HAVANA, Cuba – As Eastern Cuba continues to dig out from the devastation of Category 1 Hurricane Oscar, which unleashed its fury on the island nation Oct. 20, Western Cuba has now been hit hard by Category 3 Hurricane Rafael, which made landfall near the Cuban province of Artemisa Nov. 6.
Hurricane Rafael’s estimated 115 mph winds stymied the island’s fragile electrical grid, leaving thousands in the dark. Many residents of Western Cuba who evacuated from the storm’s direct path are now beginning to return home to discover the devastation of roofs ripped from homes, collapsed buildings, downed trees and power lines, scarce food and extensive flooding.
Although communication is still difficult because of the electrical grid’s instability from the storm, Barbaro Marrero, president of the Western Cuba Baptist Convention, confirmed that many churches had been destroyed or damaged.
Western Cuba Baptist Convention’s disaster relief team, along with Send Relief, Florida Baptists, and other partners, are in the early stages of response to the devastation left behind. Marrero emphasized that such a partnership is vital in hurricane relief. He urged prayer as recovery efforts get underway. Response will be ongoing in the weeks ahead.
Florida Baptists have had a missionary partnership with the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention since January 2013 and the Western Cuba Baptist Convention since 1997. These established partnerships allow Florida Baptists to get much-needed resources to impacted communities as quickly as possible when resources are most needed.
Whenever crisis hits, Myles Dowdy, Florida Baptists’ senior catalyst for missions and ministries, knows that people search for hope amid heartbreaking circumstances. Scattered among the remnants of lives shattered by a hurricane’s fury are ample opportunities to share the hope of the Gospel, he said.
“God can use any storm in life to draw people to Him,” Dowdy said.
To contribute financial gifts to the Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention or the Western Cuba Baptist Convention for hurricane relief, please send checks payable to the Florida Baptist Convention, 6850 Belfort Oaks Place, Jacksonville, FL 32216. In the memo line on the check, designate either Eastern Cuba Baptist Convention or Western Cuba Baptist Convention, with 100% of financial gifts going directly to relief efforts in Cuba.
This story originally appeared at flbaptist.org.
