Red tape cut for building supplies, food relief
By BARBARA DENMAN
Florida Baptist Convention
Published September 25, 2008
Assessing hurricane damage on the streets of Los Palacios, Pinar Del
Rio, Cuba, are Willie Rice, FBSC president, Tim Maynard, VP of the
Convention's SBOM and Craig Culbreth, director of the Convention's
Partnership Missions Department.
FBC photo by Ken Touchton
Assessing hurricane damage on the streets of Los Palacios, Pinar Del
Rio, Cuba, are Willie Rice, FBSC president, Tim Maynard, VP of the
Convention's SBOM and Craig Culbreth, director of the Convention's
Partnership Missions Department.
Click on image for related coverage
JACKSONVILLE (FBC)—Even as Cuban government officials warned Sept. 18 of
a severe shortage of food during the next six months, Florida Baptists
were exploring ways to ship food and building supplies to aid its
decade-long partner, the Western Cuba Baptist Convention.
The food shortage was caused when twin hurricanes Gustav and Ike ripped
through the island nation this month, damaging crops of rice, beans,
plantains and sweet potatoes, killing farm animals and causing an
estimated $5 billion in damage, reported CNN.
"It is heartbreaking to see areas already struggling with poverty and
scarcity to be so badly damaged," said Florida Baptist State Convention
President Willy Rice, who was among a team of Florida Baptists who
traveled to Cuba and assessed the damage. "Many small villages will be
without power for months and desperately need supplies for building and
repairs," added Rice, also the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in
Clearwater.
The team of Florida Baptists, partnering with Baptist Global Response,
arrived in Havana Tues., Sept. 16 and met with the Cuban Office of
Religious Affairs Wed., Sept. 17. BGR representatives took Southern
Baptist relief funds, released with the permission of the U.S. Treasury
Department, for food and building supplies that could be purchased there.
Under a gaping hole in the sanctuary of Iglesia Bautista Nazareth
located in Los Palacios, Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, Clearwater pastor Willy
Rice, president of the Florida Baptist State Convention, center in
orange, prays for the family of Pastor Anry Aguild R
FBC photo by Ken Touchton
Under a gaping hole in the sanctuary of Iglesia Bautista Nazareth
located in Los Palacios, Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, Clearwater pastor Willy
Rice, president of the Florida Baptist State Convention, center in
orange, prays for the family of Pastor Anry Aguild Rivera.
The team sought and received assurances from the government that
additional supplies and food sent by Southern Baptists would be
distributed to Western Cuba churches as intended, said Craig Culbreth,
director of the Convention's Partnership Missions Department.
The government meeting had been arranged by Victor Gonzales, a Havana
oncologist who serves as president of the Western Cuba Convention.
The Florida team was conducting a previously scheduled planning and
vision meeting with church leaders in the Western Cuba Convention. They
used that visit to assess the storm damage in communities outside of
Havana and explore avenues to respond to the impending crisis.
"We went to one village where we were specifically told that the church
had been the first to help provide support and supplies to hurting
people," Rice said. "This has given those churches an incredible
opportunity to demonstrate compassion and build a bridge to share the
message of hope."
Yet providing help will "not be without challenges," Rice added.
"Obviously government restrictions make it more difficult. Our
convention leaders are working on a plan to attempt to get much needed
food supplies and building supplies into Cuba."
"We do believe that this is an opportunity to make a positive difference
and leave a lasting witness."
The group toured some of the hardest hit areas several hours from
Havana, said Tim Maynard, pastor of Fruit Cove Baptist Church in
Jacksonville.
"In one of the communities, every house you came to—10 out of 10—the
roofs were gone. None of the houses looked livable."
Yet people were living there among the ruins, reported Maynard, who
serves as vice president of the State Board of Missions.
In each of the locations the team prayed with pastors, convention
leaders and students at the Baptist seminary.
Among those they visited was Iglesia Bautista Nazareth of Los Palacios
Pinar Del Rio, where the storm ripped the roof from the building. Pastor
Anry Aguild Rivera told the pastor as the hurricane swept through, he
and his wife pulled pews out of the sanctuary to a safer location,
fearing the storm would ruin he benches.
In the relief plan formulated during the trip, Florida Baptists and BGR
will transport two 40 x 15-foot shipping containers filled with building
supplies and food from Fort Lauderdale to Havana.
Culbreth said additional response will depend on the results from the
short-term relief. And in the future, some teams may have the
opportunity to help with damaged churches.
Both pastors said they believe the help of Florida Baptists during this
crisis can change this nation spiritually.
"I believe the storm has open a door for us to get unprecedented
opportunities to share the Gospel in ways we could never have before,"
said Maynard. "They are beaten down and looking for someone to help them
back on their feet."
Rice agreed. "Our participation in Cuba communicates to these pastors
and church leaders that they are not forgotten. They are more grateful
and appreciative than most people could ever imagine," he concluded.
"The church in Cuba is still vibrant and strong and growing despite
difficult circumstances. We are sowing seeds for the future. We can be a
blessing to those who are literally giving their all for the spiritual
future of Cuba."
Financial contributions to Florida Baptists' disaster relief efforts may
be sent to the Florida Baptist Convention, Business Services, P.O. Box
5579, Jacksonville, FL 32247. Checks should be made payable to the
Florida Baptist Convention and designated for disaster relief. Donations
through credit cards can be made by going to www.flbaptist.org.
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