Greetings to our faithful partners and friends!
Lori and I are back in Arizona after traveling through the Midwest preaching the gospel and sharing the vision of Missionary Support International. We enjoyed our time visiting other churches, meeting new friends and re-visiting old ones. What a privilege to meet new friends and be used by God to impact His Kingdom.
At the end of July and into August, we traveled to Cuba for a time of ministry. We partnered with our missionary friends, Jes and Kristen Gray, who founded Great Door Ministries in 2011. What an experience!
We landed in Havana and immediately we were reminded of the differences in our cultures. We adjusted as quickly as possible to the way they travel, their customs, their food, and the humidity and hot temperatures. Cubans are wonderfully intelligent and friendly with warm hearts AND they have a deep zest for life. Having gone through decades of tremendous struggle for basic necessities, they are very grateful for the help they receive from missionaries and guests from other countries all around the world.
Our mission was multifaceted – to bring items that are either in limited supply or too expensive to obtain in Cuba – such as aspirin, pain relievers, antibiotics, medical supplies, clothing, shoes, bedding and various other odds and ends – items that we have in abundance and part of our everyday life in the USA.
We were quickly introduced to the staff at Los Pinos Nuevos Church. They were incredibly gracious. Along with Great Door Ministries, we helped the “A Grain of Sand” workers prepare the rice, beans, and eggs for delivery with rolling suitcases full of food. We walked the narrow streets and alleyways of Old Havana ministering to the people going from house to house. It was so awesome. No words can express the joy the people had on their faces as we met their needs and prayed for them.
Delivering beans, rice, and eggs to the elderly.
The elderly in Cuba are the largest segment of society and, by far, the neediest. The church ministry that we partner with is called “Grain of Sand” and it provides to food every day to the elderly – rice, beans and eggs. This food supplements their very meager existence. Without it, many would not make it. Sometimes the medical needs were long-term diseases such as diabetes, cancer, physical disabilities and deformities. Other times we ministered to their soul and spirit. With the merging of a occult system of beliefs called Santeria, the spiritual battle is great. They face demonic spirits and strongholds that need to be broken, therefore, the prayers you pray and the love we share with them by meeting their physical and emotional needs is invaluable.
We met Susie, a caregiver to a disabled elderly man, for necessities sake was living in her house with her 2 young children. Through our conversation with her, we found out she was pregnant with her 3rd child and was planning to have an abortion. She was not married. Sadly, abortion is the number one form of birth control in the country. She felt she was facing an impossible situation with no hope of providing for another child. Her struggle was REAL.
One of the Cuban ministers who was with us from the “A Grain of Sand” program began telling Susie her own personal testimony of how God was able to rescue her daughter from a similar dire situation. As we talked with her and shared more personal testimonies of the Lord’s grace and goodness, she asked Jesus to become her Lord and Savior. God is so faithful! The local church offered to help this young woman any way they could with clothing, food, prenatal care, and necessities. That day, Susie and her family found hope in Jesus Christ and practical help from the outreach of the church. Prayerfully, a newborn baby’s life was saved that day and a young mother gave her life to Christ. PTL! God placed us in THAT house, on THAT day, to minister to THAT woman. If nothing else would have transpired on our trip to Cuba, THAT would have been worth more than anything we attempted to do.
Lori and I were privileged to minister through our worship and preaching to one of the largest churches in Old Havana, Los Pinos Nuevos Church. It had been a long time since I (Chuck) had preached using an interpreter, but the Lord was magnified through the message of FORGIVENESS that hopefully impacts them forever.
Just in the short time that we were in the country, not only were we able to hear and witness, story after story of the needs of the people, but we also saw the results of people coming to Jesus Christ through the outreach and support of faithful partners like YOU. When you see the needs of people like the ones witnessed on our trip, it changes your heart forever!
We are so thankful for the faithful giving of churches and people that have partnered with MSI already, but we know that there is SO much more that we could do AND must do! We have been called to do more than we have ever done before for the Kingdom of God.
Team from Cuba and USA ministering to the elderly.
We push forward, we increase our vision, we expand our outreach, we sow more seeds because we know that GOD is pleased with a people who will trust in HIM.
Would you consider stepping forward in faith, in love, in obedience, in expectation of a harvest of souls with a one time gift, a monthly pledge, or simply a celebration of a special day (a loved one’s birthday or an anniversary)?
One thing I know… your “giving” and another’s “going” forms a mutual reward that causes both to reap the blessings and harvest for JESUS CHRIST! Thank you in advance for your prayers and your faithfulness in helping us share the gospel of Jesus Christ…
UNTIL THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS!
Getting ready to leave for Cuba.
In Christ’s Love,
Chuck and Lori
