My name is Iday Gallardo González, I was born on February 3rd, 1968 in Cienfuegos, Cuba, and I am now 51 years old. I graduated as a civil construction technician and got married in 1991. At the age of 25, I became a Christian at a Pentecostal Church. I was always eager to teach children, and as I saw the lack of well-trained teachers, I decided to become a Biblical teacher by an International Ministry called “Kids around the World.” In this ministry, I worked in different service areas for ten years.

During that time,  I worked as a Sunday School teacher as well as a Bible Summer School teacher. I also used to visit ill people in hospitals and in their houses as well as visiting missionaries and pastors in my province. I became a bachelor in Theology and Bible after four years of studies, and in January 2011, I started meetings in my own house, inviting children and adults from my neighborhood.

Also in 2011, we started a Ministry called “Somebody Cares.”  We would visit the Oncological children hospital in Santa Clara city, and the handicap children hospital in Cienfuegos. We always brought the children a Christian performance, handcrafted toys, and food.  Sometimes other believers who heard of our efforts gave us help and support.

During this period, we studied at the International School of Ministry (ISOM) as well as at the Alliance Pro Evangelization of Children  (APEN). Since my family and I have started our in-home ministry, we teach children from three to fourteen years old every Saturday. We always give them a snack, and every other weekend we supply lunch, as well as take time to teach them how to make handcrafted items.

We also assist over thirty kids suffering from any chronic disease. We do this by bringing them things such as washing soap, detergent powder, cream, diapers, and wet towels. We have been blessed with support in this area of ministry from Pastor Dennis Banks who has helped us supply diapers and medicines. When I first met Pastor Banks, it was a miracle from God. He came to Cienfuegos, and I had to visit a seriously sick boy who had been admitted into the hospital. However, I was urged by my husband to meet with the Pastor before going into the children’s hospital.  I introduced myself to him and let him know what I was going to do later. He gave me some remaining medications that he had brought, and to my surprise and awe, among them was the one that the ill boy was needing. Since that time, Pastor Banks has helped many pastors, brothers, and sisters of the faith, and others in need of spectacles and clothes.

It would be right to recognize that we have created the Dennis Banks Project, which helps pastors in the Eastern part of Cuba where we have noticed a significant need.  Also, some elders have helped us economically and with foods.

The local authorities requested that we start working under a cover, so we became members of the Eastern Baptist Church of Cuba. Otherwise, we are not allowed to continue working by ourselves. However, this church gives us no help or support.

I attended Live School for almost a year, and I graduated under Eddie Robinson on Sunday, February 17th, 2019. Since that training, I was compelled by God to equip others to be well trained for the Work of God. This is why I decided to open a full-time Live School with seven students to be graduated in September. I have always felt the fire of God in my soul, and this fire will not be quenched.  We have our meetings with newcomers on Sunday mornings, our fasting service on Tuesday mornings,  and our discipleship class on Friday nights. These newcomers are longing to receive Live School teaching.

My dream is to have a place for a sewing workshop, a handcraft workshop, classrooms for several ages, as well as a dining hall where we could feed elders and people in need. I feel the need and desire to teach teenage girls how to earn their own money properly for the future, with the work of their hands, and not by selling their bodies or doing other promiscuous things. It would be amazing to spread out all over the world how we have been able to do many things without any significant help. I cannot write in short everything that has happened because some things would be missed. However, these photos are evidence of things that God has allowed us to do. Two names are in the deep of my heart: Dennis Banks and Eddie Robinson. Thank you, God, for allowing me to meet these warriors.

Sincerely yours, Iday