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A Unique Part of My Life

Aug 10

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Jeana Kendrick
Jeana Kendrick Author Interview

Memoirs of a Bible Smuggler shares your true story smuggling Bibles during the cold war. Why was this an important book for you to write?

My memoirs I hope are a testimony to God’s power and grace in our lives and His care for those who are hurting such as the persecuted Christians. Both of these were important stories I wanted to tell. Those years were also a unique part of my life and I enjoyed writing about them.

I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?

The hardest thing to write about were instances that might offend friends and coworkers.

What is one piece of advice you would have given yourself before starting your missionary work?

Always have a backup plan and give God the glory!

What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?

I would like readers to realize that God is always there for us whatever the circumstances. Also, you don’t have to go overseas to be a missionary. The most important mission field is your own home. Lastly, pray for fellow Christians who suffer persecution, oppression and imprisonment for their faith.

Author Links: GoodReads | Website

“Memoirs of a Bible Smuggler” by Jeana Kendrick is a true story set during the Cold War, an era in the East Bloc when many who resisted the Communists’ godless decrees faced prison or death. These persecuted Christians were brave and daring, willing to risk all for Christ.A naïve thirty-year-old housewife in the East Texas piney woods, Jeana dreamed of being a Bible smuggler. She and her husband Jeff, a building contractor, began praying an extra hour in the evenings. Before long, Door of Hope International (DOHI) President Paul Popov asked Jeff to remodel the mission’s Austrian base of operations for covert Bible deliveries.The Kendricks arrived in Spittal on der Drau, Austria in the early spring of 1980. The DOHI base there was thirty minutes from both Italy and the former Yugoslavia. While Jeff remodeled the base, Jeana refurbished the interior and prayed for the chance to smuggle Bibles and meet the suffering faithful. God answered her prayer. The couple smuggled Bibles into Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria that summer. Popov said the Kendricks were naturals and asked them to return for a full year the following spring.Back in Texas, six weeks before their departure for Europe, a falling tree struck Jeana suffered a compression fracture and was briefly hospitalized. Nevertheless, the couple left as planned. After several years, the Kendricks were appointed co-directors of DOHI’s literature distribution into Eastern Europe. They developed a network of contacts behind the Iron Curtain and teams of trained couriers. Carpenters, bankers, nurses, stockbrokers and others used their vacations annually to smuggle thousands of Bibles.Confronted by challenges like the vehicle bust at the Romanian border or their own arrests in Russia, the Kendricks rejoiced at God’s continued deliverance. Once border guards drilled into a camper between two rows of Bibles, hitting insulation instead of paper. One afternoon, the Kendricks gave away the last of their money, one thousand dollars. An hour later Jeana and Jeff learned that someone had anonymously deposited five thousand dollars into their bank account. God was faithful. When the Iron Curtain came tumbling down, the Kendricks were there to test the new freedoms and to help. During their thirteen years as missionaries, the many miracles, obstacles overcome and victories won, enriched their lives and those of countless others.

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Memoirs of a Bible Smuggler

Jul 20

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Memoirs of a Bible Smuggler by [Jeana Kendrick]

Memoirs of a Bible Smuggler is the true story of Jeana Kendrick and her experience smuggling Bibles into Eastern Europe during the Cold War. Kendrick recalls the emotional highs and lows of this period. Fearing exposure and death, Jeana discusses these experiences and the experience of maintaining faith in order to serve God and protect Christianity.

At the core, this is an uplifting story about overcoming and maintaining faith during a difficult time. I’ll probably never go through anything in my life that is as terrifying as smuggling Bibles into Eastern Europe during the Cold War, but the emotions, faith, and drive to help others was relatable and heartwarming. I appreciated the candid nature with which the story is told. The story really puts you in the authors mind during that time, exploring the events as she saw them.

While this is a story based in history, this is more of a memoir that takes us through the life of a Texas house wife that’s called to serve during a harrowing time. Smuggling bibles was an idea that was new to me. But author Jeana Kendrick opens readers minds to thing others seldom, if ever, experience, and shares some profound and emotional moments. Her ability to keep the faith through it all is inspiring.

While I would have appreciated more historical context, Memoirs of a Bible Smuggler is still a riveting account of one person making a difference in a dangerous world. For any readers that need a powerful story about maintaining faith while facing adversity, or for anyone who wants to read a stirring memoir of an average person doing extraordinary things, then Jeana Kendricks memoir is perfect for you. This is a short but potent story that shows the power and importance of missionary work.

Pages: 187 | ASIN: B0971S3TTJ

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Posted in Book Reviews, Four Stars

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