For several years, Jamaica Conference has considered the possibility of starting mission work in Cuba. One of our Jamaican pastors, Anthony Smith, has had contacts with people in Cuba and has made a few trips there. The vision took a step forward in March when my wife and I joined 11 Jamaicans, mostly pastors, on an exploratory trip to this controversial island nation.

At an evangelical church service in Havanna.

After landing in Havana, the capital of Cuba, we met with some of Anthony Smith's contacts and attended a couple of their services. These churches were mostly with the Church of God of Prophecy and the Church of the Open Bible, groups which have Jamaican connections but also some United States connections.

We didn't want to pursue a connection with these believers, since they were already affiliated with denominations. Instead, we were directed to a town about two hours from Havana called Campo Florido. This small, typical Cuban town had a Catholic church and a few small groups of people studying the Scriptures--little house churches--but no organized evangelical presence like we found in Havana. We realized that a town like Campo Florido, a place largely untouched by an evangelical witness and with no established Protestant churches, would be a good potential site for eventual ministry, should we decide to launch into Cuba.

There is no problem traveling to Cuba from any of the Central American countries. In fact, as far as I can tell, the United States and Puerto Rico are the only places which prohibit travel to Cuba. For this reason, some American citizens enter Cuba through the "back door"–traveling first to Canada or Mexico or somewhere else.

To go to Cuba legally, US citizens must obtain permission from the US government–specifically, from the US Treasury Department, since it is actually an economic blockade. While US citizens can go to Cuba, they aren't allowed to spend American dollars there–which, for all practical purposes, means they can't go.

MarLouise and I had to petition the Treasury Department for a permit to visit Cuba for humanitarian or religious reasons at a specified time with a specified group of people. The license is free, but takes about two months to obtain. In our case, it took so long that I asked our Congressman, Mark Souder, for help. Thanks to the intervention of his office, we were able to receive our travel permits the day before we left for Jamaica.–Kyle McQuillen

Top: an old Catholic church in Havanna.
Middle: On a street in Havanna.
Bottom: Looking over Havanna.

Generally speaking, we found the Cuban people to be very open and friendly to us. Since tourism is a large source of revenue, the Cuban people go out of their way to make foreigners feel safe and welcome. Crime is almost nonexistent in Cuba; you can go anywhere, anytime, in Havana and feel safe. There is a policeman on almost every corner. Many tourists come from Europe, Mexico, Central America, and Canada. However, few people come from the United States, because of the blockade which has been in force since Fidel Castro's communist forces took over the country in 1959.

Havana is a very nice city, modern in many ways. However, we could see the lack of repair to infrastructure, houses, and buildings. I recognized many of the cars as models from the 1940s and 1950s; they gave Havana the look of an old movie.

Cuba remains a communist, socialized state. We were told that every Cuban gets the equivalent of $18 a month. Whether you are a doctor, teacher, or store owner, you earn $18 a month. If you run a grocery store or restaurant, your profits go back to the government. We heard that one of the best jobs is a hotel waiter, because in addition to the $18 government salary, waiters pocket the tips, which are never recorded.

A street in Campo Florido.

In Campo Florido, food and staples are kept in a half-dozen large buildings, and then distributed free to people according to a schedule--so many pounds of flour or rice for this person, so much for that person.

While the peso is the official currency, all foreigners must use dollars. Visitors from Europe or elsewhere exchange their country's currency for US dollars, which they then use in Cuban stores, restaurants, and hotels. Even if you had 10,000 pesos, you couldn't use them to pay your hotel bill; you need dollars.

This was an exploratory visit. We wanted to see what the country was like and examine possibilities for future ministry. We don't want to go into an area with already-established church work. Rather, we are looking for places like Campo Florido which are largely untouched by evangelical churches.

Our contacts with Christians in Havana will prove valuable. For instance, they can help us get permission to preach. Visitors to Cuba can give a testimony from where they stand in the congregation, but they can't go to the pulpit and preach. To do that, they must obtain an $80 license from the Cuban government. Our church contacts will enable us to get those licenses (whether for Jamaicans, Americans, or Hondurans), as well as any other government permits and licenses we would need to establish work in Cuba.

Facts About Cuba

Population: 12 million (over 2 million in Havana).
Haiti, the nearest country, is 48 miles east.
Jamaica is 87 miles to the south.
Florida is 90 miles to the north.

Jamaica is very close to Cuba, and the Jamaican people have no problems going back and forth. However, Jamaicans speak English, while Spanish is the language of Cuba (of the 13 people who visited Cuba, I was the only person who spoke Spanish). Therefore, Jamaica Conference would like to work with Honduras Conference in any outreach into Cuba.

We feel a place like Campo Florido would be the place to start. Our contacts need to be developed almost from scratch. While we knew the town had groups meeting in evangelical Bible studies, we didn't meet with any of them. However, we did make some contacts there, and will correspond with those people.

Our next step would be to spend a few days in the town talking to people and building relationships, and further evaluating whether a United Brethren ministry is needed there. I could foresee a return visit by some of our Jamaican leaders later this year.