November 1998 Number 19

For student Noel Rodriguez, the UBS Study Bible is a wonderful help

100,000 Study Bibles, provided by the Bible Societies in conjunction with the Pope’s visit, are bringing encouragement to Christians in Cuba      Antonia Carrasco found Jesus through the Scriptures and was freed from her false hopes in Santería

In Puerto Rico, a Children’s Bible brought a smile to this young hospital patient’s face

CUBA
Cuba – the Need is for Hope
Bible Boost to Evangelism
Papal Visit Shatters Barriers
Early Bible Work Restricted to Slaves
Heavenly Gift
When a Door Opened to the Bible
New Insights Gained with Study Bibles
Bibles Feed the Growth
Three Hundred Members and Growing
Bible Doctor
Bible, the Key to Unity
‘God is Not Far Away, But Close’
Joy that Scripture Drought is Over
Voodoo Dolls and Chains Cast Out for Joy of Christ
Life Change that Inspired Composer
 

PUERTO RICO
Creative Ways to Promote the Bible in Puerto Rico
Bible Society Has Wide Social Reach
Where Enterprise Means More Bibles
Drug Center Gets New Bible Focus
A Collector’s Plans For Bible Promotion
102 and Counting
 

m All photographs in this Special Report are by Larry Jerden, copyright UBS. For more photographs with these stories, please see the SR 19 Photo Catalog.

MIAMI, USA — "I came back from my first visit to Cuba with a heavy spiritual burden for the Cuban people, especially for the children and young people," said Guillermo Luna, the Regional Secretary for Central America and Spanish-speaking Caribbean.

"I was shocked by the general state of the country. I saw that the social, political and economic systems had deteriorated so much it was very discouraging – millions live here without much hope in the future.

"The UBS presence here is unique in that we are the sole agents for imported Scriptures which are channelled through the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC)."

The CCC has several commissions or bodies responsible for different aspects of church ministry, and the Bible Commission is the one responsible for Bible distribution.

The Director of the Bible Commission is the Rev José ‘Pepe’ López, a Baptist pastor. The UBS also supports a printing press in Matanzas operated by the Rev Carlos Piedra, a Presbyterian pastor. Both of the above mentioned are CCC staff.

"Everything that comes under the UBS name has automatic approval," said Mr Luna. "We enjoy high respect and consideration from the authorities. The UBS also helps a number of Christian publishers and churches to import Christian literature into Cuba.

"One very important aspect of our involvement here is the ‘Third Age’ project for senior citizens. The Cuban Government has asked the UBS to help with this through the CCC and the Medical Commission.

"There are about 888 elderly people who, for one reason or another, are not being catered for by the Cuban social welfare system; 403 of these are in desperate circumstances, without relatives and living in extreme poverty, but non-church people; the remaining 485 belong to one of 39 different churches," he said.

The UBS will use funds generated by the distribution of Scriptures: where people can afford it, a small amount is collected for the Bibles and set aside for future Scripture production.

This blocked cash can be used to provide appropriate Scriptures such as large-print Scriptures, Scripture audio cassettes, Portions and Selections, which will be distributed to these elderly people with some material aid.

"This has greatly increased the standing of the UBS among the churches and in the relevant government circles," said Mr Luna.

Cuba currently receives one of the largest subsidies in the Americas from the Bible Society fellowship. (SR 19/1 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — Cuban Christians, especially Roman Catholics, are still feeling the afterglow of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba last January. Now that glow is being fanned into a flame of evangelism by 100,000 Study Bibles being provided by the UBS in conjunction with the papal visit.

For the first time in memory, Catholics are going door-to-door, sharing God’s Word and telling people about Jesus. And there is much ground to cover.

Of Cuba’s 11 million people, only about 2 million are practicing Catholics. There may be 200,000 Evangelicals on the island, and an unknown number who follow the African-based syncretistic religion, Santería.

But most Cubans, almost 40 years after the Revolution, claim no religion. "This is a good time to be a Christian in Cuba," says Father Miguel Angel Moral, pastor of El Cristo del Buen Viaje (Christ of the Good Journey) Catholic Church. "People are saying good things about Christians."

Yet as believers go door-to-door, they are finding that many Cubans are not sure of what Christianity is all about. Deacon Angel Alvarez, in charge of Bible distribution for the Archdiocese of Havana, remembers some early reactions to the visitation program:

"In February 1992, the first time we sent people out door-to-door, some people would ask our missionaries, ‘Is Jesus and Christ the same person?’ There was very little understanding." But today, especially after the Pope’s visit, there is both increased awareness and interest in Christian things.

"The visit of the Pope was an opening," declared Nancy Hernandez, who teaches several weekday Bible studies at Iglesia La Medalla Milagrosa (Church of the Miraculous Medallion) in Havana. "He asked people to open their hearts to Christ. ‘Don’t be afraid to give your heart to Jesus,’ he said. As a result, many people have come to the mission houses and to the church because of his visit."

The lay teacher said it was especially gratifying to see people they had contacted attending the Pope’s meetings. "In the place where the Pope came, we saw many whom we had invited," she recalled. "So the work we did bore fruit. After the visit, people have kept the enthusiasm. They have remembered what he said: ‘Don’t be afraid, open your hearts.’ They have continued in the Christian life."

In the days of the Pope’s visit, the people felt they were living a different life. "We saw a Mass on TV," explained one resident. "We had never had that opportunity. We felt we were not in Cuba. I wept when he left."

Others continue to see evidence of the interest his visit generated. "Cuba was like an iceberg melting slowly," commented Father Andrés Sardiñas, "but the visit of the Pope was like a knife, cutting it open. Now more and more people are coming to church. They are no longer afraid of being identified as a Christian."

The depth of that interest was evident one Wednesday night in a south Havana suburb. After a full day of work, at 7:30 in the evening, about 30 people gathered in a dimly-lit room to study the Bible.

Men and women, young people and older adults, multiple races reflecting Cuba’s diverse cultural history, all sat attentively in plastic lawn chairs and metal folding chairs, taking extensive notes as a Spanish nun expounded God’s Word.

They were listening to Carmina Rosselló, a seminary professor who has lived in Cuba for 10 years. Her Bible study usually draws 50 or more people.

"I think more people come to Mass as a result of his visit, but not to this study," she demurs. "Many people in Cuba still don’t know about the existence of the Bible. They don’t know about God at all. And many young people still don’t believe in God. The culture has killed much of the knowledge of God.

"But the visit of the Pope has increased the number of children and young people coming to catechism. His visit has helped, because there is much joy, freedom, and hope now."

The theme of hope was echoed by another resident, who said the Pope "was a messenger of hope. He preached the truth and filled us with hope." That hope, and the UBS Study Bibles, continue to make a difference in the lives of thousands of Cubans.

Hortencia Casanobas works with adults at the Church of the Miraculous Medallion in Santa Suárez.

"I am working with adults who come to church often out of curiosity, or because of their children," she said. "In many countries the parents take the children to church. But in Cuba, the children often take their parents to church.

"So when these parents arrive, who know nothing about Christianity, I teach them the Bible and urge them to read it. And when I teach them the New Testament and the parables of Christ, they are enthusiastic.

"They may have felt the need for God many years before, and deep inside they are very sad not to know him. So when they get to know him, they are very happy."

They are also happy to discover that they can have their own Bibles. "People in Cuba like the Bible very much," Ms Casanobas said. "They want to read it more. Years ago there were few Bibles in Cuba and they were very expensive. Now, thanks to the work of the Bible Societies, they have an opportunity to receive Bibles."

But there is still a need, she pointed out. "We don’t have sufficient Bibles to give one to each person. There is still a need for more. We keep the Bibles here in this room because we don’t have enough for everyone."

Even so, pastors like Fr Moral are ready to use whatever Scriptures are available to reach out to their communities. 

Fr Moral’s ‘Christ of the Good Journey’ Church was so named because in Spanish colonial days it was set beside the wall of the city. "When travelers would leave for Spain in their sailing ships," he explained, "they would stop and ask God for a safe journey.

"When they returned, they would come in and thank him for keeping them safe on the return journey."

Today, Cubans are taking a different kind of journey at the church, one that guides them to take the Bible in their hands out into the community around them.

Fr Moral leads three Bible studies a week, two during the week and one on Saturdays. All of these have increased in size since the visit of the Pope.

"In general, the love for the Bible has increased as well," he said. And the studies are in-depth. "Last year we studied the Gospel of Mark. This year we are studying Luke and Acts. Next year we’ll study Matthew. In 2000 we’ll be in the Gospel of John," he said.

And while his groups are using the UBS Study Bibles, he is only giving them to people who are serious about studying the Bible. "There is no other way to begin the Christian life than through the study of the Bible," he insists, but study is not enough.

"I challenge my people to go out into the streets, into homes, to share the Gospel," he said. "We are going to visit every home in our area this year – and take them the Scriptures."

Like Fr Moral, Father Andrés Sardiñas insists that his Bible studies lead to outreach. Fr Sardiñas leads a week night study that draws from 200 to 600 people a week.

"We have a group we call our missionaries," he said. "Last year they received Bible materials and have been going door-to-door. They distributed one million Gospels of Mark and shared the Gospel with all kinds of people."

Among those visited were followers of Santería, the syncretistic Cuban religion that mixes Catholic saints and African spirit gods. "They received us well," Fr Sardiñas noted. He also commented on reactions from another group.

"We also visited with our ‘separated brothers’" [Protestants], he smiled. "And they said, ‘At last, the Catholics are in the streets preaching the Word!’"

The Rev Mariano Arroyo echoed these feelings. "It is so exciting to see the Catholics return to the Bible," said the pastor of the Jesus, Mary and Joseph Church.

"I see them using the Bible and it helps their faith. They tell me they can see things changing in their lives because of the Bible.

"They are excited; they understand the catechism better, and their witness is better."

Now people are starting to use the UBS Study Bibles sent in conjunction with the Pope’s visit. "In the past, we had the challenge of getting materials," Mr Arroyo commented. "Now we have the challenge of preparing the people to use the Bible."

Helping Mr Arroyo extend the reach of the Scriptures outside the church is Sister Magdalena Moreno.

Sister Magdalena leads one of five "prayer houses" that her church operates as outreach centers. From these centers, volunteers take the Bible house-to-house in the neighborhood. Others come to the center.

"All people need the Bible," she says. "Through this outreach, a person who does not come to church can come and have a Bible."

Getting Bibles in the hands of people, whether through door-to-door evangelism or bringing people into the church, is a goal cited by dozens of Cuban Christians.

For Father Luiz Muñoz, leading a Bible study at Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro (the Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help), Bible evangelism means reaching everyone, from Santería followers to hospital patients. And many are open to the Scriptures.

"One of our missionaries took a Bible to a house of a Santería follower and left it," he said. "When he returned, the Santería man asked, ‘What must I do with all my Santería things, now that I have found the truth in this book?’ He had been convinced by God’s Word. "The missionary did not have to witness verbally: he just left the Bible, and the Holy Spirit did the rest."

When missionaries started visiting a local hospital, they were told that it was customary to leave something behind when they left.

"So, now we leave Bibles," Fr Muñoz said. "We leave Bibles with the sick, the elderly, and patients in pain. We also have a special Bible for children with cancer."

One missionary couple, with special government permission, work in a 44-bed oncological hospital. Their work is a result of the visit of Mother Teresa in 1995, who asked them to serve there.

"The turnover in that hospital is complete every three to five months," he said. "Sometimes, when children die, we leave the Bibles for the family.

"Enthusiasm is high after we received help from the Bible Societies with this project," Fr Muñoz reported. "Doctors and nurses now come to church to bring the children, so they are also hearing the Gospel."

Whether it is in Bible studies, churches, hospitals, or going door to door, there is a new day here for Christian witness, and much credit can be attributed to the papal visit, which gave the message of Christianity top coverage in the secular media.

But what is deepening and sustaining this witness are the countless Bible studies now taking place all across the island supported by Study Bibles supplied by the UBS, thanks to those who have given generously to their national Bible Society. (SR 19/2 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — One of the most important aspects of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Cuba was that it helped lower barriers between Roman Catholics and Evangelicals (Protestant Churches) as well as between the church and the state, says the head of the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC); but it also generated new interest in the Bible.

"The Government permitted Cardinal Jaime Ortega to communicate the Pope’s visit on television one week before," noted the Rev Otoneil Bermudez, Executive Secretary of the CCC. He said that the use of a national television network to publicize a religious meeting was a breakthrough. And what the Cardinal did with the opportunity was a first for Cuba.

"The Cardinal took the opportunity to read Bible passages to the whole country," Mr Bermudez said. "The entire population was impressed that this priest read the Bible to the Cuban people. And the Cuban people are very interested in both receiving and reading the Bible."

The Pope’s visit was a time when both the Cuban Government and Evangelicals joined in welcoming the spiritual leader of Roman Catholics throughout the world.

"Mr Castro communicated to members of the Party that whether they agreed with the Pope or not, they were to respect him during his visit," Mr Bermudez noted. "One of the most important things about the Mass was that party leaders were there and listened to the Pope.

"The Evangelical churches also respected his visit – even those who do not particularly agree with Catholicism; but they all felt that the visit was good for the country," he said.

In cities where the Pope conducted a Mass, local Catholic priests invited Protestant church leaders to stand with them.

While the CCC leader doubted that the visit had actually increased church membership, he felt that after seeing the Mass on television, many people who had never attended a church before were using the opportunity to visit a church, either Catholic or Protestant.

"The visit helped the Catholic Church in Cuba," he says, "but it also helped the Protestants."

The leaders of the CCC had an opportunity to meet the Pope, and Bible Commission Secretary José López presented him with a UBS Bible.

"In that meeting the Pope sent a message to all Evangelical churches," Mr Bermudez remembers, "a message of reconciliation, not confrontation."

And the impact of this challenge continues to be felt in Cuba – among Catholics, Evangelicals, and members of the Government, as the Bible Commission channels tens of thousands of Bibles into the hands of eager men and women across the island nation. (SR 19/3 - 11.98)

HAVANA, Cuba — For 400 years Cuba was a colony of Spain, and that nation’s Roman Catholic monarchy was almost against Bible work, fearing that North American Protestants might gain a foothold on the island.

However, in the 19th century, American Episcopalians (Anglicans) approached the colonial government with a request to take Bibles to Cuba. The Spanish authorities agreed to allow the Anglicans to come to Cuba, but they were only allowed to work with foreigners, not Cubans.

Agreeing to this, the Anglicans began working with colporteurs (distributors) among Cuba’s large slave population. Cuba did not free her slaves until 1873, and, according to Spanish law, the slaves were not considered Cubans, but Africans or foreigners. Thus Bible work first began on the island through that legal loophole.

A century ago, the work of the Bible Society expanded after the Spanish-American War freed Cuba from Spanish rule. The building that was once Bible House still stands in Old Havana, now occupied by a printing company. Today’s Cuban Bible Commission, under the structure of the Cuban Council of Churches, carries out Bible distribution from a former private residence called ‘Villa-Maria’.

Like the early work in Spanish Cuba, work in post-Revolutionary Cuba began on a small scale. "In 1980, during a visit to the U.S., someone from the UBS asked if we needed Bibles in Cuba," remembers the Rev Pablo Rodriguez Marchante, President of Cuba’s Evangelical Pastors’ Conference.

"When we said ‘Yes!’ they sent us two Bibles – one for me and one for the Government’s Director of Religious Affairs. And that was the beginning of Bible distribution in the new era.

"From that moment the UBS began to send small quantities of Bibles to Cuba. And glory to God for that, because today we can find a Bible in almost every home in Havana."

There may not be as many Bibles in other cities, he admits, and there is an even greater need in the rural areas. "People want their own Bibles; they don’t want their father’s or their mother’s Bibles," he adds, and for that reason alone the quantity of Bibles being shipped into Cuba is still not sufficient to meet the demand. (SR 19/4 - 11.98)

HAVANA, Cuba — Ms Iraida Hernandez, who teaches the Bible at Iglesia La Medalla Milagrosa (Church of the Miraculous Medallion) in Santo Suárez, Havana, has had a lifetime of reading God’s Word. But this new Bible, she says, is the best.

"I remember my Bible teachers when I was a child," she says. "They were missionaries and they impacted my life. But it was my mother who taught me to love the Bible. She read it to me and showed me its riches little by little.

"So I have read the Bible for many years. And I knew the verses, but not so clearly. Now, because of the notes, the Study Bible makes them clear. Now I understand them better."

The former English teacher, now a missionary, was lavish in her praise for the UBS Bible. "I like the notes," she began. "And I prefer this translation [Dios Habla Hoy – Spanish Good News Version]. It is easy to read. I also like the maps. I like all of this Bible. It is a gift from Heaven!"

Ms Hernandez is one of thousands of Cuban Christians who are gaining new insights into the Scriptures as a result of their new Study Bibles. The United Bible Societies sent 40,000 Study Bibles to Cuba in conjunction with the historic visit of Pope John Paul II earlier this year. Another 60,000 are on their way.

"These Study Bibles are bringing excitement throughout the Bible movement in Cuba," says José "Pepe" López. "They are helping believers delve deeper into God’s Word with greater understanding, and giving a boost to door-to-door outreach efforts as well."

In the Study Bible, the easy-to-read Dios Habla Hoy (God Speaks Today) text is supplemented with a wealth of study helps and explanations of verses.

For Sister Magdalena Moreno, a life-long member of Havana’s Jesus, Mary and Joseph Catholic Church, her new UBS Study Bible has already shone a new light on God’s Word. "I did study the Bible some before," she commented a few weeks after receiving her Study Bible, "but not like now.

"Before it was not easy. The text was difficult to understand. Now I can study the Bible much more in depth. With Father Mariano we are learning a lot. We study the Bible every day, and the Study Bible is also good for personal study.

"It also helps me to explain the Bible. I have been teaching here since the 1960s, and this Bible is helping me to teach. Now we are using it with volunteers who work with the children. So this new Bible is also helping the children understand the Gospel: the text is very clear," she says.

Father Mariano Arroyo is her priest, who leads a weekday Bible study group of about 30. He says the participants are both excited and grateful to receive the UBS Bibles. "The study notes are especially valuable to this group," he says. "They are very happy because the notes are so good. We are also very grateful – especially because they are a present."

Bertha Delores Perez is a parish secretary for El Carmen Church parish and she is taking Theological Education by Extension courses. She also has praise for the Study Bible.

"I like the concordance, and the introduction to every book of the Bible is very beneficial," she says. "I also like the maps and the notes.

"I have read the Good News text before, but the notes really help me to study. I am taking theological courses by extension – I want to know more about my faith! And the Study Bible helps me to understand the material."

Father Andrés Sardiñas, pastor of the Parish of the Church of the Miraculous Medallion in Guanabacoa, Havana, leads a Bible study that regularly draws from about 200-600 participants each week. This Franciscan monk is enthusiastic about the UBS Scriptures.

"The Bible is what I study all the time," he says, "and the UBS Study Bible is a really good study Bible. It is easy to understand. The explanations are good, so it is possible to use it as a guide for personal Bible study. And the spiritual message of this Bible fills the person with the Good News."

Father Miguel Angel Moral, pastor of El Cristo del Buen Viaje Church (‘Christ of the Good Journey’), says the UBS Study Bibles are actually creating new Bible studies. "In the last meeting of priests in Havana, everyone spoke very highly of the UBS Study Bible," he said. "In fact, most parishes are organizing Bible Studies because of the strength and depth of these Bibles."

Another enthusiastic priest was Father Teodoro Becerril, pastor of Parochia de El Carmen. He is excited about every facet of the Study Bible, from its content to its paper.

"For many years we did not receive the Bible," the veteran priest noted. "In the last year we have seen more distribution of Bibles from the UBS – and now this Study Bible. I have read the old version, but for me, this one is best.

"The people have the Bible and would like to read the Bible, but they don’t understand it. I was happy when the Bible was given to pastors and deacons, but I am really happy now that it is available for all people.

"I am excited about the helps in this Bible. Every book is well presented. The general introductions to each book, and to the Old and New Testaments, are excellent. The Roman world in which the ministry of Christ was unveiled is well presented, and the maps are another success.

"Also, the language is pitched at a good level for the Cuban people. The print is a good size – not too big and not too small. The book is easy to use and understand, and the paper is very good, also.

"It is an excellent Bible," he declared, "not only because of the helps but because the Word of God can stand on its own. I recommend everyone to read and study it," and he praised the Bible Societies for printing and supplying it.

Father Becerril does more than recommend these Scriptures, however. He also sees that people receive them.

"We have Bible study groups twice a month, and I try to make sure all members have one. In the last two months about 600 Bibles have been distributed. Now they are used as the textbook," he said.

"I congratulate the Bible Societies on this Bible. I know this is very expensive to produce and we appreciate this real gift of love." (SR 19/5 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba—The fact that the UBS can send large numbers of Scriptures to Cuba traces back to 1983, when Raúl Suarez, then General Secretary of the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC), met with government officials.

"In 1983, through the UBS Regional Center in Miami, Cuba received only 2,000-4,000 Bibles per year," Mr Suarez explains. "So I spoke with the Cuban Government and suggested that they allow a certain quantity of Bibles to enter the country each year. The quantity was to be determined later. They agreed."

The next step for Mr Suarez, who had also been elected President of the Bible Commission, was to meet with church leaders to determine a quantity that the Government would approve. "I said we should ask for 10,000 in the first year," he says – a sizable increase.

But the church leaders wanted 20-30,000. Realism prevailed – Mr Suarez felt if they asked for only 10,000 they might get more. His hunch was correct. "That first year we received 12,500 Bibles which the churches distributed eagerly."

Since then, the quantity has grown. And this year, in conjunction with the visit of Pope John Paul II, Cuba is receiving 100,000 UBS Study Bibles. "The UBS and the CCC have an agreement that the Bible Commission receives the Bibles and shares them among all the churches.

"The UBS is the only legal channel through which Bibles may be imported into Cuba. Others may provide them, but they must go through the UBS." The system is working well, as seen in the tears and smiles of those who receive the Bibles. And today, Cubans are free to witness and evangelize.

"The Cuban Communist Party has dropped atheism from its bylaws," notes Otoneil Bermudez, Executive Secretary of the CCC. "The Cuban constitution has also been amended to ensure freedom of religion."

These freedoms extend to education, the workplace, and the government. In fact, Mr Suarez, a Baptist pastor, is also a member of Cuba’s legislature, the House of Deputies.

And Cuban Christians rejoice that they are now free to worship, read the Bible, and share their faith openly. (SR 19/6 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — Last year 19-year-old Noel Rodriguez, a pre-seminary student, could not even participate as he wanted to in a Bible study because he had no Bible. Today, like thousands of other Cuban Christians, he has a Study Bible that is allowing him to gain new insights into the Scriptures, thanks to the Bible Societies.

"When I received the Study Bible, I could study and understand it," Noel says. "It helped me in my personal study as well as my seminary studies. For example, in the New Testament I was studying the life of Jesus. I found a wonderful table on the names of Jesus.

"And there was a study of the times between the Testaments, about the people of Israel – things I had never found in a Bible before. I received the Study Bible two months ago, and I have studied it often since then."

Another seminary student, Ramon Rabre, is also excited about his new Study Bible. Ramon, 22, a student at Havana’s Saint Carlos and Saint Abrosio Seminary, not only uses it in his studies, but sees it as an aid to his outreach ministry. "I received my UBS Study Bible just about a month ago," he notes, "and in just those few weeks it has helped me focus on the Scriptures.

"I use my Bible every day in seminary, and now I can use my Study Bible to teach children as well as prepare my seminary work. It will also be valuable for when I lead retreats with youth groups. It is a help when I visit the sick.

"Older people often ask me to read the Bible," he explains. "Even those who don’t know much about the Bible like to hear it. So I use this Bible every time. I read a chapter of the Gospels every Sunday, and find the notes helpful. I have many reference books and sermons at my disposal, but this is a good translation and the notes are very good and explain many things. There is also a good study for each book."

Ramon is also enthusiastic about promoting the use of the Bible in his budding ministry. "The theme that I bring to every church is that every pastor should be given one of these Bibles, and every Sunday School teacher, seminary student, and even children should have helps for the Bible," he says. "It is very important for children to understand what they are reading. I believe that for us to receive God’s message through his Word we must read the Bible with an open heart," Ramon adds. (SR 19/7 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — Cuba’s churches are growing, says José "Pepe" López, Secretary of the Cuban Bible Commission, and both the Pope’s visit and Scriptures supplied by the UBS are playing a major role in the increase. "In Cuba, both Roman Catholic and Evangelical churches are growing," he said, "and they have far surpassed even what they were before the Revolution."

He pointed out that in 1960, there were only about 50,000 Evangelicals in the entire country. "Today, perhaps, there may be as many as 150,000," he said. Some estimates run as high as 200,000. "Catholics could number about 2 million of the island’s 11 million people. And this is after many pastors fled the island in the 1960s and 70s."

This growth also comes against a backdrop of at least one million people who have emigrated since the Revolution. After almost four decades of Marxist education, most Cubans claim no religion. "Though on Christmas, Easter, and other holy days, millions flock to the churches," Pepe said. Then there came the visit of the Pope.

"Churches and Bible study groups all across Cuba have reported increased interest in Christianity because Pope John Paul II visited Cuba," Pepe said. "And while we must acknowledge the political side of the papal visit, the pastoral and spiritual side still prevails in the hearts of millions of Cubans."

The UBS, working through Pepe’s office, is helping to feed and sustain this spiritual impetus: 40,000 Study Bibles were sent to Cuba before the visit, with another 60,000 on the way, provided through the Bible Society fellowship.

"These Study Bibles are adding much excitement to the Bible study movement among Roman Catholics in Cuba," Pepe says. "Many believers are learning new things about the Bible and applying its message with greater understanding. It is also encouraging those who do door-to-door outreach." (SR 19/8 - 11.98)

HAVANA, Cuba — The Rev Sonya Rodriguez Boce is the pastor of a church with one driving principle: outreach. The Open Bible Church in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, has 300 members – and seven missions.

"Our church is seven years old," she explained. "We have been in our building about three years, and we have started a mission each year." The church also has 11 services each week, with an emphasis on changing lives through knowing and living the Bible.

"We train people in the Christian life," Ms Rodriguez declares. "And because of our emphasis on Bible study, we have seen a lot of difference in people’s lives." As a pastor for 32 years, she knows the power of God’s Word to change lives.

"But it is necessary not only to read the Bible, but to know the Bible," she said. "To know why Christ has saved you. To know how to be in agreement with God. And the UBS Study Bible helps us to increase our knowledge."

When people accept Christ in this church they are given a Bible. "Every time the Bible Commission receives a shipment of Bibles, we get some," she said, thankfully, adding, "We need so many more Bibles in Cuba. There are many young people in church who need them, and the church is growing. So please send us more Bibles." (SR 19/9 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — When Dr Gladys Suarez was baptized five years ago, she was given a Bible supplied by the Bible Societies, as are many who become Christians in Cuba. But what she did with her new Bible was not what most converts do with their new Scriptures.

"I gave it away," she declared with a smile. "I had a Bible before I was baptized, so when I was given one, I gave it away. People asked me why. I said, ‘Well, now that I have plenty of Bibles–two–I can give one away’. That was in December of 1994, and I have been giving out Bibles ever since."

The 32-year-old physician, wife, and mother has, in fact, become something of a one-person Bible distribution center. A member of the Evangelical League Church in Cuba, she is a frequent visitor to the Bible Commission office in Havana.

She constantly asks José ‘Pepe’ López, Secretary of the Bible Commission of Cuba, for Bibles so she can pass them on to patients and their families, parents of her pediatric patients, friends, neighbors, and visitors to her church.

"It is very easy to share the Bible," she explains. "I have been doing it for a long time." It is easy to understand her love for God’s Word. As a nonbeliever, Dr Suarez’s interest in the Christian faith came from one source – a Bible given to her by someone who was not interested in it.

"I was working as a doctor in a sugar mill," she remembered, "and there was a man there who had a Bible. He was not a Christian, so I asked him if I could have his Bible. He agreed, so I brought it home and began reading it. I didn’t understand it very well. But I liked to read it. Then two men came to visit us."

Dr Suarez was living with her aunt at the time. Seeing her interest in the Scriptures, the two men told her that it was important for her to go to a church.

"They belonged to the Methodist Church," she remembered, "but they said there was another church nearer my home. We have transportation problems here in Cuba, so I began going to the closer church."

After studying the Bible for about six months, Dr Suarez accepted Christ as her Savior in a worship service. But it took a nudge. "There was an older woman sitting next to me, and at the end of the service, when they gave the invitation, she said, ‘Have you decided?’ The Holy Spirit had been preparing me for that moment through my Bible study, so I went forward."

It was a big step for the young physician, because she had received no religious training except for her own Bible study and a few months of attending church. "There was no religion in our home," she said. "No Catholic teaching, no Santería, no religion at all. But it was a family of love, and even though it was not Christian, I believe the love that was there was the work of the Lord."

But it was not a family without loss. Her mother, a nurse, died of a heart attack. One of her two brothers left for the United States.

Dr Suarez said she became a doctor because she liked medicine, she had the intelligence required for it, and because she wanted to have a good position in society. "But now I understand that being a doctor is a good way to serve the Lord," she said. "Now I enjoy my work even more because I have discovered God’s purpose in it."

That "purpose" is placing God’s Word in the hands of as many people as she can. "I give out Scriptures to both Christians and non-Christians", she says. "Bibles, Selections, New Testaments, whatever I can.

"Yesterday I got 30 Bibles from the Bible Commission, today I have only one left. I met with a group of physicians at the pediatric hospital and gave them all Scriptures," she said.

She also has many opportunities to answer questions about her faith. "Some ask me questions about Christ when I give them Bibles," she explained. "Others come back later." To help share the Good News she secured a video player to show Christian videos. One couple came to Jesus through watching a Christian video.

While she has led many people to Christ, Dr Suarez says her focus is on simply doing whatever Christ wants her to do. "I have asked the Lord many times if being a doctor is what he wants me to do," she said. "I have asked if I should be in full-time church work. But the Lord says, in the end, this is the place he wants me.

"Some time ago a lady came to me and said a prophecy. She said that I would have a ministry. Now I understand that the Lord has put me in this position, because I can touch many lives this way."

Once a week or more, Dr Suarez walks into the Bible Commission office, ‘Villa-Maria’, the stately home converted for use by the Christian Council of Cuba, and asks ‘Pepe’ if he has any Bibles for her to give away. Thanks to those who support the work of the UBS in Cuba, the Bible Commission Secretary can often say yes.

"Sharing the Scriptures and sharing the Lord is now my life!" she declares. "So please pray for more Bibles and New Testaments to enter Cuba." (SR 19/10 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — The Rev Pablo Rodriguez Marchante, leader of Cuba’s largest group of Protestant churchmen, who were meeting earlier this year, called the Bible a unifying force for all Christians in Cuba. He believes that the place of the Bible in Cuban society is now stronger than it has been in many years.

President of CIMPEC, the Interdenominational Fraternity of Protestant Pastors in Cuba, Mr Rodriguez told the 50-plus pastors at the conference, "Though we have different interpretations of the Bible, let us talk about what unites us.

"The Bible always unites us, even though people interpret it differently. It is men who divide us with different interpretations and emphasis: but the Bible only says one thing. It is the Word of God and it will always bring us to unity."

Rosen Gonzalez Elena, a member of Havana’s Christ of the Good Journey Roman Catholic Church, agreed with this statement. "Two years ago I participated in a worship service in an Anglican cathedral," she explained. "For the first time, 55 Catholics and 200 Evangelicals worshipped together. The spirit was good, and I believe we can prove that we can be united, both Evangelical and Catholic, through God’s Word."

Even leading a group of Evangelicals as diverse as Pentecostals, Baptists, Church of the Nazarene, and several indigenous Cuban churches, Mr Rodriguez questioned why anyone would want to speak of "the things that divide us" when the Bible draws together. And today, in part because of this, the Bible is gaining new stature among the Cuban people.

"In Cuba, 20 or 30 years ago, many people believed the Bible was an anachronism," he reflected. "They thought it was a book of the past. Now this book is read more than any other book in Cuba."

Mr Rodriguez felt that part of this openness was due to the island’s economic hardships. "When people do not have material things they have more room for spiritual things," he said. "And they notice when others are happy despite the hardships.

"People see us Christians and say, ‘Why are you so happy when you don’t have many things?’ And that gives us an opportunity to tell them, ‘Because we have the love of God inside us!’ It is a wonderful witness."

Unfortunately, this Good News is not yet available equally to all. "I have preached in small town churches with 30 or 40 members, and only four or five people have Bibles," Mr Rodriguez said. "Sometimes people borrow Bibles from another family."

Although the UBS is doing everything possible to provide Bibles, there is still much left to accomplish in Cuba. How quickly the rest of Cuba’s people will receive copies of the Scriptures they need will depend on the prayers and generosity of those who support the Bible Society. (SR 19/11 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — Angel Alvarez worked many years as a civil engineer, helping to build the infrastructure of his Cuban homeland. But even serving his people through his engineering skills left him empty inside. "I never found the happiness then that I have found in this work," he said about his work with the Bible. "Now I feel fulfilled."

What has brought him that joy, so visible in his ready smile, is his job of heading up Bible work for the most prestigious diocese in Cuba – the Archdiocese of Havana. "I started work here in 1983. Our archbishop, now a cardinal, gave me the responsibility for the Bible in the archdiocese," he said. And Deacon Alvarez quickly discovered he had a lot of work to do. "The first thing I did was to find out that the people did not know the Bible. They did not know how to find a verse in the Bible or even where to look for a book of the Bible," he said.

So he began what has turned into a long-term Bible education project, made possible by Scriptures from the UBS. He began by instilling in others a sense of respect for God’s Word. "The first thing I taught was that the Bible is not a book; it is, in a sense, a person speaking to us," he said. He produced a series of instructional magazines and with these began the long task of educating his people to know and use the Bible.

"We first taught the content of each book, beginning with Genesis," he says. "It is a very interesting book, but people did not know much about it. So the second magazine was also on Genesis, teaching about Christ in relation to Genesis." Questions at the end of each chapter challenged the people to remember. The series continued through the Bible, finishing with ‘Revelation: The Book of Hope.’

"Revelation was important because many people here had lost hope. When I was writing about Revelation, I felt I was writing about the Cuban people. So I was able to personalize the study for my people. Now," he added, "we are in another era." It is an era of religious freedom, of evangelism, and Bible study, and Father Alvarez wants to lead his people deeper into God’s Word.

"I am teaching them that first, we must read the Bible," he says. "Then we must meditate, then we must pray and contemplate on the meaning of what we have read. And now we need to live it – to incorporate it into our lives. The important thing is that people change – that the Holy Spirit moves in their lives."

As a laboratory for change, in addition to leading the diocesan program at large, Fr Alvarez also leads his own Bible study group of about 20 eager learners. "Now the interest in Bible study has increased even more because everyone in the group can have their own Bible," he said.

These groups also share the Bible with others.

"We have 2,800 missionaries – laymen and ministers – who are going two-by-two to every house, praying with the families they meet," he said, and they encounter a variety of reactions. "In 1992, the first time we sent missionaries out like this, we had people asking, ‘Are Jesus and Christ the same person?’"

Missionary Isabelle Guillen, Fr Alvarez’s secretary, said that when she shared the Good News with a man in the street, he replied, "Thank you, this is the first time anyone ever told me about Jesus." On another occasion, she knocked on a door and a black woman in a police uniform answered. "I am not interested," said the woman tersely. "No-one in this house has anything to do with God."

Fr Alvarez said that he has been able to reach some of the followers of Santería, the syncretistic religion that confuses Catholic saints with African gods. "When these people forsake their Santería ways they have a great love for the Bible because they learn about Jesus in the Bible, and they are freed from their bondage."

Fr Alvarez has one simple goal: "I want every Cuban to have a Bible," he declared. "Even if they do not read it, if they have a Bible they have the opportunity to read it, and their life can change."

More than 2.3 million of Cuba’s 11 million people live in Havana, which is why so much of the Bible work begins in the capital. But his groups are also distributed proportionally across the country. "We have a group that works in prisons; so I recently gave them 200 Bibles to use with the prisoners," he said.

He sometimes surprises people who have written to Cardinal Ortega, asking for Bibles. "Many people who have never attended church write asking for a Bible, and sometimes, I will personally go to their house, knock on the door, and when they answer, I ask them: ‘Did you write to the Cardinal?’

"When they answer yes, I simply say, ‘Well, here is your Bible!’ And it is not unusual for the new recipients to cry. They were hoping to get a Bible, but never expected such a personal delivery. When people receive the Bible, they are really happy," Fr Alvarez said. "And when they read it they see their lives compared with the life of Jesus; they learn that God is behind history now as he was then. They also learn that God is not far away, but close at hand."

It is this message that Fr Alvarez wants believers to share across Cuba and to do that, he wants to have the UBS-supplied Scriptures to be in people’s hands as quickly as possible. "There was not a handful of Bibles in Cuba when we started this work," he said. "Now, thanks to the Bible Societies we have the Bibles. We are very grateful for them, but need many more for other people.

"As the seedbed is prepared for the seed, the people of Cuba have been prepared through their suffering," he said. "Now is the time to share God’s Word." (SR 19/12 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — When representatives of the UBS met with Cuban Christians to discuss the distribution of 100,000 UBS Study Bibles, they received a heartfelt "thanks," and a plea for even more Bibles.

One joyous woman, after a weeknight Bible study, said, "Now we are happy, because we can get a Bible. There was a time when it was very expensive. Now, thanks to the Bible Societies, we can afford to have one. That means so much to us! Thank you. Now we need help for our children—children’s Bibles. Please send more Bibles!"

Martha Morera, who is a member of a church in Santa Suárez, Havana, said that the Bibles were vital to her church’s visitation program. "We bring the Bible to those who cannot leave their homes," she explained. "The Bible is very valuable in our work: wherever the missionaries are at work they will give out Bibles."

Father Manuel Hernandez, director of the ‘Evangelism 2000’ program in Cuba, stressed the importance of the UBS Scriptures. "This Bible is very important for us because for years we had no Bibles. It was not a problem of too few Bibles, it was that there were none. We went through years of making hand copies of chapters and verses and sharing them with one another. Now, thank God, through the UBS, we are receiving God’s Word."

And now that many Cubans have the Bible, its importance can be emphasised. "I tell them, it is not merely a book — it is more than a book," he declared. "The UBS Study Bible is a good version for people who want to study the Bible.

"Now people have to make the Bible their friend: take it with them. Because as soon as they get into God’s Word, we see their lives change."

Which is why new converts are presented with a copy of the Bible in public. "Please remember us, and send more Bibles," he added. (SR 19/13 - 11.98)

HAVANA, Cuba — Antonia Carrasco worked 12 hours a day in a pizza parlor to earn enough money to live. But much of that money went to buy dolls, chains, and the other paraphernalia of her pagan religion. Today, the dolls and chains are gone – as is the misery of her former life.

Antonia Carrasco is now a joyous Christian, deep into Bible study and enjoying her new Study Bible. But her journey was not an easy one.

Antonia was not raised in a Christian home and she became a follower of the Cuban syncretistic religion, Santería – which mixes African spirit worship with veneration of the Roman Catholic saints.

The Catholic Church in Cuba makes it clear that Santería is neither Catholic nor in any other way Christian, and today is using the power of God’s Word to bring people like Antonia back to the truth.

Santería followers believe they must placate their many gods and goddesses, and at the same time ward off the spirits that would do them harm.

To be cleansed from sin and keep peace with these deities, Antonia and her Santería friends would perform ceremonies like standing in a circle and raising and lowering a heavy chain.

To protect her home from evil spirits, Antonia filled glasses of water and placed them on special shelves in her living room. She also placed flowers and cigarettes on shelves in strategic locations.

To further protect against these spirits, Antonia placed special containers in two corners of the living room. In one corner was a small boiler, called a guerrero, filled with pieces of iron, including nails and other iron scraps. In the other was a pottery jar called a tinaja. In the tinaja she placed sea shells and a small doll called an oloco.

Antonia believed these items would both protect her from evil and give her the help she needed. But one failure of Santería was obvious to the young woman.

"To bring a good marriage, I placed small dolls, of a man and a woman, in my house," she explained. "But the magic never worked, and I never married."

Despite her devotion to her religion, Antonia found no peace in her life. She was beset with problems and could find no solutions. "I was a very hard worker," Antonia remembered.

"I worked 12 hours a day in a pizzeria, making pizzas. But when I went home at night, I couldn’t sleep. I had insomnia. And I was always angry with everyone and with everything. I would be angry with my friends . . . I would even be angry with my dishes!"

Then, one day, her life was changed forever. "When I couldn’t sleep, sometimes I would go out and sit on the steps of a nearby church," she explained.

"One day I went there and a service was going on inside, so I went in. I heard the priest talking about baptizing the children. I thought, ‘I am a grown woman, and I have never been baptized.’"

Maria Prass, a nun, introduced Antonia to deacon Angel Alvarez, who leads Bible studies at the church. "He began to teach me about the faith," she said. "One day he told me, ‘You are an older woman, and the class takes one year before you can be baptized.’ I said ‘I am in no hurry.’ So, he began to teach me direct from the Bible.

"Then, as I began to understand the Bible, I realized that Santería was wrong." Suddenly, Antonia’s eyes were open to the darkness that had held her prisoner. Immediately, she saw her life in the light of God. "I realized that in our house we had glasses on shelves to keep away the evil spirits," she said, "but we didn’t have any glasses to drink from!

"So we took them down, washed them out, and began using them! Then we threw away the dolls, the flowers, and the cigarettes that we supposed were keeping away the evil spirits. After that, I never again had to take a pill to help me get to sleep. Now I sleep soundly and feel great," she said.

But while joy flooded her soul for the first time in her life, she also had another reaction to her conversion. "When I first learned about Jesus, I felt so stupid," she declared. "I felt sick inside when I realized I had wasted all my money for so many years on dolls and cigarettes and things, and still I did not find health or happiness.

"Today, my life is so beautiful – Jesus helps me. I still have problems – all people have problems. But now I have confidence in God." Her relationships with others also changed. "I used to fight with people," Antonia remembered.

But learning God’s Word opened up still another door for Antonia. In the years before she came to Christ Antonia had never learned to read or write. Now, aged 64, she reads her Bible every day.

"All of these things were gifts from God," she says of her new life. "Now that I can read, I read the Bible all the time. The Psalms are my favorite, especially Psalms 90 and 91. Because all that I have comes from the Lord." Yet she has one more wish: "I do have a Bible, but I would like a small Bible that I can carry with me wherever I go," she said. (SR 19/14 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

HAVANA, Cuba — Childhood poverty and a copy of the New Testament received as a gift are two things that greatly influenced the life of the Rev Luis Hong Garcia; and Mr Hong, who is descended from a Chinese immigrant to Cuba, said that he was grateful for both of these.

"My father came to Cuba from China in 1905," he explained. "He was only 15 then. When I was young, my father became sick with asthma, so the only money we received was the 16 pesos a month I made from my work.

"But I am glad for that poverty, because through it I learned to love God. Greater than the love of money is to feel mercy – to feel the love of the Lord," he said.

Born into a Roman Catholic home and attending Catholic schools, young Luis thought he would become a priest.

Then he visited an Assembly of God church – and discovered the Bible. "The second time I visited this church, a man gave me a New Testament," he said. That gift was to change his young life.

"I was especially moved by the Book of Acts," he remembered. "In that book I could see the real life of the church. And I admired the life of the Apostle Paul. I was encouraged to live that kind of life – to live only for Jesus."

When he was 13 years old, Luis gave his heart to Jesus. Two years later he began to preach. Much later, and by then a pastor, he began to write hymns. "I wrote seven hymns in the 1960s," he said.

"Some are used in the U.S. today. I did not plan to be a hymnwriter, it was just that during some of the terrible moments I experienced in life, God gave me inspiration."

With his hymns now in use, does he not benefit from the royalties?

"Well, I do need the money," he smiled, "but I don’t want it. It is enough that through my music, I have helped other people." And he is quick to appreciate the help that Cuban Christians are receiving from the Bible Societies.

"We know that, like Paul, the Bible Societies have heard God say, ‘Come over and help us.’ We know that God is sending you." And it is the right time for Bible work in Cuba.

"Many people in Cuba are hungering for the Word of God," he declared. "God has prepared the way for this moment in time, and people are feeling a great need."

And thanks to the supply of Scriptures channelled through the UBS, Mr Hong has his work cut out to meet this spiritual need.

"I am now 60 years old," he said, "but I feel the same power I felt when I read that New Testament so long ago. I am very glad to be in our country to preach the Gospel. The power we have comes from God." (SR 19/15 - 11.98)

Puerto Rico is an "associated free state (Estatado Libre Associado)." Linked to the U.S. since 1898, its people became U.S. citizens in 1917. There are 3.8 million people on the island.

The cross is part of several municipal shields on the island, dating to the Spanish days. It is also on the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico’s Coat of Arms.

There are five Christian television stations and 15 Christian radio stations in Puerto Rico. There are 7,000 churches – the largest denomination after the Roman Catholics is the Church of God Pentecostal, with 525 churches. This is an indigenous denomination unaffiliated to any denomination in the U.S.

The Bible Society of Puerto Rico has a board of directors made up of 25 members, who are elected by the Society. The directors nominate four of these. The Society itself is open to anyone in a church in Puerto Rico. It has more than 300 members who pay a membership fee of US $20 per year.

The Bible Society of Puerto Rico was started by the American Bible Society (ABS). ABS had a depot in San Juan at the beginning of the century with an administrator. At one time he was based in Cuba, charged with the work of the whole Antilles or Caribbean.

When the mainland churches came, Bible work was already established through the ABS and the British and Foreign Bible Society. (SR 19/16 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico — Providing Bibles and other Scripture materials for members of more than 7,000 churches is a formidable task.

And when those 7,000 churches of different denominations are ministering to a population of 3.8 million on a tropical Caribbean island, the job gets even more complex.

But General Secretary Dr Wilfredo Estrada and his staff have combined marketing knowledge, good relationships, a deep commitment to God’s Word, and tireless energy to make the Bible Society of Puerto Rico one of the most effective ministries of its kind.

Last year, their efforts resulted in the distribution of more than 3.5 million Scriptures—the equivalent of one piece of Bible material for almost every resident of the island! And while more than 3 million of these were Scripture Selections, the total also included 95,314 Bibles, 35,557 New Testaments, and almost a quarter of a million Portions.

What makes the Bible Society of Puerto Rico stand out, however, is its use of promotions that draw public attention to God’s Word. "Everything I do is for Scripture distribution," explains Dr Estrada. "Anything we do has that in mind." And the creative minds in the headquarters building in the San Juan suburb of Bayamon have come up with a mass of creative ways to bring the Bible to the people of Puerto Rico.

From bicycle rallies that circle the island to Governor’s prayer breakfasts and concerts that feature Bible verses set to music, the Bible Society sponsors events that start people talking about the Scriptures. What is equally amazing, however, is that Dr Estrada has enlisted corporations and even government departments as co-sponsors.

It is not unusual at these events to see the Puerto Rico Bible Society logo alongside such names as ‘Sprint’, the long-distance carrier; ‘Grande’ supermarkets; or ‘Banco Popular’, Puerto Rico’s leading bank. This cooperation has allowed the Bible Society to multiply its own resources and has generated additional funds for Bible work.

Regardless of the methods used, the bottom line for Dr Estrada is that Bibles are placed in the hands of the people who need them. And the Bible Society of Puerto Rico’s distribution channels are as diverse as its promotions. While much of their time is spent meeting the Bible needs of the island’s bookstores, Bible Society promoters can be seen taking God’s Word to hospitals, prisons, drug rehabilitation centers, and even Little League baseball games.

Hospitals

In addition to regularly supplying hospital chaplains with Bibles for their ministries, the Bible Society makes special distributions to selected hospitals at least three times per year. In the spring of 1998, for instance, Children’s Bibles were presented to children in a San Juan pediatric hospital by Puerto Rico’s First Lady, Doña Maga Rossello.

Later that week, another distribution placed Bibles in the hands of patients at a hospital in the interior of the island. This hospital, founded by Mennonite Missionaries in the 1940s, is now operated by the government. Chaplain Luis Elier Rodriguez of the 140-bed Mennonite Hospital is grateful for the Bible Society’s support.

"In my work I deal with people of different backgrounds and all religions," he explained. "I meet patients and their families, because sickness affects the families as well as the patients. The Bible Society is very helpful in keeping me updated on different Bible versions and Scriptures and what is appropriate for my work in the hospital. I have found that people really like the Dios Habla Hoy (God Speaks Today) translation. It is very easy to understand."

In addition the Bible Society seeks to create awareness of the Bible and of Bible work in different sectors of Puerto Rican society. Once a year, the Society sponsors a Governor’s Prayer Breakfast.

"We invite about 250 key people from across the island, including senators, members of the House of Representatives, the judiciary, businessmen, and religious leaders," said Dr Estrada. The Governor comes and addresses the group. This year the First Lady came. Last year, the Secretary of State attended."

In addition to generating prayer support for Bible work and ministering to those who attend, the Prayer Breakfast also gives visibility to the work of the Bible Society. Dr Estrada shared a letter he received from a businessman after this year’s breakfast:

"I was at the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast," the man wrote. "I still feel the joy of that morning. It was an experience that strengthened my spiritual life. I am still praying with the same power of that morning...

"That day you distributed some Scripture Selections. I was so impressed that I want to ask if you have any more available. If so, I would like to have some to distribute."

The Bible is also celebrated at the Festival la Biblia Canta (‘The ‘Bible Sings Festival’). Each year, the Bible Society invites people to put the words of the Bible to music and submit demonstration tapes for judging. "Competitors can use either of two versions of the Bible, and we have a committee to judge them," Dr Estrada noted.

The reward for the 12-15 finalists is that they are invited to be a part of the festival and experience their compositions being performed by professional musicians.

More than 1,000 people attended the Bible Society event to hear a leading Christian singer, a 100-voice chorus, and an orchestra perform the winning songs. The finalists received a CD of their music, and all in attendance received the Scriptures after the concert.

"Everything we do aims to encourage Scripture distribution," Dr Estrada emphasized. But Scriptures are not only ink on paper.

"This last Easter, the Bible Society premiered its film production of The Prodigal Son. Two of Puerto Rico’s television stations broadcast the production during Holy Week, and religious channels repeated it several times."

Filmed in Puerto Rico and set in modern times, it brings the biblical story of redemption to a media-oriented audience. And to help teach its message to a younger generation, the Bible Society produced a study guide for youth groups.

The Bible Society of Puerto Rico, for all of its outreach and promotions, however, is not yet self-sustaining. While almost half of its US $675,000 income last year was from sales, and $143,000 came from donors in Puerto Rico, it required more than $174,000 in gifts from the Bible Society fellowship to make much of its distribution ministry possible. And those gifts will continue to make a huge difference in the Bible Society’s ability to expand its outreach.

"Our mission is not just to sell books, it is to sell them at a price people can afford," Dr Estrada declared. "Sometimes that means selling below production costs. And prices continue to go up. Next year a parent may pay twice as much for a school textbook for her child, but we will sell a Bible at the same price as this year.

"That difference is made up by our friends who support the work. We are not a book-store, but have a ministry to take God’s Word to the people of Puerto Rico," he added. (SR 19/17 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico – Last year the Bible Society of Puerto Rico was involved in no fewer than nine outreach programs, and five special projects like the Pedalea por la esperanza de nuestro pueblo (Pedaling for the Hope of Our People), the bicycle rally that circumnavigates the island; and the Festival la Biblia Canta (‘The Bible Sings Festival’) which challenges budding songwriters to put the Scriptures to music.

But one of the most unusual developments in the Bible work on the island is the joint promotion schemes that have organisations such as the ‘Sprint’ long-distance telephone company, the ‘Grande’ supermarket chain, and even the Puerto Rican government helping fund Bible Society projects.

The round-the-island bicycle ride can be used as one example. "We do the bike program for three reasons," Dr Estrada explained. "We do it for public awareness, we do it for fundraising, and we do it to distribute God’s Word."

The public relations side is easy to appreciate, with good media coverage and each rider wearing a bright yellow jersey emblazoned with the Bible Society logo. "On the fundraising side, we talk to sponsors like Sprint that believe in our project," he says. "The government assigned $15,000 to the project because we tied it in to the ‘quality of life.’"

The fact that the Bible Society can receive public funding raises some eyebrows in other parts of the U.S. But Dr Estrada explains how, under a constitution that separates church and state, the two can cooperate:

"We bring in people from low-income public housing, where there are drugs, prostitution, and other problems. So the government backs us because they see us helping to solve those problems. They also recognize that Christian values are the basis of our society.

"At the same time, we are very careful not to proselytize. I emphasize to the government that we are not a church. We work with the church as a parachurch ministry. At the same time I hope to develop programs to get involved where the government needs help."

The partnership with ‘Sprint’ involves more than simply underwriting the cycling project. It has evolved into a partnership where the Bible Society promotes the long-distance service to generate additional income.

"The partnership has worked for the past two years," explained promoter Iván Castro. "At this point it is generating about US $23,000 per month for the Bible Society through the six percent commission we receive on the phone charges of customers we sign up. And that total may soon go to $34,000 per month with the new commercial accounts coming online."

‘Sprint’ has also become a regular contributor to Bible Society projects, including ‘The Bible Sings’ concert ($10,000), the Bikes for Bibles project ($10,000), and the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast ($5,000).

And while the financial arrangement provides monetary resources that can be translated into Bibles, the partnership itself gives additional opportunity for Scripture distribution.

At a Christian music concert, for instance, Bible Society staffers manned a Sprint-sponsored booth to promote the long-distance service.

When concert-goers signed up for the service, the Bible Society presented them with a New Testament and special Scripture Portion, The Promises of God.

"Everything we do," said Dr Estrada, "concerns the distribution of God’s Word."

The bike ride is no exception. Costs are underwritten through a $100 fee for the cyclists, plus the corporate sponsorship. Last year more than 20,000 Portions and 300 Bibles were distributed in conjunction with the ride.

Another ‘commercial’ tie-in is the ongoing support of the Bible Society’s work by the island’s ‘Grande’ supermarket chain and its owner, Atilano Cordero Badillo. Besides making direct contributions to the work, Mr Badillo also allows sales of Bible Society Scriptures in his stores at very favorable rates.

"Bibles are usually $14.95, but we put them in his stores for $10.95," explained Bible Society Promoter Roberto Ramos. "That makes them more affordable. Then, Atilano only keeps $1 per book, giving us back $9.95 on each one sold." That compares with $8.95 returned by the bookstores.

"Bible work is in Mr Badillo’s bloodstream," Roberto explained, "because his family began Bible work in Puerto Rico 100 years ago." But selling Bibles in grocery stores was not an easy idea to accept for some ‘Grande’ store executives.

"We began selling Bibles in Grande stores in 1980," said Dr Estrada. "We began with a $4.95 Bible because Atilano’s son said that a Bible would not sell in a grocery store. He said food was more important than Bibles.

"Now the stores sell as many as 14,000 Bibles a year, and they range from a $20 Bible, on sale for $10, to a $39.95 Study Bible." Sometimes, even members of the public do not understand why the Bible is in a grocery store.

"After one of the hurricanes hit Puerto Rico, I was in a ‘Grande’ store in a town that had suffered heavy damage," Mr Ramos remembered. "A lady came in, saw the Bible display in the store, and said, ‘Oh, you’re just out to make a quick buck.’

"Another woman overheard her and said, ‘Excuse me, that is what we need more of – God’s Word!’"

Sometimes store displays draw an even more emotional response. At a Bible Society display in a Sears store, a woman walked up and just stared at the Bibles. She put her hand out toward one, but could not bring herself to touch it.

When the Bible Society representative asked her why, she looked so longingly at it and said, "You see, I’ve never owned a Bible. I’ve always wanted one."

"Well, we can sell these for only $5," he told her.

"I don’t have that much," she replied.

"How much do you have," he asked her.

The lady held out $3. The representative took the $3 and said, "Here, take your new Bible."

With tears of joy in her eyes, this woman picked up her newfound treasure from the table and with a last look of gratitude she carried it away.

"It is our fundraising projects that enable the Bible Society of Puerto Rico to sell Bibles at subsidized prices," said Dr Estrada.

"Thanks to commercial tie-ins like the ones we have, we can make up the difference and offer the Bible to people like this woman who simply could not afford one otherwise, even at discount prices." (SR 19/18 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

Drug Center Gets New Bible Focus

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico — The ‘Hogares Crea’ (‘Faith Family’) rehabilitation program did not begin as a Christian ministry. But after its founder came to faith in Christ three years ago, the biblical principles that had always permeated its operation were brought to the forefront.

And the role of the Bible Society of Puerto Rico, which has been involved with the program for most of a decade, has become even more vital.

Staff psychologist Miguel Angel Rivera says ‘Hogares Crea’ , which has 436 residents in 11 locations, is much more than a drug rehabilitation program.

"Some clients come with problems at home, with behavior problems, and with drug and alcohol problems," he noted. "They are sent here by the courts, transferred from correctional institutions, but some come voluntarily."

But what sets ‘Hogares Crea’ apart is its 30-month program of working through stages. In the end, the residents go out into the community to try to counter the problems that brought them to the center in the first place.

"In the rehabilitation program the participants go through many stages, and the last stage is to go out into the community to work to fight drug and alcohol abuse," Dr Rivera explains. "We make sure they are ready before they go out. Then they are checked each year for five years."

What makes the program work, he says, is its foundation of faith. "We understand that the work of this program was chosen by God," the psychologist says. "Though it is not a ‘Christian’ ministry, we see God’s hand in it."

Today, all sessions begin with prayer. "They used to assure us this was not a Christian program," Dr Rivera said with a slight smile. "Then the founder, Juan José Garcia Ramirez, had a conversion experience. But God has always been here with us."

The work was founded by Mr Ramirez after he had spent some time in prison due to crimes related to his drug addiction. "Addicts were treated badly in prisons in the 1960s," Dr Rivera noted. When Mr Ramirez got out, he went to a day-rehabilitation program. But returning to their neighborhoods at night meant the patients were under great pressure to fall back into addiction.

That was what gave Mr Ramirez the idea to start a residential program to break the cycle. One with discipline and work. And that is what ‘Hogares Crea’ is, along with prayer and therapy to help residents put their lives back together. Any fighting gets you thrown out.

There is also some door-to-door selling in the community to build confidence and discipline – and to generate income for the program: you have to earn your way. But in addition there is now God’s Word to point the way.

"The Bible is the new message from Juan," Dr Rivera says. "We always knew that God directs our lives. Now it is the foundation of the program. Before it was a human movement. Now it is a spiritual movement."

Magin Hernandez, one of the Bayamon center’s 60 residents, notes the difference. "I have been an addict for 20 years," Magin said, "and this is the first place I have really made progress. I have been in other programs, many of which are superficial. Here we are learning how to elevate ourselves, which is really good and positive."

He also appreciates his Bible Society-supplied Bible. "I go to a church near here on Sundays, and they give us Scriptures to read for the Bible lesson. Now I have a Bible to use during my lessons."

Even the therapy at ‘Hogares Crea’ has a "spiritual modality," Dr Rivera says, using 14 different therapy approaches. The most important, he says, is a Bible-oriented gestalt. From therapy to leisure reading, the Bible is the most visible book in the facility.

"We have been working very closely with the Bible Society for seven years," Dr Rivera points out. "They provide us with Bibles, New Testaments, and special Portions designed for our residents. And the Bibles are being read and used on a regular basis."

He adds that it means a lot to him and others at the facility that people are giving to support Bible distribution.

"We can see these Scriptures are being used," he said. "Maybe those who give to provide Bibles do not realize that like this the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to enter and change people’s lives.

" But that is what we are doing, and they are helping to make that possible." (SR 19/19 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

BAYAMON, Puerto Rico — Roberto Ramos is a collector. One room of his home is a shrine to baseball. Autographed baseballs, cards, team jackets, and other memorabilia are testimony to his passion for the game – and for the Brooklyn Dodgers he rooted for in his youth in New York City.

But Roberto, who will retire from his position as Bible Society promoter at the end of 1998, also collects commemorative pins – and souvenir ballpoint pens – and stamps. And it is in his stamp collection that he sees an opportunity to continue his ministry into retirement.

Roberto not only promotes the Bible for the Bible Society, but does so in his private life as well. Roberto will talk about the Bible to anyone, from parking attendant to doctor. And when he walks away, if the person did not have a Bible when Roberto arrived, he will have given them the Scriptures before leaving.

On the day Puerto Rico’s First Lady visited the San Juan pediatric hospital, Roberto was helping to bring the Bibles she was to distribute. While parking his car Roberto spoke with the car park attendant and gave him a Bible.

The attendant was immediately distracted by his new Bible, and the driver of a car behind waiting to enter the parking area had to use the horn to get the attendant’s attention.

As soon as the car had been let in, the attendant immediately went back to reading his new Bible. Another car came, and he was forced to put the Bible down again and get back to work. Roberto is an Air Force veteran, who came to the Bible Society in 1969 after also working for the Navy for six years. "I told the base commander I had received a calling from God to work for the Bible Society," he recounted. "A friend had told me the Bible Society was looking for a promoter."

But Roberto was hesitant. "I was making good money, could buy things at the PX (the army discount store) and had a good benefit package. The Bible Society paid less, but I began to pray for guidance. I got on my knees and prayed and prayed and prayed. I cried and cried and cried. I asked God for some sign as to what I should do. One night, as I was driving along at about 11:30pm, a car cut in front of me endangering my life, and it came to me what I should do."

Since that brush with disaster, Roberto has seen 20 other Bible Society promoters come and go. Now it is his turn to retire. But that does not mean he will stop promoting the Bible. In fact, he has developed one of his most treasured collections just for that purpose.

His most meaningful display is a special part of his stamp collection. It is the story of the Bible in stamps. Collected from countries around the world, the stamps show scenes from the Old and New Testaments, women of the Bible, plants of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Creation, the Resurrection, the Patriarchs, the 12 Tribes of Israel, and much more. Some were printed with tabs that have Scripture verses on them. Many of the stamps come from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Middle East.

"I also have stamps issued by Bible Societies," he noted. Roberto has 248 of the stamps mounted for display, with others still to come. "I have been collecting stamps for 35 years," he said, "and it has taken me five years to assemble this collection."

Now he wants to put it to work. "My dream is to start here in Puerto Rico and display the Bible in stamps in our largest shopping malls," he explained. "I want to use these stamps to spread the Good News." After he retires, he would even like to take the collection to other countries. (SR 19/20 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]

But when Don Pedro was two, that outside world changed, although the impact of that change took some time to reach his farm. The historic change was the transfer of Puerto Rico from Spain to the United States – a result of the Spanish-American War that brought independence to Cuba and paved the way for the eventual independence of the Philippines. (Guam, the other territory awarded to the U.S. in that war, remains American territory.)

Though he was an infant at the time of the war, Pedro remembers what his family explained to him later: "The Spanish ran away when the Americans came," they said. "The Americans helped us a lot." And that political change brought another influence to Puerto Rico: the Bible Societies that had been organized in Britain and the United States earlier in the century began focusing more work in the Caribbean.

With the opening up of Puerto Rico, Protestant denominations from North America soon began evangelizing the island. Don Pedro eventually found his destiny in this new evangelistic Christianity.

But the change in political status had little impact on his early life. His father, like many others on the lush island, worked the land as a subsistence farmer. And though the work was hard, Don Pedro never had to go hungry, even in hard times.

He did not attend school because, by 1904, when he was of school age, he was already working in the tobacco fields, sunrise to sunset, for eight cents a day. "But our lunch was provided," he remembers.

When he was 12, his family sold their little shack and moved to the sugar-cane fields. In Europe and the Middle East, millions were dying in World War I. But no-one in Don Pedro’s corner of Puerto Rico knew of it until 1918, when recruiters from the U.S. Army arrived, seeking volunteers to join up. Also the only news they received was by word of mouth; his family did not hear of events like the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

In 1917, aged 21 years, Don Pedro married. He became a capitán of sugar cane and cows. "So we had milk and beef," he remembers. He also remembers borrowing $100 from the landowner while he was making only $1 a day in the fields. But that money allowed him to leave the sugar fields in two years.

Don Pedro made another kind of ‘departure’ as well, and he mirrors the kind of spiritual pilgrimage that many have followed on what was then a predominantly Catholic island. Raised a nominal Catholic, he first gave his heart to Christ during a spiritual ‘awakening’ that swept Puerto Rico in 1933.

It was a revival that many remember as being manifested by "signs and wonders." In fact, Don Pedro’s first pastor, Herminio Narvaez, prayed over four people who had died. Witnesses say they were raised from the dead.

While thousands of people came to Christ during the revival, it was criticized by some major denominations. One North American-based denomination, while benefiting greatly from the revival, actually chained and locked one of its churches where the revival was especially strong.

But for Don Pedro, it was the beginning of a spiritual journey of joy that has lasted throughout an extraordinarily long lifetime. For 29 of his years, Don Pedro worked at the Army’s Fort Buchanan, responsible for maintenance. His career there began in 1938, working for $2.80 a day as clouds were ominously heralding a global war.

During World War II, he remembers that 15 Germans were captured on the island, trying to infiltrate as spies. The Caribbean, and Puerto Rico’s Atlantic coast, often hid German submarines.

But some of his warmest memories involve the Bible, and his wife who died in 1976. Don Pedro never learned to read, but he knows many Bible verses by heart, because through much of their marriage, his wife read God’s Word to him every night by the light of a candle.

"The Bible? It is my life," he declares, because the words he cannot read from a page are now written in his heart.

Don Pedro has nine children living in Puerto Rico, Florida, and New York. He also has 36 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren – and his son-in-law, Roberto Ramos, retires from 29 years with the Bible Society of Puerto Rico at the end of 1998.

Other than one heart attack he suffered while at work, Don Pedro’s health has always been good. Today, he is part of Puerto Rico’s living history, as the island celebrates 100 years as a dependency of the United States. (SR 19/21 - 11.98) [PHOTOS]