'Return to the Hiding Place' Actress Calls for More Female Heroes of the Faith
Spencer-Hewitt's parents made it their goal to give her a purpose.
"I think that if that's the message that Christianity gives to young women, what we're going to be doing is accessing the tools that God has created in us to make this a powerful force of grace, compassion, strength, power and forgiveness. That's what Corrie ten Boom embodied," the actress reiterated.
"Return to the Hiding Place" is Spencer-Hewitt's first feature film. She is now performing on Broadway. The actress said that having been able to do everything with her family there every step of the way (her sister had a role in the film, her mother created the costumes, and her youngest brother handled the finances) has made all the difference.
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"To have everyone on set was so incredible because we all did this professionally as individuals and this was our first collaboration and it turned out so well," she gushed. "Til this day it's one of my favorite projects that I've ever worked on."
Although ten Boom's story was already recounted in the first film, "The Hiding Place," Spencer-Hewitt believes that "Return to the Hiding Place" has just as much power.
"It's a true story that doesn't just say the Gospel message, but you can see the Gospel message infused in the lives of the people in this story. So it crosses the demographic line with such ease and makes such an impact," she said.
Spencer-Hewitt shared with CP her hopes for the film, revealing that her family's mission is to reach Christians in the Middle East.
"We want to be able to recognize the impact that Christians can have when they put their own needs aside and start making their goal protecting the people of God. All that Corrie had was a family and a home and it became a history changer, a game changer, because she was obedient."
She went on to say, "What I learned about these university students and Aty as a women is that they were so clear in their conviction and who God was, and who she was in Him, that when crisis came about and tragedy struck — when the time came to make a decision she knew what was right."
Lastly, Spencer-Hewitt offered advice for others using Woerdan as an example.
"In the midst of all the noise and all the chaos, she didn't wait for that decision to figure out who she was. She must have been spending time beforehand with a very clear idea of 'this is my identity, this is my faith.' She was being generous taking care of those kids before the war came about, and so because she was in the right place at the right time — with the right mindset of who she was in her faith — when crisis came she knew what to do."
"Return to the Hiding Place" is out now on DVD. For more information, visit returntothehidingplace.com
