Br. Will Cuthbert is a youth minister in the Moravian Church in Costa Rica and, since attending the BWM Conferencia de Recursos Moravos, has helped us realize our goal of strengthening relationships between global partners. His work began by forming an online community where youth and pastors could gather weekly to share resources and grow in faith. This initiative is the first of its kind for Spanish-speaking Moravians. Recognizing Will’s impactful contributions, the BWM has supported his efforts and engaged him in responding to invitations to host workshops in our partner areas. Will traveled to Honduras in August 2024.
Greetings my dear brothers and sisters of the Board of World Mission I hope and pray that you are enjoying the love and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to say thanks for your prayers and sponsorship of the workshops in Honduras among our Miskito and Garifunas brothers and sisters. It was a blessing to finally be able to see the Moravian Hospital in Ahuas and to see at first hand the wonderful work that people have been doing in this hospital and in many communities.
The first day I arrived at the hospital I stood and look at the inscription at the entrance of the hospital that has the names of the people who had such vision and I ask myself why would these people travel so far to come and build a hospital in such a remote area among strangers and such difficult environment and the answer came to me as I kept walking and saw people in need coming to be attended, people with injuries, pregnant woman, older people, children and I saw what the meaning of this Moravian hospital in Ahuas its hope, its light it’s a solid living prove of the love of God for everyone in this community and its surroundings. People like the Marx Family, brother Rick and his family, Rev. Sam Gray and his family, the Gieslers and so many others has paved the way so that us the new generations of Moravians can follow their footsteps and bring hope to the needy, happiness to the sad, comfort and love to those in distress and the most important thing the word of God to bring the message of salvation to people in remote areas and remote countries and this we can only do if we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, so that was the answer to my question, that which motivates our Moravian Missionaries from the beginning of our Moravian Mission History is the Love of Jesus Christ. John 13-34-35 A new command I give I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples. I think the hospital is a great project. It’s a fertile ground to bring young leaders and adult leaders to exercise their love for God’s people.
Trip to Ahuas
I arrived to Puerto Lempira on Friday the 24- 2024 of August and that same day I traveled to Ahuas by boat the first part of the boat ride was very pleasant with the fresh breeze but the last hour of the trip got very tense with a storm that hit us I don’t recall seen so much rain ever before, the captain of the boat usually cover the people there belongings with a plastic bag which usually works pretty good but this particular time it was just to much rain, all my clothes got wet every single thing got wet and that just made me think about the first missionaries that came to this area the challenges and difficulties they went through and it made it seem like my stuff getting all wet was not important any more, I was glad to be in Ahuas I was glad God took me there and I was looking forward to what he had plan.
I was very well received by one of the local pastors who was very kind to take me to the place where I would spend the night and after I got there we went for dinner, the food was a welcome banquet prepared by the wife of the president of the Provincia Misionera Rev. Morlin Perez who I must say received me very well and was happy to have me in Ahuas I had a great time with their family and that night at 7 pm we started the first workshop.
That Friday night it rained so hard that I was a bit concern that people would have a hard time to get out at their homes, the pastor and I showed up first and open up the church and we rang the church bell that night in the building there was about 2 crickets, one big frog and that was it, so we sat down and I tuned up the guitar spoke to the pastor about the dynamics for that workshop and then little by little the young people and leaders started to show up and we got got started. The topic was How do I worship God in truth and in spirit according to Saint John 4:23 and it was very accepted by everyone, we also had the opportunity to have a time of worship and adoration and the spirit of God was with us we praise the name of Jesus for that, at the end of the night we counted about 125 young people and leaders.
On Saturday 24 we had our second workshop and he had a really nice visit with young students from the seminary.
On Sunday I was invited to a wedding one of these same young men that went to the workshop was getting married I was introduce to the congregation little over 300 people and I told them that this was a visit sponsored by the BWM they reacted very happy and the first thing they said was where is Brother Rick?, and then I learn how much these people love bro Rick and spoke so highly of him, the following day I ask bro Rick what moved him to come down to Ahuas and serve these people such a long distance from home, at first he said he like the food (Smile) just a joke, Bro Rick said he felt the call of God to do so, (ones again the love of God in action). While at the wedding I notice that the bride was smiling the entire time but the groom was a bit nervous and that was really interesting so after the Rev blessed then as husband and wife he just broke down in tears and he could not stop he went on for about 20 minutes so after the ceremony was over and everyone went to the banquet I was very curious so I saw him walk up to me and I said in very respectful way bro I could not avoid seen how much you cried is everything ok? I asked and he said yes, wonderful. At that moment when the Rev blessed us I felt the presence of the holy spirit and was so filled with joy that I could not stop crying (once again the love of God).
I left Ahuas and left a lot of friends there and I promise I would not forget them. I would keep them in my prayers and come back with more workshops if it was in the plan of GOD.
CUSUNA Home of the Garifunas
The Idea of coming to Cusuna started with an invitation of Dr Sarai, few months ago she call me and ask me if it would be possible to have a workshop with the Garifuna Youth I said I would love to but would had to check with Bro Justin and Rev. Angelica of the BMW and after a few weeks and prayer the answer was yes. So I arrived at 4 am on wednesday at this village and there I was. It was very dark, I saw some local fisherman pass by, very friendly with conversation opener “good morning” and then came sister Sarai, we had breakfast and went over the plan for the workshops.
That day I had the opportunity of visiting the 4 churches in the area I spoke to the pastors and heard there concerns, the Garifuna Moravians are a group that are very proud to be Moravians I spoke to this one lady that has been a Moravian for about 80 years and she said that her mother was also a Moravian, the people express how happy they felt to have a Moravian visitor from distant land and ask me about how the Moravian world was, they all paid much attention and showed lots of interest. That night we had our workshop with a very good crowd of Moravians I was so amazed by the way they worship it was something so different from what I have ever seen there songs there drums there voices it was amazing how much they love the lord and how proud they feel about their culture and ways of worship, we had a great time worshiping the Lord and I could see how that could be a good place for future mission to be done, there is so much to do I saw huge buildings that one day would become nice churches if they get some support it seems they feel that somehow they have been a bit place on the side by there province and I must point out that some other denominations has been approaching them and inviting them to change denominations nevertheless our Moravians Garifunas brothers and sister are standing firm they love to be Moravians but I can see areas of improvement, for example it would be real nice to send someone to teach the younger generation who are we the Moravians I noticed they don’t know much about our history I think it’s important because this will give them a feeling of belonging to something important. I also spoke to the pastors there are about 4 in the area but the money they get is really low and very difficult to sustain a ministry and a home so I think it will be also good to come up with some kinda project that could give them some profit to sustain both their ministries and their homes. The population of Garifunas is huge in Honduras. I think it would be a great idea to come up with some kind of work plan to support the pastors so that they can have more financial liberty to do their pastoral work since sometimes we leaders can get sidetrack when there is not much financial aid and this can become a stone in the road for their ministries.
La Ceiba
I was able to meet with leaders of the Provincia de la Unidad de la Iglesia Morava the Vice President and the and the province youth leader and exchange ideas of how to reach out to more young people they are having a young people conference in la Ceiba Honduras and are expecting about 400 young people to attend so this will be a blessing in the area the purpose is to reach out to more young people bringing them to the cross of Jesus so they ask to keep them in our prayers.
Conclusion
I would like to thank God first of all for the opportunity of serving him, I felt the call to serve God when I was 9 years old and accepted Jesus Christ in my heart, then when I was 19 years old it confirm to me in a Convo I attended in Bethlehem PA, and in 2022 while attending the Moravian Conference in Panama planned by the BMW I felt God saying to me it was time to move forward and serve him, Rev. Angelica and brother Justin has been very supportive and I am very happy I met you an have been able to work serve God under your guidance, I want to thank each member of the Board of World Mission for your prayers and support thank you for helping this humble ministry reaching out to those who need to word of God. Brother Rick Nelson, you are an inspiration for many of us. You are a living example of what to do when God calls us to serve him. Thank you for your good example. May God bless you and your family. I am now preparing to visit our brothers and sister in Peru. Thank you once again members of the BWM for making this possible please keep this Mission trip in your prayers. May God keep blessing you and guiding you as you serve him all honor and praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wilfred Cuthbert H
