Images show some of the destruction caused by the deadly tornado (Fernando Medina/Reuters).
Testimonies of Havana residents who experienced the recent deadly tornado that struck Cuba are among the highlights of a special broadcast of El Faro de Redención (Redemption Lighthouse).
The tornado swept across portions of the Cuban capital on 27 January 2019, with winds reaching 260 mph, killing six people and damaging more than 3,500 homes. Assembling a prompt response to the tragedy, El Faro host Dan Warne of Haven Ministries coordinated with his producer in Cuba to obtain reports from the scene for the special broadcast carried on TWR Bonaire’s expanded signal.
“Our roof was the sky”
“Tragedies like last week’s tornado prompt big questions in people’s hearts and minds,” Warne said. “Radio provides an important space to speak to hurting hearts while bringing the hope of the Gospel.” One of the testimonies on the programme is from two Christian women who were praying and crying out to the Lord when the tornado tore the roof off above their heads in their fifth-floor apartment. They said, ‘Our roof was the sky, and we cried out, “Thank you, Jesus, for saving our lives!”’
Within a few days of the tornado strike, the producer of El Faro had gone into the streets and churches of Havana to gather testimonies and biblical reflections from church members and pastors in the affected areas.
“In times like this, we move fast and think on our feet to make good radio,” Warne said. “We’re grateful to the staff at TWR Bonaire for their flexibility to adapt and interrupt the normal programming. We hope we will be able to encourage the listeners to remember that the Lord is good, even in times like this.”
The special programme, called Fuerza Havana, or Havana Strength in English, was first broadcast Friday 1 February and has been repeated each night in the last week.
“We tell our listeners, that we have rock-solid confidence that we serve a compassionate and gracious God, who gave us his own Son so that by faith in him for redemption, our suffering isn’t the end of our story,” Warne said.
Cuba needs your prayers
- Pray for the Cuban church as it rallies to the aid of those who are hurting, offering food despite having few resources themselves.
- Pray that the church will be able to provide answers to difficult questions about the existence of suffering.
- Pray that many will tune to Shine 800 AM Bonaire this week and will be comforted and find Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
- Pray that the TWR ministry team in Cuba and our broadcast partner El Faro de Redención will be able to continue bringing the Gospel to this island nation, where there is a keen hunger for the Word of God.
Image: A girl among the wreckage in Havana (Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press)
