Religious Visa - Prayers Being Answered, More Neededd

Many people have been wondering and praying about our religious visa. This visa is required if I am to speak in any church or conference in Cuba,. Just yesterday I had two emails in the morning from friends telling me that their prayer groups were committing this matter to the Lord that day. I'm sure those who were praying did not know just how significant those prayers would be.

As they were praying, my Cuban host and coordinator of the events was traveling to Havana to pick up a number of religious visa that had been approved for conferences being held in May. My visa was to be among them. He was told, before he went, that all visas had been approved. Writing from Havana, however,  he said:

"I came here excited to pick up the visas for Wayne and his wife, but was told that there were no visas, the paperwork was never submitted."

This came as such a shock to him that he wrote: "I feel like I am going to die. I am really in a panic."

Several things happened as a result of this news. First, from my side I had to re-commit my trip to the Lord. In the hours that followed, I gave the matter to the Lord afresh and determined that the Lord had the right to use or not use my gifts as He saw fit. I also committed myself to take the money raised for these conferences to Cuba so that the events could take place whether I was speaking or not.

Secondly, in Havana the coordinator of the events and the denominational representative committed themselves to prayer. As a result of this prayer, they felt the need to contact the Communist Party to ask if there was anything they could do to help. They were put in touch with a leader who proved to be sympathetic to their request and told them that, for a small processing fee, he would see that the visa was granted in time for the conferences!

As it stands now, we are waiting for the paperwork to be processed. My Cuban hosts tell me to keep my schedule and come on Tuesday the 15th. While I may have to enter with a tourist visa, I will be able to change my status upon entry once the visa arrives and then be able to speak. As soon as the visa is granted in Havana, it will be put on a plane and sent to where my host can pick it up.

These last two days have been a bit of a roller coaster for me but I am seeing the Lord work in this. God is moving in answer to the prayers of His people in Canada, United States and Cuba. Somehow, this gives me even more confidence in the purpose of God in these days.

Thanks for your prayers. We continue to trust that the visa would arrive in time for our first conference on May 16th.