Words from friends on COVID-19: Cuba

Update from the Evangelical Seminary of Theology, Matanzas, Cuba

To SET partners and friends.

Dear brothers and dear sisters in Christ. “May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. (2 Peter 1,2) We hope you are bearing up in spite of the manifold challenges that we all are facing with the new Coronavirus, COVID-19. We are reminded just how interconnected we are, our shared humanity and our responsibility for one another’s well-being. May the Spirit of life continue to breathe life into our every effort to affirm life in abundance for all!

As we address the impact of this new pandemic, we decided to close our Seminary as of yesterday (the campus in Matanzas and other related locations) until Tuesday, April 21, when we plan to meet again to assess the situation in the country and the Seminary. The Cuban authorities have ordered to close all schools and universities during this period and are urging people to stay at home in order to try to prevent the spreading of the virus.

During this week, we will be temporarily moving the students and their families to their respective homes, which was reported to the heads of their churches. When SET reopens, we will move them back to the campus. Throughout this period, we still have some professors and students living on campus.

As you know, we still do not have the Internet facilities in our country for e-learning, therefore, in the meantime, the professors have assigned homework for their students during this period.

As far as possible, the SET will continue offering some basic services to the population, such as the Living Water for World project and vegetables from our organic garden, food for social cases, the supply of sodium hypochlorite to disinfect, as well as face masks. Our transportation will also continue but in a reduced way and for special cases. The custodians will continue their surveillance work.

Even when the chapel is closed, the SET community is invited to continue in a spirit of prayer, interceding for all those affected by the virus and for the staff who are helping out on all fronts.

A major blow of this pandemic is that we have had to cancel a number of groups visiting us from abroad, which, apart from preventing the blessing of exchanging experiences and pursuing mutuality in mission, this, of course, is also hindering our economy.

The experts are already forecasting a global financial recession, nevertheless, we do not renounce to the dream of establishing together our Protestant and Reformed Theological Education Campus in Havana. We, therefore, continue praying and doing our homework traying to find a suitable location and facility in our nation’s capital.

Let's trust God, take care of ourselves and take care of others! Please pray for us as we also pray for you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)

Very gratefully yours,

Carlos

Pastor Carlos Emilio Ham (D.Min/Ph.D.)

Principal of the Evangelical Seminary of Theology, Matanzas, Cuba