The Unyielding Spirit of Grace: The Corrie Ten Boom Story

Bless you, thank you, and do we have the pictures?

Huh, yes, oh, my Lord, bless you.

What a privilege to come to be with you today.

I'm Cory Tenboom, huh, and I am from Holland.

Do you know Holland?

Huh, yes, when you think of Holland, what do you think?

Say it, write out.

Oh, yes, the tulips, oh my, it is a beautiful place.

And do you know that, even though the flowers were blooming and it was beautiful to the eye, there was a darkness that came to my country, and that was when the Nazis came and occupied my country.

But you know, each one of you have story, right, yes, about that time when you were a small child and there was a surprise, huh, or maybe a great sadness.

There's all part of your story, but today you have to listen to mine, okay, all right, growing up in my home in Harlem maybe we have the picture of the baye, we'll see and it was, oh my, a wonderful place.

It was really two houses put together and on the first floor was a watch shop.

You see, my grandfather was a watchmaker and my papa and I was the first licensed woman watchmaker in all of Holland.

Yes, and in this wonderful old house, we call it the baye.

Can you say it Baye?

Yes, it is really under Bartol Jorastrat, so it would be like saying BJ.

But it was a dear place to us because you see my mother and father growing up, they were not just religious people, oh no, they really know Jesus and they live it out in what they say and what they do.

And around the big oval table that we, papa, would read every morning from the Bible, and around that oval table, my mother, she, would always have guests all the time and they were people that the Bible would call the least of these, yes, and so it was a rich place to grow up.

Well, you see, in this house, in this very house that I live, in 1844, my grandfather it was his house, he was Christian man and he had the prayer meeting and they meet every week in that house to pray.

But one time a pastor Wittebein came to grandfather and he said to him do you pray for the Jews?

Grandfather thought he says no, I do not.

He said you should pray for the Jews.

You see, they are God's ancient people.

He's chosen people, chosen to bring us the Savior.

You know, jesus was Jewish.

Huh, yes, and so he said to him the Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and you will be blessed.

Be concerned with the welfare of the Jews and you will be blessed.

And so grandfather thought, and he say, I will do it.

And from that point on, every week those would gather together to pray for the Jews and a love for the Jews grew in grandfather's heart and he poured it into his son, my papa, and my papa.

He poured it into us, his children.

Yes, but we say very strange, not to be understood.

Answer to those prayers.

Some 100 years later, in that very house, the baye, grandfather's son children, grandchildren and others were arrested for hiding Jews.

Yes, my story.

But first let me tell you a little bit about my family.

You know my oldest sister, betsy, and then Noly, and then my papa.

He had a long beard, we say he looked like a papriarch.

And then there was William, my brother and my precious mother.

Oh, she was such a dear.

And then me, corey, the baby.

I didn't like to be called baby, but are there any other babies here?

Are you a baby?

Yes, oh, look, you are beautiful, huh, and smart too, I'm sure.

But growing up, every morning we begin sitting around the oval table and the papa would read from the Bible and he tell me, from the time I'm a small child Every life is valuable, every life, life in the womb, the mentally and physically infirm, the elderly I like that more and more.

Every life is valuable because, you'll see, we were created in the image of the most high God.

Yes, oh.

And so around the table we have great conversation and we study together and laugh.

Oh my, you know, papa didn't like any silliness at the table, no, no, but he did enjoy a good laugh.

But my precious mother, you see, she was very frail and sometimes she would have to go away for a week, sometimes even month at a time, for complete rest.

And so she invited her sisters that would be my aunts we say Tanta, can you say Tanta?

And she invited them to come to live with us, to help to care for us, the children and the home.

And so Tanta Jans came, and Tanta Anna and Tanta Beb oh my, but Beb, she was a saupuss, oh my.

And she was always picking on me.

Oh, she's the one that started to call me baby.

I didn't like it.

Oh, now you know, if I would come.

Now I did the rough house a little bit.

I was a bit of a tomboy.

I had a little doll and her name was Casparina.

She only had one arm, but I love her.

And if I would go outside to play and come in, tanta Beb would say baby, show me your hands.

Oh, I put out my hands.

Oh, baby, your hands are dirty.

Go wash your hands, baby.

Mother, the baby's hands are dirty.

Oh.

Or, baby, stand up straight.

Baby, you're stumping.

Oh, the baby is so loud All the time picking on me.

Now, when you were a small child, did you have a place that you'd like to go to pretend?

Huh, anyone.

Do you have a place, bev?

Where's your place?

I had a little panic outflow in my room that if I was in there by myself, nobody else could see me from the outside.

Oh, okay, like a little corner in your room and maybe sometime you would take some of your little toys to play and pretend.

Yes, well, mine was underneath the oval table, huh, and I was underneath the oval table with Kasperina and we were playing.

And one day Tanta Beb was walking by.

Baby, baby, come out from the table.

Mother, the baby's under the table.

Baby, come out.

Oh, I got under that table.

I wasn't coming out, but then Tanta Beb, she reached down and she grabbed my leg and she pulled me out from the table.

Oh well, I had had enough, and so I went to my mother and I said Mother, tanta Beb, she calls me baby and it hurts my feelings.

And, mother, I think she should leave our house.

Mother, I hate her.

Oh my, do you know my mother?

She took my little face into her hands and she said she said, corey, do you know that Jesus loves you?

I said yes.

She said do you know Jesus forgives your sins?

I say yes, mother.

She says oh, then you need to forgive, tanta Beb, is Jesus has forgiven you?

Oh well, I thought.

And I thought, I said I cannot.

My mother, she said to me Corey, you cannot or you will not.

Oh, do you know?

It was really at my mother's knee that I surrendered my heart to Jesus, and I say it was underneath the oval table where I first began to understand the great power of love is stronger than hate and that the power of forgiveness is really freedom.

Yes, so it's time, vintan, you know, now I am a young teenage girl growing up and my brother, william Vintavade to the school to study to be pastor, and sometimes he would invite his friends.

And well, there was a young man and I noticed him, he noticed me, his name was Carol and, oh my, I was quite smitten with Carol and he bit me too.

And we would go for walks together in the park holding hands and sharing our hopes and dreams.

Carol, he say to me.

He say, corey, you know, every good pastor needs good pastor's wife.

I said, yes, I know, and we talk.

How many children would we have and how would we decorate our home?

Oh, my Viva's, so in love.

But my brother, he said to me, he said, kari, don't set your heart on Carol, you're not made of fine enough cloth for him.

I thought, puh, what do brothers know?

Huh, and so Carol and I continued to write to one another.

Oh, it was wonderful, some two years almost.

And then one day there was a knock at the bay door and I opened up the door and oh my, who was standing there?

But Carol.

I said, carol, I am so glad to see you.

And he said I am so glad to see you too, I want you to be the first to meet my fiance.

Oh well, I put on a face, you know, and had them in and served tea, oh, but after he left I run up to my room I think that awful man he was to be my speed up and I throw myself on the bed and my papa came up the stairs.

Coriman, that's what he called me.

He said, coriman, what is wrong?

I say, oh, papa, that terrible man.

Carol, I hate Carol.

My papa yelled me close.

He said, coriman, don't hate, say, love is stronger than hate.

You must forgive.

Oh, papa, I cannot.

He said to me you cannot or you will not.

Do you know my vice, papa?

He took me to the word of God.

That I know is true, huh, and in Colossians it's say if any have a quarrel or conflict with you, you are to forbear, you are to forgive.

Oh, here comes, is Christ, his forgiving you.

And so I worked through that heartache and as time went on, now my brother William, he became pastor and Mary move away.

My sister, noly, she was school teacher, and she Mary, and move away the aunts.

They all passed my precious mother, she passed.

So now in the bay, just three of us, papa, myself and Betsy.

Betsy was so domestic, she could take a little napkin and a flower and poof, beautiful centerpiece I don't know how she did, but, and a good cook too.

And then I worked with papa in the watch shop.

You know, betsy, like my mother, was very frail and physically she knew that she could never bear children and so she chose never to marry.

I didn't choose, but no one was asking.

But my work in the watch shop with papa was very good.

And Betsy and I we work with young people, teenagers.

We have the club where we go, do the hiking and singing and read the Bible and the sports.

Oh my, we have wonderful time.

And then I also work with the handicapped and mentally infirm children, and I tell them that my papa taught me every life is valuable.

Yes, and so our lives were very orderly, very routine, until the 1940s when the Nazis came and occupied my country.

Oh, it started with curfew.

Do you know curfew?

Yes, 10 o'clock, everyone must be in their house, all their lights out, all the blinds pulled.

You cannot leave your house.

Then 9 o'clock, then 8 o'clock, and sometimes the Nazi soldiers would come to the house and would demand the radios.

Do you have radio in your house?

Yes, how many radios do you have One?

Bring it to me, and then I take it and smash it.

And if I come through your house and I find more radios, I take you to prison.

Oh, my Telephone.

You probably have it now, but we maybe have the one telephone and they would take that Now.

We did not have the television.

Why do you think the Nazi soldiers were coming?

For radios and the telephones.

I'll say it out why?

Even for communication.

That's right.

They don't want you to hear anything from the outside or to communicate out.

They only want you to listen to one voice.

And it was that nonsense of Adolf Hitler.

A big truck would go down the street with speakers spewing all their foolishness oh my, it was terrible and close your eyes.

Now imagine that you are looking out your front window or door and you see a tank going by or a soldier marching with gun.

Oh, open your eyes.

You may think, oh, but gory, that would never happen here in Elmhurst, beloved.

I never thought it would happen in Harlem, not in front of the bay, but indeed it did.

And so it was a time when much fear and distrust was being sown among the people, the Jews.

They had to go to the police to get their yellow star, they had to identify themselves.

As the Jews, papa say hey, if we all go and we all say we are Jewish, then they won't know the difference.

I say, oh, puppy's not that simple.

Huh, yes.

And so as time went on, my papa and I we would go for walks in the afternoon and we see our friends' business and home and all their belongings big pile outside their house.

We call for them, no answer.

We never see those people again.

They were Jewish.

Huh, oh, my.

Or a small child held at gunpoint.

And what was his crime?

He was Jewish.

Oh, papa say, we can't continue like this.

Hey, no, papa, I don't know.

But then I was told that I no longer could take the children.

They handicapped and mentally-informed children.

I could not take them to the parks.

No more meetings, no.

And so for one last time we meet at the park and the children are with me and I am explaining to them.

This is our last time together.

But you go play now.

And as I was sitting on the park bench after some time, I look and I see little Christina.

She was crippled, she could not walk like the other children, and she's coming to me and she's crying.

Oh, tanta, you know I was not her aunt, but that was love to call me Tanta.

She said Tanta.

I said Christina, what is wrong?

You come, you sit by me.

She said Tanta, those boys over there, they're making fun of me because I can't walk.

Oh, tanta, I hate those boys.

Oh my, do you know?

I took Christina's little face into my hands.

I said Christina, do you know that Jesus loves you?

Yes, I said do you know Jesus Forgive your sins?

Yes, tanta.

I said.

Well, then you need to forgive those boys, as Jesus has forgiven you.

I cannot.

I say you cannot or you will not.

You know, I had heard it before.

And then I say Christina, do you know what we are like a glove?

She said what I said yes.

And out of my purse I pulled a glove.

I said yes, yes, look at this.

I said look, we are like this glove.

She said what I said yes, and I throw it out.

I said Christina, let's wave at the glove.

Hello, Christina.

She looked at me.

She said Tanta.

I said well, maybe let's shake the hand Glove, how do you do Now?

Christina began to giggle.

She said Tanta, the glove, it can do nothing.

I say I don't know, maybe, Glove, can you pick up my purse Now?

She said Tanta, the glove, it can do nothing.

I say yes, and we are like that glove.

You see, without the knowledge of Jesus and his love for us we can do nothing.

But oh, when we are filled with his love, look, the glove is waving and it could shake a hand.

This glove is so strong.

Look, it can pick up a purse.

Yes, I say, christina, you're right, it can do nothing without Jesus.

Yes, and little did I realize in the days and weeks to follow the truth of that.

But I know that I can do anything God asked me to do, because Jesus gave me the strength to do it.

Yes, well, my brother William, he was involved in the Dutch underground Do you know it?

The Dutch resistance, a group secret to help anyone that was being persecuted by the Nazis.

And sometimes he would come to the workshop and say, papa, I have some friends who need a place to stay a couple of nights.

Can they stay at the bay?

Papa, of course, would say yes, yes, they are always welcome.

Yes, and so Jews or underground worker.

So now the workshop became a hub, a place to share information, or people would come when we learned that in Amsterdam, gestapo was going to the orphanage and they would go there and they would demand the Jewish babies and they would take them and then they would kill them.

And when we learned this, oh my, we were so horrified by it.

Now, sometimes to the workshop, the Nazi soldiers would come to buy watch.

Other times a young boy's 1920s soldiers.

They would step inside and close the door and look about and say, can you help me?

They say yes, you want to buy the watch.

They say no, they say I don't want to be sold for Hitler.

He's crazy man.

But what can I do?

Can you help me?

They say yes, we help you, and we would take these young boys and hide them in farms for the duration of the war.

But we tell them you must give us your uniform.

Do you know?

Some of the young boys and girls that worked with us in the club before the war now became part of the Dutch underground, with us Some risking their lives, some giving their lives, yes, and so when we heard of Gestapo going to the orphanage in Amsterdam, some of our boys in the Dutch underground they donned that German uniform and they went to Amsterdam and they demanded the Jewish babies and they took them.

And then they bring them to me and I would find homes for these precious babies.

I will tell you, there was one night when they did a big sweep and they bring 80 babies to the bay.

Oh my, but what a privilege it was to help.

One day there was a papa, had a visitor and they were talking and then there was a knock at the bay door and I opened the door and standing there was young Jewish mother and in her arms she held her baby and she said to me she said, corey Tenbo, can you help me?

We must leave right now.

We have to flee because they are coming from us.

But oh, my baby, he is too small, he will not survive.

Would you take my child, would you save his life?

And this visitor with papa heard the conversation and he said to my papa, you're not thinking of taking this child.

If you take that child, they will kill you.

Do you know?

My papa, some 84 years old, got up from his seat and he walked over to that Jewish mother and he held that baby in his arms and he say, oh, what great privilege is mine that I could get my life of another chosen of God.

Oh, such was my dear papa.

Well, now that we were enrolled in Dutch underground, we were visited by Mr Smith and he came to our home, looking through the house up to my bedroom up on the third floor, and he said yes, this will be a good place for a hiding place.

I said what he says?

Yes, you have so many people in an art, you need a hiding place and you need alarm.

I said what?

Because you never know when Gastapo will come.

And so in the days to follow, another Mr Smith came with bricks, and then another Mr Smith came with full paper and another Mr Smith with paint, and papa said I don't recall there being so many smiths in Harlem.

He said oh, papa, we don't want to know their name.

We call them all Smiths because if they are Ressas and tortures, then we can't say huh, yes, oh.

And so a hiding place was built in my bedroom.

It appeared as a closet and had an open shelf on the bottom.

It could hold some six people.

It was 30 inches deep and some eight feet long and with it you had to have the alarm.

Oh, beautiful music today, by the way, wonderful, wonderful.

And oh, and John, the first time you pick up that horn it was melodious.

Huh, did you have to do something?

You had to practice right To make such beautiful sound.

You know, if you have an alarm and a hiding place, you have to practice, because Gestapo was smart.

They would come at nighttime and they would check to mattress to see if it was warm and where are you hiding Jews?

Or they would come at supper time.

If there are only three people living in the baye, how come there are eight places.

Who are you hiding?

Oh, so we had to learn how to quick gather all our things and to take them to the hiding place.

Yes, so it was part of the routine, part of the training.

One day I was visited by a man named Jan Vogel and he came to the baye and I had a terrible flu that day.

It was not well, but I answered the door and he stepped inside.

He said Kore Tenboum, my wife.

She's Jewish and she has been arrested.

But I know police and he say that if I give him some guilders, some money, he will release her.

But I have no money.

Can you help me?

I said oh, I, yes, I think we can help you, but you know I'm very sick.

I will tell my sister, betsy, you come back later and she will take care of you.

And so I was telling Betsy and Betsy say oh, kori, she says you're burning up.

You go upstairs and go to sleep, I will take care of it.

And so I went to my bed and we had maybe 20, some people at the baye that day for the Bible study.

And several hours later, knock at the baye door and Betsy opened the door and there was Jan Vogel.

He was standing there and he says I spoke to your sister about my wife.

And she says yes, I know, I know I will get you the money.

And so she went over to the stairs where we hid the money in and she pulled it out and as she handed him the money, you stop over standing there, this man, he was quizzling, he was a traitor, oh.

And she was able to do the alarm and as I was laying in my bed, running past me, for Jews to underground workers, they say Tanta, this is real raid, oh.

And I got up from my bed and I got them into the hiding place and then I took closed them in and I took my prison bag and I threw it in front of the door.

A prison bag.

You see, if you were part of Dutch underground, you were trained to have a small bag ready at any moment If someone come in right now and take you away.

What do you want?

A small bag, what do you want in your prison bag?

Tell me, what do you think you might want to take with you If you were taken right now away?

What do you want?

Say it now Water.

Water would be wonderful, but we did not have the bottle of water, like you know.

We have now.

Yes, oh my, who brushed her teeth this morning?

Every hand should go up.

You know something to clean your mouth.

What a great treasure.

Oh, yes.

And then some say, oh, I would take the Bible.

Do you know that Dutch underground they print Bible for us?

It would be very tiny like this, this is giddy, and this is not one of theirs but and it would have a string on it.

You see, you could wear it inside your clothes.

And some say I would take my Bible with me.

But do you know, when you reach the prison, the guard would look through it and he would say a Bible, do you read this?

Yes, do you believe this?

Yes, he would throw it.

He says it's nonsense.

Oh.

Or some say, oh, I would take pictures of my family.

And there too, the guard may look is this your mother?

Yes, rip it up, you see, because you are nothing.

Nazis, they believe Hitler, say some people are more important than others and you, you are pig.

You are nothing, oh my.

But in your prison bag you may want some soap or the toothbrush or a needle.

Do you know if I am arrested in these clothes and I sleep in these clothes and I work in these clothes for days, four weeks?

Oh my, if there is a reporter, do you know?

A tiny needle is a great treasure.

But that night, when the real raid came and I threw my bag in front of the door and I heard awful racket downstairs and then up the stairs, a guard come and he pulled me from my bed and he shake me and he say I know you're a hiding juice.

I said no, I have not.

He says, and he slapped my face.

I cried Lord Jesus, save me.

He said don't you say that name.

If you say that name I will kill you.

And then he told me to gather my things.

Do you know my first real sacrifices?

I did not go back for my prison bag, I did not want to draw any attention to that place and when I came down the stairs, I look and there were the 20 people who came for the Bible study, sitting with big, wide eyes, you know, and the papa.

He was sitting in his chair looking at the plaque we have on the wall that say Jesus is Victor.

But I look and I think that's he wears, that's he wears my sister.

And then I hear her crying out from the kitchen and they push her in and she had blood running from her ear and I ran to her and held her.

I said, betsy, that terrible man that he hurt you, she's so quarry, don't hate.

Love is stronger than hate.

That man does not know the love of Jesus.

And so that night there was some 24, 25 of us arrested and we were taken to Schwengeningen, an old fort that was now turned into prison.

We had to wait for many hours sitting on the floor and and then the guards came for my papa and as they took the dear old man away, he looked back and he said I love you, my children.

The best is yet to be.

You can trust the everlasting arms of God.

Jesus is Victor.

And that was the last time that I saw my papa.

I was taken to a cell that had a lot of women.

But because I was so sick, they put me in solitary confinement.

Do you know?

Totally alone, oh, my life I had been with people and now to be alone, oh, my, a small cell, some three paces wide and six paces long.

When they would bring food which was slap, I would say tell me if they're 10 booms, can you tell me?

Shut up, no talking.

But my family, I want to be great.

Oh, culticost.

Culticost meant that if you did not comply with them, they would only give you the cold food.

Huh, oh.

And while I was in that place alone, I was so grateful that my mother and father taught me to hide the word of God in my heart.

Huh, what to sing the old hymns?

Shut up, no singing, oh my.

Then sometimes I would think how did mother set the table in Christmas?

She used the red tablecloth.

You know you had to keep your mind going so you don't go crazy.

Huh.

But while I was in solitary, I received a letter that was opened from my sister, noly.

Now, noly had been arrested with us, but praise the Lord, she was free now.

And but in it there was news of a great sadness.

She said Kuri dear, I'm sorry to tell you our dear papa he has died.

He was only 10 days in the prison but the conditions were such that he could not survive.

But but he is with mama and he is with our heavenly father.

But you know to think that I would not see that grand old man again.

Oh, but on the outside of the envelope I thought, well, this is very silly.

Not like Noly, you see, she was a school teacher and her handwriting was so beautiful.

But this time it was slanted, very silly, up to the corner.

And the stamp.

I thought what is that?

Oh, maybe this is a message for me, and I pulled back the stamp.

Underneath the stamp, it says all the watches are safe.

What do you think that was?

Do you know?

All the watches are safe.

The four Jews and two underground workers that were in the hiding place, they had to stay in that place three days, perfectly quiet, because Gestapo was outside waiting with guns, waiting for them to come out to shoot them.

We have a friend in the police and on that third night he went to our home and he released them from hiding place and they climb up over the rooftop to escape.

Oh my, after three months in solitary.

I was then taken to another concentration camp but I was reunited with Betsy.

Oh, how wonderful.

But she was so frail.

Oh my and I was with other people and that was wonderful.

And sometimes we were allowed to walk outside and as we walk, we look up and we see the allies going over.

Oh, we are going to be free Soon before we'll be over.

We were so excited and in September of 1944, the guards came to us and they say quick, get her all your things, all your belongings, everything you need to take, everything You're leaving, we're leaving, we're leaving.

We were so excited.

But we were taken like animals and herded onto a boxcar.

So tight, some 80 people.

You could not sit, you could not stand.

The people would be pressing into you.

You were one of the lucky ones.

If you were by one of the slats, you know that you could get some fresh air.

Oh, and the thirst was so great.

But the bucket of water was there, the bucket for toilet was there.

A few were here Three days on that boxcar, and then we were taken to Ravensbruck, a concentration camp designed for women in Germany.

You know one of the saddest things?

Oh, looking out, I heard one say we're leaving Holland to be taken from your country.

And when we arrive at Ravensbruck, schnell, schnell, they would say hurry, hurry.

And then they take us to a big room.

And oh, betsy was so frail.

Now, when we were in other concentration camp, we had been smuggled a Bible.

And then I thought, oh, they will see the Bible.

And I said to Betsy, give me your sweater.

And I took off that Bible, I wrap it up in her sweater and I hid it in a pile of benches.

Oh, that was crawling with cockroaches.

But now, as we stand long time we stand, and then we see we each have to go in front of person and they ask you question, question, and then they say surrender your clothes.

You know, there are people everywhere and it was so humiliating that now you had to strip all your clothes off.

And then they send you to stand in line over there and as we stand in our nakedness, I say Betsy, oh, oh, this is so humiliating.

Oh, jesus, oh.

And then I remember, you know, when Jesus hung on the tree, he was naked.

I said Jesus to suffer, you suffer.

And then they tell us to take the shower and they have new clothes for us, big pile of dresses and shoes.

Now you're like crazy person how you're grabbing.

And then I thought of the Bible and so I ran back and I found the sweater and there was a Bible and I put it around my neck and put on the dress.

But the dress was quite thin.

I thought, oh, they will see it, because now we had to go and walk between two guards and we would walk and stop and then they would touch you to see if you were hiding anything.

I say, lord, I know that angels are spirits and you can see through them, but this time, if you put one in front and one behind, you can't see through.

That would be good.

And so, in front of me, that touching.

And now it's my turn and I step forward.

For some reason, the guard on either side was distracted, so I kept walking.

Do you know?

That was miracle.

Yes, and so when we reach Baruch 28, a baruch designed to hold some 200 women, now holding six to 800 women, bed, this wide for three people, one blanket, oh.

And when we come, I look, I say Betsy, look the floor.

It's moving with vermin and lies.

Oh, betsy squeezed my hand.

She says oh, but Cory dear, I am so thankful for you together.

I said well, I'm not thankful for the lies.

And from outside the guard is yelling every morning.

You must come 4 AM.

If you don't come out, we come in and we shoot you.

And when that door closed, one of the prisoners already in Baruch 28 stand up and say welcome to your new home.

We can do anything we want in here.

You see, the guards don't want to come in, they're afraid they'll get lies.

Betsy, say to me even the lies Cory, we are thankful for.

Yes, do you know?

In that place, with our Bible, we were able to bring hope to a hopeless place.

We would pray with others and read the Bible, but of course not all the prisoners agree.

And there was one woman.

They had broken her hand.

She was a musician and she would stand and she would sneer at us when we would meet.

And after some week she couldn't hold back and she said if you're going to love you so much, how come he send you to this hell hole?

I looked at her and I look at Betsy.

Betsy looked back at her and say oh, so that we can tell you of his love.

My sister, she so understood that every life was valuable.

The work was very senseless.

Move bricks over here to there the next day.

Who put the bricks there?

Move them back or strip your clothes.

We're checking your teeth, you see, because they say you are nothing.

Well, one day I had the cold.

Do you know the cold where your nose is running like faucet?

Have you ever just dripping, dripping?

And we were in barrack and I said to Betsy, I said oh.

I said oh, if we were back at the bay, I at least I would have a hanky.

Oh, betsy said to me oh, corey, let's pray for a hanky.

Oh, you know, I was so irritated with her.

I say, betsy, there are people being tortured and murdered here and you want me to pray for a hanky.

Oh, and before I could leave her, she took my hands and she said Jesus, corey has the cold.

Would you bring her hanky?

Oh, I walk away and I was leaning against the barrack window and after some time, with my nose running, and after some time there was tapping on the window, I look and it is one of my other prisoners that I know and she has a package.

She's opened the window and I open it and she hand me.

She says here, this is for you.

I say what she said open it.

I open it.

You know what it was it was a hanky.

I said what I said, betsy, tell you my cold and what she says.

I don't know what you're saying, but I was in the infirmary and we were tearing up old sheets and sewing hankies and I felt the spirit of the Lord say to me take a hanky to Corey Tenboom.

Do you know any burden too small to take to the Lord in prayer?

It's too small to be a burden.

Even in Ravensbrook, oh my.

One time I saw the guards and they were beating my sister and when they leave I ran to her and I was so full of anger and hate.

And again Betsy held me.

She said Corey, don't hate.

Love is stronger than hate.

And the Lord has shown me before the new year we are going to be released from here.

In a dream I know he speak to me and we will go and we will tell people everywhere.

There is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still and they will believe us because we have been here.

So I pray it is through.

She says no, I know it is true.

Well, shortly before Christmas, my dear Betsy, she died.

She was released from that prison and now she was in the presence of God and with Mama and Papa.

But oh, and then after Christmas I was standing in Roll Call and you know we went by numbers, not by names.

It was in Auschwitz where they actually tattooed the number.

But I was standing in Roll Call and 66730, that was my number.

And when your number was called and they walk you away, you never see that person again.

And I thought I am walking surely to my death.

And as I walked I thought Lord, what is it like to die?

And I was reminded.

When I was a little girl, my mother took my sister, noly and I, to visit a woman who had lost her baby and mother was taking her food and things.

And when we come there was the baby in a basket and we were looking at the baby while mother was talking and the baby was blue but the baby was dead.

And while mother was talking, noly said to me, she said, kory, let's touch the baby, and we touch and the baby was cold where the baby was dead.

And then later that night, noly and I slept together in big bed.

I like to hang on to her nightie, but we were laying there and I started to think, noly, what is it like to die?

Noly, whatever.

You should die, or mama or papa.

What if I should die?

And I began to cry and wail.

And oh, and my papa came up the stairs, as he did every night, to pray for us.

You know, when he prayed for us he would take his big hand and put it on our face, like that I like it because I like to smell the cigar.

But that night when he come up, I was crying and wailing and papa said to Noly, what is the matter with Koryman?

She says, oh, she's afraid to die.

And then my papa held me close.

I said, papa, what is it like to die?

My papa said to me Koryman, when we go to Amsterdam to see the big clock, when do I give you your ticket?

I said no, I don't want to go to Amsterdam.

I give you your ticket.

I said right, then I get on to the train.

He said yes, and so your heavenly father will give you just what you need when you face death and dear ones.

I'm here to tell you.

It is true, they tell me to take the shower.

I thought it was guest chamber, but, father, come out.

And then they say give me clothes.

And they say, cornelia 10.

Boom, you have completed your sentence.

Sign here.

I said what they say yes, say that you have been well cared for.

I signed it anyway.

I learned later it was due to clerical error.

Somehow my number got in the list of numbers to be released Because you see, all the women my age 50 years and over were exterminated in the weeks to come.

Well, I made my baby act too.

Harlem that story in itself.

I remember what Betsy say we must tell people everywhere.

There is no pit that God's love is not deeper still.

And I was back in Germany.

I went to visit Germany and was sharing with the people.

They are much like today and you know, the Germans suffer terrible too.

They lost loved ones and their homes and all.

And then I was finishing my talk.

I look back and I see who is that man.

I know that man.

That was one of the awful guards from Robbins Brooke.

What is he doing here?

I remember he beat my sister and that very man start fucking to me, corey Tenboom, sister Tenboom.

I thought I don't want to see him.

And he came up to me and he say you may not know this, but I too, was in Robbins Brooke, and when I was there I was a guard.

I did terrible things.

But since the war I have met Jesus and he has forgiven me my sins.

Oh, but would you forgive me?

And he held out his hand to me and I thought that's the hand of a snake, I cannot.

And the Holy Spirit say to me, Corey, you cannot or you will not.

I thought, well, at least I can take his hand.

And as I took his hand, oh my, do you know?

It was almost like electric run through my arm.

And I look at him and I say, yes, you are my brother, I forgive you.

Oh, my dear ones, do you know that there is a prison that is worse than Robbins Brooke?

It is the prison of unforgiveness.

You see, it holds you captive.

When Jesus say to forgive, he's not saying get over it, no, he went to the cross.

It costs him grades.

But he's saying to us if you do not forgive, you are staying in prison.

Do you know anyone bitter?

Do you know someone who is bitter?

My friend, pastor Dan.

He say his wife Gail.

She always tries to put 30 pounds of trash in 10 pound bag.

He say why do you do it?

She says I just keep stuffing and stuffing.

Of course, when he goes to move it such is the case with one who is bitter All the wounds, all the hurt is stuffed and stuffed and then they blow.

Let's do a little business with God.

Would you close your eyes, jesus?

Thank you that you love us so and you know everything about us.

And, lord, we pray that you would examine our hearts that we might not remain in a prison of unforgiveness.

Maybe that time that teacher make fun of you when you were so embarrassed oh, it hurt to make you even think of it.

Or a loved one who has been ravaged by the cancer, you say God, it's not fair, forgive.

Or a loved one who left a spouse, a parent, oh, forgive.

A trusted person, a family member, someone the teacher or in the church who abuse you verbally, emotionally, sexually.

I am so sorry.

Oh, it breaks the heart of Jesus.

But he say forgive.

He is not saying it was right, but he does not want you to stay in the prison now.

And maybe you think oh, corey, well, I can forgive others, but you don't know what I have done.

Divan, is your standard higher than God?

The Word tells us if we confess our sins, since he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us.

Yes, open your eyes.

Do you know?

A heart that forgives is a heart that is free.

Now, of course, you know I'm not the real Corey Tenboum, but it's my privilege to share her story and I, like Corey, was introduced to faith in Christ and understood that he forgave my sins, and he continues as I bring them before him, and I want to encourage you.

Today, my husband, pastor Dan, and I will be standing here and we would love an opportunity to pray with you.

Are there issues that you need to be set free from the prison of unforgiveness?

Maybe you've known about the Lord, but to make him your own, your Savior, then it would be our privilege to pray with you today, thank you.