Answers to Prayer

1 The void created by Communism is being filled by Christianity, Communism's arch-rival

2 The greater freedom to print Bibles in Cuba or import from abroad

3 Evangelicals were allowed to convene 19 public rallies in 1999. The largest in Havana, which Castro himself attended, drew 100,000 Christians

Challenges to Prayer

1 A peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy

2 The healing of the wounds inflicted by Marxism:

a) An estimated 50,000+ lost their lives and 500,000 were imprisoned for ideological reasons

b) Over one million Cubans have become ideological or economic refugees – many in Florida, USA

c) Economic hardship is widespread; survival is only possible in the illegal 'black' economy and through deceit

d) Divisions among Christians

3 Cubans were highly secularized before 1959 with 61% regular church-goers

4 The Protestant churches were decimated by several waves of emigration to the USA

5 Persecution of Christians has been severe, Catholics suffering even more than Protestants

6 Leadership for the churches is a pressing need

7 The less reached:

a) The unchurched majority

b) Spiritism has been actively supported by the government as 'cultural'

c) The Chinese, Indians and Arabs have been largely assimilated into the Hispanic majority, but still retain much of their old culture

8 Foreign missions have been restricted to tactful support and occasional pastoral visits from outside the country

9 There are about one million Cuban refugees living in the USA

10 Christian help ministries

a) Bible distribution – the famine for God's Word has not ended despite a dramatic increase of copies available

b) Christian literature has been scarcely obtainable for years

c) Christian radio has been a source of strength and encouragement

d) The JESUS film is available in Spanish and widely used when possible

Geography

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Area 465,468 sq.km. The largest island in the Caribbean.

Population (2000) 11,200,684 +0.43%AGR

Capital Havana 2,077,000.

Peoples

Hispanic 99%; Other 1%.

Literacy 96%. Official language Spanish.

Economy

Production of sugar and nickel ore have been the mainstays of the economy. HDI 0.765; 58^th/174. Public debt 77% of GNP. Income/person $1,170 (5% of USA).

Politics

Independent from Spain in 1898.

Religion

Strict control of all church activities and repression of religious freedom in earlier years of Communist rule, but since 1990 the degree of pressure has lessened.

Churches in Cuba

Missionaries from Cuba

28 in 5 agencies; 22 in Cuba.

Expatriates with ministry to Cuba

21 in 10 agencies

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