CUBA | Vaya con Dios
A year and a half ago, twelve of us returned from DTC’s exploratory trip to Cuba, energized by opportunities identified to contribute to the needs of Cuban churches and an excitement to share our experiences with the DTC family. Stories such as the day school that Pastor Joelquis is building for local children, or of Pastor Maricella, who seemingly supports her entire town through the open doors and hospitality of her church.
Just weeks after our visit, Covid-19 threw cold water on the fire that had been lit beneath us. Our hopes for return trips have so far been tabled. And the transfer of funds or shipment of supplies has become increasingly difficult. Last August, we were able to raise and wire the funds that we’d committed for 2020, providing a timely mid-pandemic boost to our Cuban partners.
But while life in the Midlands of South Carolina has seen somewhat of a return to normalcy in recent months, the situation for our friends in Cuba has worsened dramatically. Access to basic supplies such as food and medicine has become sparse. Energy blackouts for hours at a time are a regular occurrence. And as those and other challenges to daily life have increased for Cuban citizens, so too have their grievances.
On Sunday, July 11, frustrations finally boiled over just steps from where we sat at Pastor Dora’s church in San Antonio de los Banos seventeen months ago, resulting in the largest and most audacious protests in over fifty years sweeping across the island. The fallout has led to even further declines in quality of life for most.
It’s easy to feel helpless as we sit here in relative comfort while our friends in Cuba suffer such hardships, our avenues of support largely closed. We’re not sure when we’ll be able to return again. But if there’s anything we learned from our week in Cuba, it’s the resiliency of the pastors, churches, and Cuban people as a whole. Please keep Cuba and our partner churches in your prayers as the country seeks peace and resolution to the trials facing it. And as DTC continues to search for ways to deliver tangible assistance, please consider contributing to the DTC Cuba fund so that when a window does open, we are able to act swiftly.
Vaya con Dios. Go with God.
— Paul Greathouse