Stories

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....

If you’re in the U.S. and need to stay in the hospital, while you may not look forward to staying, at least you know it's a safe place to heal and recover. That experience is much different in Cuba. Many non-medical caregiving tasks fall on a family member, such as changing bedpans or bathing, whereas nurses and hospital staff perform...

Who will be the future leaders of the Church in Cuba? It’s evident if you attend a ministry event or worship gathering - the church's youth and often the leaders' children. Their natural curiosity draws them to the pulpit during a service, they're cradled to sleep by the beautiful melody of worship music, and when they're old enough, they're eager to pitch...

After Hurricane Ian struck Cuba, Pastor Carlos Melia helped throughout the recovery and was truly the hands and feet on the ground coordinating relief efforts for his area. At first, Carlos couldn’t envision implementing such a task, but God knew he was ready. A long-time friend of Atulado’s, we met Carlos in 2011. In addition to being a pastor with...

Sometimes God opens a door to when and where you need to serve. That's how our paths connected with Teresa Agüero and the elderly ministry. During one mission trip to Cuba, I gave a testimony about my elderly father and grandparents, who recently passed away. Afterward, Teresa shared that she was moved by my passion for encouraging those at the...