The lights shine in the darkness…

At the beginning of May, the Cuban government declared that the country had essentially run out of fuel—both diesel and fuel oil. This has resulted in power blackouts of up to 20 hours a day across Cuba, with some rural areas going without electricity for as long as five days. The consequences have been devastating, deeply affecting already vulnerable healthcare and education systems, food availability, and transport.

While solar panelling on some homes, hospitals and vehicles has helped to mitigate some of these severe challenges, daily life has now become even harder for ordinary Cubans.

In the midst of this, people are having to adapt in extraordinary ways. Families are purchasing what little food is available day by day, without the ability to refrigerate it. Many are cooking over firewood fires. Public transport is extremely limited, with only a small number of buses still operating. Cars are being repurposed as taxis, while others travel by bicycle, electric bike, or even by horse and cart.

This is a growing humanitarian crisis, with no clear end in sight. The entrenched political positions of both the US and the Cuban government continue to shape a difficult and uncertain future. While there are signs of cautious diplomacy, the situation remains fragile and unpredictable for the people of Cuba.

And yet, even in the midst of such deep challenge, there are signs of hope.

The Methodist Church in Cuba continues to be salt and light within its communities. In fact, there has been a noticeable increase in church attendance as the crisis has intensified. People are turning to God, seeking comfort, strength, and hope through the life of the Church. There have even been testimonies of miraculous healings—powerful reminders of God’s presence—in a context where medicine, medical care and equipment are scarce or unavailable.

This promise is being lived out in very real and practical ways. Thanks to a solidarity grant of £15,000 from the Methodist Church in Britain’s World Mission Fund, the Methodist Church in Cuba will quite literally be able to bring light into the darkness. Solar panels will be purchased and distributed to the most vulnerable families, as well as to local churches.

These churches will become places of refuge and community support—spaces where people can charge phones, cook meals, and refrigerate food using solar-generated electricity. In doing so, the Church is not only proclaiming the gospel, but embodying it, meeting urgent physical needs while offering spiritual hope.

A call to prayer

At this critical time, we are invited to stand alongside our friends in Cuba in prayer.

Let us pray for:

• Those living without reliable access to electricity, food and transport
• The strengthening of the Methodist Church in Cuba as it serves its communities
• Wisdom and compassion among leaders, both within Cuba and internationally
• Hope, resilience and the sustaining presence of God for all who are struggling
• That the people of Cuba will hold fast to the truth that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.”