We were at a certain moment – that means Christians – were at a certain moment deported to Siberia. And there, the whole day, from early in the morning, they stood in the wood, cutting trees. Hungry, sick, beaten, mocked.

The Christians – I speak about the ladies now – Christian women had to cut a certain amount of trees. If not, in the evening they were punished – not [allowed] to have the little bit of soup.

I don’t know if there is somebody here who has ever been hungry? I mean hungry, not having anything to eat. In communist prisons Christians are so hungry, [over] years and years, that during the night we could not sleep. We would awake and we would cry, ‘I’m hungry, I’m hungry.’

One day, one of our sisters working there – Lidia was her name – worked hard and made the amount needed. But we worked together with the non-Christians and with the thieves, and with the robbers. They did not work the whole day. And while Lidia our sister worked so hard, the thieves stole the work done by Lidia. And in the evening, when she was brought back to the prison cell, she didn’t have the [right] amount of work done, so she was punished – not [allowed] to have her little bit of soup.

Hungry, weeping, Lidia went out from the prison cell in the yard of the prison, praying, weeping. And while she walked around, at once she heard somebody, ‘Hey, hey. Do you have a mother?’ Awakening, like from a dream, Lidia looked back. ‘Hey, hey. Do you have a mother who prays for you?’ [It was] a communist guard with a revolver in his hand. And Lidia answered him, ‘Yes, I have an old mother who remains behind. She surely prays for me. But why do you ask me?’

‘Since half an hour,’ said the guard, ‘I am running after you with my revolver to shoot you because you are where you are not allowed to be. But my arm which was all right the whole day – I cannot move it. It is surely your mother who prays for you. And now, run back immediately, because if they find us here, they will shoot us both. We are not allowed to be here.’

Still weeping, but now tears of thankfulness for her God, Lidia ran back to the prison cell, arrives safely, goes to bed and sleeps as if she would have had the best of dinners.

And early in the morning, when the thousands of prisoners are gathered to be brought to the field to work, among the many guards with their revolvers is also the guard whom she met last evening. He was not allowed to speak with her, but he showed her his arm. His arm was all right.

It is God himself who had fought for his child, showing to the Christians, and even to the communists – they who say they have prevailed – showing how God Himself will prevail for eternity.

Let not men prevail against God. We have seen in communist prisons the love of our Saviour. We have seen in communist prisons signs, miracles, wonders. And we have learned to know that forever Jesus is Lord and He alone will prevail.