One change in my life is a new focus in my ministry. The Baptist Seminary has revamped its curriculum and reduced the number of courses, which has in turn reduced the number of classes I teach. My main task will now be working with the editorial group, which Ruth Mooney and I trained to write Sunday school materials. The group members have dispersed (a number of us got married!) to various parts of eastern Cuba and many are involved in other ministries of the Convention, which is good, but it is detrimental to getting Sunday school lessons written in a timely fashion! In addition, two of the original group members trained eight others to write materials in an intensive month-long course (which American Baptists offerings helped underwrite), so there are more people to help with the work. Please pray for vision for this project as well as ease of communication. This is a big difficulty here where none of us has a telephone (including me) or personal transportation to cover the distances between us. There is a great need in the churches for these lessons; may God help us to meet that need.

The Home for the Aged

In Cuba as in most Latin cultures, the family cares for its older members. Those, however, who do not have family, are without this security as they age. Thus, the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention proposed building a Home for the Aged to minister to Christians in this situation. It has taken several years to move through the red tape, but the final governmental and building approvals were received with a cornerstone service held on October 10, 2000. The foundation was put in by local builders beginning in 2001 and was slow going. Since then the Convention brought in a brigade of construction workers from the churches in the Baracoa region. They work 10 hours a day, six days a week for 24 days and then get a week to visit their families. Good changes are taking place -- the property walls are up, the chapel building is under a roof and the residence building is coming along. American Baptists have contributed to the project, so I've included photos so you can see some progress after such a long wait!

Changed Lives in La Caoba

On October 7th, 13 people were baptized and then able to participate in the Lord's Supper as we celebrated Worldwide Communion Sunday. These 13 candidates, ranging in age from 17 to 74, had studied for nine months and passed a 30-question oral exam (Ramon likes to make sure new members are well-prepared).

Each person represents a changed life. I would like to share briefly about some of them. Mayelín was in a traffic accident a few years ago, which left her paralyzed from the waist down. While in the hospital, some Christians visited her ward and she accepted Christ. Despite being in the hospital long-term and with inconsistent attention from the church, she has remained firm in her decision and grown in her faith. After many struggles, she is now home and does her own housekeeping (with only a wheelchair — no ramps or other helpful gadgets). She offered the use of her home for a neighborhood Bible study in her isolated area. She took the candidate classes as self-study and involved her non-Christian husband in quizzing her for the oral exam. She had the best answers! She really has the capability to be a teacher.

Liudis, a medical student, became a Christian first. She then brought her mother to a prayer cell meeting where she also answered an invitation to ask Jesus into her life. Justina had been bedridden for a number of months but God has worked a miracle in her body and she now walks and works! Liudis and Justina were baptized together. They continue working to bring the rest of the family to Christ.

Maritza is a small, timid woman who hardly spoke up before; it was difficult for her. Now she enjoys doing evangelism visitation saying, "The words just come out of my mouth." Former co-workers can't believe it's the same person. And she has brought her elderly mother and teenage son to church with her.

Joel was a leader in the Jehovah's Witnesses until he was put in discipline (unable to speak to other Jehovah's witnesses, including his family). Feeling isolated and abandoned, he began visiting the church and soon accepted Christ. Now that he's found the truth, he has had a phenomenal spiritual growth; with even non-believers in the neighborhood commenting on the changes they've seen. His commitment has revived the Youth Group and several prayer cells. Our church's evangelism program is slowly undergoing a change as God has given Joel vision for this work, with good results.

God is making many changes --for the better-- here in Cuba. Rejoice with us and keep these ministries and people in your prayers.