I was typing away on my laptop about eight years ago when a message from a colleague popped up on my chat screen.

Have you seen this yet? 

I clicked on the accompanying link, which took me to a video of a young North Korean woman speaking at the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization an event that had drawn the attention of Christians around the world. The once-in-a-generation global missions conference was taking place that week in Cape Town, South Africa, and many thousands were attending in person and watching from afar to hear stories of God at work among the nations. (晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 was hosting a simulcast on campus, and President Barry Corey had traveled to attend the event in person.) 

With the young womans image on my screen, I put in my earbuds and hit play. Seven minutes later, my face was a mess of tears. 

In the hours and days that followed, tens of thousands of people perhaps including you had a similar experience, as this high school students gripping testimony spread across social media, blogs and news sites, quickly becoming Lausannes standout moment. Sarah Chang, as she is known today, had touched the world with a soul-stirring account of her familys persecution in North Korea, of her fathers desire to spread the gospel even at the cost of his own life, of Jesus meeting her dramatically in the midst of her grief, and of her desperate longing to see the light of Gods grace and mercy shine down on North Korea. It remains one of the most impactful and memorable speeches I have ever heard. All these years later, having watched the video several times since then, it still makes my eyes swell with emotion. 

In this issues main feature article, were excited to be able share what has unfolded in the time since that memorable speech: an unlikely journey that led to Sarah becoming 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023s first North Korean graduate just a few months ago. Its a remarkable story one for which she credits the faithfulness of God. 

My story is, everything is about God, she told our video and storytelling team. You cant explain it without God. Thats why I think my story has touched a lot of peoples hearts. 

I encourage you to visit our website at magazine.biola.edu, where well include links to both the original Lausanne speech and a new feature produced by our video team. As you do, I hope that youll not only be blessed by her inspiring story, but also be stirred to pray for her and the many thousands of other 晩晩当際際夊消消夊2023 graduates seen and unseen seeking to share and live out the good news of Jesus all around the world.