GET YOUR FAITH DIRTY
Our recent mission to Cuba produced a steadfastness in the faith we have for our Lord…because various trials abounded. We missed a flight on Thursday morning, through no fault of our own, then having to track down our luggage which finally arrived with all the supplies we could bring for our friends…and ALL my clothes. We knew we were right where the Lord wanted us when Satan over-played his hand. After getting over our disappointment, we started looking around to see where the Lord would have us serve, and sure enough if you look for opportunities to share the love of Jesus, you will find it! It was sweet to see how the Lord redeemed our time in Atlanta.
When we arrived in Cuba, we spent a day with Yunior and Albert catching up; listening and telling stories, and laughing a lot. It was so good to see them and their families. It was a time of dreaming and hearing from the Lord about our next steps in Cuba. Such a refreshing time for us all!
While we were there, Yaili, Yunior’s wife (pictured with us at the table) was not doing very well. Yaili was diagnosed with a non-cancerous pituitary tumor many years ago and has had it removed once. It has come back and she doesn’t want to go through the surgery again. She and Yunior believe the Lord will heal her one way or the other. Soon after we left, Yaili was hospitalized for high blood pressure and diabetes. As always, Yaili knows her assignment and ministered to many of the nurses and patients she came in contact with. She led three of the ladies she was in a room with to the Lord. Please pray for Yaili and her family. I will keep you updated on the TREC Facebook page. If you’re not a member of that group and you’d like to be, just let me know and I can add you.
We also spent time with Pastor Ricardo, Lily, and family in their home/Church, and an afternoon at the farm. There is so much more going on at the farm than I had realized. Along with fields of Yucca and fruit trees there were cows, goats, turkey, and chickens everywhere. Tony (who is pictured below between Ricardo and Jeff) oversees the work on the farm and is doing an excellent job. The men and women of the Church come out for work days and help in any way that is needed. It is truly a community farm with all working and reaping the benefit. Pastor Ricardo said that until the Covid shutdowns and lack of food on the island, he couldn’t have known what a huge blessing the farm would be for not only his family but all the families in the Church. He likened it to the story of Joseph and how the Lord had provided for his family during a famine.
He said that even though things had been so bad, the Lord has shown Himself faithful by multiplying the Church and bringing families back together around the table. There is still a lot of work to be done on the farm, not all the fields have been cleared of the Marabou weed. Marabou is a very invasive, thorny bush that had taken over most all the fields. The men have been hacking at it with machetes to get rid of it. We just sent money to Ricardo so they can hire a bulldozer for a week to help. Thank you for loving and supporting this family as the Lord is using them to feed and minister to the people of Havana, Cuba.
“But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”
Genesis 45:7-8
We are excited to see and hear how the Lord is using and sustaining His people in Cuba and around the world. We are in contact with Pastor Kato in Uganda and he has almost completed the fish pond project that will be used to help fund the TEE evangelism school in his village. We’re also excited to tell you about our first annual TREC International – Stan Sherlin Memorial golf tournament in October. We’ll be giving more details about that and how to sponsor a hole or sign up a team soon. All proceeds will go to build a medical clinic on the island of Tisai in Uganda.
Jeff will be in India with Designs For Hope at the end of June to see how they can help Jiwan with some water projects. Jeff and Chris are looking forward to getting back to India! Jeff will also be going again to Cuba sometime in July with a member of the Designs For Hope team to see how they can help Ricardo with his water needs on the farm. Whew….it’s going to be a busy summer and we LOVE IT!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement as we Teach, Reach, Equip, and Comfort the people the Lord puts in front of us!
