Hope

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." - Psalm 62:5-7

Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned in Cuba was about hope. Before the trip, I had a vague idea of what hope was, but I had never seen it lived out in the way the Cubans did. Previously, I thought hope was a sort of wishful thinking, a nonchalant prayer to God asking for something. But in Cuba, I learned that my viewpoint of hope was completely wrong.

Hope is so much more than a wish or a want - it's putting your complete faith in God, the source of your hope. Psalm 62 outlines why our hope comes from God. It is because He ALONE is our rock and salvation, our fortress and our refuge. Apart from Him, nothing else matters. He is the beginning and the end, which is why our hope must come from Him and be placed in Him.

If we place our hope in other things, such as relationships, money, and worldly things, we will be disappointed. Yet God never disappoints, for He is sovereign and good.

I saw these principles at work in the people of Cuba. Despite the not so great accomadations and the persecution of the church, they hoped in God, and trusted that He would pull them through the tough times. Their passion and their love for God shone through in their prayers, their worship, and in their lives. To them, hope was more than wishful thinking - it was putting their complete trust in the Lord and waiting on him.

What a great lesson to learn!

Taymy and I - our interpretor who taught me a lot about hope!

The kids learning a new English song during youth group

Cuba Video!!

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQdiZNcNcxE#watch-main-area

And here's the video:

Cuba, an in depth post

I first must apologize for not writing yesterday, but there is a good excuse. My laptop, which I've had for about 3 years now, has been infected with a virus, which means I had to reboot it. It is working now, but it is still very tempermental.

I miss Cuba like crazy - I can't stop thinking about it for a second! Despite the overwhelming heat and not so awesome conditions, I would give anything to go back there.

Most of our missions work in Cuba involved encouraging the church that was already down there. Because our two leaders were unable to get Religious Visas, we were limited in what we could do. Yet God still managed to use us and stretch us in amazing ways! We shared testimonies, led worship, conversed with the people of the church, and helped run a VBS.

We became very close with the Diaz family who shared their home as a church, a daycamp centre, a dining room, and a fun hangout spot. The husband and wife were both pastors of their house church, and were so kind and generous to us during our stay. Our bus driver, Negro, was also a person whom we became very close with. Although he was not as bold or outspoken in his faith as some of the other Cubans, his love for Jesus clearly shined in his life. His 7-year-old daughter, Daniella, became one of my good chums despite the language barrier we faced. I will never forget her smiling face as she said goodbye to me at the airport!

Overall, the experience was definately unforgettable. I learned so much about God and about myself. The Cubans showed me what true hope meant, and that happiness could only be found in God alone. I will cherish their lessons and their encouragement as long as I live!

I promise to devote a whole blog post t0 pictures and videos once my laptop is completely virus free. Thanks for reading, I hope you're having an awesome summer!

Back from Cuba!

Although I don't have time for a super long blogpost, I do have time to say that I've arrived back safely, and that I had a great time in Cuba!

Get ready for more information, details, and pictures tomorrow!

Tomorrow!

I've been waiting for tomorrow to arrive for at least 100 days. The countdown to this trip has been on my calender since April. And the reality of me going to Cuba has begun to set in.

We have recieved our "tentative" schedule yesterday of what we'll be doing while we are in Cuba. While the Spanish is hard to understand, I can discern that we will be doing work projects, evengelizing, and playing with the kids, as well as sharing testimonies and doing bible lessons. How amazing is that! I feel so blessed to be going on this trip, and to have God use me in whatever way He is going to.

As Paul said, "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel...pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." (Ephesians 6:19-20)

I will have a SUPER long blog post when I get back, filled with pictures and perhaps some videos!

Four days!

Only four days until I leave for Cuba!

This past week has been filled with preperations, last minute get togethers, and some rest and relaxation before the big day. We finally found out our flight time this week. We leave at 8:30, which means we will have to meet at 4 AM (!!!) to get to the airport. I'm not extremely happy about having to wake up in the middle of the night, but I think it's actually a blessing in disguise! An early flight time means that we will arrive in Cuba earlier, which means more time spent on Cuban soil!

I'm so excited to see how God is going to use our team while we're in Cuba. From our first meeting a few months ago, our team has come such a long way with being comfortable with each other and growing closer together. We've spent lots of time in prayer and companionship, and have seen God work in our lives concerning this mission trip.

Personally, I've learnt so much about God while preparing for this trip. I had so many doubts from the beginning, even wondering if I would be able to go. My parents, who are not Christ Followers, strongly opposed the trip, but with God's help, they have given in and allowed me to go! There are still a few fights over what I'll be doing there (Are you going to be praying every day?!), and some rude comments (You should focus on yourself instead of helping people!) but I've been able to survive them and focus on the real goal: sharing Jesus with the Cubans and glorifying God in all that I do! I know that God will always pull through if I only trust in His sovereignty and His perfect plan for my life.

I will update a few more times before Tuesday, and then this blog will have to go on a mini-hiatus as I spend 11 days in Cuba. I promise lots of pictures and stories when I get back!