"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." - Luke 4:18-19 This Communist State Permits Religious Freedom Thirty years of religious suppression in Cuba ended in 1991 when the Congressional Communist Party voted to change Cuba's constitutional status from atheistic to a secular state, allowing religious freedom to all the people. WorldServe recognized this new opportunity to spread the Gospel and in 1993 began traveling to Cuba to establish relations with denomiational church leaders. Since 1993, WorldServe has focused on church planting, pastoral training, Bible distribution, and other areas of financial assistance to improve the living conditions of the people and the churches. WorldServe has assisted all 54 Evangelical denominations in Cuba to strengthen efforts in advancing the cause of Christ. The Cuban people are desperate for a relationship with the living God and eager to hear and accept the Gospel. Since the doors to religious freedom were flung open, tens of thousands of people have accepted Christ as their personal savior and nearly 15,000 house churches have been planted. Truly the Spirit is at work in Cuba. Hurdles Still Remain However, there are still barriers to reaching Cuba for Christ. • Most Cubans live in abject poverty. With an average income of just USD $15 per month, Christians often cannot afford a Bible or obtain one. • Pastors and churches have very limited means to purchase teaching materials and Scripture to support their ministry. • Impoverished economies do not support well-stocked bookstores or the sale of discipleship materials. • Victims of hurricanes and other crises cannot afford more than the necessities of life. • Providing the massive number of Scriptures needed takes substantial finances and time.
			Sustaining Spiritual Growth Currently, WorldServe has a unique opportunity because both the Cuban and U.S. governments have granted needed permissions to provide Bibles and New Testaments for Cuba. In the past 12 months, WorldServe has provided 100,000 complete Bibles, 100,000 New Testaments, 500,000 copies of the Gospel of John, and 56,000 Most Important Story Ever Told booklets and 10,000 Most Important Story videos. WorldServe also strives to be "ground ready" for immediate response to the needs of Cuban people during disasters. The Needs for Friends project plans an estimated $500,000 to be deployed over the next five years to provide relief to victims of hurricanes and other disasters. Many of these initiatives are undertaken by WorldServe's team in Canada. Awakening Faith in Cuba WorldServe is optimistic about Cuba's future given the 2005 results. Today, there are over 15,000 churches in Cuba! Donate $25 USD/$30 CDN to support a church planter for one month.
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