In 1939 Nicholas Winton went on a two week vacation. It was later to change the lives of 669 children, and effect the futures of 5,700 people. This simple 29 year old stock broker from London knew war was brewing, and went to Czechoslovakia to see how he could help the people there. The Czechoslovakian-Jews were trapped in terrible refugee camps, with no country willing to accept them. Thousands of children needed to get out.
At 104 Years old Nicholas confessed “I never knew what I did was going to have such an impact.”
With no humanitarian experience he set up his own volunteer agency to get the children out of the country, it turned out to be a huge job. One of the problems was that travel documents were being issued too slowly, so he forged them, he chuckled as he recalled, “It also took a bit of blackmail and bribery.” “It worked, that’s all that mattered.”
A touching reunion was held with the now adult children, it ended up with Nicholas being declared the adopted father of the family of all the survivors. They affectionately call themselves Nicky’s Family. A family of 669 that has swollen with descendants to 5,700 all very gratefully loving their father Nicholas for the gift of life.
It’s truly amazing what just one person modeling the love of God can do, an inspiration to all of us!
If you’d like to hear more about Nicholas here is another great video. I teared up at the 11:35 mark.
