During the month of April, our family stayed busy winning souls, singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, preaching (me only), and taking part in other activities in the church.

My birthday is in the month of April! I turned 49 years young. Amen! I am now officially a 49er! Thank you for the birthday wishes I received by email and through cards.

I get most of our Spanish materials (Sunday school lessons, books, Bibles, etc.) from Mexico. It is most convenient. I pay for some of them, and others are donated by laymen or churches as a whole. I even bring Mexican candy into Cuba, but not the spicy candy, because Cuban children don’t eat it. A layman recently made a large donation of candy. Thank the Lord.

Every time I make my journey to the eastern cities of Cuba to preach and go soul winning, I take the bus from city to city. I spend several days in each city where I stop. When I reach the final destination of Holguin, I then take the bus back non-stop to Havana, which is a long, tiring, very boring, 13-hour ride. On my last trip in February, I purchased a Cubana plane ticket from Holguin back to Havana. It was only a one-hour flight. So I said to myself, I am flying back to Havana from now on! Then on May 19, a Cubana flight leaving Havana Airport on its way to Holguin crashed, killing all 110 passengers. I was reminded that in the last five years, three Cubana planes have crashed. I guess I am going back to the 13-hour, long, and boring bus ride—I am not ready to go to Heaven yet. “And Jesus answering said unto him, it is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” (Luke 4:12)

In the early days of my ministry, the first area I visited (after Havana, of course) was the province of Pinar del Rio. It is located 1 hour and 45 minutes west of Havana. I went there several times. I met a Cuban pastor and his wonderful family. Unfortunately, a year after we met, the family left the country, so I stopped going to that province. Recently a Cuban pastor from Havana told me that he has good contacts there in Pinar del Rio. He has a burden for that area and would like to start a mission church there. He asked me if I wanted to go with him to look around the area and pray about helping him in the work. Needless to say, we are going to Pinar del Rio next week. I will tell you all about it in my next letter.

Please pray for:

1. My wife’s health.
2. Our finances.
3. The power of God.

In His service,

Ricardo Leyva