God's Smuggler for Missions
Brother Andrew
Who is Brother Andrew? Andy van der Bijl, now known as Brother Andrew, was born in 1928 in the Netherlands. Still alive today, Brother Andrew is known for his mission to bring the Gospel behind the Iron Curtain and then to persecuted nations all around the world. He drastically surrendered his life to the Lord and then risked everything he had for the Great Commission. He spent his life bringing Bibles to the persecuted and lost. Brother Andrew is still serving the persecuted church today through his Open Doors ministry.
Brother Andrew was born during a hostile time in the world. As he entered into adulthood, he chose to fight against the injustices of communism. Communism restricted Christianity, and the Christians were strongly persecuted against.
Andrew was crippled in a hospital, with no one but nurses to take care of him.
These nurses happened to be Franciscan nuns, who were so joyful that it caused Andrew’s curiosity to wonder. Upon asking them why they were so joyful all of the time, the nuns replied,
“It’s the love of Christ. Why it’s right here in the book beside you.”
— Franciscan Sister
Andrew realized the nun was motioning towards his mother’s Bible.
This experience convicted Andrew. It also spurred on questions inside of him that he had not recognized before. Brother Andrew was wondering about the Gospel.
After leaving the army, Andrew felt purposeless. And when the Dutch lost the war, he simply wanted to die. But he remembered those nuns, and he remembered his mother’s faith in the Lord
In missionary training, Andrew had to have a great deal of faith for God’s provision.
Each student was given 1 Pound and was sent out into Scotland for missions. The students did not have a place to stay or any food provided for them. They had to rely on God and his provision for their every need. At the end of a month, each student, including Andrew, found that they had more than enough. Even after tithing, they had more money than what they started with.
“In the years of living this life of faith, I have never known God’s care to fail.”
— Brother Andrew, God’s Smuggler