Trip Calendar

Host Information
Karell T. Lescaille and Raquel Matos, Nazareth Baptist Church

The Matos Family, Pastor Karell, his wife Raquel and their two sons David and Josue are ministering in Havana, Cuba. Pastor Karell has been in the ministry for 25 years and has planted 15 churches. He is currently in his eighth year as the Pastor of Nazareth Baptist Church in the community of Vibora in Havana, Cuba.

Nazareth Baptist Church has a dynamic ministry in Vibora. They actively seek to show God’s love through evangelism and discipleship. Some of their current ministries include senior care ministries, ladies' outreach projects, community outreach projects, and sports evangelism. They are committed to reproducing themselves, as they are involved in training men in planting churches. Nazareth Baptist is excited to host MMO and show God’s love through medicine.


Trip Description 

Cuban culture is diverse, complex, and truly fascinating. Influences from Europe, North America, and Africa have shaped a unique Cuban identity. Cubans are passionate, sociable, and affable. 

The land of Cuba was first inhabited around 6,000 years ago, and at the time of Spanish colonization in the 15th century, it was populated by the Guanahatabey and Taíno peoples. The island remained a colony of Spain until the Spanish–American War of 1898, when Cuba was occupied by the United States. It gained independence in 1902. Mounting political unrest culminated in 1959 with the Cuban Revolution, which established communist rule under the leadership of Fidel Castro. Cuba remains a socialist state with an authoritarian government where political opposition is not permitted. Censorship is extensive and independent journalism is repressed. 

Cuba has one of the world's few planned economies, which is dominated by the exports of skilled labor, sugar, tobacco, and coffee. Cuba boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the world, thanks to its emphasis on education and free schooling. Baseball is the most popular sport in Cuba, with numerous stadiums and passionate fans. 

Cuba has a universal health care system that provides free medical treatment to all Cuban citizens, although challenges include low salaries for doctors, poor facilities, poor provision of equipment, and the frequent absence of essential drugs. An estimated 88% of the population is living in extreme poverty. Food rations only meet a fraction of the daily nutritional needs for many Cubans, and as a result, the Cuban diet is of international concern due to micronutrient deficiencies and a lack of dietary diversity. This lack of nutrients leads to many health issues.

Cuba is officially a secular state. Religious freedom increased through the 1980s, with the government amending the constitution in 1992 to drop the state's characterization as atheistic. Roman Catholicism is the largest religion, with a significant share of the population being either non-religious or practicing folk religions.

For more country information, click here https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cuba/

Services Offered 

Our plan is to offer medical, optical, and physical therapy care to this community. Every patient who receives care will hear the gospel from a member of this local church.

Note: At this time we are only considering applications for physical therapy professionals.

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