Giovanni Zaldivar

At the detention center we were searched, and police took our remaining invitations. Then the police officer took our names and addresses, and the names of the schools we attended. He hinted that our arrest would be reported to our school and could our chances to attend college one day.

Meanwhile the woman returned to the church and told the members what had happened. The choir practice immediately became a prayer meeting as the believers sought God’s protection for us.

My mother and the pastor went to the park and tried to find us, but no one knew where we had been taken. Then they went to the central police station and demanded to know where we were. At first the police said they didn’t know, but the pastor insisted that the police find us immediately. After a few phone calls the officer told them that we were in the juvenile center a mile away.

Inside the room at the juvenile center some of the girls began to cry. We had been kept locked up for several hours without food or water. It was almost sunset, and so we started singing, and our courage grew. Then, from down the hall, I heard my mother’s voice arguing with the officer who had arrested us.

After several minutes another police officer came in and told us we were free to go. But when we asked for the invitation cards, the police said we couldn’t have them.

As we started walking toward the church, I stopped and pulled some invitation cards out of my sock, where I had quickly hidden them. I explained to my mother and friends that when the police weren’t looking, I put invitations the desks at the police station.”

Everyone laughed, and on the way back to the church we gave out the remaining cards.

When we arrived back at the church we were surprised at how many members had gathered to pray for us. Everyone listened as they told them what had happened. Then the group prayed once more, thanking God for keeping us safe. We especially prayed for the officer who arrested us and the police who guarded us, that God would direct them to come to the church and hear His message of freedom in Christ.

Giovanni Zaldivar was a senior in high school at the time of this writing. He would like to study engineering and help build churches in Cuba.

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