26 Baptisms!

In my 26 years of life, I've never witnessed 26 baptisms. I've seem multiple baptisms here at Faith Apostolic Church. I've heard of hundreds being baptized at crusades. When we arrived in Cuba in May, they told us they had over 20 baptisms planned for a special baptism service that Sunday. The weekend before they had baptized 22, and the weekend after we left, they already had 17 wanting to be baptized. It was such an honor to be part of this special baptism service. I don't want to be redundant, but I'm going to include a picture of each person who was baptized, as each person represents another soul who is dedicating their life to God. We have pictures of 24 out of 26. Please pray for these people, that God will fill them with His Spirit. For those of you who are supporting the Cuban church, rejoice that this is what your money is going toward!

This was Pastor Capote's grandson!


This man had been an alcoholic before he became a Christian!

This is Bro. Barbaro's wife's father!


This was Pastor Capote's daughter!

This is National Secretary Barbaro's neice!

Meet Pastor Lorenzo and Zulema

On our first visit to Cuba, we had the priveledge of visiting the church of Pastor Lorenzo and his wife Zulema. In this picture they are standing in their church which is located on their property. The church consisted of four wooden posts, a tin roof, and makeshift benches. Our spirits connected with theirs immediately. Their hunger and desire for God was evident without even speaking to them.

Zulema noticed Lorenzo as a teenager in their Baptist church. God let her know that Lorenzo was for her. They married when Zulema was only 16 and Lorenzo was 21. Now Zulema is 29, Lorenzo is 34 and they have four kids! They thank God that a minister from Jamaica ministered to them and presented the truth of the oneness of God and baptism in Jesus' name. They joined up with the Apostolic church in Cuba and are pastoring a church on the outskirts of Havana.

They own a decent amount of land in the Cuban country. They raise pigs and various other produce. Their living conditions are meager, but they place no value on material posessions. Their priority is on serving God with all their hearts. They trust that God will provide all their needs.

I stay in touch with Zulema on a weekly basis through e-mail. I am thankful to have such a special connection from God with such a special family. Part of the money we raise for the pastors goes to this wonderful family. Our last day in Cuba in May was spent with this precious family. I felt more at home at their house, sitting under the trees in fellowship than I felt anywhere in Cuba. They are truly special people.

Sitting in their church, right next to their house.

Jimmie helping Lorenzo with his computer - he can't escape IT life.

Zulema sings as part of a worship team in Cuba. They write all their own music and even have a CD! She also plays keyboard.

Their daughter, Sarai. She's three. We took a little Dora doll of Ava's for her. She was thrilled and carried it around all day. They don't really have toys to play with.

Zulema made us a delicious lunch. I'm sure it was a sacrifice for them to feed us so much food, but they did it gladly. It was a special meal.

Pastor Lorenzo

Saying our goodbyes. It was hard, but we know we will see them again soon. We also know that God has united us in His Spirit, and nothing can break that bond.

May Cuba Trip

As I returned from my first trip to Cuba in February, my head was swimming. I had so many questions, yet somehow I knew God was about to orchestrate something miraculous with our lives in his Kingdom. I knew I wanted to go back. Soon. I knew my ministry would be connected to God’s church in Cuba in a powerful way… but what about my family? My church? Our security? I had so many questions.
I prayed, asking God to give Jimmie the same burden for Cuba that He had given to me. I knew that my connection with the church in Cuba was dependent on my husband feeling the same way I did. I talked with him, told him about the people, the churches, the powerful things I witnessed, and the calling that I felt. My calling became our calling. He embraced the burden for the Cuban church and the Cuban people without hesitation.
We knew we had to make some changes. If we were going to visit Cuba frequently and for extended periods of time, we couldn’t make a massive house payment. We couldn’t have to worry about credit card bills or car payments. We had to simplify our lives. We were happy to do so, finally having some direction for our future. What came next was an astonishing opening of door after door. We found renters for our house, found a reasonable house to rent, Jimmie found a better paying job, and we began making preparations for our next trip to Cuba.

I was hopeful but unsure about Jimmie’s reaction to Cuba. Just as I had felt three months prior, he loved it. He embraced the Cuban church, and the Cuban church embraced him. We were able to visit with numerous Cuban pastors. We traveled to several different churches in the Havana area. We were able to attend a pastoral meeting where they distributed funds for pastors that we brought with us. We were able to visit with old friends and make new friends. Perhaps most importantly, we were able to have conversations that opened our eyes to our place in Cuban Revival.
In our first trip in February, we became aware that many of the people in the churches and even some of the Cuban pastors were not Spirit-filled. Thankfully, many pastors were filled with the Spirit in February. On our recent trip, in one day they baptized 26 people, yet none of them received the Holy Spirit. After much discussion, it became evident that people are not seeking for the Holy Spirit and leaders are not encouraging Spirit-led ministry enough. We believe that God wants to pour out His Spirit in a powerful way on the Cuban people and on the nation of Cuba in general. We now realize that part of our responsibility will be teaching about the Holy Spirit, praying for people to receive the Holy Spirit, and encouraging authoritative, Spirit-led ministry.

One day during our trip, as I was resting in our room, I felt compelled to pray and intercede for revival in Cuba. I prayed for awhile and an overwhelming sense of sadness came over me. I knew the end of our trip was near, and I didn’t want to leave. I finally felt like I was where God wanted me, and I wanted to stay. The still, small voice of God spoke to my heart and told me that He had bound us together with the Cuban church with cords that can’t be broken. He showed me that because it was He who had done the work, man could not separate us from our destiny. We left sad, but encouraged.

Now we are making preparations for a three week trip to Cuba with Ava in October, and a three month stay starting in January. Until then, we will be doing some fundraising for various causes. These include our travel expenses, support for Cuban pastors, and building and remodeling projects in the near future. We will be joyfully welcoming President Osvaldo Barizonte and Secretary Barbaro from Havana for the ALJC General Conference in June. They will be staying for two months, traveling and telling of the great things God is doing in Cuba. We will also be welcoming minister of worship, Juan Duany Stiven, in July for a three month stay. We are so excited to see God putting all the pieces in place for an unprecedented revival in Cuba. Our hope is that many will join us in this cause and many will desire to be a part of God’s work.