The Missionary Who Dared: Brother Andrew and the Smuggling of the Word
The history of faith is marked by those who recognize that the greatest weapon against the world’s ideological strongholds is the Bible. Brother Andrew (Andrew van der Bijl, 1928–2022), a Dutch missionary and founder of the ministry Open Doors, lived a life defined by the simple, radical conviction that God’s Word must reach those imprisoned by darkness. His ministry, launched decades after World War II, was a direct, ongoing act of spiritual warfare against the vast, atheistic machinery of Communism.
His heroic faith, fueled by prayer and a battered white Volkswagen Beetle, proved that no earthly barrier can contain the power of the living God.
The Spiritual Act of Crossing the Line
Following a powerful conversion and a call to ministry, Brother Andrew felt burdened by the spiritual famine behind the Iron Curtain. These communist nations actively suppressed Christianity, printing no Bibles and severely punishing those who possessed religious material.
His solution was to trust the Lord implicitly and repeatedly smuggle Scriptures across highly secured borders. His method was famous for its simplicity and radical reliance on divine intervention: loading his car with illegal Bibles and praying, “Lord, I know that if I were caught, these Scriptures would be confiscated, and the people who received them would be in trouble. Would You please make all the border guards blind to the things I am carrying?”
He passed countless checkpoints, often with Bibles visible on the seat beside him, untouched by the gaze of armed guards. His testimony fulfilled the ultimate promise of the Lord regarding the power of His revealed Word:
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11, KJV)
A Testimony Against Atheistic Tyranny
Brother Andrew’s work exposed the inherent weakness of tyranny. Every Bible he delivered was a direct, successful challenge to the communist system’s control over thought and belief. He risked his life repeatedly to bring hope and truth to persecuted believers, viewing the Bible not just as literature, but as the only necessary tool for the evangelization and spiritual sustenance of the world.
His life is a powerful, modern example for those awaiting The Lord’s Return, demonstrating that the only effective response to ideological darkness is courageous obedience, prayer, and the fearless dissemination of the uncompromised Word of God. Brother Andrew is a hero of faith because he knew that the key to spiritual freedom was not escape, but infiltration with the truth.