Excitement is growing among Seventh-day Adventists in Pilon, Cuba, as their new house of worship is nearing completion for a March 25 dedication. Adventist pastor Israel Leito, president of the church’s Inter-America region, is expected to preside at the ceremony.

According to church sources in Havana, in addition to the dedication celebration, the weekend will also include a special event Friday March 24 at La Vibora Church in Havana, on the opposite side of the island from Pilon. Along with these events, thousands of copies of the Desire of Ages, a book on the life of Christ, are currently being shipped to Cuba and, for the first time, will be made available to church members there.

For nearly a dozen years, Maranatha Volunteers International (MVI), a non-profit Christian organization that organizes and implements the construction of urgently needed buildings all over the world, has played a key role in Adventist mission in the island country of Cuba. During that time, more than 200 MVI construction projects have been completed, including a seminary where future spiritual leaders are training for church ministry in the country.

“These churches have had a tremendous impact on our believers in Cuba,” says Don Noble, MVI president. “But while the church continues to grow in number and expand in places where new houses of worship were constructed, the last 12 years have also brought greater challenges, including a sharp increase in the cost of construction,” he adds.

For several reasons, it is now more expensive than ever to build a church in Cuba, Noble says: “For example, the cost to convert dollars to pesos now comes with a steep conversion premium. Add to that the fact that construction materials are more expensive, too. A bag of cement that once cost just under US$1 now requires nearly US$7.”

Despite the increased costs, the church continues to grow in Cuba, and with that growth the need for church buildings keeps growing as well.