World Refugee Sunday is a time for the global Church to remember and respond to the plight of millions who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, persecution, or hardship.
At Crossing Borders, this day carries special meaning. For more than two decades, we have served North Korean refugees who have escaped one of the most closed and oppressive regimes in the world. Their journeys are often marked by unimaginable trauma—fleeing starvation, surviving human trafficking, and living in fear of repatriation. World Refugee Sunday, which takes place on June 15 and 22, 2025, invites faithful believers to remember these stories not as distant headlines but as deeply human experiences that echo throughout Scripture.
God’s heart is with the sojourner. In Deuteronomy, he commands his people to love the foreigner, “for you were foreigners in Egypt.” In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reminds us that when we welcome the stranger, we welcome Him. The work of Crossing Borders is rooted in these biblical truths. We not only meet the physical needs of North Korean refugees but also point them toward a God who sees them, loves them, and calls them by name. As Psalm 9:9 declares, “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” This is the hope we carry to the people we serve—that even in displacement and danger, they are not forgotten by God.
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
As a tool to help our friends and partners pray more specifically and compassionately, Crossing Borders has created a free seven-day prayer guide for North Korea and North Korean refugees. called “Praying for North Korea.” We invite you to download it (or request physical copies) and join us in lifting up those who have been displaced and are searching for hope.
