Andrew kept serving God behind the iron curtain but the work had become difficult to do alone. Andrew thought about how helpful it would be to have a co-worker. This began with a man called Hans and slowly grew until a number of them were smuggling bibles into the communist countries. Serving the world-wide church Biographies are an important and much needed way to learn about others, particularly those who were bold and courageous in their faith. Van der Bijl died at age 94 on 27 September 2022; [7] [14] he had been married for 59 years to his wife, Corry (1931–2018). [15] [16] They had continued to live in Holland and were survived by five children and 11 grandchildren. [17] At the time of his death, Open Doors was active in over 60 countries. The ministry yearly distributes 300,000 Bibles and 1.5 million Christian books and materials. The group is active in providing relief, aid, community development, and trauma counseling, while advocating for persecuted Christians around the globe. [2] Books [ edit ] Brother Andrew; Sherrill, John; Sherrill, Elizabeth (2001). God's Smuggler. Chosen Books. ISBN 0-8007-9301-3. As a child, brother Andrew was mischievous and dreamt of adventure. When Germany invaded, Andrew amused himself (and the rest of the village) by playing pranks on the occupying troops.

In 1955, van der Bijl founded Open Doors, a Christian persecution watchdog organization that is known for its annual World Watch List, which documents the nations that most severely persecute Christians. The trip was to change his life. Behind the Iron Curtain, he discovered churches desperately in need of Bibles, support and prayer. Above all, he found a group of Christians who felt isolated and alone and who thought the rest of the world had forgotten them.

Today, of course, Europe has changed. The main threat to Christians today comes not from Communism, but from radical Islam. Brother Andrew has travelled extensively in the Islamic world, talking to the leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah. He is among the few Western leaders to regularly travel to the Middle East as an ambassador for Christ to these groups. He has also broken Christian religious barriers by preaching in Catholic and Coptic Orthodox churches. This is the story of Brother Andrew, the famous Dutch missionary who smuggled Bibles to Christians behind the Iron Curtain during the 1950s and 60s. Yet, it reads like a fiction spy novel. The missionary seminary in Glasgow that would force it’s trainees to go out on local missions with only one pound and without being able to ask for money. This would teach them to trust in the faithfulness of God for all of their sustenance. Brother Andrew learned this lesson well and constantly relied and even looked forward to seeing how God would provide for him in bleak circumstances.

I believe everyone is reachable. People are never the enemy—only the devil,” van der Bijl said. “Bin Laden was on my prayer list. I wanted to meet him. I wanted to tell him who is the real boss in the world.” Andrew, like everyone, did not start out life as a Christian, he was struggling with life-purpose into his early adulthood. He became a Christian and had a growing desire for knowledge of the Word of God and an eagerness to put into practice what he learned and to share the Gospel with others. Corrie was married to a missionary and Andrew very much continued to live like a missionary, smuggling bibles into countries closed countries. Over the years, God blessed Corrie and Andrew with five children, three boys and two girls. There wasn’t much faith in my prayer,” van der Bijl said. “I just said, ‘Lord if you will show me the way, I will follow you. Amen.’”

With the end of the Cold War and the relaxation on religious freedoms in former Communist countries, Brother Andrew turned his attention to delivering Bibles to the Middle East and Muslim-majority nations such as Pakistan.

I first read GOD'S SMUGGLER years ago, so it was good to re-read the book. Even though this edition is the "Young Reader's Edition," I think many adults will also appreciate the concise length. During Easter 2018, the then-Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt wrote to Brother Andrew, saying, “I would like to express my personal thanks for the extraordinary and courageous support you have provided to the persecuted Church throughout the years. The first time I met Brother Andrew, was in June 1979, at the headquarters of Hospital Christian Fellowship (HCF), in Kempton Park, in the Transvaal. Brother Andrew mentioned that while communist governments may close down churches, it is a lot harder for them to close down hospitals. That is why he supported the work of Francis Grim, evangelising and training doctors and nurses to be ongoing daily witnesses to patients and other medical personnel. "More people pass through the hospitals of the world than through its churches." Brother Andrew reminded us that God has placed us “ at the foot of Africa to take the Gospel of Christ throughout Africa .” The continent of Africa was “ the special missionary responsibility of the church in South Africa. You have the manpower and the materials to fulfil the Great Commission throughout Africa!”More visits behind the Iron Curtain followed, with religious tracts hidden in secret compartments and under blankets. Meanwhile, volunteers who heard about his work signed up to undertake their own missions. On one occasion he was arrested in Yugoslavia and deported. That led to the establishment of the charity Open Doors, which put his work on a formal footing, and today the charity has a presence in several countries. But other than those things I really liked the book. One of my favorite parts to read was of a time before Andrew became a Bible smuggler. He went to a missionary training school, and quite a unique one! The school actually sounded like a real mission school based on faith in God and His provision rather than teaching potential missionaries to solicit people for funds and help. "The real purpose of this training….is to teach our students that they can trust God to do what He said. He would do……They cannot be effective if they are afraid or if they doubt that God really means what He says in His Word." On their practice Evangelistic trips they would be sent out with only one pound, and would rely upon God to supply their needs and His supplying did not merely take the form of money, it also took the form of food and clothes being given at just the right time. That seems to be a more biblical form of missionary activity than what one sees nowadays, and more faith-based. I know that all missionaries are not like this, but many come across as if they focus on money and the help of people If they really are called to the mission field, God will give the needed supplies even without them going to people for help. So I was very refreshed to see the perspective of the people in this book in regards to their trust in God to supply all their needs. F.P. (3 October 2012). "Portes ouvertes, une histoire dans l'Histoire [Open doors, a story in history]". La Voix du Nord (in French).

During the Second World War he became involved with the Dutch Resistance, undertaking acts of sabotage against the occupying Germans such as adding his mother’s precious sugar ration to the petrol tank of a general’s car. It redirected me completely,” Fouad said. “He knew how to slowly enter the presence of God, and only then find answers to prayer.” This man is an example of a real Christian leader,” said David Rihani, president of the Jordan Evangelical Council. “He writes books, he shares knowledge, and he cares about everyone without discrimination.” However, the award of which Brother Andrew was most proud was to be named a ‘Blood Brother’ of the Apache Native American tribe. As part of the ceremony in the 1980s he was given an Apache name that means “He who breaks through the lines.”He would tell us as he has told many others, “The Bible is full of ordinary people who went to impossible places and did wondrous things simply because they decided to follow Jesus.” Instantly my heart revolted. I said to myself, ‘What a waste,’” van der Bijl recalled. "Why go and spend your energy on 999 who were not going to respond? God knows it and the devil knows it and he laughs because after the first 1,000 people I give up in despair.” On Andy van der Bijl’s 69th birthday, he was honoured by being awarded ‘The Religious Liberty Award’ which was presented by the World Evangelical Fellowship (WEF). The chairman of WEF’s Religious Liberty Commission stated: The story of brother Andrew is one you may not be familiar with. During the Cold War the spread of the Gospel had been hindered in Eastern Europe for communism is incompatible with Christianity. Yet when the world seems at its darkest Christ will shine its brightest. God called a man to not only deliver God’s word to those who need it but to share the gospel and melt the hearts of his enemies. The book God’s Smuggler is a autobiography of brother Andrew’s life. Now until recently brother Andrew’s story had been written at a popular level inaccessible to some. In typical fashion Chosen Publications saw this need and created a young readers edition of this impactful book. While it is an abridgment of the original work any late Elementary or early middle school age child will find this book gripping and impactful. Part of the gripping nature of this Edition is due to the addition of drawings throughout the book. These drawings bring the reader into the story making it real to them. I highly recommend this book.