Santi Spirítus

	Sancti Spíritus is close to the geographical centre of the island and about 5 kilometers from Cuba's largest lake, Lake Zaza. Another of our humorous events occurred. We made our way through the city's maze of streets having some difficulty finding the church. Finally, quite relieved, we stopped in front of the church, and saw nobody was there! Raciel got out and did some inquiry. Soon he returned and sheepishly told us we had found the Pentecostal Church! The Adventist church (◄) was still two blocks away.
Guest evangelist, Pastor Paulo Macena (► left, from British Columbia, Canada) and the local pastor (► right) had this church very well organized for this campaign. Each of the church members fulfilled their assigned tasks with great calm and efficiency.
	Attendance at this church has been averaging 350 nightly. They had a bus (◄) that covered 40 kilometers each evening picking up visitors and returning them to their homes at the end of the service.
Like all the other churches the people arrived in a variety of different vehicles. More cars where apparent here than any of the other sites we visited. Not only did those whom came by bicycle park them inside the church, but one man even brought a spare tire into the lobby (►).
	The night we were there a youth choir sang several beautiful numbers to begin the service. One of the young artists is pictured to the left. The final number before the evening's message made the rafters ring.
Ibrahim Vazquez (33 Yrs., rear left, below with his wife and children) told us his story. "As a child I was treated violently by my father. My family rejected me completely. Sadly, as an adult, I treated my family the same way my father had treated me. I didn't believe in anything, I drank and frequently came home drunk, and used to beat my wife. Soon we were divorced and I got married for the second time but my second wife showed me the way to God. She was invited to this church by the pastor and she began talking to me about Christ but I never really listened. In my darkened mind I did not want to believe. I was deeply involved in witchcraft. Then my wife was baptized and though I was not a believer she always talked to me about wonders of Jesus." "Through her witness I finally began to study the Bible with one of the church members. The Bible teaching that had the greatest impact on me and led me to accept Christ was the truth about death and resurrection of Jesus. It was Jesus that caused me to change my life. I started going to church and found the members were wonderful." "Then I became sick and almost died. I began praying to God and made Him a promise: "If you make me well, not only I will accept Jesus as my Savior, but when I find a person spreading false information about you I will correct them and will serve as a guardian of your name." Since then God has given me life and I am a new person in Jesus."