Cuba Trip Update: When Hunger Grows, So Does Hope

Our recent trip to Cuba was one of the most sobering we’ve taken. As always, we went with a heart to serve, to listen, to encourage, and to support the local church—but what we encountered reminded us of just how urgent the need has become.

We saw more hunger than ever before. The Cuban government has significantly reduced food rations, and with inflation and the current exchange rate, the Cuban peso holds very little value. Imagine this: a schoolteacher earns around 5,000 pesos a month. That’s roughly $11.94 USD—less than $20 to live on for an entire month.

When basic essentials like cooking oil cost $3, 30 eggs cost $8, and milk powder for children is $7, it’s clear how impossible it is for many families to put food on the table. Rice and beans, staple items for most Cubans, are now getting harder to purchase. The government allots just 3 pounds of rice per person per month—a heartbreaking reality we heard over and over again.

We visited a family where the father had been out of work for 7 months. They have no electric or gas stove—only a makeshift charcoal grill they use when they can find charcoal. In another home, we met an elderly woman who shared how the Lord had answered her prayers just days before our arrival. She had been blessed with a home—a shack with a tin roof, no insulation, and gaps in the walls—but to her, it was a testimony of God’s provision, and she proudly showed us what He had done.

We also met a woman who had suffered severe burns across her torso and legs after tripping while carrying scalding hot water. Her grandson rushed her to the nearest hospital on his motor scooter as she cried in pain. While she received treatment during her hospital stay, she now has no access to medicine or supplies to care for her wounds. We could only leave her with a small tube of ointment, wishing we could do more.

In another home, we sat with a woman who is grieving the recent loss of her husband. We prayed with her, listened, and reminded her that she is not alone. These deeply personal encounters are only possible because of the strong connections within the house churches. Often, we are led to these homes because someone in the church has asked us to visit a neighbor or loved one in need.

This is why we go. We go to love, to listen, to pray, and to support those who are hurting. We go to encourage the network of small home churches and their pastors as they meet not only physical needs but spiritual ones as well. Pastor Eduardo and his team are doing incredible work from their ministry center, distributing food and medical supplies when available, and equipping house pastors to care for their communities.

On this trip, we realized that while the items we usually bring—glasses, medicine and hygiene supplies, etc.—are still appreciated, what is most urgently needed now is food. We are praying about sending a shipping container filled with rice, beans, electric hot plates, and more to support Pastor Eduardo’s ministry.

Would you pray with us about this next step?

As always, thank you. We are deeply grateful to everyone who donated finances and items for this recent trip. Your generosity makes it possible for Missions Everywhere to continue serving.

We cannot do this without you.

The Missions Everywhere Team