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and what you have heard from me…entrust to faithful ones, who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2 ESV

When my mom and dad, Vera and Paul Northrup, prepared to leave Cuba 60 years ago, they had no idea they would never live there again. Dad spent the next 6 months at The City of Hope in Los Angeles, recovering from an infection in his lungs, probably pleurisy. And by the time he got back on his feet, Cuba was aligning with the Soviet Union and closed off by the virtual “Iron Curtain” from any connection with the U.S.   

As young pastors, the shock and pain of that separation from their spiritual children was profound. As a result their ministry changed radically. Going forward, they invested their lives in young men and women who were citizens of their own country. Many more churches sprang up through the lives of these national leaders. God allowed a painful separation to inspire an exponential growth of churches!

Today, we carry on the work of encouraging our family that keeps growing in Cuba

The tensions between nations are real, but we don’t stop working to support and encourage our friends and family who count it a joy to serve God as pastors. 

Pastor Juan Carlos, John, with Carlos & Marielis (son & daughter-in-law)

I visited with Pastor Juan Carlos while he was in Miami in October. This gentle brother continues to serve as the leader over all the ‘Buenas Nuevas’ churches in Cuba. Meeting together at his son’s home in Miami allowed us to talk openly, to pray and to plan. • Please pray for Pastor Juan Carlos as he carries a lot on his shoulders. There are now 120 ‘Buenas Nuevas’ churches and hundreds of house churches throughout Cuba! 

Pastor Misael Lopez on his lithium-powered electric scooter

Pastor Misael Lopez cares for more than a dozen ‘Buenas Nuevas’ (Good News) churches in the mountains of central Cuba. He needed a more powerful lithium battery to extend the useable range of his electric motorbike and we got one shipped from a third country. Now he can visit all of his churches in one day. With public transport it would take two days to reach them all. Without your financial support of GRM, Pastor Misael would have to save for 3 years to pay for that battery. Thank you!  • Please pray for Pastor Misael.

Pastors Yoel & Maruchi Rodriguez in front of our church in Montreat, NC

Pastors Yoel  & Maruchi Rodriguez visited us in Montreat, NC just a few days ago before they returned to Cuba. Pastor Yoel works with 40 other evangelical churches throughout Cuba to share God’s love with young people through sporting events. Our church invited the Montreat College baseball team to meet Yoel. He shared his story and had them all on their feet, leading them in a prayer to honor God with their lives.

• Please pray for these pastors and the churches they serve in Cuba

Jeff Clark, Pastors Erik & Maylin, Nancy Clark, John, and Pastor Cabrejas from Cuba

Pastors Erik and Maylin Perez are newly ordained pastors of a Good News church in… North Carolina! Before Erik left Cuba, he attended a ‘Buenas Nuevas’ church in his town. After arriving in the U.S. he stayed in touch with Pastor Cabrejas back home and that connection eventually guided him to a huge leap of faith—to reach out to other Hispanics where he lives in Mount Olive, NC and start a church. It was so much fun to join his pastor from Cuba and friends from New York to celebrate Erik and Maylin’s ordination. • Please pray for this new church in the ‘Good News’ family. 

In February of 2020 I’ll be returning to Cuba and hope to encourage as many pastors and their families as possible. • Please pray for the plans and finances to come together. 

Thank you and God bless you!

John Northrup

PS—Thank you for considering GRM in your year-end giving (click this link)!