The overwhelming effect of COVID-19 has changed the lives of everyone around the world, and collectively we have experienced loss, fear, and uncertainty. In spite of these difficult months, we have also seen communities bind together, neighbors look after one another, and an outpouring of support to those less fortunate.
And so it is with the church in Mayajigua, Cuba. The church recognized that they had an opportunity to be a positive force in their community in the midst of illness, economic chaos, and the increasing scarcity of food. Staples like rice and beans were nowhere to be found, even if you had money to purchase them. God prepared their heart and gave them the vision to farm a plot of land to provide food for their community. They started a cooperative and have planted root vegetables, rice, onions, garlic, and peppers. Eventually, they plan to raise pigs and chickens so their community can have meat. They did this with the little resources they had, rooted in their belief that this is where God was leading them.
Most of the farming is done by members of the church who volunteer to do the exhausting work of tilling and tending the land in the hot tropical weather. Their desire to provide for their community overshadows the long hours of labor and the risk all farmers face of crop failure, largely because they are at the mercy of the weather.
Volunteers weed the crops in Mayajigua, Cuba.
The Mayajigua church’s desire to care for their community is an expression of how God wants us to live: humbly, compassionately, and as servants who care for each other.
We are a global community seen and loved by God as one, regardless of geography. The church in Mayajigua serves as our example of how we can care for each other rooted in love that is selfless and generous. We invite you to join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Cuba and to participate financially in this project or others that Aliento Cuba supports.