thomas. my colleague wey griffith is on aassignment. the korean peninsula is one of the most fragile places on earth. technically, a state of war still exists between the 2 nations. in rece weeks a number of incidents, a north attack on a south korean island left 4 people dead having south koreans facing war. >> this south korean student says he feelingslike he will be called up like a reserve soldier and seriously really scar. this man says he thinks it might be the mostthreaten time aftethey cease fire 6 weeks after kim jong il unvailed his youngest son as his heir. >> this validates a lon standing concerwith respect to north korea and its enrichment of uranium and continues to validate a country led by a dictator constantly desires to destabilize the region. >> meanwhile north korea's agenciesthe government will continue stres if south korea violates a disput sea border. south koea's president has vowed to retaate strongly if thenorth attacks again. ephram gram cbn news. >> north korea is one of the most repressive nations in the world. a place where christianitis out lawed and believers are put into labor camps simply for owning bible or attending a prayer meeting. recently, cbn news sat down with carl muller and spoke about the brutality prisoners face the camps. >> one day i hope the world understandwhat these camps are like. they are worse because of the extreme inhumanity of people than the camps at oush its. they are designed to work people to death. they are intentional in making people suffer. they have gone so far as to experiment people just like they did in nazi germany. these are not second hand accous. we have firsthand accounts of people that have witnessed these in the labor camps. i truly believe christians, our brothers and sisters in north korea are taking incredible risks for the sake of the gospel. new in they have hope, muller says god will bring freedom to their country and only win when christians across the globe join them in crying out to god for deliverance. >> i was with one of our co-workers. they pray their nation's freedom and believe god is using the prayers of his people arounthe world like an ax head to bring down this regime. they are also praying, however, that, this regime's collapse or change would not produce incredible suffering and pain. one of the things that the church is really praying for in earnest, christns would be able o to be in place in many parts of the country, christians could stand and rise and provide a measure of social stabiliy. >> carl muller had much more to say about the church in north korea and how the gospel is spreadg in the nation. internation correspondent gary lane has posted it at cwnews.org. every year thousands of north koreans flee to china in a dangerous bid for freedom and incredibly, some of those decide to go back to north korea to spread the gospel. >> ta escaped north korea twice. first time chinese authities sent him back, he was imprisoned and wife forced. >> i lost my identity nd considered to have rejected my country and parents after i left north korea. i was not considered a human. i was called by a number prison. >> it was in prison ta came to worship christ. he escaped again and made his way to south korea. he wants to go back. he is enrolled in seoul's underground ministry and the voice of the martyrs korea. >> it is important to send food and do humanitarian acts and train and equipt in the gospel to go back there. >> peck another north korean refugee isa student. a city politician near the chine border where she witnessed a timeof massive starvation. >> therwas trouble with the food. up to 80 people dying everyday in the city. when kim il's son died -->> she made her way to southkorea where she started going to church. at first to receive material help like food. after 5 years of readi the bible, she came to faith in jesus christ. >> i know the truth about god. i want to explain it to others in north korea. i have been through the systems and know it will be difficult for them. i can share because i have been through it. >> this war blocks the freedom bridge between the 2 countries people leave messages for those they care about on the other side of the wall. they hope all koreas will be united. on the nov side of the border, jog begang to wonder why his government controlled and oppressed christianity. he witnessed the public execution of 3 christians who smuggled bibles into the countr >> one woman and two men. men were 22 or 23 years old. >> watching the executions increased his spirual hunger. >> the public executions made me want to know more about christ and the bible because the authoritys are killing people who have the bible but no god. >> after 4 years in south korea, john wants to return and evanglize his own people. >> i learned the christian life is not easy. there is suffering and hard times, there are martyrs for christ. i have learned how to live and die as a christian. >> matt dubwa helps train north korean exiles >> they understand the gospel and sharing christ and accepting christ doesn't make things better, right, in north korea. it makes things worse. you are persecuted for becoming a christian. >> the one -year curriculum includes the biblical theology of persecion. students take a 3-day wildernesshike to learn team building, conflict resolution and leadership skills. >> i have team members. throughout the training, i thought out jesus christ and how we are the body of christ. we have to function together. if we don't work together we would be handicapped and wouldn't be one body. >> after a year of studies, the students head back north not knowing whether they will return or not. they are willing to sacrife their lives to help bring spiritual freedom to their countrymen who may never have the chance to escape the kingdom. >> we are gratefuto our friends for helping with that story. risky business, how gambling is destroying families in the united kingdom and wh christians robert es are doing to fight back. >> in mexico, the death toll betweethe government and drug cartels has passed the 10,000 mark and motivated the church to action. it will stretch into next year. around 5 church leaders from mexico's 32 states came to pray for an end. a similar rally in the northern city of monterey including state vernment officials. >> [ foreign speaking ] >> i ask that you keep praying for us, for god to give us strengthpeace, and the wisdom necessary to make the best decisions. >> mexico'schurch wills hold prayer vigils ovethe next few months and 40 days of prayer and fasting starting january 1st. in london, the growing problem of gambling. more than 60 gamblin halls in the borrow of west minister. peter wooding reports, they are helping to free the addicts. >> porter: residents in the london are battling a growing problem of gambling, staggering 62 gaming shops, half are in chintown alone. >> now residents are rallying togetherto stop the increasing number of slot machine arcades. it is leading to an increasing amount of gambling addiction. >> nicky lee of london citizens recently help coordinate a protest against the number of growing opportunities in chin town and having a crippli effect on their community and need to do something to stop it. >> the increasing number is crippling the community through family break ups asa result of the increase in debts domestic violence and depression. we need to work together to put a stop to the growing problems. >> a christian rehabilitation center for gambling addicts saying the need is huge to help these pele. >> alreada lot of probl gamblers we have to help. not many place that they can go for help. particularly christian organizations. i thin for helping problem gamblers and their families, we are the only specialized organization in england. >> vid lee is an exgambler who found christ and set free from his addiction. he said there was no way out from his adction. >> affecting the relationship between y family and brother and sister, relations because of my relationhip with my wiech and my children. >> the power of christ deliverehim from gambling. >> i came to a chriian -- it is in fact, true, that addiction for 40 years, nearly 40 years is no gambling feeling. >> lee wants to helpthe others from this addictive li style. >> i feeljesus gave me a reborn li. i want to be forgiven, i only know the thing to help people. i don't have good education. >> these men who come to regular meetings at the rehappenation center agree it is desperately needed to break free from this. >> i am glad i can come to this place for help otherse, i could have broke my family or killed myself or become bankrupt. >> i think it is very important, becausthere is no othechristian place to go for help. >> those people like peter and david help a small number of people, christians have an overwhelming challenge against the growing problem of gambling grips the nation'scapitol. peter wooding, cbn news, london, england. up next, the culture war comes to australia. >> welco back to the broadcast. a cultural battle pitting christia against stralia's atheist prime minister. just 3 months after a new governnt assumed power, social issues now topping the legislative agenda. gary lane has that story from sidney. >> reporter: australia's first atheist prime minister the green party is pushinto garner pport for gay marriage and pass federal laws legalizng euthanasia. she can strengthen her weak coalition. she fweer it is opposition party led by tony abbott will use divisions to bring down her government >> many australianchristians were disappointed at they were able to form a government. labor was and hold a 1-seat advantae in the parliament. christians are optimistic that a more profamily can move forward. >> bill mulenberg is a political analyst and one of the autho. >> he says it may prove difficulbecause of the labor green party coalition. >> the veryantithesis of what we were arguing for in the canburg declaration, we have a government pushing a prodeath agenda, from womb to the tomb. we have a cavalier view of human life and become a culture of death. >> they believe the australian government has gone too far in limiting christian rights. jim wretch is among them. he faithfully serves the church playingin the band. his wife lefthim for another man. he longs to bring his children to church. he is disappointed the court rejected the request for visition on sundays. >> if this was 20-30years ago, it would be a bonus to take his children to chch. church. in australia, the muslim community is growing. if i wanted to be a muslim and go to the courts and want to take my children to the mosque, they would have granted that. >> this man knows the australian court system, he fought a 5-year battle and declarednot guilty of inciting hatred. >> we repented and prayed, lord give us rin. it has not stopped up to date. there has been so much rain fall that victoria is going to have the greatest bumper harvest, best in e world. >> australian christians have held prayer are meetings in their parliament building, seeing lives transform throughout the cotry. >> when we decided to do this prayer gathering, the witches andwor locks and satanists got uncomfortable. they said if you come, we'll attack you. the lord protected us. we stood our ground but loved them. the great exciting news, 3 months later, the satanist leader, i had the great opportunity to le him to jesus. i was at his house with my hands around his shoulder as brothe in christ. >> he draws attention to his blog site. >> equip the children and inform and alert the we do things faithfully and let god bring in the results. >> gary lanecbn news, sidney. >> for daily reports, check out our web page, cwnews.org. >> and finally this week, israel celebrating a new record in tourism. for the first time more than 3 million people have visited the promise land in one year. chris mitchell has more from tel aviv. >> reporter: this brazilian pastor receiv a hero. represents holy land visitor no. 3 million and 1. >> we admire and love israel and it is a must to come here because of our faith. it is something welook forward to all of our lives. >> israel set this record in fear thatthe country is uafe. >> for us, show that people trust comeing to israel. that israel is sa. >> evangelical christians like this brazilian pastor represent a substan shl number of those visiting here. christians make upmore than 60 percent of all the tourist comeing to israe >> here they feel something very boltedon their chest of being in the land of god, walkinin the footsteps of jesus and feeling the importance of the holy land. >> people from america or catholi people from spain. >> breaking even more records. >> first of all i think we have the most fascinating people on earth. 3 million touristis only a small number that can enjoy the state of israel and land of israel. >> chris mitchelcbn new s. >> if you have any suggestions on stories, e-mail at us cwnews.org. that is our report, thank you so much for joining us, i hope next time ... the life of rist has undoubtedly doneore for this world then any other person who has ever lived. and then: so much of the greatns of the west in ideas, in forms, science, in music and the arts, all come back from the influence jesus christ. next time on...