Unprecedented Events
UNPRECEDENTED EVENTS
Psalms 22:27
"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him."
300,000+ Cubans left their country in 2022
It’s hard to watch the videos showing glimpses into stories of the over 300,000 Cubans, in just one year, who abandoned everything familiar and risked it all for a chance at life outside of Cuba. The heart wrenching footage and death statistics are so common it can become normalized and therefore at times unnoticeable.
What doesn't make the news, and what many do not realize is the sadness, stress, and struggle the absence of each person migrating causes. Even less realized is how this unprecedented exodus is affecting churches and ministries in Cuba.
Large numbers of pastors and church leaders left Cuba in 2022 - increasing the load and responsibility for those left behind, and at times leaving congregations struggling forward without a pastor.
But God .... Pastor Felix and Pastor Hebercito are bringing joy and hope during these most difficult times. The congregation of 8th Baptist Church in Santa Clara, after losing their previous two pastors to migration opportunities, recently voted unanimously to call Felix and his family to shepherd their congregation. Immediately this body has been infused with life and purpose. Members are coming together and sacrificially giving to upgrade their small building. It is exciting to see their passion as they reach out to the surrounding community with the good news of Jesus.
New Vision and Passion in the Church
God responding to the cries of the broken hearted
NO GUARANTEES
With NO guarantees, NO passports, NO visas, NO finances to cover all your expenses, and NO understanding of Switzerland’s language or culture, would YOU leave home & all that is familiar to go where you believe the Lord would have you?
This is exactly what Jorge, Yaimi, and their two children have done. Trusting God to open the way, provide their study visas, finances and a gazillion of other details ... they said their goodbyes, walked on the plane, flew to Switzerland, set up in their dorm room “home now”, and jumped into a year-long study program with YWAM.
Ask any Cuban and you will hear the word "miraculous" mentioned over and over - what an opportunity for this young family.
What stands out to us in their story is the “WHY” behind their year in Switzerland. This family, was already a strong and impactful church leader in Cuba, but they were hungry for deeper training and world view/perspective to equip them for all that God will have for them when they return to Cuba.
Please keep Jorge, Yaimi, and their two children in your prayers as they continue to adapt to life, language, classes, and new levels of trust in God in a place so far away from home.
READY AND RUNNING
Kathy and I want to thank again all who prayed, gave and came out to make our OPEN HOUSE so special (one family came from as far away as Lakeland,FL) - what a night!
It is exciting to be preparing and able to receive and care for those missionary families who have booked a stay at 'The Rest' in 2023.
Please prayerfully consider if there are missionaries dear to your heart who might benefit from sitting down with intentional conversations, or who might just need some deep rest and a quiet space to hear from God and leave refreshed. If God puts someone on your mind, please let them know about Beginning of the Rest & how to connect with us. You might consider sponsoring a cross-cultural global worker's stay (suggested donation of $70/night). Wouldn’t that be a treat for a family!
Our prayers are for the Lord to move and provide more folks who will come alongside these global servants - seeing them refreshed and ready to return to the field, passionate to join God in advancing His kingdom to the ends of the world.