"No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still; with Jesus even in our darkest moments, the best remains and the very best is yet to be."

Growing up in Holland in a Christian family, Corrie developed a strong faith at an early age. Her home was always open to those in need, not least during the Second World War. When Jews began to be persecuted, the Ten Boom family created a ‘hiding place’ behind a false wall at the very top of their house. 

When the war began, Corrie became part of the ‘Beje’ group whose role was to find ‘safe houses’ in Dutch homes for Jewish refugees. It’s estimated that they saved around 800 people in total. Sadly, the Ten Boom family was eventually betrayed, and on 28^th February 1944, the Gestapo raided their home. Four Jewish men and two members of the Dutch underground ran into the hiding place; Corrie and her family were not so fortunate.

In the coming years of hardship, the life lessons Corrie had learnt from her parents stood her in good stead: Love is expressed in action; God is faithful; the bible is more precious than gold-dust.

Corrie’s father, Casper, died after 10 days in Scheveningen Prison; she and her sister Betsie were placed together in three different prisons, the last being Ravensbruck concentration camp in Germany.

Although they were treated like animals, Corrie and Betsie did their best to share Jesus’ love with their fellow prisoners. Miraculously, Corrie had managed to smuggle a bible into the camp, despite the requirement to be stripped naked and searched on their arrival. In their filthy barracks, the bible became their one source of hope. Her book The Hiding Place describes how life in Ravensbruck took place on two separate levels: The darker their external circumstances grew, ‘the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the word of God;’ the bible said they couldn’t be separated from God’s love, that they were ‘more than conquerors’ despite being hungry, starved and hated (Romans 8:35-42). As Betsie read to their fellow prisoners, Corrie describes watching light ‘leap from face to face,’ a ray of hope breaking into despair.

Betsie became very ill in Ravensbruck and sadly died. A few days later, Corrie’s name was read out whilst at roll-call and she learnt that she was to be released! After spending some time recovering back in Holland, Corrie was able to fulfil Betsie’s dream of opening a home for healing. She also began what became a worldwide ministry, speaking about the power of God’s love and forgiveness. This took her to more than 60 countries!

Whilst in the camp, Corrie had initially felt a strong sense of indignation towards the prison guards. However, she learnt from Betsie who prayed for them, and in a place saturated with hatred, the two sisters learnt much about forgiveness.

Many years after the war, Corrie was approached in church by a former S.S guard. Filled with angry, vengeful thoughts, Corrie prayed that Jesus would give her his forgiveness for the man. As she raised her hand to shake his, a ‘current’ seemed to pass through her arm into his, and a love for the man sprang up that ‘almost overwhelmed’ her. From this she discovered that:

‘ … it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on His. When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives along with the command, the love itself’ (The H.P).

You can read more about Corrie’s life in her books The Hiding Place, In My Father’s House and Tramp For The Lord.