I’m Moving! My Final Letter Here, Hope in Havana & June Giveaway

≈

 AUDIO LETTER

I ‘m Moving! My Final Letter Here, Hope in Havana & June Giveaway

0:00

This '55 Plymouth took us to and from the airport and to church. (Of course it runs - it's younger than I am!)

AFTER A TWO-WEEK HIATUS due to my ministry trip to Cuba, I’m back in this space one final time to report in and tell you about this month’s giveaway: Two copies of The Gospels, excerpted from The Message Women’s Devotional Bible, which will release later this summer.

(Read through to the end to discover my personal connection to this innovative project, how to leave your comment to enter, and where my weekly letters are headed.)

“Milagro!” 

The elderly abuela clasped her hands to her face as she watched clean water emerge from the dirty bucket.

“It’s a miracle!”

I was only in Havana for a few days, but even one hour can change someone’s life. It certainly did mine.

Our small cohort of seven Christian communicators—and one hubby—joined a larger church group from Virginia on a ministry vision trip to Havana, sponsored by the nonprofit organization Filter of Hope.

Our mission was simple: To hand-deliver two special gifts—water and the Word— to the residents of some of the poorest neighborhoods in the capital of this impoverished island nation.

Oh, the look on this precious woman's face when she tasted clean water!

Guided by skilled translators from Cuban churches, we fanned out in Havana’s legendary humidity to deliver and demonstrate top-quality water filters capable of cleansing 1,000 liters per day (for up to ten years!)

At no cost to them, each household received a first gift of the filter itself, a drill for the bucket, cleaning implement, and instructions en español laminated for future reference. For people who had been forced to boil drinking and cooking water daily (impossible during power outages) or disinfect it with Chlorox that burned stomach linings, this gift was extremely valuable.

And the second gift? Priceless. A Spanish New Testament from Tyndale Español. The good news of a God who loves them and desires to be in relationship with them, giving them the peace, joy, and esperanza to live in a world that has failed them.

They nodded in understanding as we explained via translation that just as dirty water affects our physical health, sin—going our own way from God—affects our spiritual health. People try to become right with God through good works, church attendance, giving money or making sacrifices, but it doesn’t work.

We took their bucket of water and added a cup of dirt, representing the reality of our lives. None of us can ever be “good enough” to make us right with God, even when we add numerous cups of clean water (our good deeds.) What each of us needs instead is a filter —forgiveness of our sin and a new heart. That filter is what Jesus did for us on the cross. His death paid for our sins, making us forever clean in God’s sight.

Is this a popular message in today’s pluralistic culture, that there is only one way to God? Following the One who identified himself as the way, the truth, and the life was never intended to be popular. But despite doubt and disbelief, the scoffing of cynics and skeptics, it is no less true.

And last week in the crowded barrios of Havana, we met new followers of the Christ, the one who came to give them water that they might never be thirsty again.

Exactly what did we witness in the lives of Leo and Mariuska, Ebri and abuela Marlaina?

I’d call it un milagro. A miracle.

Friends, I cannot speak highly enough of the impact that Filter of Hope’s work has on the lives of people around the world. No one should have to live without clean drinking water.

You may not be able to travel to Cuba or another of the 70 countries worldwide where FOH filters are in use, but you can still be a part of the miracle. A $50 donation purchases a life-saving water filter that will go to a family in need along with the good news of Living Water.  

Click here to go directly to the Filter of Hope website. (I’d be blessed to know if you do.)

Gracias, amigos!

BEFORE I GO. . .

Yep, I’m moving! Or at least my weekly letters are. They’re packing to head to a new home online hopefully as early as next week. The format might look a bit different, but Substack should mail them to your inbox much more reliably than my current server has been. If you’re already a subscriber, there’s nothing you need to do,

JUNE GIVEAWAY: As many of you know, The Message is a contemporary rendering of the Bible from the original languages, crafted to present its tone, rhythm, events, and ideas in everyday language.

This month two of you will win a copy of The Gospels, excerpted from The Message Women’s Devotional Bible. The complete NavPress devotional Bible, with commentary written by women for women, will release in August. I was privileged to be one of an assembly of 80 biblical scholars who wrote topical devotions throughout along with profiles on important figures in the Bible.

I’m excited to be able to gift two copies to winners chosen at random from those who leave comments below. And if you already know you wish to order copies for yourself or as a gift, you can use this link to purchase the Gospels portion and pre-order the full Bible: https://shorturl.at/BeHNx/ .