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Cuba Mission Journal
Jack Beatty, Cuba Ministry Leader
Hope United Methodist Church
November 13 – 20, 2010
Saturday November 13th
· Up at 4:00 AM to catch my 7:00 AM flight to Miami.
· Our Caravan to Cuba consists of 13 missionaries, 5 from the Jacksonville area, 7 from the Miami area and 1 (me) from the Tampa area.
· I landed in Miami and walked to terminal G, where I would check into the charter flight to Cuba. Not too long after I found terminal G I met the group from Jacksonville. Their flight was scheduled to leave Miami at 2:00 PM while my flight was scheduled to leave at 3:00 PM.
· Blanca, our organizer in Miami, Oni, our travel agent and the Miami group arrived at 11:15 AM. Oni walked us through the check in process. We were allowed one piece of luggage up to 44 lbs to check and one carry-on up to 22 lbs. Additional luggage would cost $1 per pound for the first piece up to 50 lbs and $20 for each additional piece. My checked luggage weighed 44 lbs and 49 lbs, ($49) and my carry-on weighed 21 lbs. Our flight was now scheduled to leave at $3:30 PM.
· We arrived in Havana at 4:30PM and were through immigration at 6:30 PM. Our travel agent in Havana met us prior to immigration with our Religious Visas. Once we each were through immigration she helped us gather our luggage and took us as a group through customs. We all walked through without any checks except one member of the Miami group who was a Cuban. They checked his entire luggage.
· Pastor Julio, Dayana, his wife, and Raulito, my translator met me outside of the airport. They took me to a taxi and we traveled for about 2 hours to the Pastors home in Pedro Betancourt.
· They invited the taxi driver to have dinner with us before he traveled back to Havana. Dinner was pork, rice and beans, avocado and candied papaya and cheese for dessert. Gisela is the treasurer for the church and was our cook during my stay.
· After dinner we talked. The parsonage was the pastor’s home before the revolution, an American pastor. Castro took the property for one of his officers. Pastor Mario began the process of getting it back for the church and Pastor Julio finished regaining title to the church with a Supreme Court order.
· The reconstruction of the sanctuary was held up until Pastor Julio was able to get a permit to do the reconstruction. He showed me the paperwork giving them authority to do all of the work.
· After Pastor Mario left the congregation dwindled to about 50 faithful. The church was without a pastor for 6 months. Pastor Julio has rebuilt attendance to about 150 plus 13 mission churches.
· Pastor Julio and Dayana moved out of the parsonage to the upper room so that Raulito and I could have the lower level for our home for the week. The parsonage has two bedrooms, a bathroom, living room and small kitchen. The cooking was all done in an open air room behind the main building. Pastor Julio has plans to finish the upper room with a bathroom and AC for visitors.
· Pastor Julio and Dayana were very grateful for the study bibles from Hope.
Sunday November 14th
· Up at 7:15 AM
· I took My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers for daily devotions. This morning devotion was “Discovering Divine Design” which included Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
During this week I learned that the patterns of our world in the US make it much more difficult to maintain a complete connection with God than the patterns of the world in Cuba. The Cubans don’t have many material possessions; they do have a more complete connection with God.
· Pastor Julio asked me if I would like to do the sermons today. I told him I would be happy to give my testimony and leave the sermon to him.
· I had some time to prepare for my testimony and God led me to these three passages to help explain the three times in my life that I felt God’s presence most.
- John 3:16 – When I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at age 13.
- Romans 12:2 – When Val and I began attending Church regularly after my first retirement.
- Romans 12:9 “Love must be sincere, Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – When I felt called to be a missionary to Cuba.
· At 10:00 AM brother Julio took me to the church in a “Bicycab” (pedicab). This was our primary means of transportation throughout the week.
· Pastor Julio showed me around the sanctuary and introduced me to each Sunday School class and the class teacher. I was very impressed with the number of children.
Age Teachers
- 2 to 4 yrs Gladis & Edilia
- 5 to 7 yrs Yosvany
- 8 to 10 yrs Mailin
- Youth 17 to 30 yrs Anton
- Teenagers 11 – 16 Yoandra
- Adults
· Pastor Julio showed me the progress they have made on rebuilding the sanctuary. The roof is completed and all but one window has been replaced. The walls were up on a building behind the sanctuary that will hold the restrooms. The lot has been cleared. There is much work to be completed including a wall on one side of the property to separate it from the home next door and replace a wall that was destroyed by the hurricane. They have plans to build an open wall around the upper floor of the sanctuary for additional meeting space. Future plans are for additional class rooms and a caretaker’s room.
· Pastor Julio and Dayana, along with all of their missionaries, completed a 60 day no breakfast fast to fight family problems that seem to occur within the missionary families. The fast ended the day I arrived.
· The Sunday service was from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Pastor Julio’s sermon was from 1 Samuel 31:1-6. You cannot win the fight against drugs, alcohol, and pornography without fighting with God on your side.
· The evening service from 8:30 PM to 10:30 PM was from Luke 12:30-34 Salvation allows you to open a heavenly bank account and work to build the account balance. Where your treasure is there your heart will also be.
· Back at the parsonage Pastor Julio shared their mission accomplishments and plans. He gave me a hand written map of the area showing all of the Mission Churches and study groups and the planned Mission Churches and study groups.
Monday November 15th
· Most of the homes have louvered blinds with no windows and none have AC. The morning sounds were incredible. Rosters, the bread salesman riding through the streets singing “pan (bread) for sale”, children laughing, neighbors talking and music. Last night was cold.
· This morning’s devotion was “What Is That To You?” Don’t try to fix everything, God will give me his direction. In the living room among the very sparse possessions they have a “Pan Vida” box that is made by one of the missionaries. It’s full of bible verses. The one I pulled was Isaiah 58:8.
· After breakfast we took the bicycab to the sanctuary to meet Pastor Julio. He was working on transportation to a bank so I could cash traveler’s checks. Our cook’s husband was working on the restrooms. Then we rode the bicycab around the city and stopped at one bank. Not sure if they could cash the travelers checks. We visited two homes. Mailin, who is also in the praise team, has a Mission Church in her home. Mailin’s home was close to the closed sugar cane factory in El Cuba. Edilia has a study group in her home.
· In the afternoon Pastor Julio was able to find a car to take us to Veradero. Veradero has a wonderful beach and lots of tourists. When we crossed the bridge entering town it was like entering a different country, we could have been in Florida. The third bank was able to cash the traveler’s checks. There was a 3.5% commission and the exchange rate was .8935 CUC for each US $.
Tuesday November 16th
· Today’s devotion is “Still Human!” 1 Corinthians 10:31 “… whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
· Stopped at the sanctuary to see the progress on the restrooms. Today they were adding stucco to the outside walls.
· We took the bicycab; however, we walked most of the way because of the rough dirt road, to Cobo. This area is small farms. Each home has a couple of acres of land with some farm animals and some crops. Our first stop was at the home of a new convert. Her daughter was to be baptized in Havana on Saturday along with several other members of the church. She made a cake in honor of my visit. Noel, the missionary told me about the Mission Church he was establishing in Cobo.
· We walked to a large farm where the owner was another new convert. He provides rice to those in the church who need food and he provides rice to the church to feed children on Sunday. We walked to the rice field and saw tobacco fields, corn and papaya.
· We rested during the afternoon while Raulito and Dayana sang. He was helping her with arranging music for the Sunday services.
· After dinner we went to the sanctuary for a 7:30 PM meeting with small group leaders. Each one told me about themselves and their church activities. I was humbled by all of the wonderful things they are doing.
· The 8:30 PM Tuesday evening service was part prayer meeting and part bible study. The bible study led by Anton was about the need to be holy to get into heaven. Matthew 3:12 “He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork.” The difference between a stamp for those going to heaven and a mark for those going to hell.
Wednesday November 17th
· Today’s devotion is “The Eternal Goal” Genesis 22:16-17
· Today is Dayana’s birthday.
· We started the day with a visit to Anton and Marta’s home where one of the study groups meets. The church met here while the sanctuary was being rebuilt. Anton told us all about his interpretation of the Star of David and how the symbols taken from the star could be used to support Christianity. On the wall in their dining room was a large picture of the members of Findley Lake - UMC. Whey visited Pedro Betancourt and promised to return. Anton prays daily for their return. He also prays daily for his prayer partners at Hope.
· We traveled to Rigores where Gladis, Brother Julio’s wife is working to grow a Mission Church.
· After lunch we drove to Union de Reyes, about 24 K, to visit another Mission Church. Pastor Julio found a car to take us there. We visited the home where Wednesday evening services were held by Amado. Then we visited two other homes where small groups met, one was a children’s small group. Amado’s gift seems to be healing through prayer. They told me several stories of miraculous healing through prayer.
· Back to the parsonage for a short rest and dinner with the District Supervisor, Pastor Sergio. Before dinner we discussed the trip, the love offering and the laptop gift from Hope. I told him I was most likely going to become the Gulf Central District MUIP Leader. Make sure each person traveling from the district has a letter from me with an update for Pastor Sergio. He asked me to give his regards to Jim Gee and Renee Kincaid.
· After dinner we stopped at the mission church in Navajas here Anton is the missionary. The mission church is in the home of Yoile. Yoile will be taking the test in December to become a lawyer.
· Then we drove to San Miguel where Ania and Hani are the missionaries. Ania is 20 and Hani is 18. This was an emotional and inspirational evening. I was completely humbled by the devotion and energy these two young ladies have for this mission church. The service was in a small home and was packed with 30 or more worshipers. I could feel the spirit and energy present for the worship of God.
· This evening we traveled in two Lada’s, Russian made autos.
· We returned to the parsonage where several women from the church surprised Dayana with birthday cakes and a birthday celebration.
· I met Mailian who prays for a clown costume for her Clown Ministry.
Thursday November 18th
· Today’s devotion was “Winning Into Freedom” John 8:36
· This morning we visited study groups throughout Pedro Betancourt. By the end of the day I had visited all of the Mission Churches and every home where a study group meets.
· Just before lunch an auto became available so we visited Socoro Deicy is the missionary at this Mission Church.
· After a late lunch we started the laptop up to show Pastor Julio the software and discussed how he could get it converted to Spanish.
· The power was out for a couple of hours so dinner was delayed.
· After dinner we took a horse drawn cart to Camilo One, about 3 K, to visit the last mission church. Brother Julio was the missionary. This was a wonderful evening singing in a horse drawn cart under a sky full of stars.
· When we got back to the patronage Raulito translated several messages to take to Hope or mail to folks in the US.
Friday November 19th
· This morning’s devotion “When He Has Come” John 16:8
· We spent the morning discussing the needs of the church. Here is a partial list.
- Pastor Julio will use a small portion of the Love Offering to purchase bibles for the Mission Churches.
- He prays for study bibles for each missionary. They are very difficult to find in Cuba and expensive. Paperback would be great.
- Next time it appears easier to take Euros rather than American Express travelers checks.
- They will be able to finish the restrooms with the Love Offering. Pastor Julio wants to finish by Christmas. They will need lots of Prayer to find all the materials.
- Pastor Julio gave me a rebuilding plan to share with Hope’s leadership.
- The children’s ministry could use games, music and lessons/topics
- The praise team needs a mixer with 8 channels
- Medications: They could use a Spanish/English dictionary of medical terms, Vitamins, antacid, pain relief, pepto bismal, pepcid, Imodium, calcium, pain cream for joints, antibiotics – non prescription.
· Before lunch we visited the sanctuary to see the progress.
· After lunch we drove to Havana to take me to the Methodist Center
Saturday November 20th
· This morning’s devotion “The forgiveness of God” Ephesians 1:7
· Traveled to the airport at 8:00 AM for the flight home.
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