In memory of a brave pastor in Cuba

Cuba's growing church!

Olof Amkoff, the far right of the picture and Donald Appelfeldt to my left. Pastor Thomas Scull seen with his wife Ruby and their children: Sarah, Elizabeth and Tomasi.

1998 banned the regime him to continue to have "cultos", worship, and he was in prison several times. 

On our trip to Cuba, I had time and Kalle Appelfeldt interview Pastor Fernando Leyva, before he died a week later. He stands in the middle with Bible in hand.

Communist and fought ye brought Marxist MPLA guerrillas

He was a communist and believed in Castro's revolution and was sent to Angola to fight the Marxist MPLA guerrilla side against UNITA guerrillas during the civil war that began in 1975.

He fought for two years in Angola and was an active officer in 10 years. Of the 40,000 Cuban soldiers in Angola, 15,000 died, and when Fernando was told that no widow's or any other aid paid to the bereaved, he was so disappointed with the regime and communism that he stopped believing in both of them.

Was saved at a funeral

When his cousin's 7-year-old daughter died in 1990, he was present at the funeral, and there was one who preached the gospel of Jesus that He is the Resurrection and the Life. Then he was saved, and his wife a month later.

Many soldiers and party members have been saved, both senior military officers and officials, but few dare to go out with it publicly because then they fired.

A female party activist who was pushing to have him jailed in the 1990s, he met only recently, when she confessed himself a Christian!

15 evangelical churches

Fernando trained as a pastor and founded an evangelical church in his home town of Bejucal with 25,000 inhabitants. Then there was to be a Catholic church and a regime friendly Baptist church, both of liberation theology. Now there are 15 evangelical churches there.

Was in prison

1998 banned the regime him to continue to have "cultos", worship, and he was in prison several times.

But he defied the ban and continued with their meetings. He had completely lost their fear of the regime and testified boldly on their faith in "Christ" until his death last week.

Seen Cuba turns

Recently, he led a major in the army to believe. He said in our interview with him that he was "honored Pastor Thomas Scull (to the right of Fernando) who have seen Cuba turned over its 70-year life from being totally dominated by atheism, Marxism, Catholicism, animism, that now have many vibrant Pentecostal and evangelical churches around the island, in response to our prayers and perseverance. We have been faithful to death, despite the blacklisting and other things, but God has fulfilled his promises to us! "

Next year, the regime will note that it was 100 years ago, the Pentecostal movement came to Cuba. It will be televised event and has granted a conference building for the purpose!

Publicerades torsdag, 21 november 2019 18:06:33 +0100 i kategorin Läsarmejl och i ämnena: