There are times in our lives when we know we were meant to be in the right place at the right time. When I traveled to Cuba in November of 2007, I had one such experience. The morning of my second day in Cuba was supposed to start early, however meeting up in Cuba is not as easy as one might think. Needless to say, an hour later, I finally met my contact and we started our day. My contact was a Cuban pastor who agreed to take me to different ministries and churches to meet them and talk with them and determine what their most pressing needs were. With this information I could look more specifically for the right kind of aid to send down to those in Cuba who are in the most need.

After visiting a few places I must admit, I was tired, tired of seeing all the trash in the streets, tired of seeing person after person with that empty look in their eyes. I was tired of having every idea I had for helping those who were obviously and deeply hurting, dismissed as ‘anti-revolutionary’ and ‘illegal.’ In spite of my exhaustion, there was one more stop and I didn’t want to miss it. My guide took me to an elderly home, and explained to me that although this home was ‘illegal’ the government was allowing it to continue because they realized this home was providing physical care for the elderly in a way they never could.

We drove down a street that was more dirty, destroyed, and depressing than any I had seen that day, and parked. As we walked up to a building with no door or windows I noticed they were praying. The entire staff was gathered and although I could only hear bits and pieces of their prayers, I knew the Spirit of the Lord was present. There was a sense of urgency and desperation as they were praying, and from the situation they were in, it wasn’t hard to see why.

After they were finished, my guide introduced me to the director of the home. He, very excitedly, took me around and showed me where they sew clothes for the elderly. We also went by several of the residents who were enjoying an open air patio that provides a change of pace from small crowded rooms. We visited the eating area and the sleeping rooms. I was impressed and devastated at the same time. So many elderly people were being helped and cared for, but in such terrible conditions. The roof in the sleeping rooms had a huge hole, and water was leaking in. The room next to the dining room was under complete construction.  

The director told us that he had 70 elderly being cared for at the moment, some in full-time care, and some in part-time. He said, the reason for the construction was because they had a waiting list of 80. I couldn’t help but think:

After the tour I introduced myself and told him that my ministry is interested in helping and supporting his ministry in whatever way we can. His eyes filled with tears. He told me that when we walked up they were praying because they were down to their last dollar and didn’t know how the Lord was going to provide, but they knew He would.

The Christians in Cuba are living by faith, day to day faith. I-don’t-know-where-my-next-dollar-is-coming-from faith. Faith that hopes for the unseen and humanly impossible. The Christians in Cuba believe in a God of Miracles, and I was honored to be a part of one such miracle to an elderly home in Cuba.