Mobile: 587-377-5013
Email: laefccm@telus.net
Website: efcc.ca
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Check out the update from Jerome Harvey on the MEMO container that just arrived and was opened at the LPN Seminary.
Now our partner churches will be able to provide for so many people who have medical needs. What a miracle!
Steve Neufeld
Cuba Ministry Project Leader | Mexico Ministry | Director of MEMO Project
————————————————Dear local MEMO supporter
There is so much bad news these days I just wanted to send you this report in the hopes it cheers you up as it did me.
It is the story of how God has opened the door for MEMO once again to bless Cuba.
And for local MEMO volunteers, those that pray for us and those that donate, a word of encouragement.
A few months ago, MEMO learned that we could send containers of medical and humanitarian supplies to Cuba, church to church, directly and quickly. It was a bit hard to believe that The Evangelical Free Church of Canada could send directly to the Los Pinos Nuevos denomination in Cuba for them to distribute medical and humanitarian aid in the Villa Clara province in central Cuba where we worked from 2004 to 2012. But we set to work and by October 2024 had a container full of medical supplies, hospital beds, wheelchairs, clothing, kitchen supplies and even a wedding dress!
In October it left Thunder Bay by truck for Toronto and then by rail to Montreal where it waited for a ship to Cuba. It arrived in Cuba a couple of weeks ago and was transported unopened to the Los Pinos Nuevos Seminary in central Cuba.
Today we just received news that church members unpacked the container temporarily into the Seminary's large church building so that the local customs authorities could do their proper inspections and then the donation could begin to be sorted and ready for distribution to the medical centers, hospitals, doctors and nurses all in Jesus’ name. To bless the Cuban people and give hope to those facing many medical situations.
Apparently when pacemakerswere found and delivered to the Cardiologist that implants them to save lives at the Heart Institute in Santa Clara he had tears of gratitude in his eyes. (There is a shortage of pacemakers in Cuba during these difficult times.) Lives will be saved because of the arrival of the container!
MEMO operates as a charity under the direction of our missionary director, Steve Neufeld. He is coordinating his team of pastors and church members in Cuba as they do the hard work of sorting and distributing the tons of items we pack and shipped to Cuba. Steve is in daily contact with our key person in Cuba and received verbal updates and pictures during the two days of unpacking.
He wrote this today:
“We have demonstrated a level of accuracy to details, care in selection and packing that has earned the confidence of the people and the government. Open and transparent in what we are donating. Showing that we are not motivated for material gain but simply want to walk with them during these days of crisis. We have a wide-open door to ship as many containers as possible.”
“Wow! Congratulations MEMO volunteers on a fabulous ministry and success with this container! God has opened the doors, and we have accomplished what we set out to do. Well done Thunder Bay team!”
“Jerome, the reaction of all the Cuban volunteers today was amazement and gratitude. Those who had a clear concept of the benefit of all the medical supplies your team sent, often had tears of thanks roll down their cheeks as they saw boxes after boxes come out of the container.”
“One comment expressed utter gratitude for so many wheelchairs, all in such great condition, ready to give new mobility opportunities for so many.”
“It was indeed another miracle and with one voice, the Cubans who witnessed it in person today, wish to send hugs and all the words of thanks possible to the Canadians who made this possible.”
Steve
As we work to ensure maximum benefit from the donation, Steve and his team in Cuba have invited a group of six local doctors to come and view the huge amount of medical supplies (everything from gauze squares to cardiac catheters) and decide where they should go to be most beneficial.
The churches will distribute wheelchairs and blankets, clothes and much more for the elderly. Sewing machines will be entrusted to local ladies groups who will do “clothes altering” as needed and use the rest of the material to fulfil the Lord’s command to “Clothe the naked.”
The list is endless including construction tools, computers, electrical supplies, nails and screws, saws and shovels including wheelbarrows. I could go on and on. And knowing that everything will be put to good use is so encouraging. Even the wedding dress that was in the container. It will be used by many a bride for her special day!
Blessings to you. Thanks for reading this
Jerome
Steve是一对在加拿大北部工作的传教士夫妇的儿子。当他还是个孩童的时候，在一次夏令圣经营中，他选择接受了救恩的礼物。Myra在牧师家庭长大，当她还是个小女孩时，她在Lindquist Brothers Crusade营中接受了基督作为她的个人救主。
Steve and Myra是加拿大亚省Lacombe 的高中情侣，他们有 3 个成年子女和 8 个孙。
Neufelds夫妇在国际、跨文化的全球事工中已经完成了第 35 个年度的任期。他们于 1989 年 1 月 1 日开始他们的第一个任期。经过语言学校的装备，他们在秘鲁的利马开始事奉至1992年2月。
1993 年，他们开始在墨西哥EFCCM 事奉。他们的重点是建立教会和传福音，因此在墨西哥Hermosillo 成立了 Agua Viva EFC（现为 Árbol de Vida EFC）。
1998 年 5 月，Steve开始担任拉丁美洲区域总监。他一直执行这职务到2020 年底，他的重点是尽其所能，透过在南美洲、中美洲、加勒比海和墨西哥的 EFCCM 事工的管理和扩展方面提供富有远见的领导力，促进事工的成功。
我目前在 ServeBeyond 的角色
Steve在古巴和墨西哥的EFCCM (ServeBeyond) 担任带领宣教士。EFCCM 在古巴没有长驻宣教士，因此Steve是我们在古巴巩固和扩大合作事工的带领宣教士。团队每年至少去古巴两次，我们与三个福音派教会一起服事，包括建立教会、传福音、教导、收购当地家庭教会、修复教会、寻找事工资源、赞助夏令会、为牧师提供交通安排、和许多其他活动以加速合作伙伴与当地教会的共同异象和奉献精神。
这些事工项目的一个主要成分涉及促进个人和教会的参与，来自加拿大、墨西哥和西班牙的代表不分你我地相互合作，并指导和培训当时参与的和他们的下一代。
About ServeBeyond
ServeBeyond 透过 EFCC 负责在世界各地雇用 80 多名宣教士的团队。我们的事工满足约二十个不同国家的属灵、社会和身体需要。
The Evangelical Free Church of Canada (EFCC) 是一个由140 多家教会和70 多名宣教士组成的协会，他们以一个共同承诺去服事主耶稣基督、同一的信仰宣言、一同分享品格和呼召、以及对圣言的承诺而连结在上帝𥚃的。