Cuba
No fuel? No food? Amid crisis in Cuba, there’s no shortage of faith
MATANZAS, CUBA — René Sánchez Blanco sailed eight hours on…
‘Cuban people love the American people’
Minister urges U.S. church members to keep making mission trips to the Caribbean island.
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MATANZAS, CUBA — This might seem like a bad time for Americans to visit Cuba.
To Tony Fernandez, it’s the perfect time.
The longtime minister for the Versalles Church of Christ — a growing congregation in this provincial capital in west-central Cuba — welcomed a U.S. mission team this past weekend.
Cuba in crisis: Read all the stories in the special package
“A lot of people from the States who used to come to Cuba have decided not to come anymore, and that really discourages Christians here,” lamented Fernandez, who has helped start more than 50 congregations in his native Cuba.
“A lot of brothers and sisters have the idea that if they send money to Cuba, that’s enough,” he added. “But even though there are a lot of needs here in Cuba, the most important thing is the presence of brothers and sisters who care about you.”
The U.S. State Department urges Americans to exercise increased caution in traveling to the Caribbean island nation — just 90 miles south of Florida — because of crime and unreliable electrical power.
Americans can’t visit Cuba for general tourism but can obtain special visas, including travel for religious purposes.
“I really want people in the U.S. to know that Cuba is a safe place,” Fernandez said. “There are scarcities, but it’s safe to come here.”
I’ve never felt unsafe in my two reporting trips to Cuba since 2023.
After worship at the Versalles church on Sunday, a man on the street approached Americans and asked for money. But he did not appear threatening or react negatively when given no cash.
On the other hand, unreliable electrical power is an ongoing problem. Thankfully, I brought a battery-powered fan.
I interviewed Fernandez in the dark as one of Cuba’s rolling blackouts hit the short-term rental house where I stayed. I used a tiny flashlight to see the questions in my notebook.
And I relied on Tim Archer, a former missionary to Argentina who has made 48 mission trips to Cuba, to interpret Fernandez’s Spanish for me — and my English for him.
Tony Fernandez speaks as the Versalles Church of Christ in Matanzas, Cuba, gathers for an areawide worship assembly in 2023.
Fernandez didn’t seem to notice the power outage. He’s used to such inconveniences.
He’s focused on doing God’s work, regardless of the circumstances. The Versalles church baptized 236 people last year.
Related: No fuel? No food? Amid crisis in Cuba, there’s no shortage of faith
“I don’t see the U.S. groups as human beings,” Fernandez said. “I see them as people sent by God to bless the Cuban church.”
Then he said something that brought tears to my eyes:
“Giving a hug to a Cuban brother tells him that God has not forgotten him.”
“Giving a hug to a Cuban brother tells him that God has not forgotten him.”
Regaining my journalistic composure, I mentioned that the U.S. blockade on oil shipments to Cuba has spurred the island’s deepening humanitarian crisis.
As Cubans struggle with fuel and food shortages, I asked, do they hold any animosity toward Americans?
“The Cuban people love the American people,” Fernandez replied immediately.
I followed a group of Christians from six U.S. states to Cuba. They came to support and encourage fellow believers. Two global ministries — Herald of Truth and One Kingdom — organized the trip.
Related: Faith sustains Cuban farmer during time of crisis
John Howard, an elder of the White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ in West Monroe, La., has traveled to 65 countries — sometimes on business but often for mission work.
“It’s a beautiful country, and the people are super friendly — at least all the ones we’re meeting,” Howard said of his first visit to Cuba. “There’s a lot of poverty, and all we can do is pray for them and hope for changes that will give them more freedom.”
Little traffic can be seen on a Matanzas, Cuba, street during the U.S. mission group’s recent trip.
For decades, Cuba has blamed U.S. sanctions for its economic problems, while the U.S. cites its aim to restore democracy and respect for human rights.
Geopolitical tensions between the two nations do not fracture the bond between the Cuban and American people, Fernandez insisted.
“There’s a lot of things that people who don’t live in Cuba can’t understand,” he said. “But I hope they understand the love.”
“There’s a lot of things that people who don’t live in Cuba can’t understand. But I hope they understand the love.”
BOBBY ROSS JR. is Editor-in-Chief of The Christian Chronicle. Reach him at [email protected].
