TEAM-CUBA

MADEM USA Board Assists in Hurricane Relief

After discussion at a recent meeting, the MADEM USA support board took action to support MADEM team members in Cuba affected by Hurricane Melissa. The team committed several hundred dollars to be used to purchase food and medicine. The aid would be delivered in Cuba to the team members near those who are suffering and then distributed to affected families. In one case, supplies were delivered directly to an affected family.

The food included staples such as rice, beans, powdered milk, eggs, and cooking oil. Medicines included were acetaminophen, hydration salts, and folic acid (B9). Local Directors are staying in close contact with victims and keeping the board posted of additional needs. Many personal items were ruined in floods and one pastors home will need new construction and a new roof. We are thankful to have generous donors that assisted in this effort. As there will be more needs that have to be addressed, along with goals for transportation and portable power supplies, additional funding will be needed. Won’t you help? Just use the link below to donate to our partner church, The Community Fellowship in Collinsville, Virginia. Thank you!

https://ppay.co/huPGV17MP9Y

Now Getting More Information about Hurricane Melissa’s Impact in Cuba

The devastation of Hurricane Melissa on eastern Cuba is only now beginning to be known. Below is a gallery of photos from Cibercuba news illustrating the damage and suffering.

We also know about help coming from other countries and organizations, including the United States and the International Red Cross. Spain is sending 36 tons of aid, Colombia is sending a navy ship with 240 tons of aid, and the United States has allocated 3 million dollars in humanitarian aid. The U.S. aid is being distributed by the Catholic Church and not government intermediaries as agreed on by the two countries.

You can still donate to our team as we plan to deliver aid and funds in the next few weeks. Here is the link:

https://ppay.co/huPGV17MP9Y

Devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa in Songo La Maya: collapse of homes, bridges, and electrical networks

Hurricane Melissa leaves a trail of destruction in Santiago de Cuba: Guama, El Cobre, and Tercer Frente the hardest hit

San Pablo de Yao remains cut off following the passage of Hurricane Melissa

Flooding caused great damage in Granma province

Humanitarian aid from the International Red Cross arrives in eastern Cuba for victims of Hurricane Melissa

Colombia Navy ship departs for Cuba with over 240 tons of humanitarian aid and fuel

Ferrobus rescues residents of Guamo trapped by Hurricane Melissa

The United States allocated 3 million dollars in humanitarian aid for victims of Hurricane Melissa in Cuba

They lost everything and now they live by the roadside

Help Cuba Hurricane Victims

Wondering how you can help victims of hurricane Melissa in Cuba? You can donate to the Cuba missions fund of the Community Fellowship, our partner church in Collinsville, Virginia. One hundred percent of the funds and/or purchased supplies will be personally delivered by our team members to our Cuba sports ministry team for the relief of families affected. We know this church, we know this ministry. We can personally vouch for the integrity of this team after visiting and supporting them since 2015. It’s also easy to donate. Below is a link to the donation page. We can also provide a QR code if needed. Time is of the essence. People in southeastern Cuba are struggling with no electricity, spoiled food because of no refrigeration, no potable water, no medicines and mosquito borne diseases like chikyngunya and dengue fever. Please consider giving to this important effort. Thank you.

https://ppay.co/huPGV17MP9Y

Cuba Faces Challenges – We Need to Gear Up to Help

Hurricane, food and medicine shortages, decaying electrical power grid, mosquito borne diseases, all contribute to misery on the island

Cooking with wood on the streets during blackout

The most basic medicines cannot be found

For weeks and months, Cuba has been confronting crisis after crisis with no end in sight. We had a vision team there in October and experienced what Cubans face every day: no electricity, no air conditioning, and a team member and driver coming down with a mosquito borne viral disease called chikungunya. It was not fun. And yet, we found Cubans everywhere with steadfast faith in our great God who provides for our every need. Notwithstanding, ministry efforts are hampered every day with these difficulties. We can get on a plane and come home to creature comforts in the USA, but Christian Cubans remain because they are committed to the Great Commission; to share the love of Jesus in a broken world. Now, they are confronting a frightening scenario: a category 4/5 hurricane. The devastation it will leave behind with an already collapsing infrastructure may be greater than we can imagine.

As we pray for the Lord’s leading, our plan is to move forward with fund raising for three things: 1) immediate disaster relief, 2) the purchase of additional three-wheeled vehicles for transportation needs, and 3) the purchase of enough solar generators with solar panels for each family on our Cuba Team. This will require a team effort and we would like to harness as much support as possible without forgetting the things that we are already doing so well. It means expanding our reach and enlisting more supporters than ever before. Let me know your thoughts as we embark on assisting our dedicated brothers and sisters in Cuba sharing the Gospel through sports.

Trip to Cuba Provides Leadership Training

Pastor Michael Harrison sharing leadership points translated by Belkis Morales

On the dates of December 8-13, the MADEM team of Jose Alexander Roque, Diocelis Morales, Maykel Morera, Pastor Michael Harrison, Roberto (Bob) Texidor, and driver Pável Gonzalez traveled to several Assembly of God churches in the cities of Guanabacoa, Placetas, Las Tunas, Contramaestre, and Santiago de Cuba. The trip was taken for several reasons. First, to deliver sound and biblical leadership training to pastors and volunteers involved in local sports ministries. Second, to deliver medicines, personal items, clothing, and sports equipment. Lastly, the team wanted to encourage these directors and volunteers who seldom receive visits and who work under very difficult circumstances. Each city visited had a church from the Assembly of God Denomination that hosted the meeting. A luncheon was also served for all participants after the training.

The training was very well received. It consisted of the principles of leadership as exemplified by Jesus. The concepts of servanthood, humility, and a consistent walk with God were the highlights. These were delivered by discussion and small group interaction. Tapping into the experience and knowledge of participants made the workshops a success.

God is working in Cuba! Recent concerts and meetings have had thousands of people come to Christ. Please conrinue to pray as the difficult conditions in Cuba move people closer to a relationship with God. And please consider giving to this ministry. Your gifts make it possible for us to support sports evangelism in this beautiful island. Cuba para Cristo!

“I will lift up mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121: 1-2 KJV

Donate here to help the MADEM ministry with salaries through FCA: https://my.fca.org/cubamadem

Donate here to help with travel, food, equipment, and other expenses: http://thecommunityfellowship.org (Cuba Missions)

FCA CUBA MADEM NEWSLETTER

News about the sports ministry we are involved in and how you can take part in helping.

Dear Friends and Family,

For the past few years, Chris and I have been blessed to be a part of a ministry in Cuba, my native home. That ministry, MADEM, encourages churches to use sports as a vehicle to share the Good News of salvation in Christ. We travel to Cuba regularly to bring clothing, sports equipment, medicine and encouragement to the pastors and sports missionaries battling a lack of hope and a collapsed economy and infrastructure. In December, Bob and Pastor Michael Harrison will tour the eastern part of Cuba to give a series of leadership seminars at various churches. We need financial assistance to accomplish this task. Please see below how you can help. Thank you on behalf or our beloved Cuban brothers and sisters!

Donate here to help the MADEM ministry through FCA: https://my.fca.org/cubamadem

Donate here to help Bob with travel expenses: http://thecommunityfellowship.org (Cuba Missions)

MADEM (Ministerio Deportivo de Alcance Misionero), is run entirely by Cubans under the The Western Baptist Convention of Cuba. They are also ministry partners with Fellowship of Christian Athletes which provides funding and ministry resources.

Our Team Each month, our support board, a group of faithful coaches and pastors in the USA, meets to discuss solutions to the needs that the ministry has.

For God’s Glory 4,000 Athletes; 471 Coaches; 227 Volunteers; 151 Huddles 5 Staff; 415 New Believers; 134 Baptisms; 243 Teachers serving the local churches; 5,000 people reading the Bible