“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Cor. 3:17
In late February, DNA co-founders Bob Moffitt and Darrow Miller traveled to Cuba to administer the first-ever Vision Conference in this nation with great potential to flourish. Assisting Bob and Darrow were DNA partners from other Latin American countries, including an associate from the Harvest Foundation.
To see change take place in any community, the people there first must have their minds freed to understand their God-given potential and what He wants them to do with it. He created us all to be free and to glorify him by serving others sacrificially, as Jesus did.
“If they have freedom in their minds,” Darrow says, “they’re going to figure out how to make this stuff work.”
Darrow and Bob spent about one week in Havana with 145 pastors and leaders from 70 churches across every province on the island–some riding in the back of a truck for two days to get to the conference. The next week was spent in a more rural part of the country at a seminary that churns out young Christian leaders with wholistic vision for taking the gospel into all areas of society and practically addressing people’s needs.
They taught local church and ministry leaders about God’s grand story for his creation: The Transforming Story that begins with creation, continues through the fall of man and redemption through Jesus, and culminates with the return of Christ. Bob taught on the important role of the Church in God’s plan. He explained how we should follow Jesus’ model for growth and service (Luke 2:52), loving our neighbors and doing seed projects.
DNA partners from the Caribbean region already have been working with Christian leaders in Cuba for years, helping local believers administer multiple seed projects in Havana. While many churches in Cuba (and worldwide) still embrace the sacred-secular divide that says social problems need to be solved by the government alone, others have obeyed God’s instruction to love their neighbors and to personally care for the vulnerable.
Cuba has been a communist state since 1959 when a revolution promised a better life, but Darrow observed many Cubans who since had given up hope and appeared to be “imprisoned in their minds.” Segments of the younger generation, however, still have their minds free, he says, asking questions and dreaming about one day rebuilding the nation they love.
God has richly blessed Cuba with natural resources and creative, hard-working people. Darrow says he is hopeful that Cubans can help their nation prosper but, first, their minds must be renewed so they can see what God’s will is for them: His will is good, pleasing and perfect, filled with hope.
Let’s pray for the vision conference in my country, the Central Africain Republic (CAR).
I have begun working with a group of Churches , an association called Nuevos Pinos. My role at the moment is to work on a mini project in Havana, to get a feel for the construction tecniques and obsticles, and prepare for a larger project in Santo Domingo- a resource/training center. I work out of Mexico-and am interested in hearing more about your program/ training.
Barry, thanks so much for your note! I’ll e-mail you now to follow up.