The work of the School of Christ continues to grow in Cuba. Our Fieldworker, Pastor Reynoso, is a man who continually puts the work of SOC before his own safety. He has sacrificed all so that others may hear the Gospel and attend the School of Christ. The recent purchase of a bicycle has allowed Pastor Reynoso to travel greater distances to preach, and return home that night to be with his family. Prior to this, his mode of transportation, for the most part, was walking. He never asked for money or anything for himself; only for the work of God. He gladly lives a life of sacrifice and hardship to give all to the ministry of Christ.
Pastor Mercado, another Fieldworker working with the SOC, stated, “Our God always gives us the vision and provision. Even though the work in Cuba seemed so impossible in the beginning, we keep walking and looking to God.”
Customs has threatened to destroy our literature. We have been made to stand for more than two hours at the airport while they checked on our paperwork. We have been given stern lectures at passport control stations, all the while praying, knowing that if God has sent us, then all will work out according to His Will. On one occasion, when Pastor Mercado was entering Cuba with the SOC material, he was told that it had to stay with the government until he submitted a document giving him permission to bring it in. His response to the officer was, “In the name of Jesus, you do not touch one of these books. If you do, you will be in trouble with heaven itself.” After a great battle with the officers, he recovered the materials and brought them in. Thank God, He gave us victory!
We have now printed 1,000 SOC manuals inside the country, and they are ready to be distributed as needed. We have the manuals hidden, keeping them safe until we hand them out to the students. The Cuba pastors live and work under very difficult circumstances, but the School of Christ is now in eight provinces. We are running a SOC almost every two months, and graduating more than 300 students a year. Pastor Reynosa just graduated two Schools, one in Moa, with thirty-five students, and one at Guantanamo. The testimonies of what God is doing through the School of Christ in those who come to receive this message of Pentecost is impressive.
In Pastor Reynosa’s report last month, he said, “God is still good, and it is good to see how the School of Christ continues to advance in the Republic of Cuba. Since 2008, we have not stopped working to train the body of Christ using the SOC material. We are training and equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. In Job 8:7 it says, ‘Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.’ We are standing on His Word.”
God spoke to me over two years ago that we must work very quickly. Pray for our Cuban brothers and sisters as they carry the Gospel to their nation. The King is coming; let us be found faithful.