The sun was hot and we were all coated in varying layers of concrete, sweat, and sunscreen, but as the last block was set on our building project, none of the discomfort mattered.
By then, a crowd had gathered on the side of the road, some with tears in their eyes and bright smiles on their faces. Passing cyclists and pedestrians took their eyes off the path before them to get a better look at the newly made building, still missing a roof, but sporting a paper sign at its corner that read “Iglesia Adventista” scrawled in vibrant red marker.
During our two-week stay in Cuba from Dec. 4-16, our group of about 40 individuals had two main building projects. Our task at the first site was to haul gravel in for the floor and get the walls and gable ends erected. I don’t think I’ve ever hauled so many cement blocks in my life! In addition to the building projects, we ran a health expo and Vacation Bible School for children. On our final Sabbath, it was so exciting to witness 25 people give their lives to Jesus in baptism.
God used the church members in Cuba to teach me many lessons. They reminded me to find joy in the simple things, to be flexible, and not to take blessings for granted. Many things didn’t go according to plan during our trip. Challenges included a lack of building materials, lack of fuel, and an intense illness that spread quickly through our ranks. Despite these obstacles, God brought us through and reminded us that He had the master plan—all we had to do was have faith.
The opportunity to be a light in the darkness, to reach the unreached, is something that has changed my life forever. Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth or rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” The people of Cuba are priceless treasures, our neighbors and family members are treasures, and God has called us to store those treasures in heaven. He never said our mission for Him would be without trials, but the promise that He offered His disciples is applicable to us today. John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Jesus is calling you and I to gather His treasures. Will you answer His call?
Grace Busch finds pleasure in going on mission trips. Before her recent trip to Cuba, Grace assisted in various community service projects in Puerto Rico during her senior year at Great Lakes Adventist Academy. A member of the Grayling Seventh-day Adventist Church, she enjoys working with animals and writing.
