Women on Mission – January Update

January Update

“God is doing something so much bigger than we can imagine” was the theme of First Baptist’s own Cathy Rogers’ presentation to Women on Mission on Jan. 25.

Cathy described her music-teaching missions to Costa Rica and Cuba between 2001 and 2024, noting that while she was focused on her single part of the mission, God was doing bigger things she wasn’t aware of but which complemented and expanded her opportunities to minister through music.

A music educator and accomplished pianist, Cathy since 2001 has formed lifelong friendships with God’s people in Cuba.  Through her volunteer partnership with the International Mission Board, Cuban and Costa Rican church musicians, and other U.S. volunteer missionaries, Cathy has worked on several projects to further the gospel.  In the summer of 2024 Kathy made her tenth trip to Cuba and visited for the fourth time three cities in the eastern part of the island.

Cathy visited Costa Rica at Christmas in 2024 for the first time in 18 years. Holding a master’s of music in mission concentration, in 1995 Cathy said she received her “divine appointment” which fit her professional skills and personal calling perfectly.  She worked at the Baptist seminary in the capital city of San Jose but was forced to hand the music school over to Costa Rican nationals when the seminary closed in 2000.

Returning to the United States, Cathy said she wasn’t certain where God wanted her and what He wanted her to do.  But God was busy doing bigger things, she noted, relating how she learned from a Costa Rican-born Chinese language teacher and former piano student that the ministry to the Chinese population there was exploding.  Spanish-speaking Chinese were also taking the gospel to Peru. When local churches outgrew the space allotted to them by the Cuban government, house churches flourished and thrived “through oppression by depending on the Lord.”

When she arrived in Cuba in 2001, Hurricane Michelle had hit the island in October and Cathy saw the devastation Cuba experienced and the few resources available for recovery and rebuilding. On one trip when she became ill she experienced first-hand the desperate state of medical care in Cuba, commenting “My heart is heavily burdened for these people.”

Cathy’s focus in Cuba is teaching musicians to lead worship services in the house churches.  “I wasn’t teaching them anything they didn’t already know. Mostly I was bringing them resources,” such as computers, recording songs on her phone and helping get them published, and most recently providing a full-size electronic keyboard financed partially with donations from Women on Mission, First Baptist members, and the First Baptist choir.   One such song is “Great Things God Is Doing,” based on Psalm 126:3, with Spanish and Chinese lyrics and published in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the Baptist church in Cuba.

Cuba is dependent on tourism to support its crisis economy, and Cathy said many older Cubans have left the island, leaving a new generation of students to lead worship music.

Another area where God is working – and of which Kathy said she was unaware until her most recent trip to Cuba – is a string instrument music project led by a music teacher from California who has made almost 20 trips to Cuba.  Additionally, churches are getting instruments from professional musicians who come to the island to present concerts and leave their instruments behind.

Coming in February

Richard Knee will be the guest speaker when Women on Mission meet on Feb.10.

Dr. Knee is a volunteer with First Fruits Fannin, a scripture-based nonprofit food ministry, committed to showing the love and hope of Jesus. First Fruits of the Ridge exists to provide physical and spiritual nourishment to those in need through Christ-centered services.

Raised in a Christian home and educated from grade 4 through undergraduate university in Lutheran schools, Richard and his wife Joy retired to Murphy, NC, in 2004 and moved to Blairsville in 2019.  A long-time Bible teacher and part of his churches’ music ministry, Richard said he felt God was calling him to other ministry.

In 2019 the Ridge Community Church in Blue Ridge started an outreach ministry to go door to door to feed the poor and present the gospel. Joy cooked and Richard knocked on doors with a hot meal and the gospel message and prayer.  The ministry grew and ultimately became independent, partnering with like-minded churches.  Today eight members of First Baptist Blairsville are serving at First Fruits.

WOM will meet at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 10 in the Buchanan Hall at First Baptist.  A covered-dish luncheon will be followed by the speaker’s presentation at noon.

Ongoing Activities