MEDICINES AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES PROGRAM

MEDICINE AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES PROJECT:

Medication, surgical supply, and durable medical equipment scarcity is a true health emergency in Cuba. On any given day a doctor may prescribe a medication to a patient, but the patient will have to go without because the medicine simply is not available. Imagine not being able to obtain blood pressure medication or diabetes management medication? Or having to ensure Dengue Fever without acetaminophen? This is the daily reality in Cuba.

We are here to help.

Through our medication program, critically needed OTC and prescription medication is delivered directly to the homes of our Cuban brothers and sisters. Covering the needs of children, adults, and the elderly, our medical team ships medications every week to ten days all over the country, easing the pain and improving health. We consider every medication packet personally, giving careful consideration to the recipients and the current health needs in the country. We are able to do this through a vast network of providers who share our passion to improve health outcomes and share the love of Christ.

In addition, we also ship durable medical equipment and surgical supplies on a quarterly basis. The gift of a wheelchair or a walker can be life-changing for someone who has been confined to their home for years due to the lack of these items. A surgery kit like a cesarean surgical kit can mean the difference between a safe delivery and infection. We are often presented with some challenging requests, but this often opens up new doors to further the medical ministry.

Medical supplies and medications are expensive. Donations of in-date medications and durable medical supplies are always needed, as well as funds to cover the shipping.

Programs

ADOPT A CUBAN PASTOR

If a pastor does not have a sister church, then the pastor does not receive a salary. More then 60% of Cuban pastors do not have a sister church.

On a recent trip,  one day at the end of our trip we traveled to many churches within the district. Today we were going to three churches that did not have a sister church. The first two went as expected, but the third stop made me so proud of the Southwest District. 

Upon arrival, the pastor, his wife and children were waiting at the front door. Before I could say a word, the pastor was telling me about the greatest day in his life. Because of the Adopt a Pastor Program, he had received his first monthly salary check for $30. He thanked me over-and-over and showed me his new shoes, plus his wife’s new shoes. With the pastor’s voice breaking up and tears running down his face, he showed me the new sandals their children were wearing.   

Bibles for Cuba

At the present time it is very difficult to purchase Bibles in Cuba. You can approach us with what your intension are but it will take time, maybe a year.

Do you know there are pastors in Cuba that do not have a Bible?  We can buy Bibles in Cuba for $4. For $6, a study Bible can be purchased for a pastor. Taking the funds into Cuba is by far the most cost effective way to serve this need.  We can't take in large amounts of Bibles into Cuba because the cost of the weight makes it prohibitive. The Bibles For Cuba program is a good project for Sunday school classes, Vacation Bible School and any other Christian group.

For the average U.S. family, one stop at a fast food restaurant will cost $20 to $25. Give up one stop, and that $24 will buy 12 Bibles in Cuba. 

The Foundation

The Foundation was formed out of “shame.”  On a recent trip, a group of travelers were talking with a Cuban pastor in a remote church in the Guantanamo mountain range. We were the first American travelers to visit.

The pastor said, “For three hundred dollars, or a little more, I could put a floor down and fix the roof, so when it rained it would not drip on the people.” At the time, we didn't have the funds to help. We had to walk away.  On the way down the mountain side, three Southwest District Board members made the pledge that this would not happen again. 

The Foundation was formed and the funds are for church repairs, to relocate churches to a better location or to enhance the growth of church membership.

In October 2016, the Guantanamo District had severe damage from Hurricane Matthew. Some of the first funds from the Foundation were donated to the Guantanamo District.  Currently, there are 25,000 homes without a roof in this district and conditions continue to be very difficult.

Young Adult Mission Trip

Over the past eight summers, a team of high school students from Florida participated in Camp Canaan, a Christian camp in Cuba where more than 800 Cuban youth attended camp. At the camp, they worshiped, learned about leadership and enjoyed fun activities with their Cuban brothers and sisters in Christ. The team had a meaningful, fun-filled time and they carried a wealth of experiences back home. Some translated those experiences into life-altering choices, and a desire to continue to work with youth and be involved in ministry and leadership.

Some of these high school students graduated and went on to college only to discover that something was missing in their lives ...there was no Cuba summer mission trip for young adults! So began the idea of developing a mission team of young adults ages 19-25 years old to go to Cuba and work with the youth at Camp Canaan and Mayari in 2017. For more information about the upcoming young adult mission trip in July 2017 go to: http://missions2cuba.com