Cuban Methodists

When Hurricane Melissa tore through eastern Cuba as a Category 3 storm, it left behind a trail of devastation – homes destroyed, communities flooded and lives upended. But in the midst of the chaos, Cuban Methodists responded to the call to love their neighbours.

The day following the hurricane, our friends from the Methodist Church in Cuba set out with courage and compassion with a convoy of aid towards eastern Cuba. Braving overflowing rivers and impassable roads, ministers, lay pastors and volunteers journeyed to the hardest-hit provinces – Holguín, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba – carrying emergency aid: dry and cooked food, blankets and hygiene kits. Their mission was clear: to bring relief, comfort and the love of Christ to those in desperate need.

Margarita Aboy Lozada, the Methodist Church in Cuba’s Officer for International Relations, shared the following, “Many people have been taken to government-run shelters, because they have lost their homes and their belongings. There are areas that have been completely flooded by dams that burst following the hurricane...there are villages that remain completely cut off from any communication. As a church we are transporting aid to Santiago de Cuba to families that have lost their homes and belongings, as well as to las Tunas and Holguin”.

But the response didn’t stop at physical aid. In an act of pastoral care, church members are also visiting shelters dressed as clowns – yes, clowns – to bring joy and healing to children traumatised by the hurricane. Through laughter, games, and fun activities, they are helping children rediscover hope and find healing. And through prayer and the sharing of the gospel, they are reminding families that they are not alone, but very much loved.

Across Cuba, Methodist churches have mobilised donations to support these efforts. And here in Britain, we are standing in solidarity with our partner church.

Will you join us?

Please consider giving to the World Mission Fund, so that Methodists in the UK can join with overseas partners to continue to respond in love when disaster strikes – offering not just aid, but hope, healing, and the presence of Christ: World Mission Fund - The Methodist Church

Join us in prayer for Cuba:

God over every nation, land and island,

We hold before you the island of Cuba,

Especially the eastern areas of Cuba severely affected by hurricane Melissa.

We pray for the Cuban government as they mobilise aid and work with overseas governments and NGOs to take relief to these areas of the country.

We pray for the communities that are still cut off from communication,

That a way may be found to reach them.

We pray for victims of the hurricane taking refuge in government shelters,

That they may receive timely support and aid.

We pray for children traumatized by the lived experience of a hurricane and the loss of all that is familiar to them,

That you may send your Holy Spirit to comfort them.

We thank you for the Methodist Church in Cuba that is showing the love of Christ through their actions,

That their practical, emotional and spiritual support may bring the hope of Christ to affected communities.

In the name of Christ we pray,

Amen.