This week I’ll be traveling back to Cuba for the annual pastors conference of the Buenas Nuevas churches.

It’s such a privilege to join this gathering of hundreds of pastors and church leaders from every corner of the island. You can imagine how significant the conference feels this year with the recent developments in U.S.-Cuba relations.

Through email and phone communications with our Cuban friends, we know the people there are full of expectation that the latest headlines are the signal the long difficult years of isolation will soon be over. Cubans, after all, want the same thing you and I want, to hope a better life is possible. As the old saying goes, “hope springs eternal”. It’s not easy to live without hope.

Some things have been changing over the years; actually life in Cuba is a stark contrast from the Cold War years when Soviet Russia had a significant presence and influence on day-to-day life. I thank God those harsh days are in the past.

While most Cuban Christians aren’t living with day-to-day oppression for their faith, “no es facil”, “it’s not easy” is a popular Cuban saying that remains the best way to describe a church and a nation with severely limited options. Thankfully, in spite of the challenges, the Body of Christ in Cuba is thriving. I am struck on each visit with how much we need to learn from the Cuban believers.

Please pray for this trip to Cuba. We will have a full schedule of training sessions and visiting churches after the conference. Ask God to help me encourage each one I meet. Pray that the gifts and resources I’m taking will be effective. As always, I trust God for safety and for good relations with the officials that make it possible for us to visit their country. I don’t take any of these for granted. Please take a minute and ask God for his blessing on this trip. Thank you.

Thank you for taking the Good News, Buenas Nuevas, to Cuba and beyond. We couldn’t do this without you so please keep praying for the churches in Cuba and for our role together in serving them.

Dios te bendiga – God bless you!