God's Missiles Over Cuba

Tom's book (135 pages) is an autobiographical report of his captivity in Cuban prisons after his small airplane crashed in Cuba during the late 1970's (May 27, 1979, his wife's birthday). In this fast flowing (novel-like) narrative of his own life experience in the Caribbean, Tom vividly (and often times with great humor) describes the endless hours and days of interrogation by the G-2 (Cuban equivalent of the former Soviet KGB). Tom described the low-standard prison conditions in Cuba (his cell was # 44), the life and mistreatment (e.g., beating, harassment, deprivation) of prisoners, as well as the solidarity of Christian believers behind bars for the sole crime of owning a Bible, or sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in the atheistic island nation. Not once did Thomas succumb to the temptation of hating his captors or making deprecating comments about the Cuban political system. Instead, he used his "interviews" with his atheist captors and prison guards to share with them the love of God through his son Jesus Christ. Tom also shares his pre-captivity life as a teacher in the Grand Cayman, a small British island south of Cuba. He writes about his romantic encounter in the spring of 1973 with Ofelia (pp. 15-17), his wife-to-be in Costa Rica (see lovely family picture on page "-1" or page xiv, between the prologue and chapter one). His prison time was lighted by his memories of the time when his heart was "captured by a sweet, calm, quiet little Coast Rican angel" (pp. 21). The trouble was that Ofelia did NOT speak English, and Tom did NOT speak nor understand a word of Spanish. Both believe that, in God's eyes, they were meant for each other. It reminded me of a story of a deaf man marrying a mute (dumb) woman (who is unable to speak). Their inability to hear and/or speak was the basis for their harmonious and trouble-free marriage. But Tom soon learned Spanish, and Ofelia acquired English in a record time after coming to the USA. The Spanish became also handy for Thomas during his prison time in Cuba, both to relate to his captors as well as to his fellow-prisoners. Thus learning Spanish became a doubly good investment of time and money. Besides describing his personal life and his life as a prisoner for his faith, Thomas also addresses the issue of how Christian believers should relate to governments which are hostile to their faith, both in their own countries (e.g. believers in Cubs) and in foreign countries (American churches and Christians about helping believers in other countries, such as smuggling Bibles or portions of the Bible translated into the native Christians' own language). While some groups believe it is all right to beam Christian radio messages to "restricted countries," they are adamant about the illegality of sending Bibles. Somehow the means of transmission (written vs. airwaves) becomes more important than the message of good news! Although his was sentenced to 24 years in prison, Tom was released after 17 months

Tom White is the director of the Christian organization, and magazine, Voices of the Martyrs. In 1979 he was captured by the Cuban G-2, equivalent of the Soviet KGB, after dropping Christian leaflets from a little airplane. He was tortured and kept in prison for 17 months. His ordeal, no worse than many others, is told in this great little book. We witness world history in the human flesh of its victims, citizens who claim their freedoms. The Lord told us to give God what is God's and Caesar what is Caesar's. And that should draw the line pretty well. We are not to worship any other god but God, not Marx, no Castro, nobody. The gods of communism are not the gods of the free, of Christians. Saying it is one thing, acting on it in a land where you know you will be tortured is another totally different. Tom White is American, but many Cubans were imprisoned (see Armando Valladares' book also), are imprisoned for being truthful to their God, their faith. In matters of faith we are to hold Him above anything and anybody else, and we know we do good because our God is the God of love and truth. Tom White's weapons were the true Word of God. His testimony is an example, an encouragement for us, comfortable Westerners, to do our part, at least to pray more consistently for those who have taken upon themselves the hardest jobs of our faith: to take the gospel to the countries where the devil has blurred the lines between good and evil and has put the people in (spiritual) chains. "It occurred to me that Westerners truly want to believe the best of people. While this is an admirable trait, when carried to the extreme it becomes willful ignorance." (p.65) Wise advice. "I'm talking about a meticulously prepared doctrine of atheistic, dialectical materialism, which the faithful must place above wives, children, even their own lives. Is that not a religion?" The willful ignorants should notice: "All medicine must be purchased after the 'free' treatment. Even low-grade vitamins cost a days's wages." Tom quotes Richard Wurmbrand's book on Marx. Especially Marx's poems. Here is his 'The Pale Maiden': "Thus heaven I've forfeited, I know it full well My soul, once true to God Is chosen for hell." (p.134) Here's one the grand laws of Castro: "Dissemination of 'false news or malicious predictions tending to cause alarm or discontent in the populace' is punishable by one to four years' deprivation of liberty or six to fifteen years if it occurs through the mass media." How well do Socialists know the importance of the media upon the 'populace' (mind: not citizens). Castro eventually let Tom out for a ransom. You know, money is money after all. This story is not, and will never be, outdated. Castro's regime has millions of Cubans grabbed by the neck. But Christianity cannot be defeated by Castros nor by the devil hiumself, because it's God's plan for salvation. Persecution only helps to separate more clearly -and painfully- while here on earth, between God's ele

A true life story of a young man who so longed to reach the people of Cuba for Christ that he tossed waterproofed literature out the door of a small plane flying over Cuba. Unfortunately, there was a storm on one trip and a landing. Detained by Cuban authorities and questioned as a CIA spy, the author experiences jail and meets the church in jail. Complete with detail that enriches the story.