Witness at work
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Parque Central in Havana with the Capitolio in the background.
many ways, but the Lord has always provided miraculously.” The Cuban Communist Party is formally atheistic and discourages all forms of organized religion. So, in the decades since the revolution, the once staunchly Catholic island is now mostly irreligious. In fact, according to a 2015 article in The Washington Post, 44 percent of Cubans identify as unreligious, 27 percent as Catholic, 13 percent as Santeria or Order of Osha (a religious combination of Catholicism and pagan ritualism), 2 percent as protestant, 2 percent as something else, and 9 percent gave no answer. For the 68 percent of Cubans unfamiliar with Christ, the Havana Baptist Theological Seminary exists as a critical spiritual lifeline. However, it is still difficult to minister in Cuba. According to Harrison, sharing the Gospel outside the four walls of a
church is outlawed. He said, “You are not allowed to evangelize in the streets. It’s illegal.” Sadly, Cuba is also economically underdeveloped. According to the World Bank, the average Cuban can expect to earn less than $8,000 per year. That’s $21,000 less than the average American brings home. As a result, most Cubans struggle to maintain suitable housing and depend on the Communist Party for even basic essentials. According to Harrison, “They live on allotments. They have egg, bread, potato, and meat lines where people wait to have food distributed to them by the government.” During his visit, Joe Juban took close notice of the poor living conditions in Havana. He said, “I’d stand up on the roof of our hotel and look out. There was a building across the street, and you could see where people were living on the rooftop.
They had a tent set up, and there was cooking paraphernalia. That’s how those people lived.” Marrero and his team, like the rest of Cuba, are forced to make the best out of a tough political situation. They provide for their students as well as they can, relying on donations from missionaries like Harrison. Even though circumstances might seem bleak, the students and staff at the Havana Baptist Theological Seminary are filled with the joy of the Lord. Joe Juban said, “They are incredibly resourceful and full of energy. They love the Lord, smile all the time, and they all have such a joy to be there.” Philip Juban was astounded by the passion the native Cubans have for sharing the love of Jesus with their countrymen. He said, “They are so anxious to get out there and start spreading the Gospel. It’s exciting that Baton Rouge Christian Life Magazine l june 2017
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