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Brother Andrew

Brother Andrew was born May 11, 1928 in Sint Pancras, Holland . He had a large family, with 2 sisters and 4 brothers. His parents were Christians and raised him in the in Dutch Reformed church. His childhood was influenced by the Nazis, particularly since his schooling ended 1940 due to Nazi occupation. He lost interest in the church and decided to join the army in search of adventure. He became a commando in the Dutch army and served in the East Indies from 1946 to 1949. However, his great adventure ended in disaster and he was severely wounded 1949. While in hospital he met a young nurse who gave him a bible. He read it from cover to cover and became a Christian. He then decided to go to Bible College , so he studied at World Evangelization Crusade school in Scotland from 1953 to 1955, despite not knowing how to speak English.

His conversion did not quell his sense of adventure so he joined a group mission tour to Poland . In 1955 Poland was behind the ‘iron curtain’ and very much under communist control.  Communism did not allow for the idea of God and religion was banned in communist countries. Andrew saw for himself the great lack of Bibles in this country and the way in which Christians were being persecuted.  A verse in the Bible encouraged him to start ‘smuggling’ bibles into communist countries within Eastern Europe .

Andrew’s work began in a small way, with Andrew himself carrying a suitcase of Bibles into Eastern European countries. However, through the contacts he made behind the iron curtain, Andrew came to see that the need was much larger than he had understood. He prayed about what to do and he was provided with a car – a little blue VW that he could fill with bibles.  He began making regular trips into Czechoslovakia , Poland , Yugoslavia , Albania , East Germany , Romania and, eventually Russia , giving bibles away to any who wanted one.  Each time he crossed a border he prayed the same prayer:

“Lord, while on earth, you made blind eyes see. Now please make seeing eyes blind.”

Andrew believed that this was the work of God and that God would protect him. He therefore, didn’t hide the Bibles but had them piled up on the front seat, the boot and anywhere they would fit.  Even though the penalty for what he was doing was jail or, in some countries like Albania , instant death, Andrew continued making regular trips into these countries and trusted God for his protection. He was never arrested.

 Andrew married 'Corrie', the nurse who had given him the bible in hospital, on June 27, 1958 in Alkmaar . They had five children and now have four grandchildren. Corrie joined Andrew on his trips until she started having children. She was able to use her nursing skills to help the people in the churches they served. Andrew and Corrie were so committed to this mission that they put their house up for sale in order to pay for a translation of the bible into Romanian, as one did not yet exist. Andrew personally presented the first copy of this new bible to the Romanian president.

Eventually, Andrew took on some partners and the operation expanded. In 1966 his story was recorded in his biography, God's Smuggler (which has sold over 12 million copies in over 40 languages). This earned him an international reputation but virtually stopped his own participation in smuggling. Instead he expanded the organization - called 'Open Doors' - into Latin America, Africa and Asia .

In the 1980’s he focused his attention on China and organized ‘Project Pearl’ in 1981, when he smuggled one million Bibles into China in one night.

With the collapse of communism in most countries, Andrew and Open Doors have turned their attention to the Muslim world, where Christians still suffer persecution. Although Andrew is no longer president of OD, he still travels extensively, meeting with political leaders and fighting for the rights of Christians in these lands. OD now has 20 offices around the world, is working in over 60 countries and will celebrate its 50^th anniversary in 2005.

In 1997, Brother Andrew was the recipient of the World Evangelical Fellowship’s Religious Liberty Award, recognizing his lifetime of service to the persecuted church and passion for spreading the Gospel. 

Brother Andrew’s work through Open Doors has led the organization into places where most Christians do not go.  His underground network of indigenous Christians has aided in the secret distribution of millions of Bibles each year worldwide.  Open Doors has trained thousands of Christian pastors and church leaders through seminaries and persecution seminars, assisted in economic relief, literacy training, and vocational training in the most dangerous countries in the world. 

Awake and strengthen that which remains and is at the point of death."

For more info see www.opendoors.org

  Questions.

1. How did Andrew become a Christian?
2. Why did he decide to start smuggling bibles into restricted countries?
3. Why did Andrew start his work in Communist countries?
4. List some of the countries where Open Doors work today.
5. What are the main aims of Open Doors?
6. Why do you think there are no photos of Brother Andrew on the Internet?
7. Why do you think Andrew and Open Doors think that getting the bible to Christians in restricted countries is so important?
8.  How did Andrew’s religious beliefs change his life?

Exercises.

1. On the map provided, mark the places where religious freedoms are restricted, according to the information provided by Open Doors. Think carefully about why you have chosen each place. Is it communist? Is it fundamentalist Muslim?  If there are any countries in which you are not sure, look them up for homework before adding them to your map.
2. Imagine you were involved in a Bible smuggling trip.  Write a letter home to your parents or friends, describing your trip. You should include:

• Where you went
• How you carried your bibles
• The reaction of the customs guards
• How you felt while being searched
• Why you decided to do this.
• The reaction of the Christians to whom you delivered your bibles.