Vansteenberghe was a Belgian soldier when the Germans invaded Belgium in 1914. He was shot in the neck when fighting in Flanders and was sent to London to be healed. While he was there he converted from Roman Catholicism to being a Protestant. In 1910 he married Vicorine Modave better known as Cobe.
Before he was called up into the army he had for a time been a Communist but after his experiences and narrow escape from death he was unable to ignore the existence of the individual human soul. The Bible which he had started to read to improve his English now absorbed his mind and he was convicted of it's truth.
His wife, Cobe was at desperation point back home with no food for their two children. From the letters that her husband had sent her, she felt he had gone mad with his belief in God. She prayed "Oh God if you exist help me now. You know I have nothing left." A short time afterward a woman came to the door with some money from a cousin in Antwerp. That evening she said, "Thank you God."
Vansteenberghe when he returned to Belgium after the war helped to found the Belgian Gospel Mission. He worked for the Lord for the rest of his life and was known as the "Firebrand of Flanders."
War came again to Belgium and life was very hard. Two of his sons joined the Resistance movement. One of his boys, Pierre was executed on the 30th December 1943. Odilon was forgiving to his enemies and misunderstood by some. His wife died on Oct 3rd 1954 a faithful companion to the end. He laboured on. His last trip was to speak in Switzerland, he had said bury me where I die.
Before he was called up into the army he had for a time been a Communist but after his experiences and narrow escape from death he was unable to ignore the existence of the individual human soul. The Bible which he had started to read to improve his English now absorbed his mind and he was convicted of it's truth.
His wife, Cobe was at desperation point back home with no food for their two children. From the letters that her husband had sent her, she felt he had gone mad with his belief in God. She prayed "Oh God if you exist help me now. You know I have nothing left." A short time afterward a woman came to the door with some money from a cousin in Antwerp. That evening she said, "Thank you God."
Vansteenberghe when he returned to Belgium after the war helped to found the Belgian Gospel Mission. He worked for the Lord for the rest of his life and was known as the "Firebrand of Flanders."
War came again to Belgium and life was very hard. Two of his sons joined the Resistance movement. One of his boys, Pierre was executed on the 30th December 1943. Odilon was forgiving to his enemies and misunderstood by some. His wife died on Oct 3rd 1954 a faithful companion to the end. He laboured on. His last trip was to speak in Switzerland, he had said bury me where I die.
Vansteenberghe was a Belgian soldier when the Germans invaded Belgium in 1914. He was shot in the neck when fighting in Flanders and was sent to London to be healed. While he was there he converted from Roman Catholicism to being a Protestant. In 1910 he married Vicorine Modave better known as Cobe.
Before he was called up into the army he had for a time been a Communist but after his experiences and narrow escape from death he was unable to ignore the existence of the individual human soul. The Bible which he had started to read to improve his English now absorbed his mind and he was convicted of it's truth.
His wife, Cobe was at desperation point back home with no food for their two children. From the letters that her husband had sent her, she felt he had gone mad with his belief in God. She prayed "Oh God if you exist help me now. You know I have nothing left." A short time afterward a woman came to the door with some money from a cousin in Antwerp. That evening she said, "Thank you God."
Vansteenberghe when he returned to Belgium after the war helped to found the Belgian Gospel Mission. He worked for the Lord for the rest of his life and was known as the "Firebrand of Flanders."
War came again to Belgium and life was very hard. Two of his sons joined the Resistance movement. One of his boys, Pierre was executed on the 30th December 1943. Odilon was forgiving to his enemies and misunderstood by some. His wife died on Oct 3rd 1954 a faithful companion to the end. He laboured on. His last trip was to speak in Switzerland, he had said bury me where I die.
Before he was called up into the army he had for a time been a Communist but after his experiences and narrow escape from death he was unable to ignore the existence of the individual human soul. The Bible which he had started to read to improve his English now absorbed his mind and he was convicted of it's truth.
His wife, Cobe was at desperation point back home with no food for their two children. From the letters that her husband had sent her, she felt he had gone mad with his belief in God. She prayed "Oh God if you exist help me now. You know I have nothing left." A short time afterward a woman came to the door with some money from a cousin in Antwerp. That evening she said, "Thank you God."
Vansteenberghe when he returned to Belgium after the war helped to found the Belgian Gospel Mission. He worked for the Lord for the rest of his life and was known as the "Firebrand of Flanders."
War came again to Belgium and life was very hard. Two of his sons joined the Resistance movement. One of his boys, Pierre was executed on the 30th December 1943. Odilon was forgiving to his enemies and misunderstood by some. His wife died on Oct 3rd 1954 a faithful companion to the end. He laboured on. His last trip was to speak in Switzerland, he had said bury me where I die.
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