Maranatha Volunteers International's work in Cuba recently reached a milestone when crews finally began construction of the Nuevitas Seventh-day Adventist Church building in September 2024.

In response to Cuba’s current economic crisis, Maranatha had temporarily diverted from its construction emphasis and focused on shipping basic necessities, including food and medicine, to the Adventist Church organization there. These efforts are more vital than ever in light of Hurricane Rafael, power outages, and a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that have worsened the nation’s outlook. For Maranatha, the Nuevitas church project is an exciting return to construction in Cuba, after repeated postponement because of logistical hindrances.

“We’re excited to see the Nuevitas project underway,” said Maranatha’s chief operating officer Kenneth Weiss. “It represents the passion of donors and the hard work of team members who had to navigate the setbacks caused by Cuba’s unfortunate economic situation.”

Work at Nuevitas was postponed when the procurement of construction supplies proved costly and time-consuming in light of Cuba’s challenges. Without options to purchase the necessary materials, including steel and concrete, on the island, Maranatha embarked on the lengthy and complex process of shipping supplies from Panama. After three containers with construction materials arrived, Maranatha’s in-country crew was finally equipped to begin. The organization is currently raising funds for additional containers of cement needed to complete the project.

Maranatha is expanding its strategies to provide urgently needed places of worship more quickly. In addition to construction of new buildings, the organization is buying and renovating houses in Havana for congregational meeting places. These buildings will accommodate worshippers who live far from other Adventist churches and serve as outreach centers for their communities. Generous donors have funded the purchase of two houses already, and Maranatha is seeking funds for several more.

In addition to complicating the church construction process, Cuba’s economic plight has sorely affected the Cuba Adventist Theological Seminary. No longer self-sufficient, the seminary has received food supplies from Maranatha donors. Without this support, the institution would have already shut down.

Maranatha is also sponsoring students and covering other operational costs at the seminary. While Maranatha does not typically raise funds for projects outside of construction, for this unique situation the organization has sought donors to help raise US$120,000 to prepare more than 100 students for ministry throughout this school year and summer.

Cuba’s ever-shifting political circumstances complicate construction work on the island. Projects can take years to get off the ground and complete. Despite all this, Maranatha has remained active in Cuba since 1994, building and remodeling more than 200 Adventist churches and the Adventist seminary.

Maranatha Volunteers International is a nonprofit supporting ministry and is not operated by the corporate Seventh-day Adventist Church. The original article was published on the Maranatha Volunteers International website.