CUBA MISSION TRIP
MARCH 18 -24, 2017
INFORMATION PACKET
WWW.HOLYCROSS.NET | 843-883-3586
From Mission Leader, Dave Huempfner,
Parishioner at Holy Cross Daniel Island
My name is Dave Huempfner and I am writing for two
reasons. First, will you please be praying with me as I
step out in faith, planning a mission trip to Cuba in
March of 2017? Second, will you please pray seriously
about joining me on this mission trip?
Why did I decide to lead a mission to Cuba?
Short answer
To share the love of Christ that was shown to me by my
church family during my battle with cancer with those
who may have never experienced that same love
through simple acts of kindness and service.
Long Answer
After my last mission trip to Mexico toward the end of 2014, I felt like there may be another opportunity to
serve. That trip allowed me to serve those in word and deed, which impacted my life for the Lord profoundly.
Later in 2015, I began discussing and praying with my friend Laurie about the next possible trip. The call to
Cuba came, but life and over the course of that year I gave it little thought. Part of the reason for delay came
from being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments.
Throughout this period the Lord refined me and allowed me to see have fragile life was and how blessed I
was.
The Lord had began a work in me while on the Mexico Mission Trip and opened my eyes to the spiritual
needs of others by ministering to their physical needs. During my cancer battle He further opened my eyes to
the physical needs of others by ministering to their spiritual needs of other patients going through the same
battle I underwent. In both cases I was able to witness first hand the impact of Christ Jesus’ command to
“love one another as yourself” and its is what enables me to seek and serve Him.
Fast forward to late 2015 and before the normalization of US-Cuban relations. My son began to ask me when
my next mission trip would be which renewed my thoughts and prayers about serving others on another trip.
Through a series of events the Lord started putting Cuba back on my heart. However, my lack of experience,
links to the country, and limited use of the language caused me to doubt what I was hearing. After struggling
with my own hang ups, doubts, and fears, I surrendered and asked God to make it abundantly obvious that
Cuba was where He wanted me to serve. Within 12 hours of that prayer I was sitting in a restaurant with my
family and had my answer- On a closed captioned TV the news broke that US was normalizing relations with
Cuba. That was March of this year and when I prayed again about when, I got a clear answer - 1 year, March
2017.
Having absolutely no contacts or links to Cuba, I began to reach out to anyone who I thought might. I also
began to pray for guidance. What I found could only be explained as the Lord’s hand at work. There already
existed a Christian Missions Group- Experience Missions (EM) who over the course of the last 2 years had
already been sending teens, college students, and adults to Cuba. I also began to understand that my preconceived notions about access to Cuba and the potential for danger were wrong.
Diving into their website, I continued my research into EM and found that “Since the summer of 2004, EM
has grown its presence to over a dozen local communities, where volunteers serve on mission trips every
year to support the local community vision, providing resources and build relationships along the way.
Since its humble beginning, EM has grown from a small, one-man operation to one of the leading short-term
mission organizations in the United States, and the organization has an excellent foundation from which to
pursue its mission and goals in the future. Currently, EM is recruiting teams and individuals to serve in over
20 partner communities in the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa”.
With a firm location to reach and a defined time frame I now had a potential means to reach Cuba; so I
reached out to EM. I wanted to see if they were legit and if the Lord’s hand had led me to my last logistical
need. To my pleasant surprise, they were indeed the real deal. After speaking with and interviewing one of
their team leaders, I was able to get information about past, present, and future mission trips EM took to
Cuba with other groups. I felt certain that this was an answer to prayer and followed by confirmation from
the Lord by another series of events.
“Each year thousands of people go on short-term mission trips. Some feel a nudge to be a part of something
that benefits someone else. Others seek out a mission trip for the adventure of new things and the hope of
personal growth. They have a desire to see, experience and discover their faith in new and meaningful
ways.”-EM
Additionally, I believe that Christian mission trips are about fulfilling Christ’s gospel message and His last
command before ascending to heaven:
18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”…(Matthew 29: 18-20)
Will you join me in answering Christ’s call? Will you search your heart and ask the Lord if you are meant to
be 1 of the 9 who will travel to Cuba in March of 2017 following Christ’s Great Commission?
If so, please let me know.
Blessings,
Dave
843-200-1332
Detailed Information
TRIP BACKGROUND:
Cuba has a rich culture and dramatic history, fraught
with tension between the Cuban government and that of
the United States. Relations between these two
countries have just recently begun to normalize.
Humanitarian trips through non-profit
organizations (like a mission trip) are allowed into the
country by the U.S. and are welcomed by the Cuban
government.
In March of 2017, 10 missionaries will discover a place
unlike anywhere they’ve ever served, where the local
church is vibrant, passionate, and rapidly growing, all
under the rule of an anti-religion, communist government.
It will be a chance to experience the real Cuba while interacting with Christians and churches of many
different denominations, investing in relationships with local people, and serving in a variety of ways.
Our partners lead a “practical help” and evangelistic ministry to families with children with physical and
mental disabilities—in many cases both at the same time. The families of these children are, for the most
part, on their own in Cuba. Our Mission team visiting Cuba will be able to visit with families and facilitate a
Kids Club for these amazing kids. Our partners are eager to share what this ministry is all about as well as
their visions for the future. As resources come in, our partners will be able to expand their ministry and
serve more families
WHO:
Members of the Church of the Holy Cross are looking to raise $16K in funds for a team of 10 missionaries to
travel from Charleston, SC to go on a mission trip to Cuba. This team is still forming and 7 spots are still
available. We are stepping out in faith with God expecting Him to call those individuals meant to share in
this experience with us. Please pray for our missionaries and see if you are one of the 10 that the Lord is
calling to minister on his behalf in Cuba.
WHAT:
Our team of 10 missionaries will have the opportunity to work alongside community members and show
God's love through serving together in many ways. Some of those opportunities will be through a
combination of Agricultural Production Ministry projects where we may build additions to supplement the
local community’s farm or help plant/harvest mangos, guavas, papayas, and pineapple on this farm. In
addition to these service projects our time will also be working on behalf of Jesus through outreach
ministries to the local community’s families by conducting a Kids Club and by ministering to those children
with mental & physically disabilities.
For further detail see descriptions under the Activities & Opportunities Section.
WHEN:
On March 18th 2017 our team of 10 missionaries will travel from Charleston, SC to Miami, FL where we will
board a charter flight to Cuba to meet the needs of the local rural communities and families.
WHERE:
Pre Mission:
Starting in October the Holy Cross Missionary Team will come together once a month to fellowship with each
other while preparing our hearts and minds both spiritual and physical for this trip.
On Sunday March 12th 2017, the missionary team & our families will gather for service at Holy Cross to be
commissioned prior to our team’s departure to the mission field.
ON MISSION:
Upon arrival to Cuba via Jose Marti International Airport the team will travel to the town of Matanzas, Cuba
(80 miles east Havana) to the mission house. Over the course of the next seven days, our missionary team will
head out daily into rural communities surrounding Matanzas to minister and serve others.
POST MISSION:
Upon returning from our mission trip our team will attend designated services both at Holy Cross Sullivan’s
Island & Daniel Island to share with each congregation the stories and impact of our trip.
LOCATION DESCRIPTION
Cuba is an island located in the Caribbean Sea, 90 miles south of key West, Florida. In the early decades of
Castro’s revolution, Christian churches were suppressed. Most of the pastors left the island, and those who
stayed endured months, and in some cases, years, of “re-education.” Not many Cuban Christians faithfully
attended church during these difficult years, but In the 80's, after what seemed an eternity of desperate
prayer, Cuban Christians suddenly experienced a powerful revival. Attendance in the existing churches
exploded, thousands of new churches were formed, and many group leaders and pastors were called into the
ministry. Today Cuban Christians still have the church buildings that were established before 1959, and they
are turning as many house churches as possible into regular, recognized churches.
ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Projects
Agricultural Production Ministry
In 2007, our partners purchased six acres of land. Visiting teams have played a huge role in building a fairly
large open pavilion and are now adding a series of rooms and additions that will facilitate both farm and
ministry activities.
For two years, several tons of fruits and vegetables were coming out of this farm to help those who needed it,
and the farm was allowed to operate a roadside stand that sold enough to meet some of the operating
expenses. After the hurricanes of 2008, when many farms were decimated, this farm was one of the first in
the area to bounce back and start producing. Recently, less-productive fruit trees were replaced with
excellent varieties of mango, guava, and papaya trees. Within two years, they hope the farm will be selfsufficient while giving large amounts of food to those in need. This farm not only supplies an enormous
amount of fruit and feed, but also serves as a meeting area for continuing education conferences, women’s
and youth events, and other ministries. Teams will have the opportunity to work alongside community
members and show God's love through serving together in many ways.
Outreach Ministry
Due to the unique nature of this community, the opportunity for relational ministry may take place directly
at your teams worksite as you come along side and encourage those you have come to serve. There may be
additional opportunities to serve in various types of people ministry if the need arises. These types of
ministry could include things like visiting the elderly, gardening, cleaning etc.
Mental & Physical disability family ministry
Our partners lead a “practical help” and evangelistic ministry to families with children with physical and
mental disabilities—in many cases both at the same time. The families of these children are, for the most
part, on their own in Cuba. Mission teams visiting Cuba will be able to visit with families and facilitate a Kids
Club for these amazing kids. Our partners are eager to share what this ministry is all about as well as their
visions for the future. As resources come in, our partners will be able to expand their ministry and serve
more families.
In this community, connecting with the local children through children's ministry is an important part of
what we do. Teams coming to this community must expect to participate in Kids Club. Experience Mission
will provide the curriculum for your teams use. This Kids Club curriculum will be sent out to Team Leaders
in the spring via email. Your team may be asked to participate in multiple Kids Clubs and avenues of
ministering to children.
Teams will be responsible to bring the craft supplies needed for their specific crafts and should budget
appropriately. While we do our best to make sure the craft materials are cost effective, teams may feel free to
augment any materials to make them more suitable to their budget. Experience Mission will supply scissors,
staplers, paper hole punches and rulers. There are plenty of opportunities to connect with the local children
through games like soccer or Frisbee. Tuck in a hacky sack, soccer ball or jump rope as they are sure to come
in handy.
TYPICAL SCHEDULE
Following is a basic schedule for the week, but we approach this with flexibility because our ultimate focus is
on relationships.
Each morning, there is time set aside for devotions and quiet time. Experience Mission has devotionals and
mission journals that are available for purchase or teams can supply their own. This is a valuable time and we
strongly encourage everyone to spend it with God journaling their thoughts and experiences as the days
unfold.
Our staff will lead a time of debriefing and a short devotional in the evening (what we call "Evening
Gathering") and it is always a great addition to have musical worship. Our programming does not include
musical worship as we can’t guarantee that our our staff will have this ability. Please let us know if you have
anyone who sings or plays guitar on your trip so that we can help to coordinate the musical aspect of worship
when able. If teams aren’t able to help in the area of music, it may not be a part of the trip.
SAMPLE DAILY SCHEDULE
Please note: This is not a final schedule for this mission, just a general outline of a typical trip
Day One
Groups Arrive
5:00 - Leader's Meeting
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Orientation Meeting
8:30 - Team Time (a time for your group alone)
10:00 - Lights Out
Day Two
7:15 - Breakfast
7:45 - Devotions and Quite time
8:30 - Team leaves for church
9:30 - Divide group & distribute between churches to learn about "The Church in Cuba"
12:00 - Lunch
4:30 - Arrive at Housing site
5:00 - Leaders Meeting
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Evening gathering
10:00 - Lights Out
Day Three - Five
7:15 - Breakfast
7:45 - Devotions and Quiet Time
8:15 - Group Prayer
8:30 - Teams leave for Kids Club/ Work day
12:00 - Lunch
3:30 - Finish Work for the day
4:00 - Break and Clean-up
5:00 - Leaders meeting
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Evening program (as a whole group)
8:30 - Team time
10:00 - Lights Out
Day Six
7:00 - Breakfast
8:00 - Visit La Habana
12:00 - Lunch
5:00 - Leaders meeting
6:00 - Dinner
7:00 - Evening program (as a whole group)
8:30 - Team time
10:00 - Lights Out
Day Seven
7:15 - Breakfast
8:00 - Cleanup/ Pack
8:30 - Commissioning
9:00 - Pictures and Good-Byes
Links/Sources of Interest
YouTube Video: Cuba –Experience Missions
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEw
iC7ZLBxITPAhXMRyYKHQymCWwQtwIINDAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv=JVu
9JGT0Of8&usg=AFQjCNEYkI_UiwzHFIYh4OSbCevMp6Njjw&sig2=FUBvsKpcaA0BfZccc9SLRg
The above hyperlink takes you to YouTube where, Mission Team members from First Presbyterian Church of
Boulder, CO (The Annex college ministry) share their experiences of participating in a mission trip to Cuba,
addressing common questions and fears about traveling to this communist country.
Cuba Ministry Links:
Blogs: Experience Missions - Cuba
House Church Movement:
http://experiencemission.org/blog/blog.asp?blog=default&blogid=283E82A7-537F-475B-988686DBFC40296B&recordkey=53C912CF-F5D8-4F61-AFC0-8A178A3BA72F
“Grocery Shopping”
http://experiencemission.org/blog/blog.asp?blog=default&blogid=283E82A7-537F-475B-988686DBFC40296B&recordkey=E95E45D0-5113-48B4-A9F9-9BC661449B75
Mangos Everywhere
http://experiencemission.org/blog/blog.asp?blog=default&blogid=283E82A7-537F-475B-988686DBFC40296B&recordkey=084B93B3-26DF-4C3C-BCDF-A5CD4300C77A
Blogs: University of Purdue w/ Experience Missions- Cuba
Building Bridges in Cuba
http://www.purdueexponent.org/campus/article_8e120798-ad0e-58ce-9c98-91b6f7b1559b.html