I can't believe it has taken me 30 years to finally read God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew! I just don't know why I haven't read it yet. It is the story of Brother Andrew's work smuggling Bibles into the Iron Curtain in the 50's and 60's. Amazing, amazing story. I liked it so well, I am reading it out loud to the kids. He shares amazing stories of God's provision of money even though he never asked anyone for it. There are stories of him meeting other Christians in these countries, Christian who did not have Bibles and their amazing stories of continuing on in the faith despite the difficulties. This story stands out to, though it is a sad one:
Two of Brother Andrew's fellow workers, Marcus and Rolf, went to Albania. They found out that there were no Albanian Bibles. But then they learned that there was one in a Greek Orthodox Church. They asked to see it, so the priest took them to it. They stood looking at it for a few minutes, then the Priest turned to go.
"Rolf burst out, 'But I want to go closer! Can't I look at it? I mean, open it. See the pages.'
"As the guide translated, the priest's eyes widened in horror, Closer! But no unordained person ever stood closer than four yards to the Holy Scriptures!
"Then, faltered Rolf, what was the sense of the new translation? Since the priests read Greek, what was this Bible used for?
"Why, to be carried in solemn procession. To receive the homage and adulation of the people. What else would a Bible be used for? And think what solace the faithful must gain from knowing that God Himself had spoken in the new language of the great people of Albania."
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