Jazzing it up in Cuba

I've been on plenty of mission trips going all the way back to jr high days, and I reached a point where I felt that sending my dollars to people already on the ground was more impactful than jumping on a plane. 

This opportunity was different, though. Global Missions Project uses musical performances as a means to bring the Gospel to foreign people groups. I went with a 20-piece big band to a communist country that is typically closed to Christianity. 

However, a Havana pastor named Alioth Gonzales (pictured with me below, left) has some key contacts within the Cuban government and he was able to get our group into the country on a cultural exchange visa rather than the typical religious visa. This gave us access to all venues including musical student conservatories and public performance theaters.

Alioth also happens to have developed a close relationship with a Cuban concert pianist named Frank Fernandez who is known and loved throughout Cuba AND Russia. He turned 80 at the beginning of March and Alioth pitched the idea to the Cuban government for our band to come to Havana and accompany Frank for his final public concert (he is in the final stages of COPD, so he's not long for this world). 

The government loved the idea and even subsidized a third of our trip cost. The Cuban president and two of his general secretaries announced they would attend the Christian-branded concert in Havana's National Theater. Alioth said this is the first time a Cuban official, much less the president, has ever attended a "Christian" event. 

The 2500-seat theater was oversold for the performance. The audience loved Frank's rendition of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and even called for three encores! Afterward, President Díaz-Canel and his secretaries held a reception for us in the green room and expressed their appreciation for our obvious love for one of Cuba's national treasures (Frank).

Besides the main concert, we rehearsed and performed every day of the trip at musical conservatories for students aged 11-18. We also conducted master classes to teach them about jazz.

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We also had a little downtime to enjoy the killer Cuban cuisine and cruise around in '57 Chevies.

Our entire band formed a close relationship with Frank and we took every opportunity to express our love for him and his beloved Cuban people. The final night, Alioth and our trip leaders shared the Gospel with Frank and we have all been praying for him ever since. Alioth told us this past Wednesday that Frank brought his entire family to a church service last Sunday morning for the first time.

Given Frank's governmental importance as a symbol of Cuban greatness and his tremendous favor with the Cuban people, imagine the response if/when Frank confesses Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior!

Neel Woods

P.S. Despite the positive response to our Christian affiliation, Cuba still suffers under a very heavy yolk of Communism and religious intolerance. In the wrong hands, this information could be weaponized. Therefore, our team has been cautioned not to talk about our trip over social media but rather to communicate directly with known contacts. Please treat this info with similar discretion.