June 16, 2008

The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
Romans 8:16

Dear Friends,

Worshippers at public Pentecost event in Jaguey Grande, Cuba.

There was great rejoicing at a public Pentecost celebration attended by over 5,000 people in Jagüey Grande, Cuba, last month; especially so because public gatherings of Christians are infrequent in Cuba. Presbyterian pastor Omar Maren reported enthusiastically, “We are so grateful to God that we were able to renew ourselves in the Holy Spirit; in order to live joyful and abundant lives in God in our country.”

Another Presbyterian pastor, Joel DoPico, was one of the principal organizers of “Renewal in the Holy Spirit,” which was initiated by the (Protestant) Cuban Council of Churches but also had Roman Catholic involvement.  The two-and-a-half-hour celebration took place on Saturday night, May 17, concluding at midnight, as the day of Pentecost began.

DoPico gave thanks to God for all the “institutions, people, and angels that He gathered to serve at the celebration,” and also thanked “the local, provincial and national authorities for all their understanding and facilities they gave us for this celebration.”

Fervor for sharing the gospel is alive and well among Cuban Presbyterians. Almost every congregation has several “missions,” either house churches or small chapels in the town’s outskirts or nearby rural areas. Now Presbyterian witness is moving farther afield as well.

On May 25, members of the Presbyterian Church in Santa Clara traveled 50 kilometers to celebrate the second anniversary of the Presbyterian mission of Cruces, the first ever in Cienfuegos province. An outreach ministry of the Santa Clara congregation, the Cruces worshippers gather in the home of Hector Rafael Year, who also serves as leader of the mission.

The mission in Camagüey has historic roots, but it was not until 1994 that an ongoing Presbyterian community was established in this city of some 300,000 people. It is growing thanks to the hard work and dedication of the congregation—especially the young people—in Cabaiguán. Joyfully, El Centro Presbytery, in partnership with Baltimore Presbytery, will soon be purchasing a building in Camagüey.

Understanding Cuba

When asked questions about Cuba, I always preface my response by saying, “I am not an expert on Cuba!” At the same time, I love sharing my experiences and insights, knowing that I am privileged to spend so much time in a country that most U.S. citizens know little about. I recently wrote the material for a two-session Christian education resource, “Understanding Cuba,” that you may purchase ($10) and download at the Thoughtful Christian Web site . Each study consists of a five-page participant’s hand-out and an excellent leader’s guide, written by a creative young writer, Megan Pillow Davis. I recommend it for any church group interested in learning more about present-day Cuba. Here is the official commercial:

What is your image of Cuba: A forbidden island paradise? Cigars and rum? Fidel Castro? A decaying Communist stronghold? To what extent is that image shaped by reality and to what extent by myth and propaganda?

This two-session study examines the history of this large, beautiful Caribbean island and the people who inhabit it, including Christians, and encourages participants to consider being in relationship with the church in Cuba.

The Dominican Republic

Samuel Ledesma and Elias Feliz are seminary students preparing for ordination in the Dominican Evangelical Church (DEC). God’s call does not wait for graduation, however. Both are working as lay pastors in recently chartered congregations in Barahona, Dominican Republic.

The Third Dominican Evangelical Church was established on July 7, 2007, with Pastor Ledesma at the helm. Pastor Feliz, a civil engineer, is pastor of the Second Dominican Evangelical Church of Barahona. Both congregations were started as missions of the First DEC of Barahona.

There are more than 7,000 DEC members in about 50 congregations. Many of those congregations are actively evangelizing in house churches and small chapels. Some are also developing micro-enterprise projects, enabling the church to grow both in numbers and in its ability to support itself. Thanks be to God!

As U.S. Presbyterians, we have served Christ in the Dominican Republic in partnership with the Dominican Evangelical Church since its founding in 1922, and we continue to do so. At the same time, there are other significant mission partnerships and projects in the Dominican Republic. A number of congregations around the PC(USA) are deeply involved in the Dominican Republic, some through the Dominican Evangelical Church and others in partnership with other churches. Our denomination’s Self-Development of People program is engaged in a multi-year focus there. To learn more about some of these ministries, go to the SDOP Web site on its work in the Dominican Republic. To meet mission volunteer, Kristin Hamner, go to Kristin's Web page.

I am very happy to be writing you at the beginning of my third three-year term of mission service! A year ago I was not sure that another term would be possible due to uncertainties related to changing patterns of mission giving. Thanks be to God—and to many generous Presbyterians—my service as a mission co-worker with Christians in the Caribbean, especially Cuba, continues.

If you or your congregation is supporting a Presbyterian mission worker, thank you! If not, please consider making this a part of your regular offering.

You can give online or via credit card over the phone at (888) 728-7228 x5571 (Steve Sexton) or x5587 (Didi Emerson).

Individuals can send checks to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Individual Remittance Processing  
 P.O. Box 643700     
Pittsburgh, PA  15264-3700  

Churches can send checks to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Church Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643678
Pittsburgh, PA  15264-3678

Your gifts are greatly appreciated to either: E132192, Second Mile Missionary Support, or E200376, Tricia Lloyd-Sidle.

Thank you for your prayers and support,

Tricia

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 265