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 Elaine in 2008 |
My Heart is Still in Cuba
March 20 2010 / ShareHim in Cuba - Quiet Hour, Feb. 12 - Feb. 27 '10 #407by Peggy West
Campaign Site Narrative from Artemisa, Artemisa in Cuba - Quiet Hour. The speaker assigned to this site was Peggy West.
This was my second trip to Artemisa, Cuba. I was excited that I would be returning. Even though there was a new pastor, there were many friends that I had made during my first visit.
I was especially anxious to see one special young lady. Elaine was twelve and on the day of the baptism, she was found behind the church crying her little heart out. She wanted to be baptized.
One of the ladies in the church found her and asked why she was crying. When she found out, she talked to the pastor when he had finished with the eleven baptisms. He asked to talk to her and was satisfied and he brought her on into the pool and baptized her. Her little face was shining with her joy, with just a hint of her tears.
Her story had really touched me. When I got home, I used the picture made as she was about to be baptized as my desktop background, so that every day, when I sat in front of my computer, I remembered that day.
As I communicated with the folks in Artemisa, one of my first questions was about Elaine. Was she still attending? Would I get to see her again?
To my joy, there she was. I was able to see her several times during my second visit. I was also able to have a picture made with the now 14-year-old Elaine. What a wonderful thing to see those that you had at least a small part in bringing to Jesus!
One evening, I received a special gift from one of the men. He had a photo of me from that first visit with his friend who had also been baptized. The picture had been carried in his wallet, and now he gave me his treasure. That picture is now in my Bible as a reminder for my dear friends in Cuba.
On the last Friday night, the board of Elders asked to see me. They asked if there was any way that I would be willing to leave my projector with them. Normally, their music videos were shown on a 17-inch TV.
This was not a request I had anticipated, and my reaction was that I could not afford to leave it behind. Without it, how could I make another trip? I know that as a retiree, I cannot afford to replace it. So this is what I told them.
On the trip back to the hotel, I could think of nothing else. I kept thinking that during the upcoming year, it would sit in my office not being used. Pero (but) if I left it there, it would be helping in their worship every week. Given that picture, I finally told the Lord that if He wanted me to go again, I knew He could provide me with a projector.
The next morning, before I actually started my sermon, I told the congregation how the board of Elders had approached me and what I had told them about not being able to afford to replace it. Then I told them of my "discussion" with God the night before, and that I had decided that I would indeed leave it with them. What an "Amen" went up to heaven. But the biggest "Amen" went from my own heart. Now, every Sabbath, I know that there in Cuba, a part of me is still witnessing every week.
I was especially anxious to see one special young lady. Elaine was twelve and on the day of the baptism, she was found behind the church crying her little heart out. She wanted to be baptized.
One of the ladies in the church found her and asked why she was crying. When she found out, she talked to the pastor when he had finished with the eleven baptisms. He asked to talk to her and was satisfied and he brought her on into the pool and baptized her. Her little face was shining with her joy, with just a hint of her tears.
Her story had really touched me. When I got home, I used the picture made as she was about to be baptized as my desktop background, so that every day, when I sat in front of my computer, I remembered that day.
As I communicated with the folks in Artemisa, one of my first questions was about Elaine. Was she still attending? Would I get to see her again?
To my joy, there she was. I was able to see her several times during my second visit. I was also able to have a picture made with the now 14-year-old Elaine. What a wonderful thing to see those that you had at least a small part in bringing to Jesus!
One evening, I received a special gift from one of the men. He had a photo of me from that first visit with his friend who had also been baptized. The picture had been carried in his wallet, and now he gave me his treasure. That picture is now in my Bible as a reminder for my dear friends in Cuba.
On the last Friday night, the board of Elders asked to see me. They asked if there was any way that I would be willing to leave my projector with them. Normally, their music videos were shown on a 17-inch TV.
This was not a request I had anticipated, and my reaction was that I could not afford to leave it behind. Without it, how could I make another trip? I know that as a retiree, I cannot afford to replace it. So this is what I told them.
On the trip back to the hotel, I could think of nothing else. I kept thinking that during the upcoming year, it would sit in my office not being used. Pero (but) if I left it there, it would be helping in their worship every week. Given that picture, I finally told the Lord that if He wanted me to go again, I knew He could provide me with a projector.
The next morning, before I actually started my sermon, I told the congregation how the board of Elders had approached me and what I had told them about not being able to afford to replace it. Then I told them of my "discussion" with God the night before, and that I had decided that I would indeed leave it with them. What an "Amen" went up to heaven. But the biggest "Amen" went from my own heart. Now, every Sabbath, I know that there in Cuba, a part of me is still witnessing every week.