After breakfast I spent the morning preparing my third message for the Conference.
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| First Baptist, Holguin, Cuba |
Diane and I walked to First Baptist Church for lunch. First Baptist Church has over 1,000 members meeting in 17 outreach points across the city. The church was started 78 years ago and has now planted three other churches in the city of Holguin. It is the goal and prayer of the church that all 17 outreach points will become self-sustaining churches. There is a separate missionary pastor from the church responsible for the believers in each outreach point.
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| Registration at First Baptist |
When we arrived at the church, youth were registering for the conference. I met a young man by the name of Geraldo. He remembered me from last year and we began to talk. He told me that he had left at 1:00 am this morning and travelled 8 hours with 50 other youth on the back of a truck to get to Holguin for the Conference. He had not slept all night.
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| Transportation to church |
Registration was also taking place at Second Baptist Church where the conference was going to be held. Six truck loaded with 50-60 youth each transported the youth who registered at First Baptist to Second Baptist for the evening meetings.
The church was filled to capacity. Each of the twelve large open windows was filled with youth who could not fit in the church. The front and back doors were also filled. Those who couldn't find a door or a window stood or sat in the courtyard surrounding the church.
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| One of many Cuban bands |
Youth from many cities were represented at the conference. I spoke with one man who traveled ten hours on the back of a truck to get to the conference. Worship was joyous and the youth responded well to the speaker from Paraguay.
After a three worship service we arrived back at our hotel at about 11:30 at night.