“The Kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground…” (Mark 4:26), this way was the gospel spread in a countryside town called Sandino, belonging to Puerto Padre Municipality, in Las Tunas Province. That is the place where Enma Austin Ferias scattered the seeds obtained from her fruits by having received the Adventist message.
“…and (as if the man) should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he (the preacher) himself does not know how” (Mark 4:27). The Torres-Martínez family was the first to germinate, accepting the Adventist message and getting baptized. They gave their home to hold a small group, which became a Branch Sabbath School. However, this work did not last because they had to leave that town in order to go back to the main town of the municipality.
But it does not matter if the winds harm the plantation because the good seed keeps in itself the potential to become a great tree. And even though the bud might get bent by the breeze, the seeds are easily scattered. This was the case with the Sandino field. In a new attempt the sower planted again at Juan Josías' home, and many people were baptized. Another windstorm brought disease for a member of that family, and the seeds went as far as Mayelín's house. The plantation of the gospel continued to grow bigger and spread to other two houses, so that more people surrendered to Christ.
House-to-house visitation filled empty spaces in the field, and new tree saplings grew as people accepted the good tidings. Although we must sow in order to reap, only with prayer can we fertilize the field. The constant search for Bible study times and prayer for one another kept their hearts warm during the cold winter which the Covid-19 pandemic meant. This is what Enma, who is the Missionary Director of the church that nowadays exists in Sandino, tells us.
After some time, the faithful ones from town began to frequently hold Sabbath School meetings, supported by Brother Maikel and his wife, who both used to commute from Puerto Padre Municipality. “We intended to make some pews, but we had neither money nor materials. However, in my backyard there were two trees, which we cut down on the first waning moon and then worked on them. We all by working together were able to make three pews; before, we had to sit on rocks, bricks or whatever we could find.
Later on somebody gave us a stereo system that was kind of broken down, but we fixed it. We were also given a DVD player and a USB memory, which improved the sound system and the song services. I don't remember where we got two speaker baffles from, but I do remember those eleven people accepting the message.” With a soft and grateful voice Enma tells me about her progress. “For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:28-29). So much that “we would send for the pastor and he would come and would baptize the children first, then their parents, and then their relatives. We were gaining the families and the congregation was getting built up,” adds Enma with a smile on her lips. Even though initially they did not intend to plant a church, God prospered the work, and Brother Luis Enrique Bruzón donated half of his house for the meeting place. On Sabbath, September 16th, this year, Sandino was organized as a church with 46 members.
Once more this missionary director confirms that “Christ's method is the most effective: approaching people like one who wants to do good to them, because that's what we do. Besides, a lot of prayer is required. And through the welfare ministry, the person to person work... the preaching was getting expanded."
The lifestyle changes and the brotherly love shown by the church members have impacted the community. Their way of doing things differently has awakened many neighbors' curiosity to ask what has happened at Luis' house? There have they met Christ and they cannot come back to their former life.