Cuba Trip Report

February 12th - 19th, 2011

Jesus did some really remarkable things this trip.  We preached and baptized at 6 mission points. In those services we saw 110 people receive the Lord as their Savior and we had the wonderful pleasure of baptizing 60 people.  

As wonderful as that was, there was another particular "WOW" moment for me. I have been praying for two years for the Lord to lead us to a partner to plant churches in Africa. When Manny Fernandez, our lead partner in Cuba, told me that a ministry out of Oklahoma City would be joining us on the trip, I was a little bit disappointed because I felt like they would distract me from being able to accomplish all that I had planned. In other words, I wanted to be able to do exactly what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. Ever felt that way before?

When I met Brent Parsons, who is the Chief Operations Officer of Reaching Souls International, it did not take me long to realize that the Lord orchestrated this trip and this meeting. He began to tell me all about their ministry. They have been working for 26 years in, (you guessed it), AFRICA. They are in the seven countries of Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and that in those countries they have seen 3.6 million people come to faith in Christ.

Over the next few days, as I prayed and explored with Brent the possibilities of us expanding into Africa, it became clear that we had to at least go to the next level and see what the Lord was going to do. I am asking you to pray for us as we do our prayerful due diligence and make a decision about the future. Thomas Minor, who is the Chairman of our board, and I will be flying to Oklahoma City to meet with the founder, the CEO, and Brent Parsons on March the 29^th. Also, please pray for me as I go to Malawi, Africa April 26^th through May the 7^th.  This will be an opportunity for me to see the ministry up close and personal.

I continue to be amazed at how God orchestrates things to carry out His will. I cannot wait to see if this meeting in Cuba, of all places, will lead us to our third partner in Africa. Keep praying for these specific requests and for our entire ministry.

One last thing! Last year was amazing. Doulos, along with all our partners, planted 2,100 new churches and had 87,000 people come to know the Lord. For all the things that the Lord is doing in our lives and ministry, we give Him thanks!!!!

Have a great day and please do not forget to pray for us!

Dios te bendiga, (God bless you)