As the COVID-19 pandemic was raging around the globe, the Caribbean Island nation of Cuba was not an exception. With churches closed, interaction with other church members or people interested in studying the Bible became almost nonexistent. In those dark times of isolation Boyeros Seventh-day Adventist Church elder Jose Luis Leon Torres often wondered how to keep sharing the good news of Jesus despite the circumstances.

Then he had an idea. “Why don’t we start cooking hot meals and taking them to people who are hungry?” Jose told his wife, Yaremis Leon. “We might even reach some of those who would never attend an Adventist service even if churches were open.”

“The idea was to start serving others who were physically hungry, no strings attached, so they could enjoy a hot meal every Sabbath,” Yaremis Leon shared. “And then wait for the Lord to lead.”

Hope on a Plate

The Leons’ brainstorm of that day eventually led to what would become “Llevando Esperanza” (Carrying Hope), a lay-led ministry that every week provides dozens of meals to the homeless and other people in need in the community around the local congregation. The ministry has grown and evolved to also provide spiritual food to people, eventually leading to dozens of baptisms.

“At the beginning we pooled our meager resources with the contributions from other church members and began cooking at home,” Yaremis Leon shared. Jose Leon said he was thankful that as soon as they shared the idea, other members decided to support it. “It began to grow fast,” he acknowledged. “Members who grew vegetables would bring from their harvest, and others would pitch in with whatever they could get hold of to keep the ministry open.”

People enjoy a hot meal and fellowship as part of the Carrying Hope ministry in Havana, Cuba. Photo: Yaremis Leon

Photo: Yaremis Leon

Yaremis Leon (right), with one of the neighbors who regularly benefits from the Carrying Hope ministry. Photo: Yaremis Leon

Photo: Yaremis Leon

The Local Church Steps In

As the pandemic subsided and churches reopened, the Leons decided that their home was too small to cater to all the needs they saw, and took the initiative to the Boyeros church. The church embraced it, and the ministry was officially launched on June 30, 2022. It also evolved, the Leons shared.

“We would walk around the community, inviting people to come to church for fellowship and a hot meal,” Jose Leon shared. “Then, after they were well fed physically, we would share a message from God’s Word, thanks to Bible studies specifically designed to meet the needs of that group.”

Jose Leon explained that the ministry is not just about a hot meal or Bible studies. “We began to spend the day with them, going out and letting them experience simple things such as singing and praying at the end of the Sabbath,” he recounted. “It was nothing more than Christ’s method, based on approaching people and being friendly with them.”

Yaremis Leon reported that with the support of other local church members, the ministry evolved to include visitations to shut-ins and sick people.

“Some of us would take turns cleaning their homes,” she shared. “We went around visiting sick people in hospitals, focusing on those who had no regular visitors to provide a word of comfort and encouragement.”

A Multiplying, Life-transforming Effect

Before such display of love and care, many of those reached expressed a desire to know more about the Bible, and eventually asked how they could also become part of the congregation.

“Between 2022 and 2023, 45 people were baptized, 41 of them as a direct result of the ministry,” Jose Leon reported. By December 2024, 35 more had been baptized. “Several of them have now become leaders in our congregation,” he said. “And some of the new members have embraced the project in such a way that they also go around bringing others, such as they were, to be fed, study the Bible, and accept Jesus through baptism.”

Yaremis Leon shared the story of a local street sweeper, in charge of keeping the area where the Boyeros church is clean.

“He had a strong character,” she shared. “He would regularly trade insults and swear to passersby.” Yaremis Leon explained that when the ministry moved to the local church three years ago, Jose Leon invited the sweeper to church. “It’s been three years now, and after he got baptized, he began to go around, inviting and bringing others to church. Some of those he brought have now been baptized as well,” she reported, beaming.

Beyond providing the much-needed physical food, Yaremis Leon explained that their goal is not hidden. “The idea is that one way or the other, people get to know Jesus,” she said.

Where the Ministry Funding Comes From

Amid an acute economic crisis across Cuba, providing food for dozens of people every week is a challenge, the Leons acknowledged. So far, the ministry has somehow been able to keep moving forward, they said.

“We have the support of other church members and our church leaders, who have stepped in to assist when our means were not enough,” they acknowledged. “We don’t have much, but what we have, we share.”

The Leons said they are very thankful to Maranatha [Volunteers International], as their leaders got acquainted with the project and facilitated the arrival of supplies to support the initiative.

“They have been a great help in the past, even though their ministry is of a different kind,” they said of the supporting ministry of the Adventist Church that builds churches and schools and drills water wells around the world.

Still, the lack of steady funding threatens the long-term survival of the initiative, the Leons acknowledged.

“We know God has provided, and trust He will keep providing,” they emphasized. According to Jose Leon, they can provide a full vegetarian meal to 45 people every Sabbath for around US$25, a sizable amount for Cuba, but very well within reach in North America. “Even occasional $5 or $10 contributions to the local church can go a long way to keep the ministry going,” Jose Leon said. “But we need those $5 or $10 to keep carrying hope around our community and beyond.”

Activities on behalf of others now include how to help children get to know more about God and the Bible. Photo: Yaremis Leon

Photo: Yaremis Leon

Jose Luis and Yaremis Leon Torres in the lobby of the Boyeros Seventh-day Adventist Church in Havana, Cuba, the church that hosts their ministry. Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review

Cooking and Praying

Meanwhile, the Leons keep cooking and praying.

“We need some upgrades, as our pots and pans are breaking apart, and we also need a better stove,” Jose Leon acknowledged. “But we are not discouraged. God will open a way so we can keep sharing this hope and this love with those who most need it.”

Yaremis Leon agreed. “We are praying that God will open a window for us to keep this ministry open,” she said. “As a family, we have decided to even use some of our own resources if needed, so these people can enjoy a hot meal and church fellowship. And we are certain that somehow God will provide.”

Maranatha Volunteers International is a nonprofit supporting ministry that is not operated by the corporate Seventh-day Adventist Church. The original article was published on the Adventist Review news site. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.