richard and sabina wurmbrand documentary

Now fully devoted to Christ, Richard becomes a pastor and, after surviving the Nazi occupation of his country, finds himself under a new and equally ruthless totalitarian regime as the Communists seize power in Romania. In the leader guide, a timeline traces the amazing circumstances of how a young Jewish couple (the Wurmbrands) on health retreat in a remote mountain village come to Christ through the witness of an elderly carpenter who can no longer travel.

The Wurmbrand student guide has a series of thought-provoking discussion questions and activities connected to the film, like a Morse Code Challenge (used to communicate the Gospel in solitary confinement). It suddenly strikes me that my earliest learnings about the plight of the persecuted church, including personal stories and prayer maps, were produced by their ministry!įascinated, I start looking through the related TL materials.

Then, while viewing their continuing story at the end of the Torchlighters video, I am surprised to discover that the Wurmbrands, after more underground work and re-imprisonment in Romania, escaped to the US and began an international ministry to assist other persecuted Christians. I leave personally inspired by the courage of this obscure family who suffered so much for the cause of the Gospel. Somehow, this carefully edited “children’s cartoon” is able to convey great depth of emotion and the gravity of religious persecution. By about halfway through, I’m oblivious to the medium and moved to tears. I am immediately drawn in, once again compelled and captivated. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand stood firm on God’s Word against anti-theistic Marxism, even under torture and years of imprisonment.

Although I feel slightly sheepish at my sudden urge to watch a half-hour animated video for kids, I just have to know who this person is.

As I scroll through the list of familiar heroes, I come upon a name I don’t recognize at all: Richard Wurmbrand. As a ten-year-old Torchlighter fan, I was riveted watching Olympian Eric Liddell race along a dirt path towards the missionary compound with yet another critically injured Chinese civilian on a makeshift cart, while blasts from the Japanese dive-bombers strike all around him.įast-forward to 2020: I am now a college intern reviewing the Torchlighters website.

Richard and sabina wurmbrand documentary