God’s Daily Provision - Cuba 2026 Music Academy Mission Trip
Bob DeWeerd
This past July, a team traveled to Cuba to participate in the Christian Reformed Church of Cuba’s annual Music Academy. Hillside helped establish the Music Academy starting in 2000, and has supported its ministry and impact over the years. Many have learned music and shared the gift with their congregations and others, shining the light of Christ throughout Cuba. This year, the team got to see not only how the music program continues to impact the church, but also how God’s daily provision is evident throughout. Below is a list of highlights (written in brief) of God’s provision on the trip (it is by no means complete as God was evident in countless ways).
Friday, July 17
Travel went very well. Other than a few minor delays, everything was timely. Even better, all of the supplies, medicine, and other resources that were brought to Cuba arrives and made it through customs. This will allow many needs to be met in and beyond the music academy. Truly God’s provision is already evident.
Saturday, July 18
Preparation and rehearsals for the upcoming week went smoothly. Met with church leaders and discussed many things. Financial challenges of the music academy were met through the generosity of donors who contributed to funds brought to Cuba and through some of the money collected to support the trip from Hillside. Discussed future considerations and needs.
Sunday, July 19
Worshipped with the church in Jaguey Grande. Power went out halfway through the service. (Note: nobody reacted; it is a normal thing. Found out that the power outage was due to thieves stealing oil that is used to cool transformers, resulting in transformer failure. This is a surprisingly common occurrence in Cuba. City officials said that it was likely that power would not be restored to Jaguey Grande for at least two to three weeks. This will create complications for the music camp. Prayerful consideration began, and options were addressed. Options included:
Moving the camp to another nearby town (turned out to be too logistically difficult and not a viable option)
Canceling the camp (obvious problems with this)
Relying on God to reveal possible solutions. As it changed from day to night, God opened a door as the possibility of purchasing solar panels, an inverter, and heavy-duty rechargeable batteries from a vendor. Once again, the generosity of people who had contributed to help the mission trip blessed us and the decision was made to use the money sent by individual donors, along with supplemental money from different ministries in the Cuban CRC, to purchase the system which could be set up as quickly as possible. God’s provision, not only in the opportunity to acquire the solar power system but also in the funds necessary to make the purchase, was revealed once again.
Monday, July 20
Great news. All of those who planned on attending the Music Academy (around 60 people) arrived safely and in a timely manner. Students were registered and placed in classes that suited their needs and interests. Everyone adapts to the circumstances and gets started with the week ahead. The volunteers have also arrived safely. An old gas generator (gas is extremely expensive in Cuba) allows for intermittent power when needed. The solar panels and equipment arrive late in the day and are installed ASAP. We also participated in and led worship in the Torriente church. It was a blessing to be able to get out to churches and worship with them.
Tuesday, July 21
The solar power system is fully installed, wired, and set to go by noon. The intense sun immediately begins to activate the system. Over the rest of the week, the system will be used more and more as they figure out how to use it most effectively. Students are excited and learning as much as they can. The day includes music classes for specific instruments throughout the morning and other practice opportunities in the afternoon. A celebration of culture, which includes music, traditional dances, and other elements, in the evening caps off a good day of learning and music.
Wednesday, July 22
One student becomes quite ill. Thankfully, it is not something that is communicable. He is provided care and brought home. Classes are hitting their stride. During worship times, students continue to learn the music we are teaching and singing together. The “Band” rehearses for the culminating music of the Friday program. A nice mix of instruments and voices from all of the classes makes for a good group. We participated in and led worship in Australia (just across the main highway from Jaguey). It is good to see people we have known for many years. God is faithful and blesses our time together. In the evening, groups from the different churches presented music they had prepared before the Music Academy in a celebration and worship time. It is good to see the continuity that has continued from years past and how the future is full of potential.
Thursday, July 23
A good pattern is established for how to use the solar power system. It will be a blessing to the church moving forward because they no longer need to worry when the electrical grid in the town goes out because they have reliable power that can meet the basic needs of the church. Preparations for the program on Friday continue. Students new to their instrument are really beginning to show a good understanding and learning how to play more consistently and effectively. We traveled to Agramonte for worship. That town has been without power for over a month. Their town’s transformer’s oil had been stolen as well. Thankfully, they have a small battery backup, which allows for the service to move forward with a mic and speakers. The community is warm and welcoming. It is good to worship with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
Friday, July 24
The final day of teaching in the Music Academy has arrived. At the end of the day’s teaching, it is good to reflect back on how much students have grown in a week. Their desire to learn has created an environment where teaching and learning progresses at a steady and strong rate. Students are prepared to play or sing for the people that will come to the closing program tonight. The solar generator has been working well and will provide all that is needed for the evening. Around 6 pm, a huge thunderstorm goes through the town. While it delays the start of the program by half an hour, it cools the air so that it will be very comfortable for the evening performances, which take place on the third floor of the headquarters building.
Note: God has blessed us with good weather all week. It has been hot (we anticipated that) but not “Cuba HOT.” It made the lack of power (or AC) much more manageable. The closing program goes very well. It seems like every student or group plays or sings the best they have done all week. God’s presence is especially present as everyone comes together in this time of worship and celebration. It is exciting to know that these students will return to their home churches and share their gifts by participating in (sometimes leading) worship in meaningful ways.
Saturday, July 25
With the camp finished, all students are able to return home in a timely manner. As we reflect back on the week, we see so many ways in which God blessed the Music Academy. So many small evidences of His grace permeated our daily activities. Relationships were built, music and skills were learned, and God was worshipped throughout. All were thankful for how God worked throughout the week.
Sunday, July 26
Travel day. We begin in Jaguey Grande. Upon arrival at the airport, we thank God for the reliability of our transportation throughout the week (and the availability of gas). Everything runs smoothly, and we arrive home safely.
Needless to say, God’s provision was evident throughout. We saw His hand in big things and in small things. Sometimes it came through His direct work (weather, opportunities which arise, etc.) and sometimes it came through how He used His people (generous donors, volunteer leaders) to make positive differences in both immediate and long-term circumstances.
Final Thoughts:
The Music Academy Week for the Cuban Christian Reformed Church is an important part of both the present and the future for the church. Those who supervise the music program as a whole in the Cuban church are grateful for the support from Hillside and from many individuals in the past. At the same time, the church will need continued support from Hillside, other churches, and individuals to continue its mission into the future. What we had seen throughout the week showed us how well they maximize every dollar they receive to equip church members for service. It was clear that Hillside’s continued support of this ministry blesses the entire denomination. When we asked about future needs for the music program, we found out that for less than $10,000, we can support the entire denomination for a year. Hopefully, we can continue to bless them through prayer and financial support for the Music Academy. God is doing exciting things in Cuba, and He continues to invite us to share in his work. If you have any questions, catch Ken Nagel or Bob DeWeerd (or any others who have been to Cuba) and they can tell you of the wonderful things God continues to do.