SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. - Nothing could prepare Eddie Rossiter, the pastor of the Summerside Church of the Nazarene, for the news to be broken when he picked up his phone on Friday afternoon.
An aging Boeing 737 burst into flames shortly after takeoff and plunged into a potato field close to Havana’s airport earlier that day. Among the 110 victims of the Cuban plane crash were 10 evangelical pastors and their wives from the Nazarene Church in the eastern region.
“We’re still in a fog of grief,” said Rossiter.
“When you’ve done 10 years of work in an area and then to see it all wiped out in a day, it’s very hard. There are so many children left orphaned, so many churches now without a pastor.
“We had a three-hour prayer meeting on Friday evening when we heard the news because our Nazarene churches are a very close-knit community.”
The couples were returning from a three-day retreat for ministers and their spouses in the Cuba East District.
“Their bus driver said, ‘they were praising and worshipping God’ on the way to the airport, so we take comfort that they are all now with God and I will see them again because of my faith.”
Rossiter is especially saddened by the loss of his good friend Ronni Pupo Pupo and his wife, Yurisel Miranda.
“Ronni was the pastor of the Nazarene Church in Holguín, with a congregation of more than 400. I met him two years ago doing ministry in Cuba. We would travel every year for 10 days and offer support, do fundraisers and hold services every night.
“I attended his service when he was ordained, and then we talked on social media. I saw him this past summer in Indianapolis too. He was just a great man, and everyone is broken-hearted with this tragedy.
“They had a daughter who is turning 15 this year,” noted Rossiter. “Normally there’s a big family celebration when you turn this age in Cuba, so it’s going to be very hard.”
Summerside Church of the Nazarene is taking “love offerings” to help cover the cost of funeral expenses and those left orphaned.
“Our money goes a long way there,” acknowledged Rossiter.
The cause of the crash has yet to be determined.
To help those affected by the plane crash visit www.summersidenazarene.org or call (902) 436-3476.
