GOD’S “SMUGGLER” – BROTHER ANDREW

Anne van der Bijl, a Dutch Christian, known worldwide as Brother Andrew , died on Tuesday 27 September 2022 at the age of 94. He is the one who “smuggled” Bibles into Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, East Germany, Bulgaria, and other Soviet-bloc countries, because it was banned in those countries.

Van der Bijl -Brother Andrew – was born in the Netherlands in 1928, to a poor blacksmith father, and a handicapped mother. He saw many ups and downs in his growing up years. Life was not easy during the World War II, yet he kept going. He was sent to Indonesia, after he joined the Dutch army in late 1940’s. The experience of real war, and the indiscriminate killing of innocent and ordinary people, changed his perspective of life, and also the purpose of it.

What began in a small way, in 1955 on a visit to Poland, took a turn towards the distribution of the Bibles, in 1957. This risky “adventure” took many twists and turns, that even he did not imagine. In all this, the LORD faithfully led him, and he obediently followed his Saviour and the LORD.

Many criticised his method of doing his ministry of making Bibles available. Yet, he passionately and unswervingly pursued his dream to make the Word of God available to those who are deprived of it. He risked his life many times over, and it was worth it in the end.

He surely is, one of the many great servants of God…who served the LORD faithfully and obediently…disregarding all the conventional “wisdom” of doing what the LORD had commanded 2000 years ago. A life well lived!!!