“Mami, que es la palabra, Dios?” the young boy in the backseat of our car asked. We had been talking to this mother and her son, and as we spoke about God, the boy perked up at this strange word. Imagine never having heard the word God (Dios). Most of us in the US, whether or not we are Christians, hear and use this word frequently, but this child had recently arrived in the US from Cuba, a Totalitarian Communist state. The Apostle Paul asks, “But how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14 AMP) Ernesto was born in Havana, Cuba and his family escaped from Cuba [in 1970] on one of the last Freedom Flights. He longs to return to this country with the good news of the gospel. He has served as an ordained pastor for over 15 years including almost a decade as a church planter of an Hispanic congregation. He and his wife, Awara, who was born in Nigeria, have been married 34 years and have 6 children and 7 grandchildren.

Our Role

Ernesto serves as a faculty member of ELI, taking biblical teaching to pastors around the world, 95% of whom have little formal training. These leaders then return to their communities and pass on this training, thus multiplying kingdom impact! Ernesto serves on the Latin American Team and specializes in Apologetics.