The youth edition also features information about ministry to the persecuted church today, including country profiles, quotes from Christians in underground churches, "what if" scenarios based on real-life threats they face, and stories from others who have participated in Brother Andrew's Bible-smuggling work. The real danger comes with an indirect attack, where a person is lured away from the Church before he has a chance to become strong. We officially know that God can interact in the activities of humans, but we expect Him at best to do so in vague "spiritual" ways. I had apparently started reading it back in 2008, judging from a bookmark left in it, but for some reason, never got more than a few pages into it. Summary: The story follows Andrew from his childhood growing up in Holland during World War II, to his years fighting with the Dutch army in Indonesia, to his conversion to Christianity and his early years of ministry.

Van der Bijl was born in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, on 11 May 1928, [1] the fourth of six children of a poor blacksmith and an invalid mother. It is indeed moving to read of these people who thirsted for Word of God and were not allowed to have it. Later that year, van der Bijl founded Open Doors, a non-denominational mission supporting persecuted Christians.Suppose on the other hand that I were to discover God to be a Person, in the sense that He communicated and cared and loved and led. Not with the excitement of the crossing, but with the excitement of having caught such a spectacular glimpse of God at work. To witness his, and others absolute confidence in God’s provision, risking their very lives for fellow Christians who are persecuted and oppressed and not truly free to worship, puts my trivial complaints and superficial material wants in perspective. As you read his incredible story of faith and miracles, you’ll understand why we believe that all doors are open to God. Under persecution a man looks to his faith to see if it's worth fighting for, and this is a scrutiny Christianity can always withstand.

I just can't even tell you how faith-strengthening, inspiring, adventuresome, and just down-right fun and encouraging this was! While it has value as a read about the Cold War era it is told from the point of view of a Christian missionary (and those involved with him.

And with over ten million copies sold, God's Smuggler has thrilled and inspired readers for more than 40 years. The first time though I must have been very young because she had to skip the hardest part about his military service.