Holocaust Memorial Day marks the liberation of Auschwitz 60 years ago. Eventually the opening of over 2000 concentration camps revealed the horrors of the Nazi madness that slaughtered some 11 million souls either by starving or by gassing.

Corrie Ten Boom was from Holland and a survivor of Ravensbrück concentration camp where her sister Betsie died. Their inspiring story is told in the book and film entitled, ‘The Hiding Place’.

Mr Ten Boom was famous for his painstaking work as a watch repairer. If he met with a difficult job he prayed, “Lord you turn the wheels of the galaxies. You know what makes the planets spin and what makes this watch tick!” He often ‘forgot’ to charge for repairing an expensive watch. He said, “A man should pay for the privilege of repairing such a timepiece!” He also repaired broken hearts! Often he bowed his head in the little shop and prayed for answers to people’s problems.

The dark shadow of war eclipsed all this. Unclaimed watches hung on hooks in his shop as Jews mysteriously disappeared. The Ten Booms hid Jews but they were betrayed and imprisoned, their father dying 10 days later. Corrie was spared to tell the world stories like this. “Brawls started when 1400 women slept in a building designed for 400. Betsie clasped my hands and prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, send your peace into this place.’ And He did! The cruel women guards were another problem, also a plague of fleas! ‘Never mind’ said Betsie, ‘The Bible says, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances’.’ [ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ] I said to Betsie, ‘There’s no way even God can make me grateful for fleas!’ But she went on serenely and thanked God for the fleas! Suddenly the cruel guards vanished, the fleas had driven them away! Now they were free to have knitting classes and Bible readings!”