On this occasion, the Cuban team writes to you, encouraged because the return of our Lord is approaching as we wait, persevering in our faith. The church in Cuba is alive and it is a joy to tell you, as you already know, faith is strengthened in difficult times.
First of all, I would like to thank Craig Clement and Butch and Stacy Ferguson of St. James Church, who on a mission trip to the island were helpful to our team by bringing with them a necessary budget for our work. May the Lord bless you and continue to use you for His glory in the mission for the extension of His kingdom.
TOI's mission trips to Cuba are postponed for the time being, so our actions are mainly focused on humanitarian aid. A few months ago our generous God opened the doors for a unique opportunity, Sus Manos Gleaners has donated a 40-foot container of dehydrated food and clothing. The approval and entry into the country has been more complex than we expected, but we recently found a new way! We are eager to have that food and distribute it among the friendly churches and these in turn with the surrounding community.
The other aspect in which our team continues to work actively is in microfinance, currently with three groups and 15 funded ventures, we encourage entrepreneurs to be diligent in their repayments while administrators look after them, as well as their American mentors. Once the complex situation in Cuba has stabilized, we will open a new group in the province of Cienfuegos.
The mercies of the Lord are new every morning and of that we are certain, life is difficult here and it will surely get worse but we do not forget, heaven rules.
