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Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand: The Underground Pastor and His Wife | Full Movie

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    before the days when communism foul in
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    Eastern Europe before the time when
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    people could meet legally in public
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    gatherings and enjoy the freedom of
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    religious worship before that time
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    Christians were often arrested and kept
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    in prisons in dark damp underground
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    cells or in labor camps where the
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    Communists went to great lengths to
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    break their faith or slowly let them die
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    it was in the midst of this darkness
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    away from any human comfort that the
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    love of Christ shown Savior
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    this is the story of a family that
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    endured
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    Richard worm Brad was born the youngest
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    of four sons in an Orthodox Jewish
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    family on March 24th 1909 in Bucharest
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    Romania when he was still a young boy
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    his father moved the family to Istanbul
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    Turkey passionate driven and gifted
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    intellectually Richard grew to be a
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    highly motivated young man fluent in
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    nine languages in time Richard met
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    sabina Auster a young chemistry student
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    also of Jewish descent soon thereafter
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    on October 26th 1936 they married
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    Richard began work as a stockbroker and
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    the young couple spent much of their off
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    hours enjoying the cosmopolitan life of
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    Bucharest as atheists religion was the
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    last thing on their minds they lived in
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    the words of high finance so of course
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    they were invited to all the parties he
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    is a high finance in Romania they
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    existed only to make money and to spend
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    money eventually something happened that
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    brought the high living couple to a
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    standstill
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    Richard was diagnosed with an illness
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    rampant in Eastern Europe tuberculosis
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    order to convalesce in the countryside
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    the worm brands made their way to a
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    small village very close to the city of
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    brasov where they soon met Peter wolf
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    keys an aged and unassuming carpenter it
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    was an encounter that would prove to be
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    life-changing
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    wolf keys was a dedicated Christian
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    whose lifelong prayer had been to share
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    his Christian faith with Jews the
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    challenge was that in the remote village
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    in which he lived he had never
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    encountered any that is until he met
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    Richard and Sabina so he challenged them
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    he said you're Jewish hardly any Jew has
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    read about this Jew called Jesus Christ
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    Jesus Christ was a greatest and most
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    famous of all Jews and he gives him the
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    gospel actually a New Testament in the
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    German language my father took the New
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    Testament to read
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    being pointed to the Gospel of John he
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    became extremely impressed I mean more
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    than impressed his whole thinking went
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    upside down
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    he realized that here was somebody who
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    like Jesus Christ who always spoke the
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    truth he spoke about love
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    he was ready out of love to sacrifice
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    himself sacrifice his life and this
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    turned my father around reading through
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    the Gospels Richard began to ponder his
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    own life and the emptiness that had
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    often tugged on him eventually
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    Richard worm brand the atheist
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    pleasure-seeker humbled himself and
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    opened his heart to God his life was
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    wonderfully affected and while he
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    experienced joy and excitement in his
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    newfound faith Sabina was equally
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    horrified she wanted to throw herself
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    from the window all her hopes to lead a
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    life of luxury and party and good life
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    we're dashed because the one of the
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    first thing my father did when he became
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    a Christian was to resign from this
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    stock brokerage it was only natural that
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    Richard would want his wife to share in
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    his newfound joy but Sabina would have
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    none of his religious talk
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    she was a young 23 year old woman and
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    the last thing she wanted to do was give
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    up her social events and entertainment
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    for what she anticipated would be a
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    boring religious life cunning as he was
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    Richard sought the best way to get his
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    point across he accepted an invitation
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    to a high society party so a lot of
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    people got drunk and rowdy
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    and it was not a pretty sight and my
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    mother said Richard let's go home and he
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    said no we came to party
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    and then there were all kind of stupid
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    jokes and the party became you know just
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    a drunken nonsense and my mother started
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    crying and begging my father to take her
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    home and she said if you take me home I
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    will be baptised in the morning the
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    party had been a fitting and vivid
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    illustration of the emptiness of their
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    social gatherings it seems clear that
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    Richards words and prayers had someone a
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    seed in Sabinas heart she soon embraced
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    the faith of her husband and came to
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    know Christ feeling the need for both
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    training and guidance they joined the
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    Anglican mission to the Jews in
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    Bucharest and Richard was eventually
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    ordained an Anglican Minister Richard
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    and Sabina were both active in
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    evangelism eventually becoming well
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    known dedicated Christians among the
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    religious circle of Romania rumors of
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    war caused their message of hope and
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    faith to be well received eventually in
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    1939 on the eve of World War two they
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    were blessed with a son a boy they named
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    me hi my earliest recollections as a
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    child the very earliest recollection is
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    my mother holding my hand and running
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    like crazy across a field into a bomb
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    shelter because it was 1 or 2 the reason
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    I was running with my mother by the hand
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    to this bomb shelter my father was
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    nowhere in sight was because my father
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    purposely during all these bombing raids
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    he had gathered a group of six or seven
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    Christians most of them Jewish Christian
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    and he was week visiting shelter by
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    shelter and praying with people
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    that's in no way that's how he became
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    known in Romania World War two was
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    cataclysmic the Germans invaded Romania
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    and life was soon quite difficult and
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    challenging rather than only being
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    concerned for the survival of their own
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    family Richard and Sabina gave
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    themselves wholeheartedly to meet the
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    needs of others people were scared and
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    many suffered loss of all sorts they
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    needed God and comfort more than ever
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    the worm brands fulfilled their ministry
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    by continuing to preach in the bomb
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    shelters and rescuing Jewish children
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    out of the ghettos Richard and Sabina
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    were repeatedly arrested and beaten and
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    at least once were nearly executed it
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    was a time of hardship Sabina lost her
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    Jewish family in Nazi concentration
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    camps as did many others Romania reeled
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    from internal political turmoil but the
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    worm brands did not shirk their
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    responsibilities rather than being
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    concerned about themselves the worm
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    brands rushed in where the need was
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    greatest despite the risk and that's
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    exactly what they did when in 1945 the
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    Communists seized power and Romania was
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    invaded by 1 million Russian troops
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    Richard warned brands and he spoke Assam
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    8 9 10 11 languages when the Russians
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    invaded would walked into the Russian
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    army basis just walk in
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    and he would have a watch with him or
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    something and squat down on the ground
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    I've talked to all the Russian soldiers
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    like they were talking about this watch
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    for sale but actually down on the ground
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    squatting around with all of them he
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    would be talking about Jesus and the
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    Russians were incredibly hungry to know
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    anything about God he talked about God
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    about Jesus because by that time God had
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    been taken from their lives for 40 years
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    they'd been told there is no God and
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    they were very hungry to know what is my
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    life what is my life all about is there
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    a God and he would sit and just very
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    gently patiently start talking with him
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    about life about God and and all of them
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    would be very curious
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    although unauthorized religious meetings
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    were prohibited Richard and Sabina were
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    innovative in finding ways to gather
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    Christian believers on many occasions a
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    large get-together of families and
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    children would take place in a park the
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    worm brands would teach the adults while
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    the young children were given Sunday
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    School inevitably the police would
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    arrive and they were told that it was
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    someone's birthday the ruse worked and
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    the believer celebrated birthdays every
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    Sunday the passion the worm brands felt
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    for reaching their people with the
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    gospel was unstoppable
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    Sabeena rose to many on occasion
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    according to the need one night she rode
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    on the roof of a train this train was
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    carrying Russian troops and on the roof
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    of the train was Sabina with bags of
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    salt which the Christians could sell and
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    Bibles so the troops were down in the
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    Train to invade and take over political
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    control Sabina was on the roof of the
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    train to bring these spiritual freedom
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    all night on the roof she never behaved
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    with more love with more attention with
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    more dedication with more sacrifice then
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    with people who did her the greatest
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    harm
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    [Music]
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    in a difficult situation like under
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    communism in Romania we had many enemies
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    we had many people who would be mean and
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    do you was the most abject hardened I
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    mean without second thought this would
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    be the people who would be invited to
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    our home this would be the people when
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    we early we had something precious or
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    special this would be the gifts to these
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    people happy food is the greatest harm
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    such was an occasion when the worm
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    brands were visited in the middle of the
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    night by the very man who had been
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    responsible for the deaths of many
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    members of Sabinas family the man was in
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    terrible anguish of conscience he
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    started crying and all that and it was
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    late in the night maybe past midnight
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    and my father woke up my mother and
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    explained who this person was and my
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    mother passed midnight embraced him told
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    him she forgives him and started setting
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    up the table and they had some wonderful
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    meal
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    needless to say one cannot fathom how
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    difficult that must have been for her
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    but she poured all of God's love into
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    the man by daybreak he was kneeling with
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    the worm Brants in prayer having arrived
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    a tormented man he walked away a
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    forgiving Christian and she would say to
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    be a Christian he's not like you are a
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    weight lifter or a sportsman between
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    2:00 and 4:00 every afternoon you go to
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    the gym and you train to be a Christian
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    you have to take the opportunity right
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    when is the most difficult to be a
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    Christian that's when you have to be a
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    Christian
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    between 1945 and 1947 the worm brands
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    distributed 1 million Gospels to Russian
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    troops the books often disguised as
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    communist propaganda Richard also
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    smuggled Gospels into Russia
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    in 1945 Richard and Sabina attended the
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    Congress of the cult's organized by the
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    Romanian communist government and
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    attended by four thousand delegates
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    Congress was publicized but beyond being
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    published and was broadcast in the
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    entire nation and priest after priest
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    and pastor after pastor stood up and
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    explained how they obtained light from
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    Stalin and from the calmness and what
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    freedoms they enjoy and like that the
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    government was saying you can no longer
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    have Sunday school and many of these
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    Christian things and the hundreds or
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    maybe thousands of pastors sitting there
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    said nothing maybe they were afraid of
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    the government and Sabina told Richard
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    why don't you stand up and watch this
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    shame off the face of Jesus Richard took
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    the podium and to the dismay of the
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    communist officials began to denounce
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    communism as an evil not to be tolerated
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    communism has made martyrs of our
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    brothers how could it be praised by the
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    church he boldly proclaimed this was a
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    catalyst in arousing other believers to
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    take rise to their feet while some tried
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    to drown Richards message out others
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    were yelling let the pastor speak let
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    the pastor speak it was a chaotic scene
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    so the broadcast was interrupted the
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    company stood up asking that he be cut
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    from speaking the whole Congress was
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    finished rising in there
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    Richard was relentless and his zeal to
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    preach the gospel as well as denounced
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    the evils of communism eventually the
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    government made a move to silence him
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    it was a Sunday morning a winter Sunday
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    morning and my father lives the house
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    and he walked it was like eight minutes
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    ten minutes walk to the church the
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    church was not far from where we was
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    around the corner from where we live
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    some car of the secret police was
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    waiting for him and they overpowered him
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    and took him in a car and he disappeared
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    the first suit which came into my mind
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    when I was in the hands of the Communist
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    jurors was that in the Bible the words
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    don't be afraid of you 366 times once
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    for every day of the year and because
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    that is the extra day of the leap here
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    it is not 365 but 366 times
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    I knew that evening the ban of the
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    secret police I am in the hands of the
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    Almighty God and this gave quite to my
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    heart just after two weeks three weeks I
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    kept asking where is father
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    Varis father I saw my mother crying you
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    know then I realized what had happened
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    Sabina continued trying to locate
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    Richard but to no avail
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    she now knew he had been taken by the
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    police but had little idea to where and
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    for how long
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    she would not see Richard for many many
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    years
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    [Music]
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    she never knew if I'm a life or death
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    she was totally that I am dead men were
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    sent to see the life that they are
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    released prisoners and that they have
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    attended my burial and my wife continued
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    to wait for me his rate dropped to 90
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    pounds in a matter of three months he
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    received four for long periods lice of
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    bread a day that was peaceful was my son
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    and the wonderful thing about it is my
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    father recalls that as he was angry and
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    like that his prayers he was praising
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    the Lord
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    Richard was interrogated and beaten
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    relentlessly hung upside down from
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    shackles his feet were beaten until they
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    bled then he was forced to walk in
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    circles around his small cell without
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    permission to stop or sit down to sit
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    just like this to close your eyes was a
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    crime 17 hours a day you have to sit
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    like this and he'll retreat suffered
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    unspeakable treatment from his captors
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    and their efforts to extract information
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    about other Christians the isolation and
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    physical and emotional torture were
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    grueling it went on for years he had
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    scarce in his body that you could put
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    your son
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    [Music]
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    so you can imagine the type of torture
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    at times he was angry he would shout and
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    beat on the door of his cell saying give
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    me back Mihai Mihai as his son they
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    would actually place children in cells
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    around them to make noises in the cells
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    around his wife also so they would miss
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    their children yes we will kept everyone
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    alone in a Cell never have you seen
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    never have you seen a man except the
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    interrogators who beat and tortured when
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    after many years I had to write again I
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    did not remember how to write a capital
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    V life had to continue and Sabina
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    perhaps hiding her own grief did her
  • 19:38 - 19:42
    best to continue to work among the
  • 19:40 - 19:45
    underground church she instructed Mihai
  • 19:42 - 19:48
    to do his best at school as a witness to
  • 19:45 - 19:51
    others I was studying and learning very
  • 19:48 - 19:53
    well so they came to make the first
  • 19:51 - 19:56
    communist organization among the
  • 19:53 - 19:59
    children they were called young pioneers
  • 19:56 - 20:03
    you were given a red tie you were given
  • 19:59 - 20:08
    a badge and as a child you had free
  • 20:03 - 20:13
    access to swimming pools hobby making
  • 20:08 - 20:20
    clubs lots of incentive for kids and I
  • 20:13 - 20:23
    said I will not wear the necktie awful
  • 20:20 - 20:29
    regime that keeps my father in jail and
  • 20:23 - 20:32
    who denies the existence of God and it
  • 20:29 - 20:34
    was total cost our nation I totally
  • 20:32 - 20:39
    destroys the whole festivities of
  • 20:34 - 20:42
    festivity at that moment was a journey
  • 20:39 - 20:45
    they wanted to throw me out of school
  • 20:42 - 20:47
    reisender think of it I was in fifth
  • 20:45 - 20:49
    grade
  • 20:47 - 20:52
    Richard continued to endure torture in
  • 20:49 - 20:54
    prison without a formal trial finally
  • 20:52 - 20:55
    approximately two and a half years after
  • 20:54 - 20:58
    his disappearance
  • 20:55 - 21:00
    a very ill Richard was brought into a
  • 20:58 - 21:03
    small room for a hearing when asked if
  • 21:00 - 21:05
    he had anything to say in his defense he
  • 21:03 - 21:09
    was so sick all he could answer was I
  • 21:05 - 21:12
    love God the hearing lasted ten minutes
  • 21:09 - 21:15
    Richard was sentenced to 20 years
  • 21:12 - 21:17
    outside the prison life had become
  • 21:15 - 21:19
    difficult for Sabina and Mihai soon
  • 21:17 - 21:21
    their small apartment was taken over by
  • 21:19 - 21:24
    the government and they were left to
  • 21:21 - 21:27
    live in only one small room not long
  • 21:24 - 21:30
    thereafter in 1950 a new incident
  • 21:27 - 21:35
    further affected his circumstances I was
  • 21:30 - 21:40
    not in Bucharest when six o'clock in the
  • 21:35 - 21:42
    morning seven eight secret policemen
  • 21:40 - 21:46
    came to my mother's home where we lived
  • 21:42 - 21:48
    by that time we were in one room they
  • 21:46 - 21:51
    asked my mother to dress in front of
  • 21:48 - 21:55
    them they took her straight out of bed
  • 21:51 - 21:57
    they made an inspection a house search
  • 21:55 - 22:02
    which was not much of houses was one
  • 21:57 - 22:04
    room searched and she disappeared Sabina
  • 22:02 - 22:06
    was taken prisoner and once later
  • 22:04 - 22:09
    assigned to work with other captives
  • 22:06 - 22:10
    building the Danube canal this they did
  • 22:09 - 22:13
    by carrying the rocks with their bare
  • 22:10 - 22:16
    hands in the freezing cold the prisoners
  • 22:13 - 22:18
    were provided no warm clothing only what
  • 22:16 - 22:21
    they came into prison with many
  • 22:18 - 22:23
    prisoners died she disappeared in the
  • 22:21 - 22:27
    communist prison system she was never
  • 22:23 - 22:31
    told whether she's in for a day for a
  • 22:27 - 22:35
    month for a year she was she never was
  • 22:31 - 22:38
    taken to a judge a few times they
  • 22:35 - 22:40
    in order to frighten her or frighten the
  • 22:38 - 22:46
    other people's is threw her into the
  • 22:40 - 22:50
    Danube River River and Fisher back up
  • 22:46 - 22:55
    and so Z turns a prison cell
  • 22:50 - 22:59
    we decided that Linds mornings when you
  • 22:55 - 23:03
    open your eyes preparing yourself for
  • 22:59 - 23:08
    the field to go to the work console ever
  • 23:03 - 23:12
    you see yoga waiting will be give thanks
  • 23:08 - 23:14
    to the Lord for he is good and His mercy
  • 23:12 - 23:21
    endures forever
  • 23:14 - 23:21
    dear dear sisters and deal veteran I
  • 23:22 - 23:32
    could not describe inverts Vance's new
  • 23:27 - 23:35
    greetings made in our prison cell
  • 23:32 - 23:40
    sometimes during the night
  • 23:35 - 23:44
    some political prisoner would come to
  • 23:40 - 23:50
    one of the Christians please teach me
  • 23:44 - 23:57
    your greetings they were ashamed to come
  • 23:50 - 24:02
    during the day thieves and troubles
  • 23:57 - 24:06
    have learned to repeat those words if
  • 24:02 - 24:10
    thanks to the Lord for his good and His
  • 24:06 - 24:17
    mercy endures forever
  • 24:10 - 24:20
    and the hell was changed completely
  • 24:17 - 24:20
    [Music]
  • 24:21 - 24:30
    by divert of God
  • 24:25 - 24:34
    by giving thanks to the Lord even in the
  • 24:30 - 24:38
    most difficult circumstances the hunger
  • 24:34 - 24:41
    in those prisons was incredible and
  • 24:38 - 24:46
    literally the women's US prison he'd
  • 24:41 - 24:51
    tree bark and in grass in order to
  • 24:46 - 24:56
    sustain themselves she fasted one day a
  • 24:51 - 24:59
    week through entire prison she always
  • 24:56 - 25:03
    fasted one day a week her entire life
  • 24:59 - 25:05
    but one day a week she fasted in prison
  • 25:03 - 25:08
    not content with a torture they were
  • 25:05 - 25:09
    inflicting on Richard and unsatisfied
  • 25:08 - 25:11
    with his lack of cooperation
  • 25:09 - 25:14
    Richard was placed in solitary
  • 25:11 - 25:15
    confinement in a small cell deeper
  • 25:14 - 25:18
    underground
  • 25:15 - 25:21
    the guards wore felt sold shoes and no
  • 25:18 - 25:23
    noise was permitted the silence being a
  • 25:21 - 25:26
    way to further destabilize the prisoners
  • 25:23 - 25:28
    who not long afterwards began to lose
  • 25:26 - 25:30
    notion of day or night and would long
  • 25:28 - 25:33
    for some familiar sound in this type of
  • 25:30 - 25:36
    situation with little food and oft
  • 25:33 - 25:38
    beatings men would despair it was mental
  • 25:36 - 25:41
    torture a situation he would have to
  • 25:38 - 25:46
    endure for several years my whole night
  • 25:41 - 25:51
    I passed walking to and fro through the
  • 25:46 - 25:54
    cell with I didn't have shoes every
  • 25:51 - 25:57
    night I began by meditating on the Word
  • 25:54 - 26:02
    of God the verses which I remembered by
  • 25:57 - 26:06
    heart I meditated so much then I would
  • 26:02 - 26:09
    pass hours praying praying for the whole
  • 26:06 - 26:12
    bird I traveled in my spirit from one
  • 26:09 - 26:16
    country to other to another every night
  • 26:12 - 26:20
    I would pray for America for Britain for
  • 26:16 - 26:23
    Africa Australia New Zealand Germany
  • 26:20 - 26:28
    France every night I would deliver a
  • 26:23 - 26:31
    sermon there was no visible audience but
  • 26:28 - 26:33
    a French to God I preached to the Angels
  • 26:31 - 26:36
    they are also interested to know
  • 26:33 - 26:39
    what I think and what I have to say I
  • 26:36 - 26:42
    would prepare a regular sermon and they
  • 26:39 - 26:46
    deliver it then able to sit down
  • 26:42 - 26:50
    sometimes and out of a very primitive
  • 26:46 - 26:53
    think I had made a chess play and I
  • 26:50 - 26:57
    would play chess with myself and then
  • 26:53 - 27:03
    again I would walk around free and speak
  • 26:57 - 27:05
    to God this for the time but afterwards
  • 27:03 - 27:10
    a narcotics which we are putting our
  • 27:05 - 27:14
    food had effect upon our minds and we
  • 27:10 - 27:16
    could not really pray is usual sense of
  • 27:14 - 27:19
    the world anymore it was one of the most
  • 27:16 - 27:22
    desperate moments in my life when I
  • 27:19 - 27:25
    tried one evening to say the Lord's
  • 27:22 - 27:27
    Prayer that I found out that I had
  • 27:25 - 27:30
    forgotten it I said our Father which art
  • 27:27 - 27:33
    in heaven hallowed be thy name and I
  • 27:30 - 27:36
    didn't know what follows and then for a
  • 27:33 - 27:38
    long time I prayed only so much Jesus I
  • 27:36 - 27:41
    love you Jesus I love you
  • 27:38 - 27:44
    he seems that is fair enough and then I
  • 27:41 - 27:49
    could not concentrate my mind evening on
  • 27:44 - 27:53
    that and my only prayer would be the
  • 27:49 - 27:55
    beating of a loving heart sometimes we
  • 27:53 - 27:56
    would be overcome by such a joy of the
  • 27:55 - 27:59
    presence of the Lord that we would have
  • 27:56 - 28:04
    to dance and we danced like this this
  • 27:59 - 28:07
    shows this love of singing Don will
  • 28:04 - 28:07
    encounter Lysa
  • 28:10 - 28:17
    my multitouch am i free you would feel
  • 28:15 - 28:20
    that your heart-wrenching pieces if you
  • 28:17 - 28:22
    would not dance for joy so great was the
  • 28:20 - 28:27
    joy of the presence of the Brethren
  • 28:22 - 28:32
    sometimes we would be handcuffed to his
  • 28:27 - 28:34
    handcuffs like this to the back the
  • 28:32 - 28:39
    hands tied to the back we could not move
  • 28:34 - 28:42
    them food was brought to us we have to
  • 28:39 - 28:49
    lap it exactly like the dogs like it
  • 28:42 - 28:53
    we could not move our hands so the human
  • 28:49 - 28:58
    body has many necessities the hands were
  • 28:53 - 29:03
    tied to the back day and night but we
  • 28:58 - 29:06
    can tie a soul the soul can fly to the
  • 29:03 - 29:11
    Lord it has not even to fly because the
  • 29:06 - 29:17
    Lord is everywhere we forgot that we are
  • 29:11 - 29:20
    with our hands tied and repeated the
  • 29:17 - 29:24
    Communists they have killed many
  • 29:20 - 29:27
    Christians minions they have tried to
  • 29:24 - 29:32
    kill earth not stupid
  • 29:27 - 29:37
    they can kill only bodies we are not
  • 29:32 - 29:42
    bodies we are spirit and the spirit
  • 29:37 - 29:46
    can't be killed to die for Christ loving
  • 29:42 - 29:51
    Christ means to go to glory means to
  • 29:46 - 29:53
    Christ time during the present life we
  • 29:51 - 29:57
    won for Christ our fellow prisoners even
  • 29:53 - 29:58
    in the years of solitary confinement in
  • 29:57 - 30:01
    the great silence
  • 29:58 - 30:07
    you could hear during the night very
  • 30:01 - 30:09
    discrete noises through Morse code
  • 30:07 - 30:13
    through the wall from one cell to the
  • 30:09 - 30:15
    other we preach the gospel and souls
  • 30:13 - 30:19
    have been brought to Christ and the head
  • 30:15 - 30:23
    before me the impose declared communist
  • 30:19 - 30:27
    officer we confessed to them about
  • 30:23 - 30:30
    Christ and we converted them I myself
  • 30:27 - 30:33
    had before me a communist officer with a
  • 30:30 - 30:36
    rubber truncheon in his hand and they
  • 30:33 - 30:36
    told him about the love of Christ I told
  • 30:36 - 30:40
    him about
  • 30:36 - 30:44
    about God he put his rubber truncheon
  • 30:40 - 30:47
    aside he asked me mr. hood not how can
  • 30:44 - 30:50
    you love me I would never love somebody
  • 30:47 - 30:53
    who puts me in prison and beats me and I
  • 30:50 - 30:56
    told him about the new character about
  • 30:53 - 31:00
    the new heart which Christ gives to men
  • 30:56 - 31:04
    and they become embodied love and he
  • 31:00 - 31:08
    became our brother in prison for having
  • 31:04 - 31:11
    taken our defence Sabina endured her own
  • 31:08 - 31:13
    torture haven't been put into a car sir
  • 31:11 - 31:15
    on several occasions a small closet in
  • 31:13 - 31:17
    which one can only stand and which is
  • 31:15 - 31:19
    fitted with spikes so is not to allow
  • 31:17 - 31:21
    movement many prisoners were placed
  • 31:19 - 31:23
    there for an entire night
  • 31:21 - 31:26
    she was allowed to see me high just once
  • 31:23 - 31:29
    and only briefly enough to encourage him
  • 31:26 - 31:31
    not to abandon the faith but there was
  • 31:29 - 31:32
    also wonderful fruit in the midst of
  • 31:31 - 31:37
    suffering even though it would take
  • 31:32 - 31:42
    months or years the neighbor children
  • 31:37 - 31:45
    there mentioned immediately tears were
  • 31:42 - 31:49
    on the face of their mothers behind
  • 31:45 - 31:54
    locked doors behind iron bars we didn't
  • 31:49 - 31:57
    know anything about our children and
  • 31:54 - 32:01
    here the children we are mentioned you
  • 31:57 - 32:06
    sign a statement you deny your God and
  • 32:01 - 32:11
    you will be with your children who could
  • 32:06 - 32:15
    answer who could stand it
  • 32:11 - 32:19
    who could ever refuse to start to sign
  • 32:15 - 32:25
    the statement in order to be with the
  • 32:19 - 32:31
    child no mother could no mother could
  • 32:25 - 32:38
    ever but Jesus has promised I will be
  • 32:31 - 32:45
    with you always and Jesus keeps his
  • 32:38 - 32:53
    promise and just to mention in Hebrew
  • 32:45 - 32:58
    always means call young all the days but
  • 32:53 - 33:02
    it means all the days the whole day not
  • 32:58 - 33:06
    that he comes to visit us for 10 minutes
  • 33:02 - 33:10
    as we go to somebody visiting he
  • 33:06 - 33:15
    promised he will be with us all the days
  • 33:10 - 33:18
    the whole day eventually in 1953 after
  • 33:15 - 33:21
    three years of incarceration Sabina was
  • 33:18 - 33:23
    released but not before she was informed
  • 33:21 - 33:26
    by the authorities that Richard had died
  • 33:23 - 33:30
    in prison she went home in her mind a
  • 33:26 - 33:33
    widow to uncertainty however what Sabina
  • 33:30 - 33:36
    was told was not true Richard was alive
  • 33:33 - 33:39
    and remained in prison experiencing both
  • 33:36 - 33:42
    despair as well as glories of a God who
  • 33:39 - 33:42
    had not abandoned him
  • 33:50 - 33:58
    before in history just as a flower when
  • 33:55 - 34:01
    you bruise her under your feet rewards
  • 33:58 - 34:04
    you with her perfume the moment we were
  • 34:01 - 34:06
    mocked the more we were tortured repeat
  • 34:04 - 34:09
    it and beloved
  • 34:06 - 34:10
    those who torture us it must be clearly
  • 34:09 - 34:14
    understood
  • 34:10 - 34:17
    we hate communism from all our art this
  • 34:14 - 34:21
    devilish system of militant atheism
  • 34:17 - 34:25
    which must be defeated if the Christian
  • 34:21 - 34:30
    Church wishes to live but we loved the
  • 34:25 - 34:34
    man and we asked ourselves how to win
  • 34:30 - 34:37
    these men for Christ and when we were in
  • 34:34 - 34:41
    the depths of this remorse and of the
  • 34:37 - 34:47
    Spain at once words of the cell began to
  • 34:41 - 34:50
    shine like diamonds I have been open in
  • 34:47 - 34:53
    my life I've seen California I have seen
  • 34:50 - 34:58
    Napoli I have seen many beautiful things
  • 34:53 - 35:02
    never have I seen beauties which I have
  • 34:58 - 35:06
    seen in the dark cell beneath the earth
  • 35:02 - 35:11
    such beautiful music as a third day the
  • 35:06 - 35:15
    King of Kings Jesus was with us we saw
  • 35:11 - 35:19
    his understanding his loving eyes he
  • 35:15 - 35:22
    wiped away from our eyes our tears he
  • 35:19 - 35:26
    set wise words of love and words of
  • 35:22 - 35:27
    forgiveness we knew everything which had
  • 35:26 - 35:32
    been
  • 35:27 - 35:36
    in Our Lives has passed away being
  • 35:32 - 35:40
    forgotten by God now that came wonderful
  • 35:36 - 35:44
    days the bright rose in the arms of the
  • 35:40 - 35:48
    bridegroom we were with Christ we didn't
  • 35:44 - 35:50
    know that we were in prison sometimes we
  • 35:48 - 35:54
    were taken to interrogatories we were
  • 35:50 - 35:58
    beaten we were tortured just a st.
  • 35:54 - 36:01
    Stephen while they threw stones at him
  • 35:58 - 36:05
    did not see his murderers did not see
  • 36:01 - 36:08
    the stones so heaven open and Jesus
  • 36:05 - 36:10
    standing at the right hand of the Father
  • 36:08 - 36:14
    so we didn't see any more succumbing
  • 36:10 - 36:18
    torturers we didn't see that we are in
  • 36:14 - 36:20
    prison we were surrounded by angels we
  • 36:18 - 36:22
    were with God
  • 36:20 - 36:25
    after years of barbaric treatment
  • 36:22 - 36:27
    Richard became extremely ill and was
  • 36:25 - 36:29
    transferred to a room known as the death
  • 36:27 - 36:32
    room the area were those without any
  • 36:29 - 36:35
    hope of recovery were simply sent to die
  • 36:32 - 36:38
    but Richard prayed and little by little
  • 36:35 - 36:40
    to the amazement of his captors he began
  • 36:38 - 36:43
    to recover he used the opportunity of
  • 36:40 - 36:45
    being with other prisoners to minister
  • 36:43 - 36:47
    to and help them the men would pray
  • 36:45 - 36:49
    together they would sing hymns while
  • 36:47 - 36:52
    using their shackles and chains as
  • 36:49 - 36:56
    instruments and one by one each man came
  • 36:52 - 36:58
    to Christ then one day in 1956 eight
  • 36:56 - 37:02
    years after Richard had been taken there
  • 36:58 - 37:08
    was a news after eight years
  • 37:02 - 37:12
    it so happened that he turned around a
  • 37:08 - 37:14
    very high official in the secret police
  • 37:12 - 37:20
    my team Lucretia
  • 37:14 - 37:22
    he's so witness to this guy he came back
  • 37:20 - 37:26
    from one of the interrogatories and told
  • 37:22 - 37:31
    his wife this well said I met today a
  • 37:26 - 37:34
    man like I didn't think that existed on
  • 37:31 - 37:38
    the surface of this earth I am sick I
  • 37:34 - 37:42
    want to go into bed and he went to bed
  • 37:38 - 37:45
    and then he made a plan how to free my
  • 37:42 - 37:50
    father from prison and this secret
  • 37:45 - 37:56
    policeman happened to be the immediate
  • 37:50 - 38:01
    helper or secretary of the top secret
  • 37:56 - 38:04
    police leader or if he was called the
  • 38:01 - 38:08
    Minister of the Interior and this meant
  • 38:04 - 38:11
    that my father turned around him and
  • 38:08 - 38:14
    witness to abort the love of Christ and
  • 38:11 - 38:16
    like that and said you live hate your
  • 38:14 - 38:19
    whole life is full of hate you torture
  • 38:16 - 38:22
    people you hate us you hate me you hate
  • 38:19 - 38:24
    everybody one day you will turn around
  • 38:22 - 38:27
    you'll hate your own wife your hate your
  • 38:24 - 38:30
    own children what kind of life is that
  • 38:27 - 38:33
    you and he witness about Jesus Christ
  • 38:30 - 38:37
    and he was Jewish he turned the Jewish
  • 38:33 - 38:40
    secret policeman into a Christian he
  • 38:37 - 38:44
    made a plan how to free my father
  • 38:40 - 38:47
    so what he did he he introduced and
  • 38:44 - 38:50
    there's a hundreds of paper he usually
  • 38:47 - 38:52
    gave to the Minister of Interior to sign
  • 38:50 - 38:55
    every morning he was the guy who would
  • 38:52 - 38:59
    give him hundreds of papers to sign
  • 38:55 - 39:04
    official stuff he introduced one paper
  • 38:59 - 39:08
    that said free Richard Wurman it was a
  • 39:04 - 39:10
    dick a degree a decree of pardon for
  • 39:08 - 39:11
    each of them he had no idea what he was
  • 39:10 - 39:14
    saying
  • 39:11 - 39:16
    hundreds of papers he's saying that and
  • 39:14 - 39:18
    one day my father was freed out of
  • 39:16 - 39:21
    prison after eight years of prison a
  • 39:18 - 39:25
    frail Richard suddenly found himself out
  • 39:21 - 39:28
    of prison he had nothing no clothes no
  • 39:25 - 39:31
    money but he had his freedom a blessing
  • 39:28 - 39:32
    he could not but praise God for it was
  • 39:31 - 39:35
    through the help of local people who
  • 39:32 - 39:37
    recognized him as a freed prisoner and
  • 39:35 - 39:40
    took pity that he got enough coins to
  • 39:37 - 39:43
    take buses back to his old home seeing
  • 39:40 - 39:45
    Richard again was a shock for Sabina she
  • 39:43 - 39:46
    thought he was dead it was a joyous
  • 39:45 - 39:48
    reunion
  • 39:46 - 39:50
    the first thing Richard did was to kneel
  • 39:48 - 39:53
    with his family and give thanks to God
  • 39:50 - 39:57
    not long thereafter he began to minister
  • 39:53 - 39:59
    again he was re-arrested in 1959 through
  • 39:57 - 40:02
    the conspiracy of an associate and
  • 39:59 - 40:03
    sentenced to 25 years he was accused of
  • 40:02 - 40:06
    preaching ideas
  • 40:03 - 40:08
    contrary to communist doctrine due to
  • 40:06 - 40:09
    increased political pressure from
  • 40:08 - 40:11
    Western countries
  • 40:09 - 40:15
    Richard was granted amnesty and released
  • 40:11 - 40:18
    in 1964 some churches in the West had
  • 40:15 - 40:21
    paid a ransom for their family of ten
  • 40:18 - 40:23
    thousand dollars and letters from
  • 40:21 - 40:26
    different officials I think this was
  • 40:23 - 40:28
    from a group in Norway and during this
  • 40:26 - 40:31
    time after one of his releases from
  • 40:28 - 40:33
    prison and it was felt he would be more
  • 40:31 - 40:36
    valuable in the West in the free
  • 40:33 - 40:38
    countries to share the message of
  • 40:36 - 40:39
    persecuted Christians sort of tried to
  • 40:38 - 40:44
    keep him alive and get him out of
  • 40:39 - 40:48
    Romania at that time and so they flee
  • 40:44 - 40:51
    from Romania to a refugee camp in Italy
  • 40:48 - 40:56
    and eventually made their way to America
  • 40:51 - 40:59
    God had a plan for him but after having
  • 40:56 - 41:04
    tuberculosis bones broken many things in
  • 40:59 - 41:06
    prison he continued to live perhaps to
  • 41:04 - 41:07
    bring that message out to to the rest of
  • 41:06 - 41:10
    the world
  • 41:07 - 41:12
    Richard began his ministry of being a
  • 41:10 - 41:14
    voice for persecuted Christians in
  • 41:12 - 41:16
    England with Reverend Stewart Harris
  • 41:14 - 41:18
    where he also wrote his testimony in the
  • 41:16 - 41:20
    book tortured for Christ
  • 41:18 - 41:23
    later the worm brands moved on to the
  • 41:20 - 41:25
    United States and in 1965
  • 41:23 - 41:27
    Richard appeared before a US Senate
  • 41:25 - 41:30
    Internal Security subcommittee he took
  • 41:27 - 41:33
    his shirt off in front of the Senate
  • 41:30 - 41:35
    showing them the scars that that these
  • 41:33 - 41:38
    different forces around the world that
  • 41:35 - 41:41
    opposed Christians in his case communism
  • 41:38 - 42:29
    are real they tried to do physical
  • 41:41 - 42:35
    damage to their body out in the West we
  • 42:29 - 42:37
    will reward us by creating a mission to
  • 42:35 - 42:40
    the community his story spread rapidly
  • 42:37 - 42:44
    leading to more and more speaking
  • 42:40 - 42:46
    engagements in 1967 the worm brand's
  • 42:44 - 42:48
    officially began a ministry committed to
  • 42:46 - 42:50
    serving the persecuted Church called
  • 42:48 - 42:54
    Jesus to the Communist world and later
  • 42:50 - 42:56
    named the voice of the martyrs the worm
  • 42:54 - 42:58
    brands poured their heart and soul into
  • 42:56 - 43:00
    the ministry which in turn helped to
  • 42:58 - 43:02
    open the eyes of many people to the
  • 43:00 - 43:03
    plight of persecuted Christians around
  • 43:02 - 43:05
    the world
  • 43:03 - 43:07
    Richard and Sabina never forgot their
  • 43:05 - 43:09
    time in prison and prayed desperately
  • 43:07 - 43:11
    for those who continue to experience
  • 43:09 - 43:13
    hardship in Romania the Beloved Country
  • 43:11 - 43:17
    they had never expected to return to
  • 43:13 - 43:22
    until a change of events opened a door
  • 43:17 - 43:25
    in 1989 a revolutionary wave that began
  • 43:22 - 43:27
    in Poland swept across the communist
  • 43:25 - 43:29
    countries of Central and Eastern Europe
  • 43:27 - 43:33
    resulting in the fall of Soviet style
  • 43:29 - 43:35
    regimes one by one countries once under
  • 43:33 - 43:38
    the rule of communism began to collapse
  • 43:35 - 43:41
    the Romanian head of state Nicolae
  • 43:38 - 43:44
    Ceausescu a dictator since 1965
  • 43:41 - 43:46
    stubbornly clung to power until an
  • 43:44 - 43:50
    unprecedented revolt by his own
  • 43:46 - 43:52
    countrymen toppled him in Timisoara the
  • 43:50 - 43:54
    people gathered in the public square and
  • 43:52 - 43:57
    prayed the Lord's Prayer the gathering
  • 43:54 - 43:58
    itself was considered illegal and even
  • 43:57 - 44:00
    much more so the fact that so many
  • 43:58 - 44:03
    people were praying in public and
  • 44:00 - 44:06
    chanting communism is dead God is alive
  • 44:03 - 44:08
    the cry was heard across the country and
  • 44:06 - 44:11
    not long thereafter the suppressive
  • 44:08 - 44:14
    communist government of Romania came to
  • 44:11 - 44:16
    an end what a time of jubilation it was
  • 44:14 - 44:20
    and what a triumph for those who had
  • 44:16 - 44:23
    endured such torment for so long after
  • 44:20 - 44:24
    25 years of exile and continually
  • 44:23 - 44:27
    upholding their country in prayer
  • 44:24 - 44:29
    Richard and Sabina returned to their
  • 44:27 - 44:31
    beloved Romania the country where they
  • 44:29 - 44:35
    had given their hearts to Christ and
  • 44:31 - 44:37
    labored so fervently for him it was a
  • 44:35 - 44:40
    memorable and emotional occasion and
  • 44:37 - 44:42
    they were warmly received Christians met
  • 44:40 - 44:44
    him at the airport with flowers saying
  • 44:42 - 44:48
    he spoke in many large churches they
  • 44:44 - 44:51
    returned two maybe three times the
  • 44:48 - 44:54
    Christians the government the media they
  • 44:51 - 44:57
    had opened doors across the country many
  • 44:54 - 44:59
    things in Romania had changed since the
  • 44:57 - 45:01
    worm brand's departure constructed on
  • 44:59 - 45:03
    top of the deep underground cell where
  • 45:01 - 45:05
    Richard had suffered the tortures of
  • 45:03 - 45:08
    solitary confinement there stood a new
  • 45:05 - 45:10
    building the thousand room palace that
  • 45:08 - 45:13
    the former dictator Ceausescu had built
  • 45:10 - 45:15
    for himself it now stood empty The
  • 45:13 - 45:17
    Dictator now dead
  • 45:15 - 45:19
    but beneath in some of the areas where
  • 45:17 - 45:21
    the cells had once stood Richard and
  • 45:19 - 45:23
    Sabina were now able to store Bibles and
  • 45:21 - 45:25
    Christian literature which would be
  • 45:23 - 45:28
    openly available to their countrymen
  • 45:25 - 45:31
    Richard's place of torture where he had
  • 45:28 - 45:33
    labored quietly in prayer was now used
  • 45:31 - 45:36
    for the service of his Savior arrogant
  • 45:33 - 45:37
    communism was gone and in its place God
  • 45:36 - 45:40
    now began his work
  • 45:37 - 45:43
    although happy to be back in Romania the
  • 45:40 - 45:46
    worm brands did not settle they had a
  • 45:43 - 45:48
    mission to continue when we lived in the
  • 45:46 - 45:52
    same house with him for some seven eight
  • 45:48 - 45:54
    years we only really saw them about two
  • 45:52 - 45:56
    months a year because they lived out of
  • 45:54 - 45:59
    a suitcase they had five or six
  • 45:56 - 46:01
    suitcases and they spoke in 10,000
  • 45:59 - 46:04
    churches in America they stayed active
  • 46:01 - 46:06
    as long as they could even editing and
  • 46:04 - 46:10
    writing from their hospital beds so they
  • 46:06 - 46:13
    lived their faith their love right up
  • 46:10 - 46:16
    until the last moment on earth Sabina
  • 46:13 - 46:20
    went to be with her Lord in August 11th
  • 46:16 - 46:23
    2002 months later in February 17th 2001
  • 46:20 - 46:25
    both left a legacy rich in devotion to
  • 46:23 - 46:28
    Christ and His Church
  • 46:25 - 46:31
    their talks books instant form of
  • 46:28 - 46:33
    witnessing and their courage in the face
  • 46:31 - 46:36
    of so much spiritual and physical
  • 46:33 - 46:39
    adversity remain a lasting example for
  • 46:36 - 46:42
    Christians everywhere
  • 46:39 - 46:45
    they brought a depth of love and mercy I
  • 46:42 - 46:49
    think to many Christians in America that
  • 46:45 - 46:51
    were unused to this aggressive love in
  • 46:49 - 46:54
    the face of evil this was something that
  • 46:51 - 46:56
    caused many people to say what where
  • 46:54 - 46:59
    does this strength come from well the
  • 46:56 - 47:05
    first time for me to a large extent I
  • 46:59 - 47:09
    understood how we went through it was
  • 47:05 - 47:14
    when I saw the Sequoias in the Sequoia
  • 47:09 - 47:17
    National Park it turns out to be that
  • 47:14 - 47:20
    the secret of the non gvt of this
  • 47:17 - 47:24
    Sequoia and it says that these trees
  • 47:20 - 47:29
    have very thin bark extremely thin bark
  • 47:24 - 47:33
    it's very easy for insects and for pests
  • 47:29 - 47:37
    to penetrate this part but this bark
  • 47:33 - 47:39
    excretes a substance called tanning that
  • 47:37 - 47:42
    kills all these insects and all these
  • 47:39 - 47:46
    pests they cannot penetrate this thick
  • 47:42 - 47:49
    bark because unlike other trees it has
  • 47:46 - 47:55
    this substance that would kill the moans
  • 47:49 - 47:59
    on touch and that's the nature of the
  • 47:55 - 48:02
    Christian faith you have seen skin like
  • 47:59 - 48:05
    everybody else and you suffer if you
  • 48:02 - 48:11
    have the face and the knowledge from the
  • 48:05 - 48:16
    gospel no communist propaganda thing
  • 48:11 - 48:19
    no no idea can penetrate tell you my
  • 48:16 - 48:23
    last confirmation class in Romania I am
  • 48:19 - 48:26
    a Lutheran pastor and I took a group of
  • 48:23 - 48:30
    10 15 boys and girls on Sunday morning
  • 48:26 - 48:33
    to the zoological garden before the den
  • 48:30 - 48:38
    of lions and tigers and there I told
  • 48:33 - 48:39
    them your forefathers in face the throne
  • 48:38 - 48:42
    before the
  • 48:39 - 48:45
    beasts for the love to Christ and they
  • 48:42 - 48:49
    died gladly for their Savior you also
  • 48:45 - 48:53
    may be arrested maybe beaten or killed
  • 48:49 - 48:56
    decide here and now if you wish to be
  • 48:53 - 48:59
    Christians or not they had tears in
  • 48:56 - 49:01
    their eyes when they said yes and then
  • 48:59 - 49:04
    we didn't bother them anymore
  • 49:01 - 49:06
    asking them Bible verses they didn't
  • 49:04 - 49:10
    know them we have no Bible then they
  • 49:06 - 49:15
    they are arrested every scene was taken
  • 49:10 - 49:18
    from us everything everything even our
  • 49:15 - 49:23
    clothes we were put in a prisoner
  • 49:18 - 49:29
    uniform but what we had gathered in our
  • 49:23 - 49:29
    heart nobody could take it away nobody
  • 49:50 - 50:18
    [Music]
  • 50:22 - 50:24
    you
Title:
Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand: The Underground Pastor and His Wife | Full Movie
Description:

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Video Language:
English
Duration:
50:30

English subtitles

Revisions