fullness of such a venture. i mean, afghanistan? a mission trip? as my friend emma also pointed out, i've lived abroad and seen short term mission teams come and go. i do not argue the impact of such experiences on the missionaries, or the locals who live in a place being visited, but i do hope this situation urges christians to take an incredibly thorough, God-led approach to missions. i hope that this will challenge people to seek God in their decision to go anywhere from alaska to argentina to afghanistan, rather than ever going "for the fun of it" (don't get cross...i know this happens).

this bbc news articlereally speaks to what we are saying.