It’s hard to believe that in less than a week, three of us from here at Faith (Marie Babcock, Lisa King, and me) will be on a plane headed toward Cuba to reunite in person with our brothers and sisters on that island nation. While we are there, we’ll be engaged in different aspects of Kingdom work: training pastors, leading women’s mini-conferences, ministering in our sister churches, sharing the Gospel during home visits, and much more. Our seminary in Santiago will be hosting our team again, which is always a blessing (hearing those students singing their praises to God as they are waiting for the dining room to open for breakfast is always a moving experience!). We will also have the chance to connect with Mahanaim Baptist Church, with whom we forged a partnership last year and which we have been supporting since then.
You have generously supported this mission outreach over the past year, from the generous individual who provided a year’s salary for Pastor Osvaldo at Mahanaim to those who have donated numerous items to be used by pastors and church leaders to the sacrificial person who purchased a horse for a mountain pastor. And all of this doesn’t even count the financial gifts you have provided! Thank you for how you give so freely and joyfully to the Lord’s work, whether here in Battle Creek or throughout the world – all so that the Kingdom of God might advance!
I know that I speak on behalf of our entire team (including those from Indiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi) when I say that we would be very thankful for your continued prayer support as we minister in Cuba. Here are some specific areas in which you can pray for us:
- Gospel advancement: this is the fundamental purpose of any mission endeavor – to see people come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pray for the soil in which we are planting and watering seeds, that God might bring about a great harvest of souls for His glory.
- Encouragement: one of the great mysteries of a mission trip like this is how the missionaries expect to be an encouragement, yet come back more encouraged themselves. This is how God works, of course – blessings are often returned in manifold ways! Still, pray that we might encourage our brothers and sisters to continue growing in their faith and running the race faithfully. Given that we’ll be leaving in October, which is Pastor Appreciation Month, please keep the Cuban pastors especially lifted up for their encouragement, as they essentially sacrifice all they have to serve their King.
- Training: we desire to help our brothers and sisters deepen their faith while we are there. Here in the States, there are more conferences for pastors and church members than you can shake a stick at, but that is not the case in Cuba. Our brothers and sisters there are starving for more training, so please pray that what we offer them is worthwhile and used by God to hone the gifts they already have.
- Boldness and wisdom: Cuba remains a Communist dictatorship, despite the fact that the dictator is no longer named “Castro.” There are very real dangers with us being there, and a slip of the tongue can cause great damage to the Church there as well as put us in hot water. Please pray that we are wise as serpents and gentle as doves.
Thank you, brothers and sisters, for your fervent prayers on our behalf. We look forward to sharing with you soon all that the Lord is doing in Cuba! ¡Dios te bendiga!
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