God's Smuggler: Running On Christ

The roads in Yugoslavia were extraordinarily hard on cars. When we weren’t climbing fierce mountain trails, we were fording streams at the bottom of steep valleys. Every morning in our quiet time, Nikola and I would include a prayer for the car. “Lord, we don’t have either time or the money for repairs on the car, so will You please keep it running?”

One day we were dusting along a mountain when up ahead we spotted a small truck coming toward us. As it pulled alongside, we stopped. “Hello,” said the driver. “I believe I know who you are. You’re the Dutch missionary who is going to preach in Terna tonight. And this is the miracle car? Mind if I take a look at her? I’m a mechanic.”

“I’d appreciate it.” I had put gasoline in that engine, and that was literally all since I had crossed the border. The mechanic went around to the rear and lifted the hood over the motor. For a long time he stood there, just staring.

“Brother Andrew,” he said at last, “I have just become a believer. It is mechanically impossible for this engine to run. Look. The air filter. The carburetor. The sparks. No, I’m sorry. This car cannot run.”

“And yet it’s taken us thousands of miles.” God had answered our prayer.

- Brother Andrew Bijl, from God’s Smuggler. True story.