A Light on Cuba Street  

After four years of planning and development, the Cuba Street Corps in Wellington marked a significant milestone with the soft opening of their new corps and café on 20 June. 

‘When the leadership team was considering dates, Matariki felt like the perfect time to celebrate our new space,’ says Captain Juanita Buckingham, corps officer at Cuba St alongside her husband, Captain Daniel Buckingham. ‘Matariki is a time for reflecting on the past, the present and the future, and we are so grateful that we were able to reflect on our journey as a church family.’ Corps members enjoyed a shared potluck meal together, followed by a time of worship and prayer. ‘It was important to us to pray through the building before we began using it. Every space was prayed for—even the drums!’ laughs Juanita.

Commissioner Janine Donaldson, who is a corps member, officially opened the new Hamodava Café. ‘While our café is a commercial business, it is our desire to be a light on Cuba Street,’ shares Juanita. ‘We would like to further develop our student ministry, and our new space will enable us to do that. ‘This has been a massive journey for our corps, and there is certainly a feeling of relief to be at this point—but there is also excitement about the future and all the opportunities we have to open our doors to our community.’ Cuba Street Corps will celebrate with an official public opening in October. In the meantime, come on in for a coffee and check out this beautiful new space.