After two months the Danish evangelist Torben Søndergaard, who was caught by the FBI in the United States, is still in jail. He allegedly smuggled weapons at the border between Mexico and the US, while in reality the evangelist was busy leading a Bible school in Mexico. None of his co-workers smuggled weapons and “I have never had anything to do with smuggling weapons”, he said earlier on his Facebookpage.
In 2019 the evangelist fled from Denmark with his family because he was falsely accused. The family sought asylum in the United States.
In a recent update on Facebook Torben shares about what has happened to him in the past weeks. God is at work in the lives of those around him, but it has definitely not been an easy time so far. Torben: “I have now been locked up for sixty two days, and what a ride! So many things have happened to me, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Many things have also happened in the lives of the other inmates around me, as I’ve had at least three people thanking God, that He heard their prayers and sent me to them, and lives have been changed.”
Bible school
In his newsletter he shares: “Spiritually, this is the best Bible school one can imagine! People from the West often ask the church leaders in the house church movement in China what Bible school and theology material they are using. They often smile and say, “Jail.” Yes, jail was the Bible school, and the Bible was the theology material they were using! They said in the book that jail was where God took them aside to spend some time alone with Him, and I truly understand that now. Fifty-eight days locked up with God and His Word has truly changed me! I’m spending hours every day in prayer, and I LOVE IT, and the Word has come into my life like NEVER before!
Humbling
So spiritually, it has been such a blessing to be here! Emotionally, this has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced in my life, and it has been very humbling, and I have learned endurance like never before, and that it is important not to live by our feelings and emotions but to walk by the Spirit. So it has been hard, but God has been faithful through it all. All in all, I’m truly thankful for God’s faithfulness in this trial I’m going through. I still don’t know much about what is happening or when I will come out, but we serve a righteous God who hates lies and deception, and I truly trust that He will make a way, bring all to the light, and He will help me to be free.
I truly miss my family and the freedom out there, but until that day comes, I will use the time here in prayer with our Father, and in His amazing Word! I thank you all for your prayers for my family and me, that God will have His way, and that I will soon be out to see my family and all of you again.”
Let’s keep Torben and his family in prayer.
Read the full newsletter here.
