The Proud Parents...Carlos & Berta
Samuel is growing by leaps and bounds. Berta tells us that he is always hungry. As you can well see, his mom is doing a good job keeping him satisfied. He is loved beyond measure. A true gift from God.
Samuel...Heard of God
Our beautiful Samuel is growing stronger by the day. Both mom and dad are thrilled with him and as you can see, Samuel adores his mom. He is a healthy, happy baby whose life God is using as a testimony of His love for us.
A Perfect Gift from God
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17SAMUEL HAS BEEN BORN!
On Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 7:15 p.m. Samuel made his entrance into the world, weighing in at 7lbs 1oz and completely healthy. His conception, gestation and birth are a great testimony to God's mighty power and amazing love. Bertica and Samuel had a multitude of visitors at the hospital. All came in awe to see this living miracle. We, who were there that June evening when Bertica in faith asked the Lord for a child, believe that God answered her prayer that very day. PRAISE BE TO GOD!Delight Yourself in the Lord and He Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart
We have heard it over and over again. God is a God of miracles. Many of us Christians use that phrase to encourage others. Unfortunately, very few of us believe it and even fewer have witness them. But God our is unchanging. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and His promises are timeless.
Last year in June, our team had the awesome privilege to witness God's love through a miracle. If you have been reading our blog, you already know the story of Bertica. A woman we met in Cuba, whose heart desire was to have a baby. She was 39 years old, had been married fourteen years and and was unable to carry a child full term. Well, as you know, God touched her heart and healed her womb. Bertica, a new believer, became pregnant in June, and we are ecstatic to report that on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 7:15pm "Samuel" came into the world. A 7 lb. 1 oz. healthy, baby boy.
But that's not all friends. God takes care of every detail. The nurse on duty at the neonatal unit that night was our very own Pastor Javier's wife. And the doctor, a Christian man, who is also a childhood friend of my cousin Betty. GOD IS AMAZING!!!
Lord, we stand in awe of you great love and mercy. We lift up our hands, praising you for being such a great, loving, caring Father. Thank you for answering prayer, Thank you for your mercies, which are new every morning. Thank you for being the same yesterday, today and forever. We worship and honor you for you alone are worthy of all praise. We especially thank you for giving Bertica the desire of her heart...her baby boy Samuel. Father, guide that boy's every step, keep him in the path of righteousness for your name sake. And may his life be a powerful testimony to your greatness. Fill us daily with the power of your Holy Spirit and use us Lord to do your will. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
Great is His Faithfulness
I call on the LORD in my distress, and He answers me. Psalm 120:1
Our God is faithful, He is loving, He answers when we call.
In my last blog entry, I told you about Bertica, a barren woman whose heart's desire was to have a child. She has been married fourteen years, and although she's conceived, all her pregnancies have ended in painful miscarriages. But, that was then and this is now. A new life has begun for this beautiful woman. She has been reborn.
This summer she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She went into the throne room of grace and asked our Heavenly Father for her womb to be opened and for Him to bless her and her husband with the gift of a child. And He answered! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!
This picture which was taken last week. As you can see, Bertica is glowing. She is now in her second trimester and things are going very well. She truly believes the child she is carrying is a gift from the Living God and answer to prayer. She has total faith that she will carry this child to term and that all things will work together. We agree with her.
Please keep Bertica and her child in your prayers.
Lord, we are in awe of your majesty. You are a great and awesome God. We humbly bow down before you with hearts full of of thanksgiving and we worship you Abba, for you are good and worthy of all praise. Father God, thank you for giving Bertica so many gifts. First you gave her the greatest gift of all, you Son, Jesus, and now you've given her the greatest desire of her heart, her own baby boy. Lord, we rejoice with her and pray that you keep you hand upon her and her baby. And may this miraculous birth bring glory to you Holy name. In Jesus name we pray. Amen
"Ask and You Will Receive"
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" Luke 11:9
On Tuesday, June 24, Margarita and Elsa were sitting on the porch of my aunt's house chatting with my cousin Betty and waiting for all the Bible Study students to arrive. A young woman from the neighborhood(reading the Bible) came by to borrow something. My cousin shared with Elsa and Margarita that she had been sharing the gospel with Bertica (the woman's name). When Bertica came out of the house, my cousin introduced her and invited her to sit and chat awhile. It was obvious that this was a divine appointment. Bertica's heart was soft and ready to accept Christ as her Lord and Savior. Through her tears, she shared with us her anguish and her pain. She and her husband have not experienced the joy of having a child. They have been trying for fourteen years, and although she's conceived, she had miscarried. Margarita wisely opened the Bible to 1 Samuel 1, the story of Hannah, a woman who was barren and whose heart's desire was to have a child. She went before God and prayed fervently for a child. God heard Hannah's prayer and answered it. She had many children. Bertica was encouraged by God's faithfulness and requested prayer. Margarita called Beatrice, a missionary with the gift of healing, she also called me to intercede on behalf of this brokenhearted woman. Beatrice laid hands over Bertica's womb, we prayed and we believed that God was going to open this womb and give this couple the greatest gift of all...a child.
Last week we received an e-mail from Bertica; she is pregnant. PRAISE THE LORD!!! She requested prayer for a full term, healthy baby. Please join us in prayer for this new sister in the faith.
Sancti Spiritus Ministries will be sending Bertica the pre-natal vitamins she needs. We thank you, our faithful supporters for your prayers and financial support, your gift continues to give. May God richly bless you.
Our Journey Ends...
Back row: John, Lou, Frances and Naka
Occidental Miramar
Briana, Nicole and their family~Cotorro, Havana, Cuba
Nicole and Briana doing ministry follow-up
June 27, 2009
"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it". Psalm 118:24
Our last day in Cuba! Where has the time gone? It seems like we just arrived yesterday.
Today we have a full day ahead. We are going to follow up with people who accepted Christ last year, and with others we are still lifting up in prayer.
My dad gave me some money to bring to the family and I haven't been able to cash the traveler's cheques. I need to do that today! Nicole, Briana and I got up early, went to have breakfast and caught a taxi. We need to go to Banco Financiero Internacional. The taxi driver claims to know where it is, but after going round and round in circles he decides to drop us off at Banco Metropolitano. I already know this bank does not cash TC, but I indulge his insistence. I ask him to wait for us to make sure this is the bank, but as soon as we walk in the bank, he takes off. So here we are, in a strange city and lost. But have no fear, our God is here. I ask where I can cash the TC and a man tells me at the six star hotel "Hotel Nacional", which happens to be only three blocks away. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives". Genesis 50:20 Isn't God good? We walk the short distance and as we approach this magnificent hotel we spot a taxi, a classic one at that, a 1956 Chevy Convertible in mint condition. We ask the driver what it will cost us and he tells us $15.00. We tell him we'll think about it. We go into the exchange store and I am finally able to cash the cheques. On top of that, the cashier who helped us needed a black pen and Briana gave him her pen. We were blessed and paying forward. After exchaging the cheques we come out and the car is still parked in the same spot as if waiting for us, so of course, we take it. The look on the team's faces when we arrived at the hotel was great, but the look on the transportation manager was priceless. Was was his motivation? Leave us stranded so we would freak out? They weren't counting on the power of our God. Not only did He make sure we accomplished our goal, He made sure He got us back to the hotel and in style. PTL!!!
We had arranged for a van to take us to Cotorro. The driver showed up, but a few minutes later he tells me he cannot take us because something came up, but that the transportation director will send another van. I suspected all along that the drivers and vehicles that transported us were chosen very carefully, now it was confirmed. We waited forever, but finally the van arrived. The driver was not very friendly, but his attitude did not affect us. We played games in the van all the way there. We got to Cotorro shortly before noon. We were greeted warmly, as if they had known us all their lives. It was special. Today was a day of reward from God. Margarita had been wanting to eat Mamey, but we were not able to find any. Well, what do you know? There was an entire Mamey, cut up and ready to eat just waiting for Margarita. The lunch was spectacular. They had made fried rice, tamales, salad, fruit, dessert, fresh juice etc. We couldn't stop eating. It was delicious! We then chatted and were happy to learn that the people of the house who were saved last year were walking with the Lord. But the most exciting part of our visit was when we found out the Reinier's (Briana and Nicole's cousin and out 12th missionary) pastor was willing to send us the invitation letter and do all the paperwork required for a religious visa. PTL!!!
The food was so good and satisfying, the girls took a nap after lunch.
The driver picked us up at 3:30 sharp, but amazingly enough his demeanor was totally different. I told him I needed his help. We were having dinner at my cousin's house that evening and I was in charge of the drinks and the vegetables. I asked him if he knew where we could purchase Coca Cola. He smiled and said, well, you are not going to find everything in one place; we will go to the farmer's market first and then to the grocery store. The farmer's market was an adventure. God again reminded us that sometimes He likes to spoil us. You see, we were looking forward to drinking sugarcane juice, but were not able to do so in Sancti Spiritus and we doubted we would find it in Havana. Well, it just so happened that this place had a sugarcane juice bar right next door. Thank you Lord! With less than $10.00 I was able to purchase 5lbs of beans, squash, sweet potatoes, garlic, onion, tomatoes, spices, and a bouquet of flowers. We then went to the grocery store where I was able to purchase Coca Cola, Sprite, Diet Coke, Malta, condensed milk and oil. I found everything I needed. It was so neat to see God at work. We found favor with everyone.
We got back to the hotel to freshen up a little within the hour we were on our way to my cousin Raul's house. The team had also been praying for this cousin since last year. Although Raul is a brilliant Physicist, he has been involved in Santeria (a mixture of Catholicism and Voodoo) for quite some time. My heart ached with desire that he would come to know the living God. We were all looking forward to spending time with him and his girlfriend. He had been roasting the pork all day. When we walked in the house the sweet aroma of roasted pork filled the house and although none of us were really hungry we feasted on this succulent dinner. The conversation suddenly turned to faith (but of course), Raul was telling me about a great movie he had watched recently and how he thought I would love it. He begins telling me the story line and to my surprise I realize he is speaking about Fireproof. I told him I had seen it and loved it as much as he did. After dinner everyone went into the livingroom except for Margarita, Raul and me. We stayed in the backyard listening to him tell us that he had given up Santeria and was now involved in a fellowship where he felt he was learning and growing. Margarita listened intently and then began to talk to him about "The way, the truth and the life..." He paid close attention to what God was saying through us. We must've talked for over two hours, finally it was time to go. I looked at him and said, well c'mon, accept Christ already, we got to go. He smiled and said he had done that when he saw the movie. PRAISE YOU ALMIGHTY GOD!!! Can you believe this? Before we knew it it was 11:30pm and time for us to get back to the hotel. We said our goodbyes and off we went.
Upon arriving at Occidental Miramar (our 4th hotel in a week) we notice two secret service like agents in the lobby. We didn't think much about it and went directly to our rooms to pack up our stuff. As previously arranged, the entire team was in the lobby at 12:30. When we arrived there was a band playing & people dancing, but at 1:00am, the music stopped, the guests retired to their rooms and we noticed more secret service agent types. Now there were five. The immigration officers were nowhere to be found. Suddenly, the outside lights at the entrance of the hotel were turned off and the lights in the lobby were dimmed. We found it odd, but oh well. I got up to get a bottle of water at the bar and was shocked to discover an agent following me. That was unsettling to say the least. We kept waiting and waiting as more and more agents came, eight in total, plus the two immigration officers who were to escort us to the plane. The bus finally arrived at 3:00am. By this time all we wanted to do was come home. The officers did not ride with us in the bus; they followed us to the airport. They checked us all in and walked us to the terminal, it was then and there they returned our documents to us. They sat with us and as we waited we talked about about our families. One of the officers even showed us a picture of his twin grandsons. Again we found favor. Thank you Jesus!
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you". Matthew 5:10-12
Lord, we thank you for the mighty work you did in Cuba. We exalt your name for you alone are worthy of all praise. We love you Lord!
A Lamp Unto My Feet
The team at the Plaza of St. Francis of Assisi, Havana Cuba
The team having dinner at Cafeteria Jardin Oriental
Buying a cake to celebrate Charlie's birthday.
Friday, June 26, 2009
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path". Psalm 119:105
We got up, had breakfast, spent time in prayer and praise and then it was time to go to the Immigration office. Our appointment was at 10:00 and we left the hotel at 9:40. The skies were gray and there was a mist in the air. I remember thinking that traffic this morning was heavier that usual and I was praying we would be there on time. We arrived at 10:00 sharp and were ushered in to an enclosed patio. There we were greeted by a very nice man who spoke perfect English. He told us many stories, which put us at ease. However, we waited for over an hour. At one point we began to sing a praise song, which was obviously a no-no, since we were told to stop by two different officers.
I was called in first. I was asked to recount the events which led to this meeting. A very detailed report was taken and I was asked to sign it. I was then told that because we abused our tourist visas, our passports would not be returned until the day of our departure, furthermore, we would have to pay $20.00 per person for the transfer to the airport. I explained to the officer that we had already secured the transportation from our hotel to the airport and it was already paid. He told me he would check with his commander and see if they would allow us to use our own transportation. His officer approved it, but told me that we would be escorted all the way to the terminal by uniformed immigration officers, and only then would our documents be returned to us. We were to be at the hotel lobby at 12:30am. We each had to sign a bunch of paperwork. We were there for what seemed like an eternity. I asked if we could leave our hotel to eat and get fresh air and they encouraged us to do so. They issued us temporary I.D.'s and sent us off.
Mercedes, our travel agent in Cuba was at the hotel waiting for me. I told her that we were not willing to stay at that hotel one more night, that we felt unsafe and we wanted to me transferred. I was steadfast on my position and both she and the general manager, Selma could see that I meant it. So they offered to move us to the other tower, give us an entire floor and have security officers on the floor. I agreed and soon we were moving to the 18th floor of Hotel Neptuno. It was just as Selma had said. This particular floor had only eight rooms, all facing the ocean and the best part-we had the floor all to ourselves. After getting all settled in, we grabbed a taxi and went to dinner. The restaurant had been recommended and it was great! It was a charming courtyard in the heart of Old Havana, enclosed by beautiful green, lush, folliage. The food was good and inexpensive. Again, the place was empty when we got there and filled up moments after our arrival. We knew we were being watched, we just didn't realize how closely. After dinner we decided to go to the bakery we had gone to last year and get Charlie a birthday cake so we could celebrate. We purchased the cake and were on our way back when a woman approached Tricia and Naka. She was complaining about the Cuban government and warning them to be careful because they were poisoning us. Tricia and Naka ignored her and walked away. Shortly thereafter a man approached us. He wanted a pencil. Elsa had one and I told her to give it to him, but Margarita realized that this was a set up so she whispered in my ear. I told Elsa to forget it (our pencils said-smile Jesus loves you-religious material). Wow, Satan is such a deceiver. Later, Margarita shared with me that he had asked for a bag (we had given out backpacks), and told her he came to us because he knew we had good hearts. ummm. I finally asked him to leave us and he walked away. We walked around and enjoyed the beautiful evening.
We got back to the hotel and celebrated Charlie's birthday. It was so much fun.
Another day where we experienced God's wisdom, faithfulness and protection. Praise you Lord!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
