Radio Ministry Rediscovers the "Lost Writings" of Corrie Ten Boom
"There was virtually nothing that we had to change in terms of updating, or making something relevant, or taking a message and thinking 'What she's saying here is not pertinent for today.' It's remarkably timeless; the devotional thoughts that she had."
(Grand Rapids, Michigan)—After being released from a Nazi concentration camp at the end of World War II, Corrie Ten Boom, whose family sheltered Jews from the German occupation of her native Holland, traveled the globe preaching the Gospel to the lost and encouraging the Church with her message of love, faith, and forgiveness until her death in 1983.
Corrie Ten Boom's story came out in the international bestseller, The Hiding Place, and was made into a movie by the same title. The book portrays the Ten Boom family's efforts to hide Jews during the German occupations of The Netherlands during World War II, and the sustaining power of God through the atrocities of a concentration camp after Corrie and her family were captured by the Nazis.
Now an international radio ministry, Trans World Radio (TWR), has rediscovered the "lost writings" of Corrie Ten Boom from a forgotten archive of her radio programs.
Mission Network News (MNN) says they were uncovered by a TWR missionary in the Netherlands office who was culling the audio archives for more of her work. All the veteran saint's devotions were originally broadcast over TWR from 1966 to the early 1970s in her native Dutch tongue.
TWR U.S. director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships Tom Watkins explains: "These were programs that she broadcast in Dutch and had never before been translated into English. Essentially, it's kind of like finding a 'Fort Knox,' in terms of original content from Corrie Ten Boom, that's never been translated into English."
The broadcasts turned into a devotional called I Stand at the Door and Knock.
Watkins edited the book and noted: "There was virtually nothing that we had to change in terms of updating, or making something relevant, or taking a message and thinking 'What she's saying here is not pertinent for today.' It's remarkably timeless; the devotional thoughts that she had."
The book debuted last month and has been distributed to booksellers across the U.S. Published by Zondervan Publishing House in Grand Rapids, Michigan, it comprises the third and likely final installment of Corrie's extensive writings culled from unused audio segments containing her spiritual meditations.
Earlier collaborations between TWR and Zondervan included two other books of Corrie's unpublished radio scripts: Reflections of God's Glory and Messages of God's Abundance.
Through the rubble of post-World War II Europe, Corrie accomplished what brute force never could: conquering hearts across the world with the healing words of God's hope and love.
Watkins added: "Our hope is that there will be a whole new generation of people and readers out there who may not have been familiar with Corrie Ten Boom and her story, and The Hiding Place, who will be brand new to this story."
