1981 & 1989
I have carried the cross in what is today Germany several different times. As you may know back in the 80’s there was the country of West German and a different nation of East Germany. Then there was West Berlin and East Berlin that was controlled by the four powers of United States, United Kingdom, France and the Russia. The Berlin Wall divided the city of Berlin. These account for three nations and territories in my cross walk.
During the spring and early summer of 1981 I carried the cross in many West German cities . I would drive to a city and carry the cross and then have an outdoor rally. Every major city in Germany was covered. These cities included Munich, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Koln, Bern, Nurnberg and Hamburg.
My daughter Gina was with me on most of these cross walks. My interpreter was a wonderful young man named Martin Pepper. The news coverage was simply awesome in this nation but we received even more coverage when we arrived in West Berlin.
Hanover, May 25, 1981: I carried the cross into the middle of the train station, then out to the front of it and then I began to preach. Crowds of people were waiting, then others gathered and then I was mobbed. People were pushing and shoving to get Jesus stickers, and were eager to hear what I had to say. As I preached, the people were crying and being converted. It was absolutely glorious! This had never happened before in Germany and the Germans with me were shocked and astounded. They could not believe it was happening in Germany. It was almost like the jungles of Papua New Guinea.
I was tired and worn out since I had been on the road nonstop for weeks, but the Lord poured out His power. Everyone had said the Germans would not respond in this way, that they would not mob, they would never push and shove and gather like this to hear the gospel, but the Lord did it. I saw it with my own eyes.
Hamburg, May 30,1981: The Lord had me carry the cross on Saturday in Hamburg, Germany. I preached in a church, then we had a rally and after the meeting. I went with some believers to St. Kilden, the prostitution and pornographic area. It is considered one of the most sinful places in the entire world! Pornography is horrible with open sex on the stage and crowds of American, French, British and other troops stationed in Germany looking on. At about 2:00 a.m. I walked over to the side of the street and asked a man to hold the cross for a minute. I was hungry and was approaching an outdoor serving window, when I heard someone scream. There was a man with a big knife in his hand threatening the guy who was holding the cross. I stepped up and said, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” and he whirled and looked wildly at me, waving his knife in my face as I kept saying, “Jesus.” He turned and ran back to the foot of the cross and started stabbing the cross tire, making a big slash in the tire, then he ran into a nearby bar. The crowd was very upset with him, but I was just glad no one was hurt and he hadn’t stabbed me or anyone else
1981 & 1989
I have carried the cross in what is today Germany several different times. As you may know back in the 80’s there was the country of West German and a different nation of East Germany. Then there was West Berlin and East Berlin that was controlled by the four powers of United States, United Kingdom, France and the Russia. The Berlin Wall divided the city of Berlin. These account for three nations and territories in my cross walk.
During the spring and early summer of 1981 I carried the cross in many West German cities . I would drive to a city and carry the cross and then have an outdoor rally. Every major city in Germany was covered. These cities included Munich, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Koln, Bern, Nurnberg and Hamburg.
My daughter Gina was with me on most of these cross walks. My interpreter was a wonderful young man named Martin Pepper. The news coverage was simply awesome in this nation but we received even more coverage when we arrived in West Berlin.
Hanover, May 25, 1981: I carried the cross into the middle of the train station, then out to the front of it and then I began to preach. Crowds of people were waiting, then others gathered and then I was mobbed. People were pushing and shoving to get Jesus stickers, and were eager to hear what I had to say. As I preached, the people were crying and being converted. It was absolutely glorious! This had never happened before in Germany and the Germans with me were shocked and astounded. They could not believe it was happening in Germany. It was almost like the jungles of Papua New Guinea.
I was tired and worn out since I had been on the road nonstop for weeks, but the Lord poured out His power. Everyone had said the Germans would not respond in this way, that they would not mob, they would never push and shove and gather like this to hear the gospel, but the Lord did it. I saw it with my own eyes.
Hamburg, May 30,1981: The Lord had me carry the cross on Saturday in Hamburg, Germany. I preached in a church, then we had a rally and after the meeting. I went with some believers to St. Kilden, the prostitution and pornographic area. It is considered one of the most sinful places in the entire world! Pornography is horrible with open sex on the stage and crowds of American, French, British and other troops stationed in Germany looking on. At about 2:00 a.m. I walked over to the side of the street and asked a man to hold the cross for a minute. I was hungry and was approaching an outdoor serving window, when I heard someone scream. There was a man with a big knife in his hand threatening the guy who was holding the cross. I stepped up and said, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” and he whirled and looked wildly at me, waving his knife in my face as I kept saying, “Jesus.” He turned and ran back to the foot of the cross and started stabbing the cross tire, making a big slash in the tire, then he ran into a nearby bar. The crowd was very upset with him, but I was just glad no one was hurt and he hadn’t stabbed me or anyone else
The people who were watching were so moved that they charged into the bar and in a little while they came out with 50 marks (about $20.00). They had made him pay some money to fix my tire. Of course, there was no place to get it fixed at that time of night, but we continued to witness, with many finding hope, peace and salvation in Jesus Christ. That night we knelt on the sidewalk and prayed with eight British soldiers in uniform, that they might know Jesus as their Savior.
The events of this day March 31, 1989 were to change my life forever. Since the call to carry the cross in 1969 I had simply gone to walk wherever the Lord called. I had completed the distance around the earth in 1987. The pilgrim journey now was to have an almost impossible mission.
I was in Ludenscheid, Germany to walk with the cross and speak at a youth rally. While sitting at a coffee house with a German evangelist and his secretary, I suddenly felt an unbelievable burden fill my heart. Tears burst from my eyes: I could hear the Lord Jesus calling, “Arthur, I want you to give your life to carry the cross in every nation by the year 2000!”
I sat frightened; it seemed too much to comprehend. The minister asked what was wrong and I said, “Someday I’ll tell you but for now let’s pray.’ At the table as I wept I accepted the call. In my hotel room later I lay on the floor for hours praying. God did not say I would carry it in every nation, but to commit my life to do it. I answered the call; everything else is in His hands. Jesus must give me the life, strength, health, wealth, and lead me. I certainly can’t do it alone. I lay in the glory of the Lord all night as He prepared me for the awesome mission ahead.
Pilgrim followers of Jesus,
Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1