March 2012

"Your investment in us and the work God does when we get together is like a "spiritual fill up" that fuels us
for the entire year." 

 --Elio Martiz, on Reach Out's Eagle Leaders meeting in Cuba

Desperate Need

Because everyone in Cuba lives with great difficulties, we began the gathering of our  eight core Eagle Leaders exploring Jesus calming the storm (Luke 8: 22-26). When Jesus said, "Let's go to the other side" the disciples assumed that the boat would take them there. The boat failed them and they were afraid. But Jesus meant that HE would take them there.

All of us desperately need Jesus to "get us there", but our Cuban friends' live in "swamped boat" desperation daily...  

  *Pino--2 teenagers, new twins, no money

  *Elio-parents-pastors-- evicted from their home

  *Guin Carlos--no food, no money to buy any

And on their desperate plight goes. In a moving experience together we affirmed that only Jesus can get us to the other side.  

Mentoring Pioneers

Then we asked ourselves: "Where on the other side of the lake are we going?" That launched us into two amazing days of envisioning God's future for the younger generation in Cuba. 

Alexy said, "We are mentoring pioneers in Cuba. No one has mentored any of us, but God has called us to mentor and multiply leaders." Years ago we had committed to "mentor younger leaders through a process that produces Multiplying Ministry Models." So we looked back to 2004 to see what Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry training has accomplished.   

* Cuba for Christ! has been their desire from the beginning. 

* 82 JFYM Forums conducted.

* 1200 youth leaders trained.

* 225 churches from 5 denominations participated. 

* 82 churches implemented JFYM.

* 56 have qualified as Eagle Leaders.

* 600 teenagers attended Impacto 2009--the only gathering of Christian teenagers since    Castro's revolution in 1959! 

Despite difficulties, God has produced much fruit in eight years through these mentoring pioneers. 

Higher Commitment, Deeper Ministry

Yet our team has a burning desire for more.  We asked God to show us ways to improve and produce even more fruit in the next eight years.  

The plan: Mentor one church for one year to become a JFYM Multiplying Model. 

In eight weekend sessions at a church, two Eagle Leaders guide the pastor and younger generation team through each element of JFYM. The leaders identify their personal and ministry struggles, and then they design and implement their plans. After a year, they become a Multiplying Model, and then they mentor 1-3 new churches!

56 current Eagle Leaders will mentor others through this more in-depth approach.

Reach Out USA will translate into Spanish and produce
6-10 new resources.                                  

The conviction: Darwin captured our conviction--

"I am making a higher commitment for a deeper
ministry."  

Rarely have I participated in a group so united around a vision and committed to the specific steps and hard work ahead to fulfill that vision! 

Will you pray for and give to Cuba, our Cuba team and Reach Out?   With your help "Cuba for Christ" can become a reality!