Total Raised: $23,000+
God provided! We surpassed our initial $10,000 goal in the Hope for Cuba Summer 2024 Outreach Project! These funds purchased life-saving medication and medical supplies, including epinephrine, inhalers, vitamins, diabetes treatment, and surgical essentials for those who would otherwise go without. A portion of the funds helped improve a community kitchen with much-needed appliances, including an industrial blender, bread maker, and stove, as well as new cookware, water filtration systems, and plumbing. We also helped cover essential kitchen repairs, such as roof work, electrical upgrades, and plumbing. Finally, thanks to your gifts, ongoing food outreach can continue, along with providing regular meals to schoolchildren and elderly individuals. We praise God for the opportunity to partner in this kind of kingdom work and bless the ministry of Aliento Cuba! Check out the special video message from Pastor Yaisel to see the work in progress.
Life & Ministry in Cuba
Life in Cuba has been difficult for decades but has reached near-emergency levels in the last few years. The situation is dire, with inflation skyrocketing (39% in 2022), access to medication minimal to nonexistent, and daily power blackouts. The average Cuban lives off of $15USD per month. A pound of beans might cost $2, a carton of eggs $8. Many people are skipping meals.
We are proud to partner with Aliento Cuba, a Morgan Hill-based non-profit deeply committed to addressing the spiritual and humanitarian needs of people living in small rural towns and hamlets in Cuba. Aliento Cuba works hand-in-hand with local pastors and community leaders, who intimately know and identify the people who need help the most in their community, ensuring that our efforts are targeted and effective.
One of these pastors is Yaisel Lima, pastor of Iglesia Bautista (Baptist Church), a church in the small city of Caibarien. Several Calvary staff members met Pastor Yaisel in April when he visited California with Aliento Cuba staff.
Pastor Yaisel’s church provides meals to 35 elderly individuals five days a week and breakfast for schoolchildren in an extremely poor community nearby.
Aliento Cuba also funds medicines and medical supplies for approximately 100 people in this community per month, facilitated by a church member who is a doctor. Pastor Yaisel is committed to sharing the hope of the gospel with his community.
The church serves 150 elderly individuals. The last Saturday of each month they have a celebration that includes lunch. Aliento Cuba also works with the elderly at the government’s Home for the Elderly and at the Day CareCenter for the elderly. Monday through Friday they provide lunch for 35 elderly individuals. Some come to the church where they have a devotional and their meal. Others have the meal delivered to their home. We talked about helping them upgrade their facilities and maybe providing pots and a stove.
Their church has 30 thriving adult small groups.
The church has 10 children groups that meet on a weekly basis near their homes. Every Saturday they have a children’s event in the afternoon usual attendance is 300. They serve them a snack at the conclusion of the event.
The leaders are responsible for bringing the children in their group to the events on Saturdays, looking after them during the event and returning them to their homes. If the children live too far, they travel using rented carts or horse carts. There are three very poor neighborhoods in Caibarien.
They want to increase number of children they are able to feed breakfast to each morning before school.
The church's youth pastor currently serves 60 middle school and 40 high school students. They have weekly small groups and everyone comes Saturday nights at 8:30 PM for an event.