This October 3 marked the anniversary of Germany’s reunification in 1990. LIFE Magazine has just released stunning pictures from the 60’s that depict life in Berlin that was separated by not a figurative “Iron Curtain”, but an actual physical reminder of the current unrest and oppression.

Jeff Thompson (Founder and CEO of Mercy Projects) invites you to get a behind-the-scenes look at the ministry of him and his wife Paula have given their lives to in his book “Leaving the American Sector”.

Jeff and Paula smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain for 12 years during the Soviet era. In his book, Jeff explains that “his mission was to strengthen the faith of believers there” behind the wall, the “persecuted church”.  Over a span of 70 years, “over 100 million people died at the hands of totalitarian dictators.” It was amazing for Jeff to witness how these Christians still “worshiped and shared their faith despite the imminent threat of imprisonment or death.”