Stories

In the classic movie, A Christmas Story, Ralphie desperately wants a Red Ryder Range BB gun for Christmas, despite everyone's warning, "You'll shoot your eye out." As Ralphie’s last gift on Christmas morning, he unwraps the gun from his father, loads it, and darts outside. His first shot backfires, and Ralphie’s glasses fly off his face. Panicked, he blindly searches through...

If you can join a mission trip to Cuba, just do it!  The hospitality of the Cuban people makes you feel at home even when you’re hundreds of miles away. Joining a mission trip is an experience that will change your life, just as it has mine.  I had been to Cuba several times with my church before COVID-19 and wished...

Many describe him as a gentle giant. Pastor Reinier Núñez Pérez towers over six feet tall and weighs about 330 pounds. While he may appear to possess the strength of a warrior, Núñez’s humble spirit, kindness, and love for the Lord radiates with everyone he meets as he shepherds the congregation entrusted to him and faithfully serves God in all...

Since the beginning of this ministry, the challenge has always been getting resources to Cuba efficiently with scalability. Over the years, I’ve learned a lot of lessons, tried many hacks, and modified plans as policies changed, but nothing made the process efficient, let alone scalable. Except now, thanks to an export license issued by the Department of Commerce and having...

Every pastor needs a strong supporter in ministry, and often, it’s a spouse. With Pastor Oskel Mariño Reyes and his wife, Vilmaris Laurencio Sablon, it's more than support; they’re true partners in life and ministry. Their partnership was woven together by the hand of God. By working alongside each other to serve God and their community as a team, Oskel...

For many pastors and leaders serving the Church in Cuba, creating sermons, Bible study lessons, and program materials is done the old-school way, using pencil and paper while referencing the Bible. This process takes a long time, misses the benefits of technology, and makes it challenging to replicate and share information with fellow pastors or leaders. Unfortunately, laptops in Cuba are...

How many times a day do you pour yourself a glass of water, replenish your child's water glass, or use water to mix baby formula? Most of us probably need to drink more water, and it’s easily available to us. What if your next glass of water has a yellow or brown color or an odd smell? Worse yet, you’re...

You may think of praying or singing as a regular part of worship. But have you thought about dancing as worship? For Ana, God called her to dance at a very young age as a way to worship. And she didn’t just dance. This ignited a passion within her to cultivate a ministry that reaches others and transforms lives through...

A countryside pastor living in the town of Jesus Rabi, with a horse and buggy, is how Rafael Palacio Rodrigues spends his days serving the Lord. Married for over 29 years, he and his wife Yusmary work side by side to spread the Gospel to those in his small community. They have a son, Samuel, 23, and a daughter, Sarai,...

Ivetty (everyone calls her Betty) Diaz Clavero felt God’s calling to serve through language translation as a young girl. Her father is a pastor, and in high school, she learned English and began helping her father translate conversations with visitors in their church. Betty wanted to be an English teacher, so she studied at the university and graduated in 2019....