Ishmael on Life in Cuba
All boys must serve one year in the military before going to university. Ishmael’s brother-in-law was killed in his mandatory year of service. For years they had no idea why until one day they found out that he was shot by his commander as other soldiers were trying to escape service. It was while they were being rounded up and returned that Ishmael’s brother-in-law bent down to tie his shoe. They interpreted this as a posture of threat, so they hastily killed him.
Today, Ishmael’s son is going into grade 11 but is between schools right now. He was in an specialized athletic school but was expelled because he is open about his Christianity. The government is refusing to let him continue education there but will let him attend a regular school far away in the country.
Not only is this school far away, but it will require him to stay in a co-ed dorm, which is renowned for being a promiscuous place. It is a known issue that female teachers often seduce the male students and vice-versa. Ishmael and his wife are burdened with the limited choices their son is being offered. It is illegal to refuse to send you children to school, so they have no choice.
They are currently praying that God will provide another way for their son to get his education while protecting him from harmful environments. In addition they are deeply concerned as their son approaches the age of mandatory military service in light of what happened to her brother years ago.