Church reaches out to Cuba through faith

Published: March 18, 2013 Updated: 1:20 p.m.

Church reaches out to Cuba through faith
By IVY JELDEN / FOR THE REGISTER

Despite the depressing news filling the media these days, it is now an
open season to get out the "good news" in Cuba.

Of course, there are restrictions, but the fact remains that churches
can still preach after 60 years of communism and centuries of alleged
witchcraft, voodoo and black magic permeating the small island nation.
ADVERTISEMENT

I learned about all this and more at Mission Viejo Christian Church's
Cuban Night Mar. 2.

It was a fundraiser to send Pastor Pablo Arencibia and his wife,
Esperanza, to Cuba this month to continue work they started about 10
years ago.

Arencibia and his wife helped start a church in a home and now there are
so many new members that it's time to expand. The government is
requiring an additional bathroom to be built. Proceeds raised from Cuban
Night will go towards this new construction. The hope and goal is to
purchase property with the intent of building a church in the near future.

It's still risky to bring the gospel to Cuba, though.

For instance, you can't preach in the streets or in parks, only within a
designated church or home.

Still, miraculously, the tight communist regime is loosening its reigns
despite the fact the culture seems to be caught in the 1950s. When I saw
the photo presentation at Cuban Night, it was a shocking reminder of
what a communist nation looks like.

Pastor Arencibia was a political prisoner in Cuba from 1967 until 1969.

"The law stated that when anyone applied for a visa to leave Cuba, they
were put into a type of 'concentration camp' with hard labor and no
pay," he said.

Arencibia traveled to Spain with his wife and daughter when his prison
sentence ended. There he continued his studies at the Seminary and later
moved to the United States.

But his heart was full of compassion for the Cuban people and he always
dreamed of returning to his homeland to share the gospel, he said.

Arencibia is part of the Spanish Ministry at Mission Viejo Christian
Church led by Gerardo Arenado, who emigrated from Cuba at six years old.

Traveling to Cuba should become more accessible soon, according to
Mercedes Arenado, who owns America's Cuba Travel Agency in Lake Forest
with her brother, Pastor Gerardo.

"The doors for travel have opened up in the last three years," she said.
"Although, the reason for the journey must fit into the following
categories: education, religious, athletic, and certain reasons related
to the arts."

When the timing is God's and He opens the doors to go on a mission trip
or just to fulfill His daily calling in our lives, then we can be
encouraged to step out in faith for God's provision as Pastor Arencibia
and his team will be doing very soon.

Email Pastor Arencibia at pastorpabloarencibia@gmail.com.

-Offer column ideas and comments to 25-year Mission Viejo resident Ivy
Jelden at ijlemonaide@gmail.com.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/cuba-500216-arencibia-church.html