Light in the Midst of Darkness

We returned home on Wednesday, March 18th, after spending a week with our dear friends in Alamar, Cuba. Having just been there in December, we were struck by how much had changed in only three months.

While we experienced occasional blackouts on our last trip, this time they were a daily reality—lasting for hours at a time. One even stretched across the entire country for 24 hours. These outages are deeply affecting everyday life in ways that are hard to fully describe.

We noticed the impact at the ministry center as well. With the constant loss of power, the bakery has not been able to keep up with its daily bread production. The bakery is only able to run a generator for short periods of time—it requires 17 liters of fuel per hour, and diesel costs over $10 per liter, making it incredibly expensive and difficult to sustain. Each day, community members would stop by, hoping for bread, only to be told that the day’s supply was already gone and to try again tomorrow.

Those working in the kitchen prepared meals by flashlight and over a makeshift charcoal grill—everything from morning coffee to rice or pasta for the evening meal. As we visited neighborhoods and house churches, we saw increasing hunger, lack of resources, and deep frustration. The blackouts come and go without warning, leaving no way to prepare. In the brief windows when electricity returns, meals are made quickly—but without reliable refrigeration, food often spoils after outages that can last 10 or more hours a day.

It is exhausting. One of our interpreters shared that while life in Cuba has always had its challenges, now it feels overwhelmingly hard—at times even hopeless.

And yet, the Cuban people remain incredibly strong and resilient. Even in hardship, they are gracious.

During our time there, we were able to hold two VBS gatherings, minister to children and parents, visit house churches, and encourage pastors. We brought rice and beans on each visit and were able to distribute food, medicine, shoes, and, where possible, solar rechargeable lanterns.

At one house church, the pastor shared something unforgettable. At the end of the service, he brought out a box and whispered to us that it contained “gold.” A family member in the U.S. had sent money so he could purchase eggs—enough for each family to take home half a dozen. We watched as people carefully placed eggs into bags, purses, and even a baby bonnet, treasuring what many of us might consider so simple.

The night before we left for home, Pastor Eduardo shared that he will be meeting with a consultant to explore the cost of installing solar panels for the ministry center. This would allow the bakery to continue operating on a more consistent schedule and better meet the needs of the community that depends on them for bread and other essentials.

Please be in prayer about how you might partner with us to help meet the cost of this project. We will share more details as they become available.

Thank you for continuing to pray, give, and stand with the people of Cuba. Your support is making a difference, even in the hardest of circumstances.