May Cuba Trip - Osvaldo's Gift

Sunday in Buenavista.

In the last year the ministry in Buenavista has extended towards even more remote rural areas.

Osvaldo, Marisel and their son David are the first family in their small village to join the community of faith of Buenavista.  We see how God is revealing himself in very specific wonderments to the people in these villages. 

A small fire started in the fields where Osvaldo works.  The foreman and other workers could not get the crank in the water pump to turn over so they could put the fire out.  After several tries they started calling Osvaldo who was nearby and surprised they would call him since he is not involved in that particular task. Osvaldo told them the only thing he could do was pray and so he did.  There, in the middle of his co-workers he prayed for God’s help. After the prayer Osvaldo turned to the foreman and asked him to try starting the pump again. 

 It started.  People clapped and gave a sigh of relief.  

This was God’s gift to Osvaldo.

May Mission Trip - Loving our Neighbor

What does “loving my neighbor” look like? I often grapple with this question wondering how to best put it into practice. For me, to love my neighbor is to understand their struggles, to have empathy, to share their joys, sorrows and burdens; to see and respect them as a person. Sometimes love is just being there, giving them an opportunity to talk and really listening. The hardest part of listening is to turn off the “me” filter so that I do not assess everything from my point of view and my reality, but enter into their reality.

This is what we do in Aliento Cuba’s Mission Trips. No VBS. No grand events that keep us too busy to take a breath. Just taking our time, being there, listening, being in their shoes, discerning God’s purpose.

Food is scarce and medicine difficult to find. Travel is like moving in slow motion. It took us one hour to go 15 miles because of the condition of the road. But at the end of the road we found the richness of the people and the countryside. We’ve met dedicated people who want to serve their community and together with you we have helped them accomplish what God is calling them to do.

Now Pedro has a horse and cart to transport and visit families in the four villages he ministers in.

Isidro can ride a bike instead of walk to visit the families in the many locations where he is starting a faith community

Angel can travel 80 miles roundtrip with a team of pastors and lay individuals who minister in villages along the country roads.

Keti can continue to feed the destitute people in her town.

Zenia uses puppets to enhance her talent for telling children about God.

Yhosvanni ministers to people who are hospitalized; Alexeis to families torn apart by alcohol addiction; Sediel works with a fishermen’s families close to where he lives, and Felipe was able to repair homes for the elderly damaged by Hurricane Irma 2 years ago. All of them supported by you; by your prayers and your financial help.

On May 1 Oscar and I will be in Cuba for another mission trip. Pray that God will show us how to love our neighbors in these often forgotten places in Cuba and to support them in God’s purpose for them .

The Week that Was - Remedios' Youth Camp

Youth Camp is a week of living with the enthusiasm, creativity, thirst for knowledge and chaos that defines this age group.  They entered the conference center in groups cheering and waiving their color bandanas. They gracefully dealt with what I consider extreme heat and uncomfortable accommodations but for them is the norm.  They had fun and camaraderie abounded.

Most of the young people who attended camp..  Here we are at Rancho Luna Beach on the last Friday afternoon, the last day of camp.

For me it was time to focus their energy towards spiritual growth.  It requires the ability to touch their imagination with what can be.  To exchange the questions that define me from: what I have, I do, and people think of me towhat is God doing, what is God providing, what does God say of me. We focused on being God’s beloved, on the meaning of surrender and why it is important, and times of reflection to allow God to work in our lives.  All these are difficult concepts for an age group that is in constant movement. But I am not discouraged.  We’ve planted the seed.  They heard the word.  And many responded.  

Oscar checking in with one of the discussion small groups after his teaching

Camp opened on Monday night with the teams walking in displaying their color bandanas.  The idea was taken from the Olympics.

Over the years I’ve seen the growth in many of the young people who have develop a godly sense of purpose towards others, a deepening of their spiritual understanding and a commitment to their Christian beliefs.  I see these demonstrated as they move in a culture that is foreign to these principles. And I am full gratitude for them and the opportunity to participate in the Youth Camp which is supported by you. We will post their stories so you can get to know them and echo what God says about them.

Oscar

Young people with Jesus Ferro, (wearing a black t-shirt) a student at the Baptist Seminary who attended the Camp.   He preached on  Tuesday night.

Remedios' Youth Camp. July 16-21, 2018

  The theme of this year’s youth camp is “Dar y Darse” which is not easy to translate but it means To Give and To Give of Yourself.   We talked about gratitude at camp because without gratitude it is difficult to give of yourself. When we savor every single thing that we have, in the celebration of the life that is, we realize that all we have is a gift from God. When we are aware of all God has given us, during our life and every day, it is hard not to be humbled and pleased to give back.  Gratitude begins in our hearts and changes our behavior.

Young people at camp writing what they are grateful for on a poster at the conference center

The younger teens grateful for the cool water of the beach on a blistering hot day.

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