This is a post from one of the pastors, Josh Lindsey, that went on the Church to Church vision trip to Cuba in April. Many American churches were given the opportunity to partner with churches across Cuba, and this is what Josh during his stay…
I almost expected to be greeted by Fidel Castro himself as I walked into the airport terminal. His personality seems to dominate everything I know about Cuba. Surprisingly he was not there holding cigars and welcoming us to His country and so we slipped through customs with no fanfare. Aside from a momentary panic at not being able to find our visas, we entered Cuba with no problems.
As we spilled into a parking lot filled with vintage american automobiles we were greeted by billboard reading “Revolucion de Socialista”. I was immediately aware that Cuba was different. I would continue to be made aware of those differences throughout my time in the country.
It’s amazing how ideologies at the heart of a culture can produce vastly different expressions of the human experience. Though we all value the same things, the ways we seek to obtain those things can create almost irreconcilable differences in people. So it is in Cuba. I saw in the people of Cuba the same hopes and dreams that people share around the world. However, the ways in which they’ve tried to reach those dreams have created a frustrated and somewhat oppressed society. This caused me to consider how it is that common people often reap consequences for the decisions of their leaders whether good or bad.
In Cuba these ideologies have not only effected the economy and social structure, but also the way in which the Church operates. As it is with so many human endeavors, the Church in Cuba seems to be the beautiful, unintended consequence of the Socialist Revolution. The church in Cuba is proof that the human spirit will soar even when people try to clip it’s wings. The people of Cuba are not allowed to build church buildings, therefore the church grows from house to house. Since the people are not allowed to build buildings they simply add rooms onto their houses. The result is that the Church is hidden amongst the trappings of everyday life. One walks into church as if he were visiting an old friend. The sense of community and the need for community is strong. In many towns the pastor’s home is the bastion of community care with the pastor himself being the compassionate patron of the village.
In recent years the restrictions on religious activities in Cuba have been loosened. This has resulted in an explosion of growth in the body of Christ. “Now is the time to preach the gospel,” says our pastor, who pastors a church near the south central coast of Cuba. “Now hearts are open and the government is tolerant”. Pastor coordinates a massive church planting effort based out of his home town. “We are planting one new church every month,” He says as he points to a map of Cuba hanging on the wall of his House-Church. The map is full push pins marking more than 150 churches and missions that they’ve planted in the last several years. Every church sends out missionaries, missionaries plant missions. The mission grows into a church and the process starts all over again. The Church in Cuba isn’t adding it’s multiplying. Even in the face of great obstacles and the lack of resources the church continues to grow. From house to house, from person to person, communities are being transformed. Many missionaries ride their bikes for miles in order bring the gospel to neighboring cities. When they plant a church it can quickly grow to 80 or 100 people. Imagine the heat as you try to cram that many people into a room no larger than your living room with no air conditioning. Bibles are difficult to come by because of government regulations. Never the less the Church in Cuba thrives and so do the people.
There is a rising hope among the people of Cuba as relations with America improve. For many years their only exposure to American culture was through “Spaghetti Westerns” (Westerns filmed in Italy in the mid-60′s). As a result many of the older folks refer to America as “A Yuma” because of the classic western “3:10 to Yuma”. As Cuba becomes more accessible we are being presented with a great opportunity. We can assist the church in Cuba as they spread the gospel across the nation. Barriers that have existed for generations are coming down. Misconceptions about one another are dissolving. The Church in America has an opportunity partner up and be a part of seeing restoration come in the nation of Cuba, and lifting them to their seat at the table. We can help to position the people within reach of those dreams that we all hold dear. In a nation where less than 2% of the population is evangelical christian the harvest truly is plentiful. “Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Pray about what you can do as this historic shift takes place.
Josh (second from left) and his group from Atlanta, Georgia.
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