Dear FBC Family…
Our Cuba pilgrimage is still taking root in me. It was a week of contrasts—beauty and brokenness, scarcity and abundance, despair and unshakable faith. I want to share some of what we learned and experienced with our beloved partners at William Carey Baptist Church."
Pastor Amós Lopez
Pastor Sarahí Fernandez
Kim Christman
Daniela & Yasmani
Pastors Sarahí Fernandez and Amós Lopez welcomed us with open arms. And our translator, Kim Christman, who serves in Cuba with her husband Stan Dotson through the Alliance of Baptists—was a Godsend every day.
The resilience, ingenuity, humor and radical generosity of the Cuban people are undeniable. And the faith and love radiating from our brothers and sisters there is something I wish our whole congregation could see.
At the same time, like the majority of Cubans, the people of William Carey lack most of the basic necessities: food, money, electrical power, adequate healthcare, transportation. The government-run sanitation systems stopped picking up garbage in Havana months ago. Many are low on hope, especially the young adults I talked with. "I see no future for Cuba," one young man said to me. "Something must change."
On our third night in Cuba, we took a group of 16 church members to a nice restaurant in Old Havana—an experience some hadn't enjoyed in years. For two hours we laughed, told stories, and savored delicious food together. The bill for 22 people—including drinks, mains, desserts, and coffee—came to $161. We marveled at spending just $7.50 per person. Then we learned that the monthly pension for a retired government worker in Cuba is $5. Our delight at the “bargain” suddenly felt very different."
I was so proud of First Baptist DC while we were there. Signs of your generosity were everywhere. In addition to a gift of a little over ten thousand dollars that will help William Carey care for their community and congregation, we brought five suitcases full of prescription medicines that Becky Waugh spent months organizing through an organization called Blessings International—antibiotics, prescription medicines for diabetes, blood pressure, migraines, and on and on.
And remember the shipping container we helped to fill last summer? Your generosity was everywhere—from the sheets we slept on and towels we dried ourselves with, to the spices in the food we ate and the pots and pans in the kitchen. A young adult woman named Esther told me that receiving the contents of the container last summer felt like Christmas.
Worshiping together on Sunday was pure delight. The children of WCBC sang, as did the adult choir (one of the songs in English!). Becky Waugh shared a beautiful testimony. Our group sang Christ Be Our Light and taught the congregation the chant we sometimes sing here: Be Still and Know. We presented banners and paraments that have hung in our sanctuary in the past. And we gave them signed copies of Christi Harlan’s books about President Jimmy Carter’s time at FBCDC. You can read my sermon, Discovering the Unshakable, here.
Pastor Ideal Montero Pacheco
Ebenezer Baptist Church in Havana
During the week we visited Ebenezer Baptist Church in Havana, where we met with their pastor, Ideal Montero Pacheco, before he gave us a tour of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center next door. The place was alive with children and adults visiting, playing, welcoming guests.
On our next-to-last day in Cuba we drove 65 miles from Havana to the town of Matanzas, where we toured the Matanzas Seminary, the only ecumenical seminary in Cuba, which serves some 200 students from 13 denominations. Pastor Amós from William Carey also serves as Dean of the Seminary.
We also dropped in on First Baptist Church of Matanzas, which is led by Pastor Orestes Roca. FBC Matanzas provides vital services to the Matanzas community, and they founded the Kairos Center for Art and Liturgy. We received a warm welcome and tour from the center's director, Wanda Hernandez Murga.
Both Ebenezer and FBC Matanzas were two of the first Baptist Churches in Cuba to become open and affirming of the LGBTQIA community.
Our pilgrims—Becky, Joel, Al, Tim and Taylor—outdid themselves in showing honor and care for the sisters and brothers of William Carey. In just seven short days, the bond between our congregations grew stronger and deeper.
Wanda Hernandez Murga
I'm glad and grateful to be in this ministry of accompaniment and friendship with our dear friends in Cuba. Before we left, we promised to begin exchanging prayer lists between our two churches so we can know each other better through prayer as we entrust one another to God.
Yes, they need us. And…we need them.
Returning to DC just before the snow emergency was an eye-opener for me. The "empty shelves" at our Trader Joe's still held more abundance than anything our Cuban friends can find or afford. And yet, they persist. They worship. They love God. They love their children. They sing and praise and care for one another and their community.
I hope this has given you a taste of what our week in Havana was like. Again, thank you for your prayers. Joel, Al, Becky, Tim, Taylor and I felt them every day—as did our William Carey friends.
And many, many thanks to the Cuba Planning Team: Katie Cantone-Hardy, Terry Provance, Becky Waugh, and Pastor Eric. The months of logistical and informational preparation they invested paid off beautifully. From visas to medicines to cultural briefings, every detail was thoughtfully considered. Their work freed those of us in Cuba to focus entirely on building relationships and deepening our partnership with William Carey.
In a place where hope seems scarce, we witnessed hope that refuses to die. That's what resurrection looks like—faith that persists, love that endures, praise that rises even in the hardest circumstances. I'm grateful—for the journey, for your support, for our Cuban family, and for a partnership that feels more vital than ever.
Paz y bendiciones,
