Matanzas Cuba

You can travel to Cuba safely and legally, and we’ve taken out the guesswork. Our team has streamlined the process for visas and the license requirements to get there and back safely.

On all our mission trips, we see heart-wrenching poverty and hear unbelievable stories of struggle and survival. Yet despite all the hardships faced by the people we serve, one thing always stays the same: God never forgets them, even when the rest of the world seems to. There's no country in the Western Hemisphere where that rings truer than Cuba. Since Fidel Castro’s Communist regime took power in 1959, Cuba has been trapped in time.

The cars on the streets are right out of Leave It to Beaver, and the government controls everything from food rations to media and, until recently, religious freedom. If you're like many Americans, you might even think traveling to Cuba is still illegal (it’s not if you’re going for religious purposes; we’ve been going for the past seven years). Yet God hasn’t forgotten Cuba.

Even with an alarming lack of Spanish Bibles and other Christian resources, Christianity not only survives but is flourishing despite persecution and government restrictions. And because America's travel restrictions have loosened, a unique window has opened for traveling to Cuba, experiencing its beautiful and mysterious culture, and bringing desperately needed Christian resources to churches that have been praying for help for years.

Dates and Pricing

Lodging

Lodging options typically depend on the size of the team.

• For small teams (fewer than 10 people), groups may stay at a farm in small dorms with very simple lodging and bunk beds.
• Larger teams may stay at a guest house in Matanzas with 5-6 rooms, all with bunk beds. Some of the rooms have private bathrooms.
• Groups could also stay in a small hotel operated by a Presbyterian Church. Typically, there are 3-5 people in each hotel room.

How You’ll Serve

You'll serve in Jovellanos and Varadero. Here are examples of some things you might do:

• Meet and interact with local Cuban pastors, hearing their stories
• Do a simple work project for our ministry partner (painting a building or a church, or working on a ministry farm, for example)
• Engage in humanitarian outreach by purchasing rice and beans, assembling packages, and distributing them to families in need (most have children with special needs); you might also serve meals to the elderly
• Interact with Cuban kids with disabilities, playing games and helping with crafts
• Attend a Cuban house church service, share your faith story with them (optional)

Our Partners

Mazatlan Missions, founded in 2016, serves to impact lives and communities through global partners, holistic projects, and short-term volunteers transformed by each unique service-leadership cultural experience. Specifically, they coordinate the efforts of short-term service with long-term local leaders to accomplish projects that impact communities. Please fill out an interest form, or contact James with Mazatlan Missions at (719) 640-4844.

Our partners in Cuba are focused on helping the Christian church thrive because they see it as a source for hope and change. They’re committed to supporting pastors and are connected to many different churches of many denominations. Our efforts support their efforts to continue spreading faith in Jesus to every corner of the island. These partners are blessed when Americans come to Cuba not for tourism but to share, relate, and love. The blessing will be mutual, as you’ll walk away with new perspective and a new hope.

Schedule

Program

What's Included