The fuel blockade is part of the current US administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign regarding the Communist nation. US leaders claim national security concerns and a desire to see political and economic change in Cuba. But as usual, everyday people pay the heaviest price. 

Moisés Pérez Padrón is the director of RTM Cuba, Trans World Radio’s partner in Cuba. Padrón and his team record short-form Bible teachings that reach Cubans via radio or WhatsApp. But power outages have complicated the process.

“In Havana specifically, there have been weeks when outages have lasted more than 24 hours,” Padrón says. “In other parts of the country, we know that blackouts can last two or three days.”

Cuban farmer (Photo courtesy of Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz via Pexels)

On top of power blackouts, Padrón says many Cubans are lacking food, medicine, water, and financial resources. 

“For food, we depend on what small private businesses can import, but many Cuban families cannot afford to buy these products because they do not earn a decent wage,” he says.

Believers in Christ don’t escape these realities, yet they persevere. “The Church in Cuba remains focused on helping those in need and the most vulnerable,” Padrón says. 

“The most affected are the elderly, who, in many cases, were left behind by their families who emigrated in search of a better life. But now they find themselves vulnerable, without sufficient resources, and with no one to care for them or look after them.” (More on the situation of older Cubans here.)

RTM Cuba’s team strives to point listeners to the hope found only in God. It’s not easy to work in broadcasting these days. 

“Without electricity, we have had to reorganize our work schedule many times, and on occasion delay recording times,” says Padrón. 

But they know their programs bring true biblical encouragement. Padrón shares a message from a listener named Alexis from Batabanó, Cuba: “He thanks the Lord for the messages of faith and hope, sharing with us that they have been very uplifting for his life.” 

Another listener, Lazarus, has been tuning in to RTM Cuba for 15 years. “He greatly enjoys the excellent Bible studies broadcast there, which he finds very edifying. He is also grateful for having received a new radio a year ago, which allows him to tune into the signal with much greater clarity,” Padrón says.

Please pray

Cuba’s situation is complex and will remain that way. So, how can you pray? Padrón shares these requests:

(Photo courtesy of TWR Bonaire)

“May the Lord sustain His work in Cuba, and the church keep preaching the gospel faithfully. We believe that the gospel is still the answer that Cuban people need,” he says.

“[Pray for] a change in our nation that allows better times in politics and the economy that facilitate the progress of the gospel.”

Pray also for families in need. Ask God to prepare the Cuban church for any changes ahead.

Finally, pray that RTM Cuba’s gospel-centered content will reach more people across Cuba. 

Header photo: “Wonders” in graffiti above a woman walking in Havana, Cuba (Photo courtesy of Emily Crawford via Unsplash)

The island nation has struggled to pay for fuel imports, and for months people have waited in long lines to get gas. With fewer trains running, people squeeze into compartments or even sit on the roof.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister said the economy has “completely collapsed.” He asked the International Monetary Fund and global partners to help Sri Lanka’s economy.

Parliament has limited President Rajapaksa’s powers in an attempt to appease protestors.

CWO

Greg Yoder with Christian World Outreach says, “Our main guy working there in-country is named Bavan. And because it’s difficult to get fuel, he can’t get to the village where he’s ministering. Just pray that he’ll be able to get the fuel he needs for his motorcycle. And pray for safety in traveling.”

The government also instituted a 4-day work week for public workers, allowing them extra time to grow their own food in gardens. Yoder says, “I think a lot of the people in the countryside already do gardens and grow things around their homes. So that won’t be much of a change for them.”

But in some ways, Yoder sees the 4-day week as a positive for Christian World Outreach. “Because we’ve been looking at the possibility of doing an agriculture project with the widows that we work with, and the elderly.”

Here’s how it will work. CWO will help people till their ground and plant gardens. Once they start generating extra, food, CWO will buy it from them so they generate income.

How to pray

Pray the kindness of CWO would reveal the love of Jesus to many people in and around the rural villages where they work. And pray for an end to the crisis.

You can help this ministry go forward here.

The header photo shows people waiting in line to get gas before the cessation of fuel sales. (Photo courtesy of AntanO, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons) 

Dennett and his family served in Guatemala with AMG international for 12 years. He talks about his experience in the country. “One thing that we’ve observed over a number of years is just how underserved the elderly population of Guatemala and really all of Latin America is. Post-COVID, our team in Guatemala had brought this to our attention, saying that they really would like to try to make a difference.”

He says the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed so many elderly people into poverty that AMG has shifted its ministry focus to better care for them, providing, “food, shelter, and medical care. And we have a goal of reaching thousands of elderly people specifically in Guatemala over the coming months, and providing very much needed relief to them.”

Discrimination against the elderly

Once they pass their most productive years, the elderly in Guatemala face a lot of discrimination. And the government does very little to help them. Dennett says many end up fending for themselves.

But Jesus offers a new way to see the elderly, one that values the Image of God over productivity. Dennett says, “And they have so much wisdom and love to share themselves that we should be drawing closer to them. And certainly, when we are seeing those in need, we should be providing for them.”

You can support AMG’s work with the elderly in Guatemala by visiting amghelps.org.

Header photo courtesy of marcoreyes on Pixabay.

Life Matters Worldwide is one of many ministries working to end abortion and support women in crisis pregnancies. Eric Verstraete, President of Life Matters, says they want to address a specific concern in the pro-life movement: loneliness.

Loneliness in Crisis Pregnancies

For women and men facing crisis pregnancies, abortion is a desperate decision. Most women seeking abortion are scared and feel very alone.

Verstraete encourages the Church to remember that the goal of pro-life ministry is not just to end abortion, but to love these lonely, scared women and be Jesus to them.

“Abortion is a horrible thing that happens in our country day-in and day-out. But behind this decision is a story,” Verstraete reminds. “Each one of us has a story and each person who’s struggling with thinking about having an abortion also has a story.

“So as [we] begin to think about life, think about the people behind the stories. Think about people who are hurting, who are trying to decide right now whether or not to have an abortion. Each one of those people has value.”

Loneliness in Ministry

Life Matters discovered there is also great loneliness among pro-life workers.

“We recently did a survey and we found that of the folks that we have the privilege of working with, about 60 percent of those who responded to our survey said that they feel lonely in ministry. To me, this just cannot happen. These frontline warriors who day-in and day-out are putting themselves in the fray to really stand for life, they feel lonely, they feel like they’re not connected and that’s a problem.”

Photo from March for Life 2015. (Photo courtesy of Elvert Barnes via Flickr under Creative Commons 2.0 Generic: https://goo.gl/Ie0iBo)

Their solution is two-fold. First, Life Matters is working to better support and connect pro-life workers and pregnancy care centers.

“We want to individually get out to these pregnancy care centers and actually do training with them, spiritually equipping them, teaching them how to better and more effectively share the Gospel, but then also bringing them together in unity with staff,” Verstraete says.

“When they have unity with staff, they as individuals are going to be more healthy. And a healthier individual is going to be more effective in sharing the Gospel. And when that happens, we believe that more babies are going to be saved.”

Second, Life Matters wants to help more local churches link arms with their local pregnancy care centers and pro-life ministries.

“We want them to be praying for these life-honoring ministries. We want them to be learning about them, telling other people about them, serving alongside them, and then giving financially if that’s appropriate.”

For example, Verstraete says, “We’ve got a summit that we do each year, a two-day event for those regionally [in the] Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, [and] Pennsylvania areas…. When you bring people face-to-face together who believe in the same cause, there’s amazing synergy that happens [and] amazing encouragement and networking that happens.”

Loneliness in the Church

Finally, the flip-side to valuing life from conception is also valuing life in the margins. Often, this looks like the terminally ill, chronically ill, and elderly. Verstraete says these groups struggle with loneliness too and often feel forgotten, even by the Church.

(Photo courtesy of Pixabay)

That’s why Life Matters also has a program called LIFT (Living in Faith Together). LIFT assists churches in practically and spiritually caring for the elderly and terminally or chronically ill in their congregations.

Verstraete says, “If we’re going to value life at the beginning, we have to value life at the end and we have to show churches how better to connect with that population.

“When we show them value, when we show them worth and you see people connecting with them, I hear time and time again that people go to minister to these elderly folks, and it’s them — the ones who are thinking that they’re going to serve — that actually get served.”

Pray and Reach Out

As we approach National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, please pray for the Church to be united in affirming the God-given value of all life from conception to death.

Ask God to uplift women and men facing crisis pregnancies, pro-life ministry workers, and the elderly and terminally/chronically ill in our churches. Pray for opportunities to minister to one of these groups and let them know they are not alone and they are loved.

Header photo courtesy of Lucas Myers via Unsplash.

It’s easy for the elderly to feel forgotten and overlooked in today’s fast-paced society. Eric Verstraete, President of Life Matters Worldwide, says he was struck recently by a conversation he had with an elderly gentleman.

“I was stood up for a breakfast meeting and I saw this gentleman sitting across the way, an older guy, and I decided to go and join him. He was a Vietnam veteran [and] also a World War II veteran. As I talked with him, we spent almost two hours.

“He said a very profound thing to me at the end. He said, ‘Eric, thanks for seeing me today.’

“That really touched my heart. I realized that because we get so busy in our lives, we don’t truly see the people around us the way Jesus really wants us to.”

Verstraete says the Church has a critical role to play in reaching elderly folks who feel left behind in our communities. However, sometimes it’s easy for churches to focus more on growth among the younger generations and undervalue the older population.

“The elderly in many churches or even in families at times are being a bit marginalized in our society today. They are not seen as an asset anymore. They are seen somewhat as a liability. This population just has so much to give. I think loneliness is a really big issue with this population and that stems into all kinds of other problems that can result from that.”

The holidays can especially be lonely for the elderly. They may have lost family, live very far away from loved ones, or even be limited in other ways from engaging with community for Christmas.

“I think as we move forward through this holiday season, the importance of family certainly is always a highlight for most folks. So [we want] to encourage those family members who may not be at the forefront all the time. How do we care for them? If we do that in our families, I think that’s going to transfer into how we love our Church family even better.”

Life Matters is encouraging churches to better care for the elderly with the ministry’s LIFT program. LIFT stands for ‘Living In Faith Together’ and is essentially a ministry model that people in the Church can use to reach older folks.

Verstraete this outreach can present itself in “very practical ways like companionship or even helping with personal care, transportation, home care, or even money management!

“From a church perspective, we’re not asking leadership to start new programs. We’re just simply asking them to get lay people involved — those in their church congregations — to really catch the vision for ‘what does it really look like to care for this group of people better than we ever have before?’”

Verstraete says the heart behind LIFT is rooted in John 13:34-35 when Jesus said to His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

If you would like to learn more about LIFT and how to incorporate it into your own church community, click here to visit Life Matters’ website! Or you can give their office a call at 616-257-6800.

“They have a lot of gifts to give. We want an organization like a church to be in such a place where no one in the church should age alone and that this population will finish well, will leave a legacy, and will impact the next generation.”

Verstraete asks, “Pray that God moves in the heart of people to see, and I mean really see this population.”

Freezing Without Heat

For most people in the West, people can turn on their heater or stuff their stove with a bit more wood, corn, or coal and warm themselves up. But, in many parts of the former Soviet Union, there isn’t a heater to turn on or more coal to stuff in the stove.

(Photo Courtesy of SGA via Facebook)

In fact, many people in these regions, a winter without heat or a good coat is their current life. But, Slavic Gospel Association is trying to meet the physical and spiritual needs of these people who often don’t have enough food, let alone money to provide heat.

In areas that are war-torn, like eastern Ukraine which deal with daily shellings, the infrastructure has been destroyed to the point that “the distribution of heat into a radiator system is poor and often non-functional.” The brutal, frigid cold is a daily enemy for people without heat or other ways to stay substantially warm in the former Soviet Union.

“For those that are older and are on [a] pension, a lot of times in these countries these pensions are insufficient. There is an amount that is paid out by the government. It’s barely enough to put food on the table, if enough food at all, much less buying necessary medicines,” Mock explains.

“But the additional expense of thinking about wood, coal, other items to heat your home have become almost an optional extra [because of the lack of resources]…this greatly impacts babies, young children, older people.”

Equipping and Getting Needs

By equipping churches with the necessary resources, church members are able to visit these homes with food, heating supplies, and warm articles of clothing during the freezing winter months. Yet, these aren’t the only gifts SGA-supported churches bring on their visits. They also bring the love of Christ both in word and deed. Caring for the whole person, just as Jesus did, has a greater impact than caring for just the physical needs.

“Through our Compassion Ministry, we’re bringing food to them. Through ‘Operation Winter Warmth’ we’re helping warm their homes and when they see that they’re stunned,” Mock explains. “They express ‘How could people who don’t know me, care enough to come over and take care of me?’ And their hearts and their minds are open to the truth of the Gospel.”

Furthermore, the help is based on the needs of the geographical location. For some areas, the need might very well be for coal or other fuel sources. In other areas, there might be a greater need for socks, sweaters, and other pieces of warm winter clothing.

“It’s looking at each situation, hearing from each church what’s needed, and then providing for those [needs],” Mock shares.

The impact? Physical needs being met, doors opening for the Gospel, and people realizing that they matter not just to churches but also to Jesus.

Give a Helping Hand

And while SGA only takes donations for Operation Winter Warmth for about a month, the needs for the people in the former Soviet Union will continue for about the next three months until spring comes. This is why SGA is trying to get aid into these regions now rather than later.

(Photo Courtesy of SGA via Facebook)

“By God’s grace, the people in America have an opportunity in partnering with SGA to make an impact fulfilling the Acts 1:8 view that we have there of how Christ moved forward from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. They are our ends of the earth and through this partnership, people here are able to make that impact,” Mock says.

These same Christians who are answering this call are breaking stereotypes down in the process. In the former Soviet Union, there’s a lot of talk about Americas, and it’s not always in a positive light. But, in the midst of this talk, hurting people are encountering faithful Christians who are willing to give and help minister to them across continents.

“To see the dignity return to their lives and to see hope return to their lives, it’s something that transcends culture, time, geography and barriers; that’s all a gift from God by His grace in Christ Jesus,” Mock explains.

“And from that we’re unified in the call of bringing Him glory, to ministering to the needs of people, as well as advancing His life-saving Gospel at the same time.”

Will You Help?

So please, will you come alongside SGA and these churches through prayer and giving?

And, please pray for accessibility to these people in order to bring aid. Pray that God would protect the people who are administering the resources provided through these churches and that hearts would be open to the Gospel.

“This is why your radio station does what it does. This is why I do what I do, we have the blessed privilege of being ambassadors of Christ and carrying His message of reconciliation to all and to the ends of the earth,” Mock shares.

Lastly, will you give to “Operation Winter Warmth”? To give, click here!

For Haiti with Love ministers to all different ages. Please help them in this time of need. (Photo by For Haiti)

Haiti (MNN) — It’s a fact that the things of this world are unreliable.

For Haiti with Love is well aware of this truth. This month, they will not receive their regular food aid. This is the second month since December.

Eva DeHart of For Haiti explains how dire the situation is as food runs out: “We’re fast running out of food for our food program. We’re going to have to switch to local sources for rice and beans to carry us through this time, and it’s going to be more expensive than what we’ve been dealing with.”

As the stocks run out, DeHart says, “We have people looking in Haiti to locate sources of bulk rice and beans that we can get to carry us over.”

It may not seem like such an issue to use local food sources. However, the difference is extreme. It is $10,000 worth of extreme.

“We have elderly, we have disabled, we have great-grandmas raising grandkids,” DeHart says, “We’ve got people that will starve to death if we don’t get regrouped pretty quick, and at this point that means money.”

Their food program is a response to the general poverty of the area. “When times get tough, the young people get very involved in providing for their own families, and the elderly get forgotten.” DeHart explains, “They’re people who are too old and too weak, really, to provide for themselves, and [they] just need help in getting food. There are a lot of disabled people–people who have been injured in their work, people who were born with physical disabilities.”

There is another group that is desperate for help. Their situation is heart-breaking: “People are walking away from their children for some reason, and they’re leaving them with Grandma, or they’re leaving them with Great-Grandma. Those people are really too old to figure out a way to provide for those children. And nutrition at a young age is very, very important for mind development.”

Not only have these children been abandoned by their parents, but their providers wonder where the food will come from.

This program is not all about earthly food, however. When asked if For Haiti gets a chance to share the Gospel through this, Dehart says affirmatively, “All the time.”

The burn clinic is another place where people need food, and it’s another chance for them to see the love of Christ in action. Here also they need good food in order to heal properly and get back to work.

“They know that their food is coming from God, and that it is God’s people who are helping them,” DeHart says.

If you feel led to help For Haiti with Love through this time, it’s easy to give. Visit their homepage here, and click the picture icon right under “Donate now!” on the upper left.

DeHart also says that there are Teams heading to Haiti soon to help out with various aspects of the ministry. She asks that you pray for those will to step out and get involved with mission groups around the world.

She says, “It really helps the morale of the Haitian people to take hold and try to help themselves when they see people coming from America who are willing to leave the comforts of their homes and go down to help and to share God’s love with them.”

Please pray for God’s comfort, guidance, and providence through this time.

That's the word from The Mission Society missionary, Esaho Kipuke. Speaking to us from Togo, Kipuke explains the rejection. "Many of these girls will be rejected by their parents due to the voodoo practice. The parents want them to remain under voodoo, but the girls want to be different from their parents. So, all of these girls will be rejected by their families."

According to Kipuke, this is a widespread problem in Togo, and Kipuke is taking these girls in. "When we see them, we bring them to our training center. We teach them a trade. We teach them sewing, cooking, and hygiene."

The goal is self sufficiency. Currently, there are 48 girls in the program.

Kipuke says many of these girls are coming to Christ. "We have a Bible study in our program. And everything we teach them includes a Bible verse. Many, many of them have come to know Christ just because they are part of their program."

Some girls have joined their program simply to get the training when they run into trouble. Kipuke says when one of the girls went home, "she had been singing, 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus.' The parents were so angry, that the girls were beaten up and rejected from the family. So we had to find a place for these girls to live so they could continue their education."

All but two or three of these girls have children, so the work is difficult.

This isn't the only unique work Kipuke and his wife are involved in. They're also reaching out to the elderly, who are not well cared for. "When a person becomes old, the person is considered a sorcerer. So the family will abandon that person."

Why are the elderly considered sorcerers? Kipuke says, "For many older people, their eyes become red. For some people here, they believe that anyone with red eyes is a sorcerer. So if any young person dies in the family, they point their fingers to the elderly person."

Kipuke is helping them with food, clothing, cleaning and other every day needs. Many of the elderly are giving their hearts to Christ simply because of the love they're seeing.

Pray that Kipuke's ministry will be able to reach more girls and elderly for Christ with vocational training and the Gospel.

Near Mindanao, Philippines, Father Sinnott was kidnapped as
he conducted his evening prayers. Known to be in frail health, believers ask
you to pray for Sinnott's well-being during this time of captivity.

An Islamic rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),
is suspected of holding the priest captive. Although denying any involvement, MILF
rebels have been active in the region for years and are the authorities' main
suspect. According to VOMC, authorities spotted Sinnott and his captors on
Monday and Tuesday approximately 70 km from his point of capture.

Father Sinnott has served in the Philippines for the past 40
years. Active in many charities, Sinnott is fluent in several languages and
founded a charity in 1998; his charity is dedicated to the ill and also to
disabled children.

VOMC asks you to pray for Father Sinnott's protection and
immediate release. Pray also for his fragile health.

"I've been praying and asking the Lord to do something which is meaningful and helpful for the needy people in the year 2007," said Benarjee to India Partners. With India Partners' help, Benarjee was able to purchase and distribute 100 blankets to needy seniors in India.

While it may not seem like much, if you've ever been left in the cold, you can imagine the gratitude of those who received the blankets. "All these people who have received the blankets expressed their thankfulness and gratefulness to God and India Partners," said Benarjee. 

It was only possible with the generous financial support of people like you.