Open Doors is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the persecuted Christian church around the world. It was the result of a one man crusade, that began in 1955, to support the local persecuted church in Iron Curtain countries. That man was Dutch Christian, Andrew van der Bijl, better known as Brother Andrew.

Brother Andrew turned 80 this summer (pictured left), and he is still going strong.

Today, his Open Doors organization works worldwide to supply Bibles to countries closed to Christianity and help oppressed Christians there. This particular Muslim challenge involves sending Bibles to Christians in Islamic countries:

Open Doors has been offered a $100,000 Challenge Grant to provide Bibles to Muslim converts.

...There is an amazing miracle that is taking place in Muslim countries like Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Muslims… even some radical Muslims… are coming to know Christ as their Savior!

These new believers often risk everything when they turn from Islam to follow Christ.  And the one thing they pray and plead for most… to give them the courage to stand strong… is a copy of the Bible!

Today, you can be an answer to their prayers when you send them the precious gift of God’s Word.(Donate link)

I first learned about Brother Andrew through homeschooling. One of the most enjoyable things my son and I did during our homeschool years was to start our day by reading missionary biographies aloud.

They all were good, but God's Smuggler was one of the more memorable ones.

Reading about Andrew's adventures in his blue VW bug not only made us appreciate our religious freedoms but also strengthened our faith. We saw how the God of the Bible, who closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel, was still miraculously intervening in lives today. Synopsis:  

As a boy, Brother Andrew dreamed of being an undercover spy working behind enemy lines. As a man be found himself working undercover for God. His was a mission filled with danger, financed by faith, supported by miracles. Told it was impossible to minister behind the Iron Curtain, Andrew knew that nothing was too hard for God. Crossing "closed" borders, he prayed, "Lord, in my luggage I have Scripture I want to take to Your children. When You were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, I pray, make seeing eyes blind. Do not let the guards see those things You do not want them to see."

And they never did. For 35 years, Brother Andrew's life story has inspired millions to step out on their own journeys of faith. This young Dutch factory worker's near-incredible adventures testify of God's step-by-step guidance and hour-by-hour provision -- available to all who follow His call. Far from being over, Brother Andrew's current adventures are his most challenging yet. In a new prologue and epilogue, the Sherrills [authors] carry his story into the new millennium with an account of Andrew's work in the "closed" societies of Islam.

Andrew continued to work, risking his personal safety to bring Bibles to people in oppressed countries. His personal mission brought him to China and Islamic countries too. You can read more about Brother Andrew van der Bijl's adventures and conversion on his website or read his books. (Truth sometimes is more amazing than fiction!)

Today, other people* are risking their lives to bring Bibles to Muslim converts, and converts still risk all for their beliefs. If you are a person of faith, pray for those converts, Open Doors ministry, and help with the Muslim challenge financially if you can.

*I know of a family from Brookfield who left their very comfortable life here to become missionaries in the Middle East. Because of the risk to their safety, details are not available. 

Links: 

Saturday, July 26th, Boy Scout Troop 55 will be giving several Brookfield park shelters an interior face lift.

I happened to catch a sneak peek at my area's Kinsey Park the other night. The scout in the photo told me his troop would be painting 3 shelter interiors on Saturday.

Look for CNI story about this--the painting family (mom was there too) said the paper would be sending a reporter.

Boy Scouts are required to do service projects. Kinsey Park already has benefited from an Eagle Scout project a few years ago. The perennial plantings by the sign were one scout's service project.

The scouts also do periodic park clean ups and have spread wood chips on the trails from time to time.

I'm sure the Boy Scouts are inundated with lots of ideas for projects. Maybe they could add building Heron nesting boxes or bat and purple martin houses (natural mosquito control) for our wetlands to their list?

  Thanks scouts and scout parents for all you do!

Don't forget, the Hot Air Tour Press Conference has been moved from Miller Park to AFP headquarters on Saturday

Kinsey Park pier project is completed 

Links: 

For those of you who were wondering about Shan Lu's Music From the Heart Concert benefit for Chinese quake victims held at City Hall Plaza on May 21, they raised a total of $1,550! Shan wrote:

The concert went very well, we raised $1442.00 on May 31. We had 23 programs in all, 21 people (one adult and 20 kids) performed, 15 out of the 20 kids were from Swanson Elementary School. Over a hundred people came and participated the event. We had a reception for the kids and our silent auction and raffle also went well. With the few checks we received after the concert and the total amount came to $1550.00.

Shan Lu sent me a pdf of the Milwaukee Chinese Times newspaper. It was intriguing. Most of it is in Chinese, but there on the front page it states, Brookfield, and then features photos from the concert. Email me if you would like to see it. 

Now Shan is working on another concert. This one:

A "Benefit Concert for China After-quake Rebuild and US Midwest Flood Victims" organized by [the] Milwaukee Chinese Community Center which will be held on this Saturday, June 28 at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center (7:00 - 9:00 PM). I am part of the preparation team and the other three members of my family will be performing at Benefit Concert." (Admission: $10)

I don't have any more specifics on it than that. I thought it was interesting that it was for both the Chinese rebuild project and US Midwest Flood Victims though.

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

Links: 

1. Last night, Michelle Malkin and Melanie Morgan teamed up to raise money for The Largest Care Package Shipment EVER from MOVEAMERICAFORWARD.ORG  They hosted a Jerry Lewis style live broadcast to raise money for sending gift boxes to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I had this post all written yesterday morning and hit "save" but the screen went blank! Argh. I lost the post and the internet and the phone. (We were getting a Cable TV packaged installed on a super deal--less than what we are paying now for phone and internet.) At 11pm internet was restored (thanks to offspring) and I caught the last minute of the fund raiser. They raised $1,055, 719!!!

But all is not lost. Morgan announced that you have until July 2nd to donate to the cause, so you can still participate. Their ultimate goal looks to be $1,250,000.

The gift boxes start at $15.99 each and include some 2oz. packets of specially labeled Jelly Belly jelly beans. They dubbed them "Candy Diplomacy:"

Move America Forward is providing to our troops in care packages (per their request) for them to hand out to the children of Iraq and Afghanistan - as a means of diplomacy to strengthen bonds between the people of these war-torn nations and the United States.

The packages have the following message printed on them in both English and Arabic:

A gift from the American people in
hope that your country will one day
enjoy the freedom and opportunities
that we have in the United States.

 

2. Since "Man does not live by bread alone," Matthew 4:4, you can even send a New Testament with the Psalms and Proverbs kit to a soldier. I received this request from Campus Crusade for Christ*: 

Requests for Bibles for our troops continue to pour in...

With the help of people like you, more than 1.8 million [Bible kits]...have been distributed since September 2001. However, there remains much more to be done as requests for Bibles continue to pour in from soldiers, chaplains, military family members, and others. 

Each Bible kit contains the N.T. Bible + Psalms and Proverbs, a daily devotional, and booklet explaining the gospel. Cost: $3.25 each. Don't let the donate page throw you off. Just check the Other category and put in the amount you wish (example $10 would buy 3 kits.) 

3. Want to do something but don't have the extra cash? Send an email or letter! 

During the Vietnam War, my high school girlfriends and I each had soldier pen pals. We sent letters (no email back then), exchanged photos, and also mailed them home baked cookies etc. It was a very worthwhile experience.

There are many organizations that help civilians support our troops. I Googled "send email to troops" and found these opportunities to send emails, and cards, and more. (Check them out before sending money)

Email Our Troops! Armed Forces News Service 

Any Soldier Started by a soldier to help other soldiers who did not receive any mail 

Soldiers' Angels  A site with lots of opportunities to help.

America Supports You, Our Military Men & Women, an official US Department of Defense website

There is a link page to different things you can do to help, from writing letters to donating frequent flyer miles.

You can send a message. Your message will be sent, some are posted:

God Bless you and keep you safe for you are doing a great job. I pray for your safety every night and hope you come home soon. Beth Kitchens-Harmon, Macon, Ga.

Lastly, pray for our troops. This is something everyone can do if they are a person of faith, even children. I have 5 soldiers and their families I pray for every day.

So whether you can send a donation for a gift box, a Bible kit, or write a letter or email, or pray, it all helps our troops. And that is something we all can agree on, right? 

*My husband's cousin is in missions with Campus Crusade 

Click here to sign the DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS.  domestic drilling petition and see the latest links to related oil news (updated every day).

Drill Here is now over the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions. 

Links: