Cuban Pentecost

Thank you for all of your prayers while we were gone. We have arrived home safely and with awesome reports of what God is doing in Cuba.

The initial purpose of our trip was to attend the Cuban National Convention. About 500 people packed in to a very hot facility for six services over the course of two days. God truly did a tremendous work. The Cuban leadership has been praying for years for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Many pastors, national leaders, and church members had not been filled with the Holy Ghost. In this convention, they are estimating 100 people received the Holy Spirit. They said this is an unprecedented occurance in Apostolic history in Cuba. Praise God!

In one particular service, my husband preached a simple message about faith. He asked for anyone who needed a miracle from God to come forward. To our surprise, hundreds came forward. There was no way to get to all of them to pray with them. Bro. Troy Shurte had the idea to do a prayer line. All the Cuban pastors, along with our group from the U.S. lined up and for about 2 hours, we prayed for people as they came through the line. I've never witnessed anything like it. I would estimate that at least half of those 100 who received the Holy Ghost received it in the prayer line or outside the door of the church where they were directed after prayer.

During all of this, a large group of Nazarenes were having service nearby. They heard the commotion and came to see what was happening. Many of them went through the prayer line. Some received the Holy Ghost and some have now started attending Apostolic churches. In Cuba, the pastors and leadership are referring to this Convention as the beginning of Cuban Pentecost. Praise God for honoring their prayers and pouring His Spirit out. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter proclaims the words of the prophet Joel:

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh." (Acts 2:17)

After the Convention, we saw a similar outpouring at every church we visited. In one church alone, about 15 people were baptized! One particular Methodist church recently re-baptized their entire congregation in the Name of Jesus! We saw God do awesome things at a service there! God is doing a great work, and we are so thankful to be a part of it.

If you live around Indianapolis, and would like more details about our trip, please visit our church this Wednesday night. We will be giving a presentation with detailed information, photos, and video footage of our trip. We would love to see you there. The church is located at 1212 E. 116th Street in Carmel. Jimmie will be updating our blog with more detailed information about our trip. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us at anytime. Thank you to those of you who are investing in us with your prayers and/or with your finances. Take a moment to rejoice in your part in Cuban revival. Cuba for Christ!!!

Leaving Tomorrow!

I hope this post finds you all well and busy with the work of God. I apologize for not having a new post for a couple of weeks. Everything seems like a blur. We've been so busy traveling, having revival, and getting ready for this trip. Things probably aren't going to slow down anytime soon!

First, I want to say thank you to Faith Apostolic Church. Our family is so blessed to be part of such a loving, giving and supportive church family. Thank you for all of your prayers and financial support. Many of you know how long we've wanted to be involved with mission's work. Believe it or not, it is very hard to say goodbye, even for three weeks, to such an incredible church. We will miss you all. We wouldn't be where we are today without your love, support and guidance. I want to thank God for this incredible revival! Over 30 people have received the Holy Spirit since June - it's been amazing week after week. We're anxious to hear all that happens when we get back. While we're saying our "thank yous," we can't fail to thank our families. You mean so much to us and have had a huge part in making us who we are today. We love you very much.

Last night at church, a young girl came up to me with a home-made card and an envelope. This girl raises pigs for 4H, and when the money came in for her pig, she told her parents that she didn't want any of the money for herself - she wanted to donate it all to Cuba missions. I was so moved by her sacrificial giving. It is people like Annaka who are believing in God's revival in Cuba who are making this all possible for us. Thank you to all of you - you know who you are.

A big thank you to The Early Childhood Center, too! Last week was my last week working at the daycare. They showered me with beautiful cards, hugs, lunch and well wishes. It was such a blessing. They are a wonderful group of women (and John!), and I will truly miss them. Check out the adorable sign they made for me!

We were able to visit Grandma and Grandpa Ball last Friday. They told us stories about their time as missionaries in Cuba. It was such a blessing to hear accounts of the work they started, knowing that we are going to have a part in the future of that same work. What a blessing to have grandparents who were obedient to God's direction and call for their lives.

We are leaving tomorrow for three weeks! We're so grateful to Bro. Troy Shurte for giving us the opportunity to present our mission at his church in Orlando Wednesday night! We'll be visiting with our friend Pat for a couple of days, too. On Thursday we drive to Miami, and our flight leaves Friday morning for Havana. Please pray for our group. We are having a Caribbean Conference and we're expecting many to receive the Holy Spirit. As always, we need prayer for protection and for direction. We're trying to come up with our budget, which means we need to find a place to live, means of transportation, and totals for other miscellaneous costs for our extended stay next year. Your prayers in this matter are invaluable. Finally, please pray that God will continue to open doors for us in Cuba and that we will continue to make divine spiritual connections.

If you have any questions or comment, please feel free to contact us via e-mail or by phone. After this Friday, we won't be able to answer e-mail or return phone calls, but we're looking forward to giving an awesome report of all God does on this trip. God Bless You!

Rachael Rennard