Cuba #5: Bringing the Gospel to Life
Bringing the Gospel to Life
By Mary Lynne Nielson, Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Marietta, GA
It was Palm Sunday, and Sunday school was in full swing when we entered the church at Caibarién. The sanctuary was decorated with purple and white, and with palm fronds. About 15 children, mostly in costume, were gathered around Pastor Edelberto Valdés. They were focused on the story he was telling of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a colt, on that first Palm Sunday. The grand conclusion was a reenactment of the story – complete with Jesus riding on a real pony and both children and adults welcoming him waving palm branches. It was a Sunday school lesson these children will not soon forget!
Rev. Edelberto’s church works hard to bring the truths of the Gospel to life – and not just by reenacting the events of Jesus’ life in Sunday school. Like many of the churches we visited in Cuba, the Caibarién church brings the Gospel to life in practical ways each week. They visit the sick and infirm to pray with them, they provide clean drinking water to more than 100 people in the community with their water purification system, they feed and do laundry for 30 elderly people who need that help, and have a sewing ministry. They also help supply medicine to people in the community who cannot afford or cannot find the medicines they need.
They don’t have a pharmacy at the church, but they know how to find and are willing to share scarce and hard-to-find medicines. Just before the prayer time that Sunday morning we were surprised to hear Pastor Edelberto ask, “Does anyone know where we can find injectable Vitamin B12 for an elderly person? There is a need for Cipro, does anyone know where we can find antibiotics?” There was another need for allergy medicine and pain medicine for arthritis. Hands go up around the small congregation, and before we continue the service many of the needs have been met.
One of the church’s dreams is to provide breakfast to children and teens who come to church hungry on Sunday mornings because there is no breakfast at home. Another dream is to repair the ceiling on the side of the church so that space can be used as day care for seniors or for young children. The pastor explains that churches are supposed to be like gas stations – places where Christians come to get filled up so they can go out into the community to serve, and come back the next week with empty tanks to be filled up again. We left thanking God that the Caibarién church is just such a church!
