Dear Friends,

As a brief recap, I was on home assignment for the last six months of 2005, returning to Cuba in December.We went from seven inches of snow to tropical weather in one day!

On the ministry front, I am working in two areas: professor at the Eastern Cuba Baptist Theological Seminary and supporting the Sunday School curriculum writers group.

This past semester I was asked to teach two courses, one of which was later cancelled.However, I faced the great challenge of teaching New Testament Greek, 25 years after I took my first classes.Thank God for my class notes (and Dr. Koch) from seminary days plus some other resource books I found in Spanish.It was a very short course and we didn't get as far along as I had hoped, but I enjoyed getting back into the classroom.It was gratifying to help a small group with difficulty learning a foreign language to pass the course.They really did work hard.I also enjoyed getting to know them better with their church assignments and family.

I suggested some changes in the schedule for this class in the future; my fall schedule has appeared with Greek classes scheduled weekly for over two months (hours doubled) which I think will help greatly.Again, I need your prayers as I refresh my Greek on a deeper level for the fall!

The Sunday School curriculum writers have met twice so far this year.The first meeting in April was an incredible Spirit-directed event.Our meeting agenda was trying to make the old system work…God moved us in a new direction completely.We did a vision and mission statement, came up with an action plan and assigned the lessons for January-June 2007 to be reviewed at a June meeting.One group of writers had a mini-meeting in their region, sending their lessons with a few representatives to the larger meeting (to save travel costs).Even though attendance at the June meeting was lower, the lessons did arrive to be reviewed.So we are now editing these lessons to turn over to a publisher in the fall.

Katy has finished her kindergarten here in the local school and successfully passed on to first grade with high marks.We´re still keeping up on her English in our personal conversations and book reading.She asks lots of questions about lots of subjects…such as why should she only marry a Christian man when she grows up (she´s 5, mind you!).She certainly keeps us on our toes.

Ramon, in addition to pastoring the church which meets in our home, also is into animal husbandry (fancy words)…we currently have a dog with six puppies, a pregnant pig, and another with seven piglets, 2 turkeys (a gift), uncounted chickens and ducks…Katy just loves all these animals.

We do appreciate your support in so many ways.

Please pray for:

• Upper Room Baptist Church (Aposento Alto) which my husband Ramon pastors, as we struggle to be a faithful witness in our community.Sometimes people get discouraged and we need your prayer support for this situation (much of this is related to family problems, Christian wives and non-believing spouses and family members.)
• Eastern Cuba Baptist Seminary.We have had some price increases, particularly in transportation which will be drastically affecting the operating budget in the fall.
• Sunday School material editing and printing.
• Raquel, our adult team editor, and her husband, Arístides, who is progressively worsening toward a totally disabled status.They have both been tremendous assets to this ministry; they need emotional and moral support as they face this challenge.

We remember you fondly from our visits and correspondence. Thank you for your prayers and support through the World Mission Offering.

In Christ,

Sue Hegarty