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A Container for Cuba
This past Friday, July 4, a ship left the Port of Miami headed for the Port of Mariel in Cuba. Among its cargo was a container filled with things needed by various churches and people in Cuba. Several churches that are partnered with the Alliance of Baptists and have partner churches in Cuba, including Northminster, filled the container. The US government allows shipments of humanitarian aid to Cuba from churches to churches.
Several of us from Northminster purchased or otherwise paid for the items requested by our partner church in Ciego de Avila, Iglesia Bautista Enmanuel. Because of the current need to fund our building project at Northminster we did not make a church-wide appeal. The principal request was for building supplies to complete the second floor of the building being constructed at Enmanuel’s community center. Rev. Eduardo Gonzalez, Enmanuel’s pastor, spent the month of June in Miami purchasing the necessary items. Another friend in the United States provided the necessary funds for the purchase of solar panel systems to provide electricity to the community center and to the church building.
The items we contributed also included a generator for the apartment where Rev. Noel Fernandez and his wife Ormara Nolla live. As you know Noel is Enmanuel’s pastor emeritus, and he and Ormara are our dear friends. Also included was a backup battery system for Noel’s computer. Unfortunately, currently there is electricity in Ciego de Avila for only a few hours each day, so this equipment will be very useful.
There is of course a back story to this effort. When DH and I were in Cuba this past January Eduardo mentioned his dream of being able to lead an effort to load a container in Miami for Cuba. At the same time we were in Ciego de Avila visiting Enmanuel, there was a group from Kirkwood Baptist Church in St. Louis visiting their partner church in the small community of Bolivia near Ciego de Avila. One of the members of the Kirkwood delegation heard Eduardo mention his dream, and he agreed to pay for the container and its shipment to Cuba!
Thus began the effort to get Alliance churches to help fill the container. We knew Northminster and Kirkwood could not do it alone. At the Alliance of Baptists’ annual gathering in Washington, DC in April we sounded the call, particularly in the meeting of churches having partnerships with churches in Cuba. Many scores of emails later (which on one occasion I mentioned was like trying to herd cats!) and finally a WhatsApp group, several other Alliance churches joined with us. Eduardo had already arranged for a facility near Miami to receive items to be shipped. As you will see from the photos, thanks be to God, the container was ultimately filled with Eduardo and his wife Queen (shown in photo in the container) leading the way. It’s expected to arrive in Cuba within the next day or two, and its contents will do lots of good.
In this first effort we learned a lot of lessons and look forward to the next one. Stay tuned!
Cuba si!
Craig Henry
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