Cuba Leadership Team
Meeting Minutes
August 16, 2017
Attending:Danny and Lillian Berrios, Becky Bros, Rell Etner, Kim Harshman, Mary Hoffman, Paul Jones, Barbara Joyce, Ken Lassiter, Drew and Suzi Marshall, Becky Perry, Tom Roberts, Randy Simpson, Brenda Thompson, Laura Viau, Pat Zinn
Link to IPRC Daily Devotional Su Voz (in Spanish and English):
1.Called to order at 12:10 p.m. with prayer led by Ken Lassiter
2.Motion to approve minutes from May 17, 2017 meeting - M/S/P
3.Reviewed Financial Report (attached)
4.2018 Cuba Mission Trip - February 5-13, 2018
25 person maximum; 14 applications received to date
Flying from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) w/overnight stay on 2/4
Trip will include time at 1-2 churches, group time at Sancti Spiritus, a meeting with El Centro Council, and a cultural visit to Trinidad or another city of interest.
The intention is to spend Sunday morning at partner churches.
Schedule will be finalized after we know who/how many are going and what church(es) each person is visiting. It is complicated by the Monday arrival/Tuesday departure and constrained by the need to return before Ash Wednesday.
5.On-going fund-raising efforts (for delivery to El Centro in February, 2018)
El Centro Transportation Needs - goal $10,000
El Centro Lay Leadership Training - goal $3,000
Other possible projects will be discussed at the Nov. business meeting in Santa Clara.
6.Report on Cuban Pastors’ Retreat - January 15-19, 2018
Attending from Central Florida: Calvin and Lee Gittner, Drew and Suzi Marshall, Danny and Lillian Berrios, Jean and Gary Meredith, Paul Jone. Attending from Baltimore: couples expected.
Cost estimate for time in Cuba is $300 per person (for 20 people). CFP and Baltimore Presbyteries will cover the cost of the Cubans, and the Americans will cover their own costs. South Lake Pres is holding benefit concert in October to help cover the cost of the Cuban pastors.
7.Upcoming events
Rev. Liudmila Hernández and Ruling Elder Yanelys Bonet are visiting us August 25 - September 13. They are being hosted by eight of our churches, including spending a week at their partner church, GraceWay.
Presbytery Meeting - September 12 (Liudmila is speaking at Good News First and at the mission trip Open Space)
Cuba Partner Network (CPN) meeting Sept. 13-16 (Pat will represent CFP.)
Rev. Jesús Rodríguez is visiting September 30-October 8, hosted by Danny and Ken; details are still being worked out. He’ll be in Clermont the first Sunday and Wekiva the second Sunday.
El Centro Business Meeting in Santa Clara, Cuba, Nov. 28-Dec. 1 (Randy and Pat will represent CFP.)
8.Church to church relationship updates (P=partnership, R=relationship)
First Vero / Cabaiguán (P) - no report
North Lake / Caibarién (P) - request prayers for Edelberto, who is feeling overwhelmed by the new responsibilities for Synod added to all his other ones. (Birthday 8/14)
Port Orange / Placetas (potential R) - no report
Christ Presbyterian / Calabazar de Sagua (R) - trying to get more people to visit Cuba
First, Kissimmee / Encrucijada (P) - no report
Graceway / Sancti Spiritus (P) - Youth trip in June was a great success
Pineda / Meneses and Iguará (R) - Pineda is sending 3 people to visit in October, and they are taking partnership documents to be finalized and signed. Liudmila, who moderates the session at Meneses, will preach at Pineda on August 27.
South Lake / Camajuaní (R) - A member of the Cuban community at South Lake donated hearing aids to send down with Jesús. Ibis, an elder at Marielys’ church, died unexpectedly during surgery. Ibis was a single-mother of 2 who was also caring for her mother with Alzheimers. Prayers requested for Marielys, the church, and the family.
Wekiva / Remedios (P) - Looking forward to Jesús’ visit. Four people from Wekiva are going on the February 2018 mission trip.
9.Other Business
Pat ordered 200 custom, iron-on patches with Central Florida Presbytery Cuba Mission Team logo, for application to team shirts. They can be used for Presbytery mission trips and for church-to-church visits.
Moody Radio is starting to broadcast in Cuba today; please keep them in prayer
Randy reported that the 2018 CPN meeting will be held in late October in Lake Yale, near Leesburg; our CLT may be asked to help.
Danny commented on the importance of the model of partnership we have with El Centro Presbytery for future missions anywhere, i.e. building relationships and church-to-church/session-to-session partnerships.
Use of remaining funds from 2017 trip
Motion to fund Pat’s trip to CPN meeting - $500 - M/S/P
Motion to reserve funds for CFP share of expenses for Liudmila and Yanelys - $800 - M/S/P
Motion to reserve funds for CFP share of expenses for Jesús - max $500 - M/S/P
Motion to pay part of expenses for business meeting in Cuba - $500 ($250 each for Randy and Pat) - M/S/P
Motion to reimburse Pat for the Logo patches - $292.50 - M/S/P
10.Next meeting is tentatively scheduled for November 11 at Wekiva. We invited JoElla to come, but it didn’t work with her schedule; we’ll try again in early 2018.
11.Adjourned with prayer led by Danny Berrios
Cuba Leadership Team
Financial Report Summary
7/31/2017
Cuba Transportation Fund
Balance:$1,125.34
Water Treatment Fund (maintenance of LWW system)
Clermont, South Lake$186.64
Longwood, Wekiva$500.00
Balance:$686.64
Cuba Leadership Training Fund
Balance:$0.00
Cuba Partnership Team (individual donation “to be used as the team see fit”)
Balance:$700.00
Cuba Partnership Fund (funds remaining from trips)
Balance as of 4/30/17$3778.82
Yanelys’s visit (CPN meeting) ($453.47)
Balance:$3325.35
Lemosy Fund
Balance:$11,941,11