Cuba Mission 2008

Inside Zulueta

2008-10-15T14:38:00.000-07:00

Today we loaded onto our “guagua” and headed out to Zulueta Del Sur, a small town in the Villa Clara region of Cuba. There we hope to minister to the children of a tiny Pentecostal church lead by pastors Yordanis and Wilter, whom we met the other day through Pastor Otto. It took a little over an hour to get there from Sancti Spiritus. When we arrived the service was just about to start. The ministry time opened with the nursery kids singing a cute song about letting Jesus into your heart. The children’s ministry volunteers lead them in a wonderful time of praise and worship. Then we were visited by a clown (pastor Yordanis’ wife, Lisandra) and her clown friend who taught us about being responsible versus having no cares. We sang some more and even did a conga line/choo choo train style dance as we sang one of the songs. Then it was our turn to minister to the children. Margarita lead a song about insects and animals, as the rest of the team participated as puppeteers (holding up the fans that our children had made for the children of Cuba). We handed out the fans to the kids so they could participate by holding up their creatures at the appropriate points during the song. Then we sang and danced some more. The leadership of the church laid hands on us, anointed us and prayed for us and the success of our mission there in Cuba. A woman serenaded us with a special song. We ended by distributing goodie bags that the Boyce Sistors and Renier assembled in a small storage room behind the chancel. The congregation, as poor as they are, blessed us with a tasty luncheon. In the upper room, above the Sanctuary, we found tables set with beautiful floral arrangements and an array of fruits and vegetables and pork fried rice. For dessert they made us peanut butter (Crèma de Mani) dulce with crackers. Charlie put sliced bananas on top and said it tasted delicious. Some of us followed suit and boy was he right! Then we presented our gifts (bibles, tracts, children’s ministry aides, crafts and resources) to the Pastors. After that we walked around the town and came across a meat/produce market that served fresh squeezed sugar cane juice (yum yum). Then it was back on the “guagua” and back to Sancti Spiritus. Ministering to kids sure does take a lot of energy because most of us fell asleep on the ride home.
Posted by Naka Piohia

"Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart"~Part II~Monday, August 18, 2008

2008-09-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6; Have you ever applied this passage to your life and/or your circumstances? Team Cuba Mission 2008 did and the results were spectacular!

After a well rested night I woke up early and said my morning prayers. It was a wonderful time spent alone with God. Afterwards I went downstairs to meet with the team for breakfast. Everyone was in a cheerful, joyful mood. I had written Hannah a card reminding her how much God loves her and cares for the things she cares about. I inserted the cross in the card and gave it to her during breakfast. She was in shock. She thought she had lost that cross forever but God had other plans. It is so encouraging to see God at work.

We all met in my room for morning devotions. It was a special time of scripture reading and praying. These were some of my favorite times because God's presence was so evident. I felt led by the Spirit to anoint each missionary with oil and I did so, praying over them as I anointed them with oil. It was amazing!

The day before Nicole's family had asked me if we could visit Nicole's greataunt, Nero. She had been diagnosed with cancer and was at the last stages of her illness. I explained to them that our time was limited and we had to get to Sancti Spiritus, but that we would visit her on the way back. Again, we plan and God laughs.

Hurricane Fay was making herself known. The rain had begun to fall and I was becoming increasingly concerned because we still had not secured the transportation to Sancti Spiritus. My cousin and I devised a plan. He would get on the horn from his house and contact everyone he knew that could facilitate the transportation and I would get on the public phone at the hotel and call all the car rental agencies in the telephone book. As I dialed the upteenth number, the Lord made His will known. "You will not leave Havana until you visit Nero. Go to her house and pray for her." I heard Him so clearly that I couldn't ignore Him. I went to the lobby where the team patiently waited and shared with them what the Lord had said to me. We all agreed we would go to Nero's house in Cotorro (approximately 45 minutes from our hotel). We called their house to tell them we were coming. They were so excited. There were several taxis parked outside the hotel ; we filled up four cars and off to Cotorro we went. I had given my cousin Nero's telephone number and instructed him to call me if anything came up. Nicole's family was waiting for us to arrive. They had great news, my cousin had called. There was a bus waiting for us at the hotel. At the moment I didn't realize this was a test. We were elated by nonetheless focused on carrying out God's instructions. As we walked in the door we were ushered to Nero's room. There she laid, in the throes of death. Her eyes has lost their sparkle. There was no life in her. Several of us gathered around her bed and we began to pray. The Spirit filled the room and we continued praying. Several minutes later, Nero's eyes lit up. She said she wanted to get up. She was assisted and led to the livingroom. She sat in a chair, drank some juice and posed for pictures with the team. We read scripture to her, we asked her if she knew the Lord and she said yes. We again prayed with her. Her family members were in awe and many of them came to know Christ that very day. We sang worship songs and thanked God for the opportunity to minister to this family. We visited for a couple of hours and then it was time to return to the hotel. Sadly, Nero lost her battle to cancer a couple of weeks later, but we are sure she is in heaven with her maker. Later, as I reflected on the events of the day I realized that God had tested our faithfulness. Were we going to rush the visit to get back to the hotel? Or, were we going to obey God and minister to Nero and her family? It was a no brainer.

When we arrived at the hotel we were dismayed to discover that the bus had been assigned another route. We were back at square one. After much negotiation the bus driver agreed to take us to Sancti Spiritus. It was late in the day, and the storm was looming in the horizon. In Cuba it is very dangerous to travel at night; there are potholes on the road and many times there is danger of livestock on the highway. We had to trust that God would cover us with His protection. We we packed like sardines in the mini bus. It was so full that John had to lie down on the floor in the center of the bus. We left Havana with an addition to our team, Nicole's cousin Reinier, a fine young man who loves the Lord deeply and whose ultimate goal is to attend Seminary.

Half way there the driver informed us that they needed to refuel. By this time the sun had set and it was pitch black outside. The bus detoured off the highway and onto a very isolated road. Several minutes later the bus stopped in the middle of the road, the bus driver informed me that we had to dismount in order for them to refuel (company policy), so there we were in the middle of nowhere. I can honestly tell you I was not afraid. Later I found out that several of my teammates were a bit apprehensive. As we waited the team entertained themselves with a frog. Hannah even picked it up! Ugh! I took the opportunity to get to know the driver's girlfriend and found out that her grandfather was ill. I told her we would pray for him. On the road again, but not for long. Everyone was hungry so the driver made a food stop, except there was no food, just beverages. Oh well, 'tis Cuba! We were able to go to the bathroom and stretch our legs. Several of the men in our team decided to share the gospel with our driver Rogelio. We don't know if Rogelio accepted Christ, but we gave him a Bible and the seed was planted.

Betty had researched the history of the city and shared with us that Sancti Spiritus is the sister city of a Brazilian city, both are known for their practice of a pagan religion (vodoo). She suggested we pray before entering the city gate. I asked the driver to let me know ahead of time and he did. We prayed over the city, our mission and the people. We prayed for wisdom, discernment, protection, provision and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. God is in control!

We arrived at Rancho Hatuey (our hotel) a little past midnight, hungry, tired and sleepy. By now the skies had opened up and rain was falling hard. We checked in and proceeded to unload the bus, a huge task. But God again came through. There were a couple of security guards making their rounds, when they saw us unloading they immediately came over and took over. They carried our suitcases to the respective rooms and then one of them asked Nicole if we were missionaries. Nicole said yes. Yovany then began to share his testimony with us. He had been a leader in his church, but had left it and was not walking with Lord. Right then and there he recommitted his life to the Lord. Amazing day!

"Trust In The Lord With All Your Heart"~Part I~August 17, 2008

2008-09-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

As Christians, most of us have read the words…"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6; and we've even memorized the passage; but have you ever applied it to your life and/or your circumstances? Team Cuba Mission 2008 did and the results were spectacular!

We had planned every detail of our trip. We had every hour of the day filled with some sort of activity. Then came the news, the religious visa to do mission work in Cuba was denied by the Cuba government. We knew God wanted this (His) mission to be carried out, so the team decided to move forward.

The week prior to our departure the travel agent called. She informed us that we would be staying the first night at Occidental Miramar (a 4 star hotel) in Havana. I was taken aback. Our plans did not include a night in Havana. I suddenly realized this could work. The airport is in Havana (6 hours from Sancti Spiritus) and it would be easier if the team spend the final night there. I asked to have the reservation changed from August 17 to the 24. The agent told me she would try to change it and would call me back. In the meantime I earnestly sought God's direction. The next day she called back. She had bad news. The reservation could not be changed! I was at peace. God had a plan and we just had to trust Him.

We had a few stumbling blocks. There are no flights from L.A. to Cuba, our options were limited. We could fly to Miami and then on to Cuba or drive to Tijuana and fly from there to Mexico City, and on to Havana. After crunching the numbers we concluded that Tijuana was the least expensive option. There was however the transportation issue. How are fifteen people with thirty something pieces of luggage going to get from Downey to Tijuana? We prayed about that too. We needed vans and drivers. We approached several people in our church family but things weren't working out. You need a US passport to re-enter. The people that had vans did not have passports and the ones that did weren't available on that day. I found out there was a bus we could take in Huntington Park that would take us to the border (not the airport). The fee was $45.00 per person, but then we had to secure transportation from the border to the airport. We would have to take taxis in Mexico…NO WAY! I called the local area churches that had vans, they couldn't help us. I then remembered our Christian directory and decided to give it a try. However, there were no listings for transportation, so I called the directory's main office. I was given the name and number of a limousine company in Buena Park called "Bella Sera". Wouldn't you know it? The owner, Francis is a Christian! And he was willing to help. Praise the Lord! The bus fare would have cost us $675.00 but Francis would charge us $580.00. We were going cheaper, direct and in style! Only God would do something like that. Our luggage was over the limit allowed and we were taking religious materials (100 Bibles 31 Jesus movies, 10,000 tracts, 12 women's bible study books, 80 children's study booklets, 100 bags with our logo and John 3:16 printed on them and Jesus loves you blankets, toys, pencils, beach balls etc.) into a communist country without a religious visa. No problem, God is in control!
Finally, the day arrived. Saturday, August 16 was a beautiful day. The team and their families met at the church. Before leaving we circled up, and covered the journey with prayer. The space inside the limo was filled to overflowing and there was still luggage to be loaded, so we tied the suitcases to the roof, and since there was no room left for me I sat upfront with the driver. It was a sight to see. After several minutes on the road the team informed the driver that the air conditioning was not working. Our driver, Ed exited the freeway and got it running again, but only for a few minutes. God was preparing us for what laid ahead. We were supposed to get Mexican insurance at the border, but it was after 6:00pm on Saturday and all the agencies had already closed. So we did the next best thing, we stopped at Carl's Junior and ate. I called Francis and explained our situation. He gave Ed the go ahead to enter Tijuana. We had the best insurance anyway. God was in control. At the border I was informed by the Mexican police that we needed an escort to the airport, so I jumped in a taxi and he lead us right in. Yikes!

We had been warned of the staggering fees Mexicana Airlines charges for excess baggage and truth be told we were a little apprehensive. Thankfully only a few of us were charged. But the trials were just beginning. All of the sudden I'm being called by a couple of the team members. Some of names on the boarding passes did not match the names on the passports. Furthermore, Betty was being told she wouldn't be allowed to travel. In the midst of this chaos some of the team began to pray as I went to speak with the ticketing agent. I explained who we were and what we were doing and asked him to help us and he did. God is in control!

Upon arriving in Mexico City we discovered that two of the visas had whiteout on them therefore rendering them invalid (our agent had made a mistake and tried to correct them). Thank God the solution was simple-have new ones issued for a fee of $30.00.

We were the last leg of our journey on to Cuba and although tired and emotionally depleted, the excitement began to rise in us as the plane began its descend. As we broke through the puffy white clouds, a magnificent island covered in emerald green vegetation appeared. The harvest was plenty and the workers were few but we were ready.

The team had decided to break into groups as to not raise suspicions. The excess baggage was one of our main concerns. There is not set price per pound, and customs has a history of overcharging. Everyone went through without a hitch except for the Boyce Sisters and me. I was charged $317.00 (because I'm a Cuban national), their way of welcoming me back, ha, ha, ha. The Boyce sisters were stopped because they were carrying walkie-talkie (a no-no with the Cuban government). Customs Officers opened the walkie-talkies recorded the serial number, warned the sisters not to use them and released them. God was watching over us because they didn't detect the second set of walkie-talkies I was carrying in my backpack. It could've been ugly. Thank you Lord!

At last we were all outside the airport and ready to go to our hotel. My cousin Raul had secured the transportation (3 vans and a taxi plus Nicole's family's car). We loaded the luggage and proceeded to the hotel. A light rain was falling and the aroma of wet earth filled our nostrils. We were drunk with excitement. The hotel nestled between palm trees, overlooking the crystal blue Caribbean Sea was breathtaking. We checked in and decided to have lunch at one of the many restaurants in this beautiful place. There were twenty-two of us and would you believe the bill was $77.00? God is in control!

After checking out our beautifully decorated blue & gold rooms and freshening up a bit we were ready to see Old Havana. The first lessons of the trip: communicate and prepare! My intention was to walk around, enjoy the views and shake off some of the stress of the trip. Unbeknownst to me, my teammates saw this as an opportunity to pass out tracts and share the gospel. We armed ourselves with material, but not with the Armor of God and was it ever apparent. Although God was glorified because several people accepted Him as their personal Savior, we encountered opposition from the enemy in the form of a demon possessed woman who cornered several of the missionaries. But God, who "never leaves us, nor forsakes us" equipped them with the tools necessary to defeat the enemy. Karen & Debbie began singing worship songs and prompted by the Holy Spirit, Margarita quietly commanded the demon to stop talking in the name of Jesus Christ and she did. Praise be to God! It was here in Old Havana where many people encountered God. Betty and Margarita led three young boys as well as two women to Christ. The rest of the team passed out tracts and shared God's love with everyone they encountered. I noticed a policeman following us, but all of the sudden he stopped and to my surprise he was began reading a tract. I didn't see him after that. Many seeds were planted on that day and we learned a valuable lesson. We ended the day with cafe con leche and sandwiches at the hotel cafeteria.

A Wonderful Evening

2008-09-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Sharing God's Word

Bible Study on the porch

There is no greater gift than to share God's Word with the people you love. I was given the opportunity to do just that on this wonderful evening. My family gathered around and listened attentively to what God had to say to them. Praise the Lord!

Hurricane Ike Pictures - Pixcetera.com

2008-09-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Ike Pictures - Pixcetera.com

Praying on the Whole Armor of God

2008-09-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

After a major turning point in Cuba, our team started to begin our days with reading Ephesians 6:10-19,

The Whole Armor of God (NLT)

10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.

and praying it over us. If we were entering an extra "spiritually hostile" area, we would read it and pray it over ourselves. We became a team of prayer. We prayed over everything we did. Lost passports had us praying. Angry horse & buggy drivers had us praying. A team member sharing the gospel or praying for a person had the rest of us praying. If we had no food to eat, we prayed for God to sustain or suppress our hunger. When I fell and scraped my arm and leg, I prayed that my minor injury would not distract me from God's mission in Cuba. We learned to become absolutely dependent on God for everything. The biggest and smallest of details were covered in prayer. That's how we survived in Cuba; in a land where we had virtually no resources...no 24hr, drive-thru anything! Our time in Cuba was spent waiting on the Lord for our every move. We would have been completely lost without His day-to-day, moment-by-moment guidance.

posted by Frances Vázquez

No Beach...but Many Blessings!

2008-08-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I was planning to leave for the beach this morning accompanied by my family. Well, God had other plans. There is a new hurricane looming in the horizon. Holguin, in the eastern point of Cuba has been evacuated due to heavy rains and winds. Here in Sancti Spiritus we are enjoying beautiful blue skies, although this morning it rained like mad.

Audrey, Debbie, Karen, Greg, Nicole, Elsa, John, Betty, Naka, Hannah, Margarita, Beatrice, Carlos and Frances your friends Claudia, Dianelys, Sugeily, Vitico, David, Isaida, Wilder, Freddy, Cristina, Raul, Victor, Betty, Ivelis, Rayza, Tia, Tio, Mami, Barbarita, Dinorah and me miss you very much. We cannot wait to hear from you. Send me an e'mail to cubamission08@yahoo.com

WE LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!

God bless you, Lourdes

From Sancti Spiritus With Love

2008-08-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,
You cannot imagine how difficult it has been to get in touch with you today. I have tried so many ways and this is the only way I´ve been able to get through. God did amazing things in Cuba during our seven days of missionary work. We have seen His majesty so clearly that it has transformed our lives completely. As most of you know, we had planned to do Vacation Bible School and Youth Encounters. Well...the Lord had other plans. Our first sign of things to come was when we arrived at Jose Marti Airport in Havana and immediately secured the transportation we needed to get to the hotel. My cousin and his girlfriend were waiting for us as well as Nicole´s family. It had been a long trip and we were exhausted but very excited. We checked in the hotel and decided to walk around Old Havana. Some of the missionaries took tracts and distributed them among the people walking around. Several people accepted Christ right there and then. It was unbelievable!

I will give you more detailed information later. Right now I am at an internet cafe in the center of town with my cousin and my niece. I heard there´s a cyclone in the south, but I´m not worried. We´ve already been through a hurricane. The team went back yesterday among tears of joy and overflowing with the Spirit. If you happen to see any of the team members ask them about the trip, but be sure you have plenty of time when you ask, because there is a lot to tell.

I love you and miss you tons!
Lou

2008-08-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hello!

This is the only opportunity I have had to get online. We are currently in Havana. We left Sancti Spiritus this morning at two and arrived at my cousins house at five this morning. We are awaiting the arrival of the mini vans my cousin secured to take the team to the airport.

The week has been INCREDIBLE. God has revealed Himself in so many ways that some of the people who experienced it felt overwhelmed. Our bus driver got saved, as well as the horse and buggy driver and the cleaning lady at the hotel. It´s been awesome! The Boyce Chicks will tell you all about it tomorrow. Nobody in the team wants to leave. I find it unbelievable considering the fact that we went a whole day without water in our hotel. No showers, no brushing teeth, it was gnarly, but God never tested us beyond our limit. I was shocked that not one person complained.

Please keep me in prayer. I am going to be alone and need all the help I can get.

I love you and miss you all!
Lou

P.S. Please let my hubby know that I miss him tremendously.

Jet Lag

2008-08-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

We have arrived safe and sound my battery is low and the hotel does not have
110v like we thought so no one has a 220v adapter. I will make it short.
Hurricane still coming should hit Havana tomorow morning. We are praying for
a miracle. Hopefully we will be able to go to Sancti Spiritus tomorrow as
planned. If not the next day. The city is beautiful yet impoverished will
update website as soon as I can recacharge my battery. Spread the word we
are all ok. Keep up the prayers Thanks to all of you!!!
Cuba Mission 2008

Day 2!!

2008-08-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

After a fun hard day of traveling, unpacking, eating, witnessing and everything else, we have made it to day 2!! Fortunately, thanks to God's glory the hurricane missed us and is now heading to the Florida Keys. Therefore we are debating whether we are going to head out to Sancti Spiritus today or not! Either way, we will continue our mission across Cuba Testifying God's great love to this nation.

In everything we have done we have seen our Saviours Hand. He has been there in every step we have taken and we glorify and bless him for this.

We will keep updating the blog anytime we can and we will continue on our journey! Keep praying for us and blessing God's trip. We miss every one of you

In his Love

Charlie

The Miracles Continue

2008-08-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

To God be the Glory forever and ever. Amen!
Today as Debbie, Audrey and I were driving to the bank to get the Cashiers Cheques for our trip, Debbie said something that has stayed with me all day. I was sharing a miracle that happened this week (I'll tell you about it in a minute) and she said..."Lou, if we don't get on the plane tomorrow, we'll still have enough testimonies to glorify God forever". My friends, Debbie is right. God's hand has been upon this mission since it was only a far off vision.
Now, I will share with you how amazing our God is. He has not only chosen the most amazing team of missionaries, He has provided the funds, He has equipped us to do the work, He has increased our faith and He has been guiding us all throughout. Just this week He has shown that He not only cares about the big stuff. He also cares about the little stuff. You see, a couple of years ago He entrusted me to take a group of girls to the Jewels Conference in Rancho Cucamonga. It was an awesome event. The speaker spoke directly to the hearts of all of us in attendance. After her powerful teaching, the speaker asked us to get into small groups to pray. I noticed one of the girls, Hannah Piohia, was weeping. I went to her and asked her what was wrong; between sobs she shared the her friend had given her a bracelet and later committed suicide. Hannah had lost the bracelet and she was upset because she had lost the one thing she could remember her friend by. I immediately felt the Lord telling me to give Hannah the cross I was wearing. It was a very simple, but unique gold cross that had been given to me by my sister-in-law as a birthday present. I took off my cross and hung it on Hannah's neck. I told her that she should always remember how much God loved her, and that the cross was a symbol of His love. I saw Hannah wearing it proudly. A few months ago Hannah's house was robbed. She sadly told me her cross had been stolen. I comforted her by reminding her that God had protected her and her family and that material things could always be replaced.
Last Tuesday, Linda Brownlee shared with me that she was at home wondering what she could give us to take to Cuba. She said she went to her jewelry box and found five Sacagewea dollars which she decided to give to us. When she handed me the plastic bag with the dollars in it I was shocked to see, that in addition to the dollars, there was a distinctive and unique gold cross in the bag. Friends, it was exactly like the cross that had been stolen from Hannah several months ago. Linda doesn't recall where the cross came from. She said that she saw it and decided to give it to us. Hannah is one of the missionaries going to Cuba. I am going to put it in a gift box for her and I am going to write..."With me all things are possible. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Love, Jesus" I am sure that this gift from God is going to bless Hannah the way it's bless all of us who witnessed this incredible miracle.
We will be departing for Cuba tomorrow at midnight. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER!

The Home Stretch

2008-08-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

Blessings friends,
Our departure is on the horizon and the whole team is bursting with anticipation. On Thursday I went to the agency (Caribe Travel) and paid for our trip. Everything is in order and we cannot wait to see what God has prepared in advance for us to do. My sister came down Thursday to help me prepare the luggage. You see, a trip to the homeland is a whole production. We wrote lists, shopped, sorted clothes, and organized everything. Leidy stayed with me until everything was done. Praise God everything I'm taking is packaged and ready to go, all I need now is the suitcase.

God continues to bless us. Just this week we were witnesses to a miracle. You see, although the team has raised enough funds for us to go; several of the team members have been unsuccessful in raising their portion. I would like to share this testimony with you. Last week one of the team members asked me to write a fundraising letter for her. I did, we made copies and she picked them up. Before leaving my office she suggested we pray over the letters. We did. We asked the Lord for fruit from the letters and His will to be done. Last Wednesday I received a call from the team member. She shared with me that she had sought the Lord with all of her heart. She asked Him to confirm if His will was for her to go on this mission. She confessed to God that she was short on funds and wanted Him to know that if He didn't want her to go she would happily pray and support us from the sidelines. She said she went to work that morning and passed out the letters. She handed one to her boss; several minutes later he came back with a sealed envelope in it was a check for $1,000.00. God answered her with a resounding YES!

Praise be to you Father, for your hand upon us and this, your mission. May we do your work well. Continue to equip, guide, protect and provide for us. Help us finish the race victoriously so that your mighty name may be glorified. In Jesus name we pray. Amen

We're Almost There!

2008-07-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Dear family and friends,

Our departure is only a couple of weeks away. We are confident we will have the funds to cover the work we will be doing in Cuba thanks to your generosity. We are amazed to see how many people are willing to help us meet our goals. Unfortunately, there are some of us who have not yet raised the funds necessary. I am appealing to you once again. Please prayerfully consider donating to this wonderful cause. You may send your tax deductible donations to Light & Light Christian Fellowship~Downey at 9245 Florence Avenue, Downey, CA 90240. Please write on the memo column of your check "Cuba Mission 2008". May God bless you tenfold.

May God be Glorified!

2008-07-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

Many of you are wondering what exactly are we going to do once we arrive in Cuba. Our plans are to hold VBS in the mornings and Youth Encounters in the evening. However, you know the old saying... "we plan, God laughs." Although, we have planned lessons and prepared our agenda our main desire is to do God's will. Part of being a missionary is to be flexible and ready to be utilized in whatever capacity God deems. I pray that the team continues to be focused. This is not about us, it is about sharing God's love with everyone we encounter. We would also like to invite people to see the movie "Jesus". Said movie has proven to be an amazing evangelistic tool. If given the opportunity, we would invite the whole town to view it. At the end of the movie Margarita Quintanilla will give the altar call. We believe that God is preparing the soil and many lives will be forever changed. We have been called to be the seed throwers and we pray our seeds fall on fertile ground.

May God be glorified through everything we do!

Muchas Gracias~Thank You~YOU ARE AWESOME!

2008-07-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

A task of this magnitude cannot be achieved without the support of our family and friends; without your generosity Cuba Mission 2008 would not have been possible. The Bible commands us to "give honor to whom honor is due..." We would like to take this opportunity to do just that. We thank...
Ellen Aanestad, Sharon Aguilera, Carlos & Maria Alvarez, Juanita Alvarez, Antonio Alicea, Len & Kim Aoyama, Leidy Aragon, Rolando Aragon, Sonia Dehais Ayala, Jeff Baker, Rebecca Barragan, Iving Barrios, Carl & Valerie Banzanti, Don & Gigi Blackwell, Patty Blandford, Roberta Bleier, Judith Bulanek, Mike & Jennifer Brase, Erick & Sandra Bustamante, Ada Pullini Brown, Linda Brown, Linda Brownlee, Marcella Callahan, Victor Canino, Richard & Mary Ann Carter, George Cayer, Barbara Celiz, Michael Cervantes, Marsha Chapin, Jacqueline Chavez, Patricia Cobb, Joshua Cohen, Janice Cole, Gloria Crum, Johnnie D'Alessandro, Tony and Lesley Decker, Daniel & Lorena Dayton, Jeri Dorman, Michael & Elizabeth Daoust, Evangelical Christian Credit Union (ECCU), Pamela Ellis, Peter & Lora Ellis, Corey Elman, Cas Englehart, Faithful Servants Foundation, Kay Follett, Gary Fredette, Linda Garber, Genesis Associates, Jeff & Susan Geoghan, Jenni Gerdes, Jose & Marcia Guaman, Albert Guerra, Edward Guerra, Rafael & Maria Guerra, Danielle Hamilton, Mandy Hamilton, Gary Hammerman, Mark Humphrey, Gertrude Izaguirre, Jeanette Jelks, Anna "Banana" Johnson, Jeffrey Henneforth, Kimberly Herbel, Suzanne Hermes, Irene Hill, Merlene Hill, Olga Howard, Bessie Huerta, Dr. Bob Hughlett, David & Cathy Huseby, Kim & Andrew Kim, Cathy Knowlton, Jeffrey & Miriam Koenig, Kristine Kuheim, Bud & Betty Logan, Tony & Olga Lombardi, Manuel & Elsa Lopez, Joe T. Lopez, Maria Guadalupe Lopez, Raul Lopez, Ray & Sara McCall, D.A. McGowan, Diana Macias, Diane Madson, David & Alice Majdali, Norma Markarian, Alexander & Diana Mata, Emmanuel Mejia, Lark Miller, Scott & Amber Miller, MTS Civil Design, Bobbie Muñoz, Ardis Neville, Mark & Amy Newman, Tamara Noordman, Ralph & Lucy Olguin, The Olive Branch, Winston & Ailleen Piohia, Jane Plooster, Kathleen Post, G.E. & K. Prete, Tom & Denise Ragan, Lisa Ratnapala, Les Hultgren Rivera, Roberto Rivera, Kathe Robbs, Jim & Pat Robinson, Araceli Rossi, Joseph & Beth Ruiz, James Rundle, Deane Schenck, Crenshaw Scott, Maria (Lola) Scott, Marge Seyler, Charlene Shimada, Dorothy Mae Shirley, Rodney Sigman, Mardelle Snook, Pam Spence, Faith Stallings, Robert & Mary Ann Stein, Ralph Styles, Suheily Swenson, Richard & Claudia Todd, Alan Tomich, Alice Tomich, Dr. Jose Vadi, Andres & Julia Valdes, Janice Van Over, Enedina Vazquez, John Velarde, Lisa Volder, Larry & Debra Walkemeyer, Ladelle Wallace, Alan Waxman, Tom & Lori Wheeler, Fritz & Maria Wienecke, Louise Willick, David & Suzanne Wood, Bruce & Jeanna Young, Andy & Vicki Zinelis, Betty Zupancic, Roy & Marilyn Yokoyama and an anonymous donor who has blessed us beyond measure (you know who you are, thank you!).
We would also like to thank each and everyone of you who supported our cause by purchasing baked goods at our Bake Sales, Car Wash Tickets, "Havana Nights" tickets (our most successful fundraiser); by donating goods for our Rummage Sale, by sitting in the sun three days a week to sell candy to the kids from East Middle School and selflessly giving of your time to help us sort clothes, set up, sell, take down etc. Your support keeps us encouraged and increases our desire to serve the people of Cuba well.
"WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANTS!"

A Pebble in the Road

2008-07-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I received an e-mail from our host in Cuba, Pastor Hector Bermudez. He informed us that the government of Cuba declined our religious visas due to lack of pastoral representation (there are no ordained pastors traveling with us). Saturday was a difficult day for me. I was concerned about discouragement within the team, fears that may creep in or overall confusion within the team members. I prayed, fasted, meditated and waited on God.

Yesterday we had Pastor Otto de la Torre as our guest in our meeting. Pastor de la Torre has been on twelve different missions to Cuba and he came to share with us his experiences and to bring us tracts. He explained to us that without the Cuba Religious Visa we cannot evangelize. This was an obvious set back, or so we thought. As we discussed this road block, we realize that the enemy is up to his old tricks again. We rallied and explored our options, which are several.

I, however, want to ensure that this is God's will and not my own desire. So this morning I prayed, journaled and read the Living Word of God, seeking guidance and direction. This is what God Almighty gave me..."Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town." I shared what God had given me with my best friend Anna and this was her reply...

This was mine last night.

Mark 6: 7-13

7-8Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority and power to deal with the evil opposition. He sent them off with these instructions:
8-9"Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.
10"And no luxury inns. Get a modest place and be content there until you leave.
11"If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way."
12-13Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits.

I believe we have received our confirmation. So God willing we will be in Cuba on Sunday, August the 17th.

Please pray for divine intervention, protection and provision, as we get ready to go.

God's Team

2008-07-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Lord, we praise you for who you are...a majestic, powerful, loving and faithful God. Your ways are perfect. We are so thankful that you have assembled such an amazing team od missionaries who deeply love you and want to share your love with others. Thank you for your guidance, your protection, your provision. Thank you for filling us with your strength. Thank you for giving us the courage to go into uncharterted waters. For some us this experience although exhilirating, it is not without apprehension. But you Lord, in your divine mercy have filled us with boldness, courage and excitement. We are so in awe of you Abba. We pray that your hand would remain on us, that you would guide our every step and take us exactly where you want us to go. Continue to equip us and prepare us so that we may finish the race well. May your will be done. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen

Well, it's been a few weeks since I've posted any information on this blog. There is so much to share with you that I don't know where to begin. Here goes...God has revealed Himself in so many ways throughout this journey. I can honestly say that I have seen miracles. At the inception of this mission we realized that we had to work hard and pray harder if we were going to accomplish the task set before us. God assembled an awesome team with all the gifts necessary to fulfill this task. Let's take a look at each of them... my sister Debbie Boyce. I remember three years ago after my visit to Cuba I was sharing with her the amazing things God had done. I told her about the spiritual hunger I encountered and shared with her the calling I felt about taking a group of missionaries to Cuba. Her eyes began to water and soon tears covered her face. She was deeply moved and felt the call right there and then. She was the first one to say YES LORD! She has the gift of mercy. Her heart is soft and overflowing with love. Karen Boyce initially came to the first meeting to accompany her daughter Kelli. She had apprehensions about Kelli going to a communist country and wanted to appease her fears. It was at that initial meeting that Karen felt called to go. As it turns out, Kelli decided not to go, but Karen said YES LORD! She has the gift of discernment and more than once has utilized it wisely. Audrey Boyce saw the excitement in Debbie and Karen. She was the last one to join our team. Several months into the preparations she came to me and asked if she could join us. I met with her and saw in her eyes the desire to serve the Lord. She shared with me her desire to go and God's confirmation through her prayers. Audrey is a great addition to this team. I am so glad she said YES LORD! Greg Cashner was one of the first called. He came to the office to sell us his product and instead was sold on this mission . Through much prayer and dicussion with his family he also said YES LORD! He is a gifted teacher who often leads our Bible study at the opening of our meetings. Nicole Guerra was chosen through the fundraising efforts. Her parents and I have known eachother for over twenty years. I went to solicit funds from her grandfather and shortly thereafter I received an e-mail from her mom asking if Nicole could accompany us on the mission. Nicole said YES LORD immediately! She is creative, artistic and loves the Lord and His kids with all her heart. She is a pastor's daughter with a lot of missionary experience. Although she is only nineteen, she has witness God's power and glory many times in her life. Elsa and John Lopez are a mom and son team who are active members in our Spanish Ministry. They both said YES LORD! Elsa is a gifted children's ministry teacher with an amazing capacity to love and serve. John is a musician who utilizes his talent to serve the Lord in the worship team. They are fluent in Spanish and a tremendous asset to the team. Betty Martinez is also a leader in our Spanish Ministry. The joy of the Lord is evident in her. She said YES LORD! at the very beginning and has been encouraging throughout. She is a mighty prayer warrior who walks closely with God. She is gifted in prophecy and exhortation and has utilized her gifts to keep us focused and on track . She is also fluent in Spanish. Hannah & Naka Piohia a father-daughter team. Hannah, our youngest missionary at only 16 years of age said YES LORD! all on her own. I believe God is going to do great things in her and through her. She will serve in the drama and the games. Naka is experienced in children's ministry and will share those gifts with the children of Cuba. Margarita, Beatrice & Carlos Quintanilla a mother, son and daughter team. They are also active members of our Spanish Ministry. Margarita is gifted in grace, teaching and encouraging. Her desire has been and is to please God. Her servant's heart and humility is an example to us all. She has been planning and coordinating our VBS. She has strong organizational abilities. Beatrice's faith has been renewed through this mission. Her fire and passion have been re-ignited. Carlos is a musician. He utilizes his gift in the worship team. Both Carlos and Beatrice will participate in the drama ministry as well as the games for the children. They all said YES LORD! Frances Vazquez has been in Youth Leadership for a number of years. She said YES LORD! and the inception of this mission and is excitedly looking forward to serving God in this capacity.

As you can see, God has assembled an awesome team of faithful servants. We are looking forward with great anticipation at what God is going to do in us and through us.

God's Amazing Faithfulness

2008-07-14T17:34:00.000-07:00

Many of us Christian's say we want to do God's will, however, I often hear... how do I know God's will? I can unequivocally tell you that if you seek Him with all your heart you will find Him.

When we began this journey back in November of last year, the odds were against us. We wanted to go to a Communist country to share God's love, we needed a religious visa from the Department of the Treasury (Americans are not allowed to travel to Communist countries), we needed to assemble a Godly, bold, courageous team, we needed to raise $1,500.00 per person, and the person God called to do this (me) had never done anything like this in her life. Are you skeptical yet?

We began by prayer and petition. We asked the Lord for guidance, provision, wisdom, and focus. Then we went to work. A prayer team was assembled. God chose the missionaries. Mr. Naka wrote a letter to the Department of Treasury, (the first request was denied, they wanted a detailed itenirary of our mission), the second request was approved and we were given permission to go to Cuba. We sent letters to our families and friends asking them for their support. We organized fundraisers... 2 Bake Sales, 2 Rummage Sales, a Car Wash, Candy Sales, and finally a sit down dinner "Havana Nights". God took care of everything. Here are some of the highlights... The church rallied and supported us in more ways than I can mention. A fire was ignited throughout the congregation and beyond. Miracles occured. The Bible Society donated 100 Spanish Bibles. At our second Bake Sale, we had a silent auction in addition to the regular sales. At the end of the sale (by the way-we sold everything). We went through the bids. Frances called me over with a look of disbelief on her face. She shows me a bid and says "is this right?" Someone had bidded $1,000.00 for a Cherry Pie. Wow! The best part of this was that the couple who generously made the donation are brand new in the faith. Go God! On the second Rummage Sale we held there was a lot of junk. We didn't think we were going to make that much. Well, we were wrong. We made over $1,400. The best part of that was the number of volunteers who showed up to help. The excitement was overwhelming. Someone said that the clothes pile kept growing even though the clothes were selling like crazy. For our "Havana Nights" fundraiser Florida's Restaurant in Downey provided the food for 125 people at a discount. We wanted to make the ambiance as tropical as possible and needed palm trees to achieve the look. I went to Home Depot in Cerritos and asked to speak to the manager. He wasn't in, so I told the assistant (Becky) that we needed to borrow some palm trees for a day and would you believe it? She said yes! Go God! I hit a snag on the road when I counted on myself instead of God. I always prayed before doing anything, but when I went to the bakery to order the dessert I forgot to pray. You see, I've known the owners for over twenty years and felt confident that they would do right by me? Yeah, right. Don't put your faith in men (me included) they will let you down. When I got to Glendale I was disappointed to learn that I would only receive 20% discount on my order, the total came to $108.00. Oh well. I was already there so I ordered the desserts, paid and left. I was bummed out. On my way home, the Lord gently reminded me that I had completely left Him out of the loop on this one. I felt horrible. I asked for forgiveness and told him it would never happen again. I had to stop by the office on my way home. I opened the door and there on the floor was an envelope addressed to the Cuba Mission Team. Would you know it? In it was a check for $1,000. Then I got home and my neighbor came by to drop off a check for $100.00. Go God! I was also concern about the cost of traveling from LAX to Miami and Miami to Cuba. Well, God came through again! We can drive to Tijuana, Mexico and board the plane there. This saves us approximately $500.00 per person which quickly adds up to $7,500.00. Also there is no weight limitation. Go God! Tom Virtue with Campus Crusade donated 31 evangelistic Jesus movies in Spanish plus over 3,000 tracts. Go God! Pastor Otto de la Torre from the Four Square Church brought us 11,000 tracts and gave us tips on travel to Cuba. Go God!

As you can see, God has overwhelmingly revealed His will for this mission to take place. May His name be glorified and lifted high!

Our 1st Fundraiser~Bake Sale

2008-05-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Our first fundraiser was a "Bake Sale."
We had amazing support from our church family. Many of the ladies baked

and donated their goods to our fundraiser and it seemed as if everyone bought something. We raised over five hundred dollars. Thank you God & thank you all!!!

Iglesia "Los Pinos"~Sancti Spiritus~Cuba

2008-05-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

Pastor Hector Bermudez, our host in Cuba, sent us this picture of some of the children in his congregation. Iglesia "Los Pinos" will be our home away from home. We are looking forward to partnering with them in sharing the gospel with the people of Cuba.

Our First Meeting

2008-05-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday, January 26th, 2008

9:30am~The Fellowship Hall at Light & Life~Downey

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:5

This is a promise you can count on. My desire was for God to choose a team of committed and excited Christians who would be willing to heed God's call.

The excitement spilled over even to those who were not called to go. Anna "Banana," Linda Brownlee and Lora Cruz were at the church bright and early. Anna brought goodies to eat and all of them helped me set up for the meeting.

In attendance that morning were, Debbie Boyce, Karen Boyce, Kelli Boyce, Linda Brownlee, Greg Cashner, Lora Cruz, Anna Johnson, Elsa Lopez, Betty Martinez, Hannah Piohia, Naka Piohia, Margarita Quintanilla, Frances Vazquez and myself.

We opened the meeting with prayer followed by a Bible Study prepared by Greg. It was awesome. You could feel the spirit in that room!

We had question and answer time and fundraising discussions.

The meeting was very productive and full of possibilities.

Thank you Lord!

The Trials

2008-05-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

January 25th, 2008
Afternoon

"Blessed is the man who perserveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12

The time had finally come! I had sent out an e-mail inviting those interested in going on the mission to attend our first meeting scheduled for Saturday, January 26th.

On Friday the 25th I was home typing up the agenda for the meeting and a few of the things I wanted to discuss with the team. I was so excited! I couldn't believe it was finally happening. Suddenly there was a knock on the door of the office. This was unsual. You see, this was early afternoon, no one was supposed to be at home. When the door opened, it was John. He looked perturbed . I became immediately concerned. The news was bad. He had lost his job due to cut backs. My first instinct was to get up from the computer and lay down with the covers over my head. I was shocked! What were we going to do? Here I am planning a trip that requires finances and in an instant we had none. It was then that I recognized the attack. Satan was trying to boycott God's work and it was my choice to empower him or stomp on his head. I chose the latter. I stopped, prayed for strength, wisdom and vision, refocused and moved forward. Thank you Lord for your faithfulness! I had a renewed sense of purpose and believe it or not, the fear disappeared (for that moment, at least). I was able to complete the task at hand.

The Beginning

2008-05-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Summer 2007

Since my visit to Cuba, when I felt God's tugging at my heart to assemble a team of missionaries and share the gospel, I had been struggling with insecurity and fears. I don't know the first thing about assembling and organizing a mission team. I'm not a pastor. I'm not equipped for such a task. Who am I kidding? Really, now. The lies of the enemy were unending.

On June 15th, 2007 as I was doing my devotions God led me to Jeremiah 1:6-7 "Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak, I am only a child." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child' You must go to everyone I send you and say whatever I command you." Wow! It's not going to be me doing this. All I have to do is allow God to work through me and in me. So I let go and let God.

A prayer team was assembled. We prayed for forty days. We asked the Lord for wisdom, guidance and strength.

Sunset over Havana

2008-05-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

On my last visit to Cuba, we

visited the fort in Havana. This picture was taken at Sunset. It was unbelievably beautiful.

2008-05-09T10:09:00.000-07:00