Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983)

She was born in Holland into a Christian family who loved the Word of God. This upbringing, with the focus on Jesus, meant that Corrie behaved as she did when the world, in the form of German troops, invaded Holland in 1940. The Germans despised the Jew and were persecuting them with great savageness. Their property was being possessed and Jewish families were being split up with men, women and children being shipped to work camps and concentration camps. Throughout Europe over five million Jews were murdered by the Germans, all of this within the lifetime of many people alive today! Christians stand up to what is good and publicly decry what is evil and Corrie was no exception. She opposed this evil and joined the underground movement in an attempt to hide Jews from the Germans and to smuggle them to safety. She and her family were eventually betrayed and imprisoned. Corrie and her sister were shipped to various concentration camps where they continued to teach fellow prisoners about Jesus Christ. Her sister died whilst they were imprisoned. Corrie was eventually released through a clerical error and during the week following her release all of the women of her age were gassed. Following the war Corrie helped in rehabilitation camps and she travelled all over the world telling people of her experiences and of how faithful and loving God is. Her story was written down in the best-selling book The Hiding Place and a film, based on the book, was made by the film company established by Billy Graham.