Christ Chapel Church will present a unique experience at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, with Corrie ten Boom Live, and the public is invited.
This one-person drama by Evelyn Hinds is the unforgettable story of Corrie ten Boom, who tells her story of imprisonment in a Nazi death camp, her release, and her later global travels to let the world know about her experience.
Hinds will tell the condensed story of Corrie and her family in Corrie’s own words from her recordings and books at the church event.
Hinds grew up in Platte County and the actress is committed to keeping alive the spiritual heritage of the Ten Boom family. She has studied the life of Corrie for more than 20 years through her books, tapes and interviews with people who knew her.
Cornelia Arnolda Johanna ‘Corrie’ ten Boom was a Dutch woman and watchmaker who was part of the underground workers in the Netherlands during the Holocaust. Her family hid Jewish people in their home during World War II from the Nazis. She and her family were caught, and she was arrested and sent to the Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. The family home is now a museum and people come from all over the world to see it.
“Corrie was a gifted storyteller, and her experiences and her faith have inspired generations,” Hinds said. “How did a simple Dutch woman without wealth or fame spend 33 years traveling around the world to 64 countries spreading her faith in God?”
When Hinds performed her Corrie ten Boom Live in Dearborn 11 years ago, Pastor Rick Krist and his wife were in the audience and they never forgot the impact Hind’s portrayal had on them, which is why they asked Hinds to perform at Christ Chapel.
Hinds has always been inspired by art and when she was 17, she discovered that she loved to act. She became a high school English teacher, but she was also interested in learning new things.
“Through my quest to find my purpose in life, I knew in my heart I was a teacher, but I searched for a creative way to teach that wasn’t the traditional school classroom setting,” Hinds said.
Her love of learning led her to become a volunteer docent at an art museum. Inspired by the art, she wanted to pass the love of art and beauty on to others. She was given the opportunity to tell the story of one of the art donors by using drama, and that began her quest to use her love of acting at her church.
“I discovered that I had a particular talent to portray old women,” Hinds said.
Her first portrayal of her heroine, Corrie, was very successful and word soon spread of her moving performance. Now, after 20 years, she continues her passion for evangelism through drama, storytelling and writing.
She also founded Arts Touching Hearts Inc. a nonprofit organization whose mission is to express the message of God through the Arts.
“I firmly believe that art elevates the soul, and the human heart must be touched in order to be inspired to change and reach higher,” Hinds said. “My passion is to spread the Gospel by touching the hearts of this generation.”
Corrie has been honored at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, as one of the Righteous Gentiles. Also, in Yad Vashem, she has a tree named in her honor in the garden.
Billy Graham Worldwide Pictures produced an award-winning film about her life, called ‘The Hiding Place.’
Hinds has studied extensively the history of the Holocaust. She has listened to many of the survivors’ stories and traveled to Germany and Poland on a Holocaust Remembrance tour.
Hinds is also the author of three books: “Loving Israel 101: The Jewish People & God’s Promises”, “My Son, My Son”, a mother’s heartbreaking story of the tragic death of her son, and “The Weaving”.
On describing “The Weaving” Hinds said, “I had to search back through my life to see God’s hand preparing me to be a person who wants to spend her life portraying one of God’s saints. The book includes more information and insights into Corrie’s remarkable life and how I connected to her. She became like a spiritual grandmother to me.”
Hinds believes that considering what’s going on in the world right now, it has never been more important to find out about what happened during the Holocaust.
Christ Chapel Church is located at 15275 92 Highway, Platte City.