Let me start by saying the Lord is good. What a blessing it is to know our Lord and Savior intimately, and what an encouragement it is to see Him working intimately in the lives of others!
On our most recent trip to Cuba, the TOI team brought a media specialist with us to capture both the heart of our ministry and the heart of the Cuban Christians. What we obtained was a true testament to the power of the Gospel at work in Cuba and the ministry of God’s people in this country. We spoke with one of our microfinance entrepreneurs, a pastor, and others about specific ways the Lord is using The Overseas Initiative and the Cuban church to glorify Himself. We look forward to publishing these videos soon!
Another highlight of the trip was the fellowship of believers. Often on trips, George, Molly, and others must maximize their limited time to attend meetings, teach Bible conferences, and conduct ministry training sessions. Though these events are necessary and meaningful, little time is left for intentional fellowship outside of dinners. On this trip, a main goal was fellowship and ministering to the hearts of our team in Cuba. On the first full day of the trip, we spent the day at the home of two of our entrepreneurs—fellowshipping, worshipping, and breaking bread together. To not only see the farm which has expanded through the microloan and its success but to also truly get to know these individuals was a great blessing. On our last full day in Cuba, we took our Cuban team to the beach as a show of gratitude for their hard work and as an opportunity to learn about them personally. We gained much more knowledge about them and were able to draw closer to them through this trip.
The last highlight we want to mention is the care of the Cuban people for the American people. George and Molly brought two new individuals with them to Cuba and one returnee. The attention of the Cubans to the needs of new ministry partners was heartwarming. Not once did the Americans feel unwanted or isolated. Instead, they were invited into a picture of our Heavenly family through the invitation into the Cuban church family. May we continue to invite others to join the family of God here in America and in Cuba!
