God, in her infinite wisdom, works miracles...

Think about the absurdity of this: religious group has to ask permission of a secular institution, the United States government, to be able to go to Cuba to preach the gospel and also to provide medical education by the pastor's wife. I'm certain that the medical education is covered under their religious license for travel to Castro's Red Dungeon today.

Given how restricted Cuban-Americans are on how much they can send to the few family members now permitted under Bush's re- formulation of who's in the family and who isn't, some people must wonder how this church will be able to PURCHASE a house in Cuba for SIX THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS. (I'm assuming that these folks are sincere religious prosletyzers.) It's good here to note that they say they'd be in Cuba full-time if they could be.

Seriously, one must wonder, given the scrutiny which some groups of a religious bent have been subjected to, how this group has been able to travel to Cuba FIVE TIMES since the fall of 2005 - in other words - during the past approximately sixteen MONTHS, while Cuban-Americans can only see THEIR family members once every THREE YEARS. Let's leave such puzzlements to those of less faith in the wonderous ways in which our Lord, in her infinite wisdom, works her various miracles.

I have personally attended religious services such as are held in small private house-based churches, and met some of the devotees of these faiths here in Cuba. Their sincerity, I must tell you, is palpable. What a difference there is between these people and the way they preach God's word, and the massive $$$$ -based system of evangelism we have in the capitalist word. All of this is further proof of the absurdity of Washington's Cuba blockade. It's time to normalize relations with Cuba NOW!


Walter Lippmann
March 6, 2007

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Ankeny group collecting equipment for Cuba trip
March 6, 2007
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070306/NEWS/703060313/\1025/NEWS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

A group from the Ankeny area is going to Cuba to play baseball. And the group wants to take along as many donated baseballs, bats and gloves as the members can transport.

Twenty people, led by Greg Ambroson of Alleman, president of Ministry in Action, plan to travel to Cuba March 16 through 25. While there, the Americans will challenge a Cuban baseball team in a three-day competition. After the games, the mission group will take the crowd to another location for a snack and a Cuban worship service.

"We're going to get the socks kicked off us, I'm sure. They make it clear to us that Cubans invented the game of baseball," said Ambroson, who is traveling to Cuba for the fifth time. "But we hope our presence will encourage the local Christians, bolster their spirits and support their work."

As part of the outreach, Ministry in Action is taking donations of baseball equipment to distribute to Cuban children. Donations may be dropped off at Cross Train Fitness, 107 First St., Ankeny; and Play It Again Sports, 9980 Swanson Blvd., Clive.

"The average Cuban's income is $12 per month, so Cuban children don't have toys. They use homemade balls and sticks or maybe a board to play baseball. Very few of them have baseball equipment," Ambroson said.

The mission group faces many other challenges as it attempts to share the Gospel in Cuba. Since traveling to Cuba from the United States is not normally allowed, the group has a license from the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of Commerce that allows it to travel to Cuba to administer humanitarian aid. Because few U.S. flights go to Cuba, the group needs to travel through a third country, so the Ankeny group is flying through Toronto, Canada. Once in Cuba, the group needs a permit to gather people, but no evangelizing is allowed in the open air. Those gathered will be trucked to a building where a snack and the Gospel will be shared.

The Americans will also work on a new ministry center and minister to local churches. Greg's wife, Rosemary, a diabetes educator at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, will conduct diabetes education. The Ambrosons' daughter, Randa, a sophomore at Ankeny Christian Academy, also will make the trip. The family hopes by fall to go to Cuba for a month at a time rather than just few weeks.

"I've have traveled there four times since my first trip in the fall of 2005 during a break from teaching Bible classes at Ankeny Christian Academy," Greg said. Although he no longer teaches at ACA, Ambroson is taking along several of his former students, including Jacob Cooper, Josh Andersen and Joe Carroll.

The group hopes to buy a building for use as a church and home for a pastor Ambroson has worked with the past year. "Currently the pastor and his family ride one bicycle from their home to the city where the church is located. The commute takes up to three hours one way, and the return home is usually after dark," Ambroson said.

The building purchase costs $6,000, but it will allow the pastor and his family to live on the small second floor, leaving the ground floor for the church. The family will sell its current home, valued at about $1,000, and use the money for renovations and seating in the new church. The congregation currently meets in the home of a member. The home becomes very crowded. People listen from other rooms and many stand outside the home and peer through the windows to hear the services.

Persons wanting to donate to the ministry may send contributions to Ministry in Action, 814 S.E. Peterson Drive, Ankeny, Ia., 50021. For more information, contact Greg Ambroson at (515) 554-0152.

"Cuba is a different world, and it's very expensive to travel there. But we go to give hope to the people, to let them know the rest of the world has not forgotten them. If it wasn't for the embargo on Cuba, our family would be there full-time," Ambroson said. "It's definitely where our heart is. We'd love to be in Cuba full time."

- Submitted by Liz Anderson