Posted on 10/03/2022 2:43:33 AM PDT by Jemian
Anne van der Bijl, a Dutch evangelical known to Christians worldwide as Brother Andrew, the man who smuggled Bibles into closed Communist countries, has died at the age of 94.
Van der Bijl became famous as “God’s smuggler” when the first-person account of his missionary adventures—slipping past border guards with Bibles hidden in his blue Volkswagen Beetle—was published in 1967. God’s Smuggler was written with evangelical journalists John and Elizabeth Sherrill and published under his code name “Brother Andrew.” It sold more than 10 million copies and was translated into 35 languages.
The book inspired numerous other missionary smugglers, provided funding to van der Bilj’s ministry Open Doors, and drew evangelical attention to the plight of believers in countries where Christian belief and practice were illegal. Van der Bijl protested that people missed the point, however, when they held him up as heroic and extraordinary.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianitytoday.com ...
Ps. 116:15
He was an inspiration to me. I consider myself blessed to have met him about 25 years ago. He came and addressed the workers in my group.
RIP
A very brave and resourceful man. I’m sure he is hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
[Died:]
Promoted to Heaven
Thanks for posting!
I remember reading about him years back. Wonderful brave man.
If I’m correct he also influenced Corrie ten Boom, a prominent spiritual heroine to me.
The Sherrills also wrote, with Corrie, The Hiding Place
That book, and her subsequent life of obedient service to God…….has been a mainstay for me for over 35 years.
She smuggled Bibles into other countries, as well.
The ‘telling’ of these two spiritual servants is more than encouraging.
Mine as well. And now, he and she are part of the Great Cloud of Witnesses cheering us on as we run the race before us.
How blessed you were to have met Brother Andrew!
Earlier in my life, my parish priest, Father David Oliver Barrett, a Holy Ghost Father from Ireland, smuggled food — and food for the soul, Bibles— in a VW Beetle across Nigeria. This was during the years of the Biafran War in the late 60’s.
Father Barrett brought Holy Communion to people in far-reaching villages. On more than one occasion, he was shot at. His pale Irish skin was covered with cancers, and he suffered recurrent bouts of malaria and other diseases.
One Thanksgiving, decades later, I offered him some sweet potatoes, which he couldn’t eat, having had almost no other food to survive on, but a type of roundish yam during the time of the naval embargo.
Then, at age 80, after all the dangers of Africa, he was almost murdered in his small Florida office by a thieving drug addict — a 300 lb. woman who beat him to a pulp with a cinder block from the shelf that held bibles, religious books and pamphlets he gave away. She also kicked his head with her steel-toed boots and left him for dead.
She stole the collection money from the weekend Mass. Police found the woman in a rental shack, passed out on a couch. The collection pouch with our church’s name on it, Father’s wallet, and alcohol and drugs were scattered on a table. Never mind Nigeria in the late 60’s. This happened on the streets of America. She came to my back gate, the day before, asking if I needed a maid. Her eyes were unable to focus and were rocking about in her head.
Father Barrett “recovered” in the hospital and rehab. A doctor told me the woman was stealing money for drugs to get high. Instead, by the grace of God, Father Barrett was the one living a perpetual state of joy! Just before he left for home, as I closed his door for the last time, he was making the Sign of the Cross over and over, happy tears in his eyes.
After six months, members of his order came to Florida and flew Father back to their Motherhouse in Dublin. A few months later, he passed away. The doctors told the DA his death was directly caused by the beating. The woman was tried and received 60 years without parole. The last time I looked online, she was still serving her time. Now she’s sinewy and muscular, very hard-looking; not the obese, tearful addict of 2002.
Rest in the eternal peace and joy of the Lord in heaven, Brother Andrew and Father Barrett. When you entered into His presence, we know your hands were full.
I see a great host of God's beloved in the stands and encouraging those of us still in the church militant. This is my prayer.
Amen and Amen!
Thank you for sharing that beautiful testimony. Another one of our witnesses!
My brother smuggled bibles into China in the 80s.
..an Open Door in Heaven appeared to Andrew, and he heard a Voice say like a trumpet, “Come Up Here...”
Truly, thank you, Jemian.
Beautiful! No finer gift than servant and to have resting upon one, the hand of the Lord.
That's a big 'WIN'! (Biggest Win possible, actually...)
Really?!!!
I was not aware of these, but they could really reach children, eh
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.