Voices From Moa, Cuba: Only God’s Word gives us courage.

Before we reach the doorway, I recall people sharing what the Scriptures have meant to them across Cuba. 

I remember a young woman said. 
“My Bible helped me overcome fear and loneliness,” she says, touching her copy with care. “Each verse reminds me that I am never alone.” 

A mother agrees. “Scripture is my anchor,” she tells us. “The Bible gives me strength, guidance, and hope for my children.” 

An elderly man lifting his new Bible in his Native language which will now help him understand God’s promises more clearly and apply them in his daily work. 

These voices echo the longing felt throughout Cuba longing not only for bread or electricity, but for comfort, direction, and a sense of being held by something larger, The Bible. 

“We stand together in the crisis” 

Inside the doorway stands María Li from the Bible Society, greeting everyone. 

“We stand together in the crisis,” says Maria Li. “And we trust that God will give us what we need.” 
She pauses. “But it is hard when our greatest shortage is the Bible itself.” 

Children and teenagers are often the ones left without. For many, owning a Bible often makes the difference when it comes to living faith and church involvement. 

Longing for the Word 

Along with the congregation, pastors and leaders have also fought their way through trucks and clattering mopeds. The church gradually fills with several hundred people. 

Moa has about 70,000 inhabitants. Half of them regularly participate in Christian services and gatherings. It sounds like a classic “Bible Belt”, but it is therefore a great paradox that the Bible is in short supply here. 

“I have long wanted my own Bible. We learn a lot just by listening in church, but it would be great to read the words ourselves,” says a teenage boy. 

For many, the future feels uncertain: Cuba has experienced increasing economic problems. There are electricity rationing and long lines to buy food. 

“When I feel hopeless, I pray to God,” says a teenage girl leaning against the warm brick wall. 

“Only God’s word gives me courage and faith that there is hope for us young people.” 

As the church fills with worship, you can see that not only young people but also many older people are present. 

The pastors say that the church has experienced strong growth, especially in the last decade. 

“At a time when many feel pressured to leave the country, people are still finding new hope in the church community. Hundreds of thousands of Cubans have come to faith,” says one of them. 

“I don’t know when I last ate a meat meal,” says an elderly woman. 

But in times of need, I am so grateful that we have the community of the church and the Bible to gather around. 

Because the electricity supply is unreliable, the service is held in the afternoon hours. The fans are turned off, and gradually the air becomes heavy and hot. The congregation is packed together – around 400 chairs were set out, but now people are also standing along the walls, and several have found a place on the floor. 

As evening approaches, the daylight fades away, while the song of praise and thanksgiving to God grows louder. In the middle of the song, one of the younger pastors stands up: 

“When the future may seem dark, we should not forget the light of God’s word. The Bible gives us courage to stand in the storm,” he shouts from the pulpit. 

The congregation responds with a resounding “Amen!” 

“Prayer gives us strength” 

Hundreds of thousands of Cubans have come to faith, and the churches in Cuba are growing at a pace that few other places in the world can match. Yet the Bible is in short supply. This makes the need for international support and intercession acute. 

“Continue to pray for us, for our youth, and that the Bible shortage will one day become history. The word of God is the key to a future that many thought was lost,” says Joel Ortega Dopico (pictured), president of the Council of Churches in Cuba. 

The daily life of the people is marked by the national crisis. Power outages are part of daily life, and foods such as bread, rice, beans and meat have become luxuries. 

“I don’t know when I last ate a meat meal,” says an elderly woman. 

“But in times of need, I am so grateful that we have the community of the church and the Bible to gather around.” 

Because the electricity supply is unreliable, the service is held in the afternoon hours. The fans are silent, and gradually the air becomes heavy and hot. The congregation sits close together – about 400 chairs were displayed, but now people are also standing along the walls, and several have found a place on the floor. 

As evening approaches, the daylight disappears while the song of praise and thanks to God sounds louder. In the middle of the song, one of the younger pastors stands up: 

“When the future may seem dark, we must not forget the light of God’s word. The Bible gives us courage to stand in the storm,” he shouts from the pulpit. 

The congregation responds with a resounding “Amen!” 

“Prayer gives us strength.”

Hundreds of thousands of Cubans have come to faith, and the churches in Cuba are growing at a pace that few other places in the world can match. Yet the Bible is in short supply. This makes the need for international support and intercession acute. 

“Continue to pray for us, for our youth, and that the Bible shortage will one day become history. The word of God is the key to a future that many thought was lost,” says Joel Ortega Dopico, president of the Council of Churches in Cuba.