Brother Andrew has received many honours and awards. He was knighted by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and, in 1997, he received of the World Evangelical Fellowship’s Religious Liberty Award, in recognition of his lifetime service to the persecuted church. 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. 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:

Unsure of Gods will for his life, Andrew spent a Sunday afternoon alone with God, speaking aloud with God. Through this time, Andrew realized that he needed to say ‘yes’ to God who was calling him to mission. Before this, Andrew had been saying ‘Yes BUT I am lame.’ ‘Yes BUT I have no education’. Andrew said yes. In an amazing instant, Andrew made this step of yes, and in God’s grace he healed Andrews lame leg. Andrew goes to England One example of God providing miraculously was when Andrew needed to pay his visa. When Andrew received a visitor the day before he needed to send off his application for a visa, he was confident that the visitor would have come to give him money to pay for the visa. But the visitor was Richard, a man who Andrew had met in the slums in Glasgow. Richard had not come to give, but to ask. Andy explained that he had no money himself to give to Richard, but as he spoke, Andy saw a Shilling on the floor. This shilling was how much Andy needed to pay for his visa which would mean he could stay at the bible school. Rather than keeping the Shilling for himself, Andrew gave the Shilling to Richard. Andy had done what he knew was right, but how would God provide? Minutes later, Andy received a letter and in it was 30 Shillings! God had provided in His way, a Kingly Manner of provision. It redirected me completely,” Fouad said. “He knew how to slowly enter the presence of God, and only then find answers to prayer.” Giving up smoking, Andrew was able to start saving to buy books. Andrew bought dictionaries and commentaries and so began studying in his spare time. One day Andrew learnt about the bible college in Glasgow run by the WEC mission. At Glasgow bible college Christians could be trained up for mission in 2 years.

More than Bibles

In the book God’s smuggler, Andrew describes the impact that the death of his oldest brother ‘Bas’ had upon him. Bas, who was severely handicapped died when Andrew was just 11 years old. Andrew had wanted to die with Bas, but God hadn’t let him. Thirst for adventure People of other faiths even recognize Brother Andrew’s incredible legacy, including U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Rashad Hussain, who is Muslim.

One evening during that first visit, he was invited to speak at a Baptist church in Warsaw. He tells the story in his best-selling book God’s Smuggler: “At the end of my little talk the pastor said, ‘We want to thank you for being here. Even if you had not said a word, just seeing you would have meant so much. We feel at times as if we are all alone in our struggle.’” Andrew spent the first few months in England painting the WEC headquarters building (Bulstrode). While living at Bulstrode, Andrew began spending time with God at the beginning of everyday – a Quiet Time. This was something that Andrew found helpful and endeavoured to do every day of his life. Once Andrew had finished painting Bulstrode, he then moved in with Mr and Mrs Hopkins. Living with Mr and Mrs Hopkins, they developed a wonderful relationship. Andy learnt so much from the couple because they were utterly without self-consciousness and opened up their home to drunks and beggars.As the work grew he was joined by others and began a work of smuggling Bibles to believers in Communist countries. And today, Brother Andrew's small Dutch mission has become an international ministry working in more than 60 nations to strengthen the Persecuted Church. That young man became known as Brother Andrew. And his trip changed the world. Strengthen that which remains...

Lord,” he recalled praying, “in my luggage I have Scripture I want to take to Your children. When You were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, I pray, make seeing eyes blind. Do not let the guards see those things You do not want them to see.”Having read God's Smuggleras a child, I know that your story has inspired millions of people around the world to speak out on behalf of the voiceless and suffering.” a b c d e f g Silliman, Daniel (27 September 2022). "Died: Brother Andrew, Who Smuggled Bibles into Communist Countries". Christianity Today. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022 . Retrieved 30 September 2022.