Encountering God in the Wilderness: Carlos Lamelas

This Lent, we’re excited to partner with 24-7 Prayer on a video podcast series featuring inspiring stories from Christians who encountered God in the wilderness moments in their lives.

You may remember the story of Carlos Llamelas, a church leader in Cuba who was detained and imprisoned for four months in 2006, on false charges of ‘human trafficking’. Carlos now lives in the US with his family.

Here’s a sneak preview of Carlos’ story:

It’s hard to describe the conditions in my cell. There were no windows, so you couldn’t tell whether it was night or day. It was so cramped, that you couldn’t stretch out. And so hot that your skin stuck to the metal beds and burned. We had to drink stale water from a trough, making us feel like animals.

Sitting in that cell was my wilderness moment, asking God ‘Why have you let this happen?’ I had no idea how long I would be held, but it was expected to be a long time. Sometimes, the guards would even play games with us and tell us ‘You’re being released, you’re free to go’ but then just take you to another part of the prison.

Then one day I received many many letters from CSW supporters from all around the world. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me, to know I was not forgotten by my brothers and sisters and not forgotten by God.

A few weeks later, I awoke suddenly in the night. I had been fasting and God said to me “Get up and eat, you have a long journey tomorrow”. I said “Eat what?!” It was then that, miraculously, my cell-mate gave me some bread and sugar. He said he had been saving it for me.

I had no idea what was ahead of me but the next day, I was released. I later found out that in that exact moment when God woke me, a group of Christians in Texas was praying for me.

Watch the Lent podcast series from 1 March at csw.org.uk and pray for Carlos & his family using our prayer diary.