I'm back from Cuba.

"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."

May you be covered in His dust.

Good morning Saints! ☀️

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I’m taking a short break until October 4, when I’ll begin breaking down and sharing my notes on the Book of Romans.

Just 13 more days!

I just got back from Cuba.

I spent time with 8 pastors and 6 interns who are preparing to be pastors.

I came home encouraged.
And heavy.
And inspired.

Here are some thoughts.

There’s a saying in Cuba: “Ya lo peor pasó.” (The worst has already passed.)

It’s often said half-joking, half-serious. A mix of dark humor and hope in the middle of hardship. It reflects the resilient Cuban spirit, “We’ve been through it all… and we’re still here.”

And I get it. Every time I visit, I think to myself, "The worst has already passed."

But after 7 trips to Cuba, I’ll just say it:

It’s worse.

“What’s worse?”
“All of it.”

There are fewer rations from the government.
And by “fewer,” I mean none.
Maybe a pound of sugar one month, a pound of rice the next.

There’s less electricity.
Imagine having 1–2 hours a day to:

• Run your fridge

• Charge your phone

• Cook a meal

• Feel the breeze of a fan

And here’s what I hate most about it:

In Guatemala, we lose power maybe once a month.
It’s usually maintenance.
We get a notice. We can plan.

Not in Cuba.

You
never
know.

That’s nuts.
Even if you only get 1–2 hours a day, they could tell you when.
But they don’t.

So if electricity comes on at 2am?
Everyone is scrambling in the middle of the night.

How do you live like that?

My wife was talking with a pastor’s wife, who has become one of her very best friends.

“Electricity had become an idol.”

“I was giving (the lack of) electricity the power to make me happy, or disappointed, or angry.”

"It’s all anyone talked about. Before, it was the food. Now, it’s the electricity.”

“I refuse to worship that idol anymore. My joy is found in Christ. This is not our home. It’s temporary. Our home is with Jesus.”

We are surrounded by good and perfect gifts.

Air in our lungs.
The ability to cry.
The freedom to read the Bible.
Eyes that opened this morning.
The miracle of breathing without thinking.
Brothers and sisters in Christ who show up.

And when we lose all of that, we still have the good and perfect gift:

Jesus.

We have forgiveness we didn’t earn. We have the Holy Spirit—present, personal, powerful.

I’ve been rewriting my notes on the Gospel of Luke.

But there’s something else I’ve been building.
In the early mornings and late at night.

My second book.

It’ll be ready digitally in just over a week.
And I can’t wait to get it in your hands.

I wrote it to help you fall in love with Scripture. To actually see it. To hear God speak through words that used to feel silent.

Because maybe no one ever showed you how. Maybe they told you to read the Bible but never taught you how to love it. Maybe they gave you shallow answers when your soul needed depth.

That was me.
I wrote the book I needed back then.

Every sentence fights biblical boredom. Every page slows you down to hear Him.

The reviews are humbling. But this is bigger than a review.

If you’ve ever opened the Bible and walked away unchanged… If you’ve ever whispered, “There has to be more…”

There is.

Stay close. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready.

I came back from Cuba broken.
Drained.
And with a new fervor for reading and writing about the greatest story ever told.

Because the more I see pain up close, real pain, raw and relentless, the more I’m convinced:

We don’t need more noise. We need the Word.

We need to open the Bible and be with Jesus again.

I love you,

George
Uncovering Scripture

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George Sisneros is a full-time missionary in Guatemala and the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.

He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 26 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.

In 2024, George and his wife expanded to Cuba, joining forces with nine pastors committed to transforming lives through the gospel.

You can get George’s bestselling book, Do You Love Me? Giving up the American Dream to Serve the Underprivileged, on Amazon.