On a warm Saturday morning in Cuba, over 200 children gather in a dusty backyard—not for a party or a concert, but for the chance to hear about Jesus, some for the very first time.
I had the privilege of witnessing this moment firsthand on a mission trip with Forward Edge. The children were excited with anticipation, not just because of the meal that awaited them, but because of the joy they experienced when they sang, listened and learned. It’s in a backyard or park that the program, Shepherding the Lambs, happens. A place where children are seen, loved, and introduced to the One who knows them best.
It’s a vision God planted in the heart of our program director, Pastor Oilver, now blossoming across Cuba. One of the people helping to make it happen is Rosabel, a young woman who was a former sponsored child and one of the clowns in the program.
In June 2023, Pastor Oilver was asked: What is your dream as a pastor? Without hesitation, he replied, “To evangelize and disciple children.”
That seed of vision became reality just a few months later. By January 13, 2024, the first Shepherding the Lambs gathering launched. Today, the ministry has reached six different locations, reaching out systematically to communities throughout the city.
When I asked Rosabel why she joined the team, she smiled and then responded.
“At first, when they asked me if I wanted to be part of this ministry, I was super happy because I wanted to help in some way and didn’t know how. God gave me the opportunity to work with children, and I love it. I love that the kids can leave their worries behind and be happy… even for a little while.”
What happens on a Saturday is the fruit of what happens the day before.
Leaders visit the community, meeting with families, inviting children, and praying over the day to come. “Every Friday,” Rosabel explained, “we dress up as clowns and go into the streets to invite children. We sing, dance, and do little clown acts. It’s our way of letting them know that something joyful is waiting for them.”
By Saturday morning, the team is ready. Church kids help gather others, worship begins, and the gospel is shared, clearly and simply, so even first-time visitors can understand. Parents who attend hear the Good News as well. Then come games, laughter, and a nourishing meal for every child.
These aren’t just numbers—they’re stories like Rosabel’s. She knows what it’s like to be shy, uncertain, and wondering if she could make a difference.
“At first, it was a huge challenge for me,” she admitted. “I didn’t like speaking in public and had no experience as a clown. But the Bible says God equips those He calls, and He has. The hardest part is keeping the children motivated when they’re carrying heavy burdens, like not sleeping well because the electricity went out, but we do everything we can to help them feel like real kids again.”
Despite local restrictions and economic challenges, Shepherding the Lambs continues to grow. New communities are waiting, and children’s hearts are ready to hear the Good News.
“I love what I do,” Rosabel told me. “Not only am I helping children, but I’m doing God’s work. I get to see what He does in their lives, and that’s what keeps me going.”
But there’s still work to be done. Children yet to be reached. Villages yet to be visited. And hearts yet to know the love of Jesus.
When I asked Rosabel how people could pray, her list came quickly: “Pray that the children here in El Cobre will be reached for Christ and stand firm in their faith. Pray that God will give us passion every day for those who don’t yet know Him, and that He will strengthen us spiritually. Pray for the material resources we need for our street work.”
Give – Help provide meals and discipleship each week.
Pray – Join our prayer team. Pray for deeper roots of faith in these young hearts, and for the team’s strength and vision.
Go – Join a Forward Edge mission trip and see the transformation up close. I did and it changed my life.
In his book, “Empowering Children”, former Forward Edge board member, Dr. Ravi Jayakaran, shares the importance of involving children in the process of their own development. When a community invests its resources in its children, it invests in its own future. Just as Forward Edge values all children and believes
What does it look like to follow Jesus in a culture where most of your community—and even your own family—follows a different faith? In Kosova, where Ramadan is a time of fasting and nightly celebration, young believers often feel the tension deeply.
This blog, written by our Kosova program directors Nora and Metush, shares the powerful story of Ymer—a boy learning to hold onto Jesus in the middle of cultural and spiritual pressure.
By Melanie Kruse Off On a Mission Trip I’ve never been on a mission trip like this. This was the first time we served with Forward Edge and the first time our two daughters had joined us, but that’s not what made it different. On this trip I didn’t cry.
This blog is a part of an ongoing series on Forward Edge’s Pearl Partners. Check out our highlights on Cuba and Haiti and enjoy this interview with Jane Wathagana. 20 years ago, Jane Wathagana was a successful businesswoman in Kenya, the Director of Animal World Safaris and Elangata Luxury
14 yrs. old
Entered the program: May 2025
Daniel lives with his grandmother and younger sister in a rented two-room concrete house with unfinished doors and windows. It has a cement floor and an unfinished sheet metal roof that leaks when it rains. They have pre-paid electricity for lighting and use charcoal for cooking in an outdoor kitchen. There is a pit latrine constructed of sheet metal which is in poor condition. The family’s water is fetched from a nearby river or sometimes borrowed from a neighbor’s borehole and treated for consumption.
Daniel’s mother was a single parent, and died when he was young, leaving him and his siblings to be raised by their grandmother.
Plus bonus group fundraising ideas!
