A single, torn-out Bible page was all a pastor in the USSR had to preach from for seventeen years. Showing this to Mission Without Borders' founders, he challenged them to....
"put Bibles into Eastern Europeans' empty hands to reach our own people."
And that's exactly what they did!
From 1960, it was called "Underground Evangelism", where we smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. Later, it was renamed to "Aid to the Persecuted", where we also brought material to support Christians who had been oppressed - and persecuted - under the Soviet Union's atheist, communist regime.
With the collapse of the Iron Curtain, and the disintegration of the Cold War barriers, Mission Without Borders (MWB) was born. Our remit was to bring spiritual, emotional, educational and material aid to all those in need, regardless of their belief. Our values are to reach impoverished people and communities for Christ - to bring healing, help and hope as they move towards becoming self-sufficient.
When Romanians ousted their communist dictator, Ceausescu, in 1989, the world was shocked to discover thousands of desperately needy children housed in dilapidated orphanages. They suffered greatly - starved not only of food but also love, care and human touch.
Mission Without Borders immediately provided material and educational help. By 1990, to change such children's lives and give them a future, we established our child sponsorship programme.
Whilst the context where we work has changed significantly in the last 60 years, our Mission has stayed the same - reaching people for Christ.