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Posted by dusty on October 17, 19101 at 18:23:17:
In Reply to: The Hiding Place posted by Corey Kuhn on April 05, 19101 at 17:13:18:
I found some note thingys but they aint cliff notes. it may be too late for some of yall but when i needed them i looked around and found this. whether it helps ya or not.......i dunno, but here's the notes thingy!
The Ten Boom family were devoted
Christians who dedicated their lives in
service to their fellow man. Their home
was always an "open house" for anyone in need. Through the decades, the Ten Booms
were very active in social work in Haarlem, and their faith inspired them to serve the
religious community and society at large.
During the Second World War, the Ten Boom home became a refuge, a hiding place, for
fugitives and those hunted by the s. By protecting these people, Casper and his
daughters, Corrie and Betsie, risked their lives. This non-violent resistance against the
-oppressors was the Ten Boom's way of living out their Christian faith. This faith led
them to hide Jews, students who refused to cooperate with the s, and members of the
Dutch "underground" resistance movement.
During 1943 and into 1944, there were usually 6-7 people ly living in this home, 4
Jews and 2 or 3 members of the Dutch underground. Additional refugees would stay with
the Ten Booms for a few hours or a few days until another "safe house" could be located
for them. Corrie became a ringleader within the network of the Haarlem underground.
Corrie and "the Beje group" would search for courageous Dutch families who would take in
refugees, and much of Corrie's time was spent caring for these people once they were in
hiding. Through these activities, the Ten Boom family and their many friends saved the
lives of an estimated 800 Jews, and protected many Dutch underground workers.
On February 28, 1944, this family was betrayed, and the Gestapo (the secret
police) raided their home. The Gestapo set a trap and waited throughout the day, seizing
everyone who came to the house. By evening, over 20 people had been taken into
custody! Casper, Corrie, and Betsie were all arrested. Corrie’s brother Willem, sister
Nollie, and nephew Peter were at the house that day, and were also taken to prison.
Although the Gestapo systematically searched the house, they could not find what they
sought most. They suspected Jews were in the house, but the Jews were safely hidden
behind a false wall in Corrie’s bedroom. In this "hiding place" were two Jewish men, two
Jewish women, and two members of the Dutch underground. Although the house
remained under guard, the Resistance was able to liberate the refugees two days later.
The six people had managed to stay quiet in their small, dark hiding place for all that time,
even though they had no water and very little food. The four Jews were taken to new "safe
houses", and three survived the war. One of the underground workers was killed during
the war years, but the other survived.
Because underground materials and extra ration cards were found in their home, the Ten
Boom family was imprisoned. Casper (84 years old) died after only 10 days in
Scheveningen Prison. When Casper was asked if he knew he could die for helping Jews, he
replied, "It would be an honor to give my life for God's ancient people". Corrie and Betsie
spent 10 months in three different prisons, the last being the infamous Ravensbruck
concentration camp located near Berlin, Germany. Life in the camp was almost
unbearable, but Corrie and Betsie spent their time sharing Jesus' love with their fellow
prisoners. Many women became Christians in that terrible place because of Corrie and
Betsie's witness to them. Betsie (59) died in Ravensbruck, but Corrie survived. Corrie’s
nephew, Christiaan (24), had been sent to Bergen Belsen for his work in the underground.
He did not return. Corrie’s brother, Willem (60), was also a ring leader in the Dutch
underground. While in prison for this "crime", he contracted spinal tuberculosis and died
shortly after the war.
Four Ten Booms gave their lives for this family’s commitment, but Corrie came home
from the death camp. She realized her life was a gift from God, and she needed to share
what she and Betsy had learned in Ravensbruck. "There is no pit so deep that God’s love is
not deeper still", and "God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies". At age
53, Corrie began a world-wide ministry which took her into more than 60 countries in the
next 32 years! She testified to God’s love and encouraged all she met with the message
that "Jesus is Victor".
Corrie received many tributes. Following the war, Corrie was honored by the Queen of
Holland as a War Hero. In 1968, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem asked Corrie to plant
a tree in the Garden of Righteousness, in honor of the many Jewish lives her family saved.
Corrie’s tree stands there today. In the early 1970’s, Corrie’s book THE HIDING PLACE
became a best seller, and World Wide Pictures released the major motion picture "The
Hiding Place". Corrie went on to write many other inspiring books. There are five
evangelical videos about Corrie.
Corrie was a woman faithful to God. She died on her 91st birthday, April 15, 1983. It is
interesting that Corrie's ping occurred on her birthday. In the Jewish tradition, it is
only very blessed people who are allowed the special privilege of dying on their birthday!
Corrie's story is recounted in her books THE HIDING PLACE and TRAMP FOR THE LORD.