Freedom for Zulema Zuñiga
Goal:
USD $3,000
Raised:
USD $2,340
Campaign funds will be received by Angela Harders
Freedom for Zulema Zuñiga
Zulema Zuñiga is a single mother of 2 children, a missionary in Guatemala, and one of my best friends. She has worked as a missionary both in Guatemala and around the world for almost 2 decades.
And for the last year and a half, she has been focusing on serving and starting a Guatemalan prison ministry in accordance with the Biblical teaching to "remember those in prison." (Matthew 25:34-40; Hebrews 13:1-3) Every week, she goes to the prison and preaches to the women there, providing them with love and hope in Christ.
On January 17th, 2025, Zulema returned to Guatemala after a life-changing mission trip to Senegal.
On January 21st, 2025, she was arrested for "extortion" by the Guatemalan police.
Back in October, she received a random deposit to her bank account by mistake. She reported the deposit to her bank, and they returned the funds and closed her account. However, this kind of "random deposit" is a new type of extortion scheme by the drug cartels.
In Guatemala, you are GUILTY until proven innocent, so even though Zulema is totally innocent of this crime, she has been held in prison without proof and without bail for over a month!
She requested a hearing with a judge and was granted the hearing on February 28th. She has also hired an attorney to help with her case. Her attorney fees are over a thousand dollars.
I wanted to create this GiveSendGo for two primary reasons:
- To pay for Zulema's attorney
- To provide for Zulema's children and make up for her lost income while in prison
Anything that you can give will be a huge blessing to her and her family.
I leave you with this reminder from Hebrews 13:1-3
Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Recent Donations
Que Dios abra camino donde no lo hay y siga predicando su evangelio a las confinadas a las que no ha podido llegar en las visita. Que Dios transforme la vida de sus opresores y conozcan quién es el Dios que guarda a su hija, amén
Dios suplirá todo lo qué os falta, Conforme a sus riquezas en gloria; en Cristo Jesús. Filipenses 3:18
May GOD protect and keep you safe...
Dios tiene el control Zulema, te amamos. Ya pronto saldras de ahi
Isaiah 61:1 -HE sets the captives free!!
Praying for miracles
Updates
Update #2: Zulema is FREE!
March 6th, 2025
Thank you so much to everyone who donated to help Zulema.
She had her hearing with the judge on 2/28/2025 under the guidance of her new attorney, and the judge declared that she is free to go home if we are able to pay a bail of 8,000 quetzales ($1,037 USD).
Because of your generosity, I was able to make that payment for her and Zulema was released that same day!
She is happy to be at home with her children, but she is still processing everything that has happened.
I am hoping that she will be able to provide everyone with a more in-depth update soon.
Update #1: Finding Peace in Prison
February 23rd, 2025
Wow! I am so thankful for everyone who has donated and shared this page. Within a few hours of creating this fundraiser, we were able to get the money that Zulema needs to pay for her attorney. We are all so amazed and thankful for the outpouring of love and support from people from all over the world!
I was able to speak to Zulema briefly about how she is doing. She said that she is doing well.
For those of you who may not know, Zulema has been volunteering at this prison and would come every week to share the Gospel with the women here, but now she finds herself as one of them - a prisoner held captive against her will.
While most people would find this kind of circumstance to be devastating, Zulema is in incredibly good spirits.
Now, she is able to preach the Gospel with them every single day and sing worship songs in the prison with them every single night! And of the 45 women that are there with her, 15 of them have prayed for salvation. (Soli Deo Gloria!) Zulema even joked that she feels as though she is living in the book of Acts.
While there are some very dangerous women in the prison with her, she said that they all respect her and call her "hermana" (or "sister").
It amazes me how Zulema is able to find peace and see the hand of God working in her and through her - even though she has been unjustly imprisoned.
She shared with me a Bible verse from Revelation 2:10 that I wanted to share with you which states, "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown."
I could only hope that if I were to face the same injustice as she is facing now, that I would do so with the same level of faith and hope and love and grace and peace that Zulema has.
Thank you to each and every one of you for praying for her, hoping for her, giving for her, and believing for her.
God truly does work ALL things together for GOOD for those who love Him and are called according to his purposes. (Romans 8:28)
While she has been held captive for over a month, her work for the LORD continues!
And we continue to labor on her behalf in prayer that God will continue to protect her and grant her favor with the other prisoners are guards as he did with Joseph and that the truth will come to light and she will be freed this Friday, February 28th after her hearing with the judge.
Please continue to spread the word to your friends and family!
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