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Good morning! ☀️
"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.
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Access previous notes on Luke by signing into your account. Click 'Read Online' at the top right of this post and scroll down to find them waiting for you.
As you read this I’m on a flight headed to Cuba. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to finish writing Chapter 22.
This is a perfect opportunity to catch up. You can access 21 chapters of Luke by clicking “Read Online” at the top right and then scrolling down to the bottom and clicking “View more.”
My wife and I are stretching our ministry efforts from Guatemala to Cuba.
For the last four or five years, we have felt called to the hard-to-reach countries. Countries that don't have access to the Bible or are persecuted for sharing the gospel.
Then, last year, while watching David Platt's Secret Church, we both clearly heard Cuba when it was mentioned as "the last hard-to-reach Spanish-speaking country."
"Cuba's government is the main reason Christians face persecution. Anything deemed to be in competition with the Communist Party of Cuba is squeezed, and this includes the Christian faith. Church leaders or believers who speak out against human injustice or political corruption—or who dare to criticize the regime—risk interrogation, arrest, smear campaigns, and even prison sentences."
Christianity Today ranks Cuba in the top 5 of Communist and post-communist oppressed countries.
"All churches are monitored in Cuba and may be infiltrated by citizens sympathetic to the regime and/or State security agents."
Why Cuba?
When Vonda and I visited Cuba in 2019, we immediately felt the darkness when we got off the plane. If you know me, I'm not that guy who talks about "spiritual heaviness," but I assure you it was there.
We didn't meet a single Christian until our last day on the island.
Christianity is the most widely professed religion in Cuba, with Catholicism being its largest denomination, except none of that's actually true.
A simple Google search of "Santería practiced in Cuba" shows 70%! What is Santería?
"Santería is a religion that has fused African beliefs with Catholic traditions. It started in Cuba when African people were brought there as slaves. In Santería, people believe in gods and spirits called orishas, who take care of different things in the world like love, nature, and wisdom. They also think that these orishas are connected to Catholic saints, so they can worship them in a way that is like Catholic worship."
One of the African religions that make up Santería is Vodun, sometimes spelled, Voodoo.
A young Jewish community has been growing in Cuba, and since 2005, the island’s Muslim community has grown from 500 to 7000.
Studies have shown that just 5% of Cubans identify as Protestant or Evangelical. But that's not completely true either.
A significant portion of the 5% is believed to originate from megachurches, with a strong association with the Prosperity Gospel.
"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here I am! Send me.'"
I don’t know what the Lord has planned for this vision trip, but I’m both nervous and excited!
Prayers for the next ten days are appreciated.
I return to Guatemala on April 29th and will send the rest of Luke Chapter 22 on May 10th.
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
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George Sisneros serves as a full-time missionary in Guatemala. He is the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 25 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family will be expanding to Cuba in 2024.