Cuban Family Makes New Life with Help from Florida Church

By Michael Wacht *

A UMNS News Feature

NOTE: See also Ministry is 'first line of defense' for refugees and Haitian Mission reunites families, helps them get fresh start.

MIAMI (UMNS) -- Hector Borroto spent more than seven years in a Cuban prison for speaking out against the government of President Fidel Castro.

"He was charged with crimes against the power of the state," said Virginia Finale, a caseworker with Church World Service (CWS) and member of Wesley Hispanic United Methodist Church here.

With those years behind him, Borroto and his family are living in Florida, and much of what they have now was achieved through help from the Hispanic American United Methodist Church in Miami, according to his wife, Mercedes Borroto.

The Borrotos, their two daughters and a son-in-law arrived in the United States last April as refugees.  In less than a year, they have found a house, the two men have jobs as mechanics with Aviation Wings near the Miami airport, and the daughters are enrolled in English language and computer training classes.

"My husband is working at a good job, my two daughters are both studying," Borroto said.  "Everything is good."

Judith Pierre Okerson, a supervisor with CWS and a member of Miami's Grace Haitian United Methodist Church, said the church that helped the Borrotos is one of 12 United Methodist congregations in Florida that have worked with CWS and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) during the past year to help refugees.

CWS is a cooperative of 35 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox churches and ministries in the United States, with worldwide programs in long-term development, emergency response and assistance to refugees, according to the group's Web page.  It is one of only two agencies in the United States that helps undocumented refugees resettle, Okerson said.

Many undocumented refugees are detained by Immigration and Naturalization Service until the courts decide if they can remain in the United States, said the Rev. Brice Harris, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Pompano Beach, and chairman of the conference's Refugee Ministry Task Force.  One deciding factor is whether there is someone who can help them stay.

Finale said the Borroto family already had friends in the United States who helped them raise the $600 per person they needed to leave Cuba.  They also asked the Hispanic-American church, which they attend, to get involved.  The Rev. Antonio Fernandez offered CWS the church's support.

The family was worried and scared about starting a new life in the United States, but Borroto said the church "was marvelous in helping."  When they arrived, they stayed with a church family.  Other church members helped them find a place to live, a car, clothes, shoes and money.

"We are very glad and pleased to have a family here ... that helped us as brothers in the Lord," Borroto said.  "Every person who came here told us not to be afraid, that God will help ... and made sure we had what we needed."

The Borrotos are telling others about the Hispanic-American church.  "I like to talk about the church," Borroto said, "because of all they've done for us."

*  Wacht is the assistant editor of the Florida Annual Conference's edition of the United Methodist Review.  This story first appeared in that publication.