When preachers, priests, pastors and laymen were arrested in Communist Romania, women witnessed in their place. The Communists were amazed to see women working just as the men had worked for God, and they didn’t know what to do with us. After two years, they sent some to prisons and the salve labor camps of Siberia, and even there women were witnesses for Christ. 

 

In one of those camps, there was a group of five simple farm women who witnessed for Christ. They prayed together with the prisoners, and they led some to Christ. During the night, a Communist officer or guard would come to their prison cell and ask for prayer. “My wife is very sick,” they might say. “Would you please pray for her?” But please, nobody should know.” 

 

One day, eight male criminals went to their prison cell. The women were afraid, but one of the criminals said, “Don’t be afraid. We just want you to pray with us.” There they knelt, Christian women in the hands of the Communists. The women were hungry, beaten and shivering from cold—but mighty and strong in the Lord.

 

When it became known that they were winning souls for Christ, a new prison director told the five women, “We Communists don’t allow you to speak about God anymore. If you continue, we will punish you.” 

 

But our sisters continued; they could not do anything else. The Lord was theirs and they were his. They could never stop speaking about Jesus, who gave his life for them.   

 

One day the prison director ordered our sisters to undress, then gathered thousands of prisoners around them. Barefoot and wearing only their shirts, our sisters were forced to stand on the ice.  

 

The director then told them they must stand there with the other prisoners staring at them until they promised not to speak about God or Christ anymore. 

 

Standing barefoot on the ice in Siberia, our five sisters started singing praises to the Lord. The director was angry. “If you don’t stop immediately, I will unleash the dogs,” the director told the five women. 

Still barefoot on the ice, our sisters fell on their knees and started to pray, “Our father, who art in heaven…” The dogs were unleashed, and the other prisoners remained quiet. Then the dogs stopped a few inches before our Christian sisters and sat down on the ice. 

 

“It is a miracle of God!” the prisoners cried. 

 

Fearing a violent outbreak, the prison director took the sisters to their prison cell and sent a female Jewish doctor to examine them. When the doctor returned to the director, she said, “Mr. Officer, the prisoners are all right. They have nothing, not even a cold.” 

 

The prison director said, “You are a doctor. You are a woman of science. How can you tell me such a thing? Can you give some explanation as a doctor?” 

 

The Jewish doctor answered, “Mr. Officer, you had the best explanation when you heard the Christians saying, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven.’ They have a Father in heaven, and whosoever has a Father in heaven can do everything.” 

 

We have seen in Communist prisons how God fought for his own. He himself fights for you. Just lift up your head and look to Jesus. Make him to be Lord in your life and in your heart.