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WHY OUR VISIT TO OUR FRIENDS IN CUBA IS SO IMPORTANT NOW!
A week from today seven of us representing Northminster will travel to Cuba to visit our partner church there, Iglesia Bautista Enmanuel. This year marks the 32nd year of our partnership that began in 1994. Those making the journey are Laura and Norris Duke, Pastor Jillian Hankamer, D. H. Clark, Craig Henry, D. H.’s daughter Jennifer Richardson, and Northminster’s good friend Rev. Jason Smith from Arkadelphia, Arkansas. D. H. and I were part of the small group from Northminster that went to Cuba originally in 1994 in search of a church with which to partner. That was during the time the Cuban’s called their “special period” because life was so difficult there. The Soviet Union had just been dissolved, and its significant financial support of Cuba had ended.
Our dear friend Rev. Noel Fernandez says that in his 83 years of existence he has not known a time when life was more difficult in Cuba than it is today. In most of Cuba electricity is available only two or three hours a day. This is mostly because of Cuba’s failing ancient power grid and the lack of fuel to power it. Food, medicine, fuel, and almost everything else are in short supply. Inflation is significant. Venezuela supplied Cuba with a significant amount of the oil it received. That has ended because of the Trump Administration’s actions toward Venezuela. Of course, President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both spoken repeatedly in recent days of Cuba being a “failed nation” and leaving the door open to some U. S. involvement in regime change in Cuba.
So, why is Northminster’s visit to our sisters and brothers in Cuba so important now? When things seem hopeless, friends reaching out can help bring hope. Things currently seem hopeless in Cuba, and we as their friends, their sisters and brothers of 32 years, are showing up there to express our continuing love and solidarity. In these dark days to know they have not been abandoned by their friends in the U. S. helps them to cope. Our sisters and brothers at Enmanuel are eagerly awaiting our visit where hugs will abound.
Enmanuel is part of the Fraternity of Cuban Baptist Churches, a progressive group much like the Alliance of Baptists with which Northminster is affiliated. Rev. Corita Blanco is the current president of the Fraternity. Recently she met with a group from Circle of Mercy Baptist Church in Asheville, NC who were visiting their partner church there. Corita praised and thanked the Circle of Mercy group and other groups like them, simply for being in Cuba. For resisting the fear-mongering. For having the courage to be present and accompany them and bear witness to what they are seeing there. When asked what message she would like to send to other Alliance churches, her response was simple: "Keep doing what you have done throughout our three decades of partnership. Don't be afraid. Keep coming. Come now; this is the time to come, more than ever."
At Northminster we planned this visit months ago. But as it has turned out NOW IS THE TIME for us to be there. Thanks to all of you who have contributed money or things for us to take to our sisters and brothers there. And if you have not contributed it’s not too late. Information on what’s needed is elsewhere in this newsletter. But please contribute by this coming Sunday. Needless to say, a little money and a few things are mere tokens and cannot meet their many needs. But they are tokens of our continuing love, solidarity, and support. And during these dark days there our showing up says we love you, we care, we are with you.
Please pray for us as we go. These are never easy trips, but we know how important it is for us to be with our friends there. We will carry with us not only money and things but Northminster’s 32 years of deep friendship and love! Thanks be to God!
Cuba si!
Craig Henry
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