July 2010 Update:

In this issue:

• Cuba May Trip
• Guatemala Video Production
• Peru Team Jan 2011 – Join us

Cuba Update

To our friends in Canada: 

Cuba – June 2010

Waiting...  Waiting…   It seems that most of my trip to Cuba was waiting.  Which wasn’t all bad. I think we all wonder how patient or loving or compassionate we are when things get really frustrating, and Cuba gives me many opportunities to develop my patience. On this trip, while I had to wait again and again when I wanted things to move faster, I learned that God moves at just the right pace to bring people together at just the right time.

On Monday, I set out at noon.

For the first leg of the journey I accepted the offer of a free ride with someone I met in the hotel. The offer was great, but I ended up sitting and waiting for nearly three hours before my new friend decided to leave.  Then it was an hour and a half in the car, over 70 km of rough and hole pitted roads through small villages and towns. We made it at 4:00 pm.

Once there, I walked straight to the house of our friends and our workers in the town. We had a lovely visit, and they fed me a light meal. Then they kindly took me to the bus depot at 7:00 pm, where I bought my ticket for the 8:00 coach. I said my goodbyes and sat down alone in the fly infested depot. 

Another hour to wait.

It was a long hour. It took five and a half hours to pass, because the bus had broken down somewhere. But the depot was warm and I had a good book to read. The next bus finally pulled in at half-past midnight, and I got on and settled in to my seat for the 12-hour ride.

An hour later I was still awake in the dim lights and constant jolting and rocking of the bus.  I noticed the relief bus driver get up in the semi-darkness and come back along the aisle. He stopped to talk with a passenger across the aisle, a row ahead of me. The passenger was a young lady. He said a few things and went back up front.

A few minutes later he got up and visited the young lady again, and again he returned to his own seat. Then it happened again. I decided to keep my eye on the situation.

A few visits later the man did not return to his own seat. He began to sexually assault the young lady.  That put me in a very difficult position.  I had to do something, but I risked being thrown off the bus in the middle of nowhere at two in the morning.  I stood up, trying to decide how to do the right thing. Finally I reached over and flipped on the overhead reading lights. That’s all it took. The man stopped, then he shuffled up front to his own seat. The girl was shaken, but okay.  I promised her I would stay awake and leave the lights on for the rest of the night so nobody would bother her again. 

Then it hit me: you never know why God has you wait. 

As God was with that young lady, providing light and protection when she found herself on a dark and suddenly dangerous journey, so he proved that he is with us and our Cuban co-workers as we journey with them through their many challenges in ministry.  Many of them struggle financially, and, thanks to CMRC and your support, I was able to give our pastors enough salary to last them for the rest of this year and into early 2011, in case I am not able to get back to Cuba this fall.

In all these hardships, amid such dwindling supplies and rising costs, the Cuban church, with meagre resources, pays the price of obedience, and continues to grow. One of our congregations has outgrown its main building, and built a roof over the back yard to give some shelter to all the new worshippers.

Please continue to pray for the Christians in Cuba. It is a privilege to have some part in supporting them as they advance the gospel there. Through their faithfulness, God multiplies our contributions many times over, in changed lives.

Guatemala April 24th to May 6th

I went to Guatemala to continue our partnership with Guatemala Bible Seminary in producing Spanish language leadership development courses for training workers in Cuba.  Our good friend, Cesar, whom we trained in TV production at Crossroads in Burlington three years ago, met me at the airport.

Over five days, despite some production challenges, we were able to completely produce five 40-minute training videos for a course in Pastoral Counselling.  Thanks to your prayer and support, I was able to bring this course, along with many other videos, on two HDD players into Cuba a few weeks later. It was very exciting to hear reports in Cuba of how our people are sharing and distributing this life-changing video material among many pastors and churches. Once again, they do so much with what we provide.

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Upcoming Events and Needs

Peru Jan 2011 Mission Team

Short Term Team to Peru 2011

As part of our continuing ministry in Peru, we are taking a missions team to Lima, to help and encourage our local partners at the Chaclacayo Children's Centre on the city’s eastern edge. We will also spend time in the city of Pisco, which, due to poverty, is still recovering from the earthquake of 2007.  This trip will provide opportunities for practical ministry work, visitation, and experiencing the culture and people of Latin America.  Ministry experiences such as painting, cleaning, carpentry, kitchen work, and even playing with the children are available for anyone of any age or skill level.  If you have a heart to go, there is a place for you.

The trip runs from January 22 to February 4, 2011, which is the middle of the beautiful Peruvian summer.   January 2010 Team donations

Total cost from Toronto is $2,300, all-inclusive. (Possible change due to unforeseen issues.)

For more details please contact us as soon as possible, as space is limited.

Support is needed for the following projects 
Email or contact us for a Project Summary.

• Ongoing summer support for CMRC
• Pastors’ salaries (100% reaches them) and church support in Cuba
• Video courses to teach church leaders in Cuba
• HDD Players and Gloria Digital Orchestras for Cuba

CMRC in Cuba  -  DVD available.

Call or Email Doug today for your free copy.