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Kid's Good News |
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Contents: Corrie
Ten Boom was a woman who lived in the time of Second World War in Holland
and suffered by the hands of Nazis because of her faith in Christ. Corrie
Ten Boom was born in Holland on 15th April 1892.
In year 1837 Willem ten Boom opened a clock shop.
Later this house was passed down to his son Casper, and then to
Casper’s daughter, Corrie. Ten
Boom family were devoted Christians and their home was very often called
"Open House" because it was open for anyone in need.
They worked for suffering humanity with compassion and with love. Once
they were listening the radio and they heard the Prime Minister of Holland
speaking that, "you need not to fear because they have promised that
none of the countries fighting in this war will attack us."
But the old watchman said, "the Prime Minister is wrong".
He said further that, Germany will attack us and we will be
defeated." The same
night Hitler's army attacked Holland.
Holland's army fought with them but soon they were defeated and
German soldiers started walking in the streets of Holland. They took off all the radio sets from every home and
newspapers were stopped. Because
they imposed curfew in town, Corrie had to shut down all her girl's clubs.
She also ran a club for mentally-handicapped young people where she
used to teach them about the love of Christ.
They could not purchase anything without a ration card.
They made it compulsory for Jews to were a yellow star - "the
star of David". During
this time many Jews were killed, their shops were smashed, goods where
looted from shops and many Jewish families were disappeared. Later people knew that Hitler Killed 6,000,000 million Jews.
When all these problem started Corrie Ten Boom and her family
risked their lives and helped many Jews to come and stay in their home
secretly. They built a secret
room that was hidden behind the false wall where many people could hide.
But
one February morning in 1944 a Dutch man came to the watch shop and asked
Corrie to help him by giving some money.
He told her that he needed money urgently to save lives of some
Jews. Corrie did not know who
this man was but thinking that if she could help any Jews it would be
great, she promised to give him money.
But it was a trap for them. At
evening German police rang the bell of Corrie's house.
Soon all the guests piled into the hiding place.
Police entered their home and searched thoroughly for half an hour
but could not find the guests nor the secrete room. Corrie was interrogated by Police, "Where are the
Jews?" but she did not reply. Finally
she said, "Lord Jesus help me."
But the Police officer said, "If you take that name again, I
will kill you." They
asked Betsy the sister of Corrie and she was also beaten by police.
But she did not disclose the whereabouts of the secret room.
They smashed cupboards and walls of the house to find the secret
room but could not. Corrie,
Betsy, Casper and few other family members were taken to the prison.
The house was sealed and house remained under guard. Ten
days later their father Casper died in prison.
Corrie was put in a separate cell as she was ill.
She lived in that cell for four months alone.
Life of prison was not at all pleasant.
There was no bed in cell and room was bitterly cold.
She got thin porridge for morning and a peace of black bread at
evening. One nurse gave her
four Gospels in her cell. She
read those Gospels again and again and it strengthened her faith.
She was taken for hearing by police officer and after a few
hearing, Corrie could tell her about the peace and forgiveness of Christ.
After that he became very friendly and helped Corrie in many ways
but he had no power to release her or Betsy. After
four months in that prison, all the prisoners were told to pack their
baggage and take a train. When
they were about to board a train Corrie saw her sister Betsy and finally
both met in railway station. They
were taken to the labor camp so that they may work there.
Life was not easy in this labor camp.
They had to work hard and punishment was severe.
Many male prisoners were shot and women prisoners were sent to
Germany. Corrie and Betsy
were taken to Ravensbruck concentration camp.
They had to load and unload heavy steel sheets there and guards
shouted all the time to do work faster.
They had to wake up early, they had to stand straight, if not women
police beat them with whips. They
were only taken to the Hospital if they were seriously ill and if they had
high fever. And the weakest
person would be sent to the gas chamber to be killed.
The place was "Hell on Earth" but God showed them that He
can help them though they were in this horrible place. Corrie
could manage to keep a small Bible and vitamin bottle without guard seeing
it. Everyday Corrie and Betsy
read the Bible loudly. At
first it was small group who listened but it became bigger and bigger. In the midst of death and horrible conditions, women of that
prison got hope of eternal life and for blessed future. One
day Betsy was cruelly beaten by a guard for not working hard.
But she prayed for that guard.
One day she saw a vision that, " There was a beautiful house
with a large garden and a big hall in that there was carved staircase.
She said further that, "we are taking care of those who were
hurt in war." Betsy
was very week so Corrie was giving her vitamin pills every day.
Other fellow prisoners also needed vitamin drops so Corrie gave
them too. She knew that
bottle would be soon empty but as she gave others, new drops came in the
bottle. No one could
understand it until Betsy told them about the story of the Bible in which
a widow had no money but prophet told her to bring jars of oil from
neighbors and fill it with oil. She
brought the jars and filled the little oil that she had. It did not stop
till it filled all the jars of the home.
Betsy
became weaker and weaker and finally was admitted in hospital.
Corrie was not allowed to go and see her sister but she used to see
from one of the windows. One day, her bed was empty, Corrie's heart broke.
one of the fellow prisoner asked her to come and see where all the
dead bodies were put. She
wasn't ready to see but she went and saw her face glowing like an angel.
There was no sign of pain and suffering but she was looking very
beautiful. One
day Corrie heard her name that she had to report after roll-call.
She was terrified, she thought that, she would be punished and
killed." She prayed to
God that He would help her. When
she went there, they gave her a card stamped, "Released".
She was given few of her possessions; new cloths and railway pass
to go back her home. After a
long and hard journey she returned her hometown.
She later came to know that her release was a clerical mistake.
One week after her release other fellow prisoner of her age were
killed. Corrie
went to 60 countries and preached the love of Christ. She got the same house which Betsy saw in her vision.
She wrote her story in her book, "The hiding place".
She was received by others with great honor and pride in different
countries. She got many
awards for her work for Jews. She
died on her 91st birthday at 15th April 1983.
She said to the world, "There is no pit so deep that God’s
love is not deeper still", and that “God will enable you to forgive
your enemies”. Who turned the jars of water into wine? And how many jars were
there?
They were put into jail but while they were singing and praising God
a great earth quake came and their shackles were broken. They found _______________________________________ |
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