Friday, December 28, 2018
Cuba Experience Brings Lessons Home
My
wife Stacey, daughter Lauren and I visited Santiago and El Caney, Cuba the last
part of June on a 10-day mission trip. It was my first trip out of the United
States, and my wife’s third trip to Cuba.
The
experience was truly impactful for the Cubans we worked with and for us. We
went to encourage them but left being encouraged ourselves.
Stacey
and I went specifically to teach and lead a three-day marriage conference,
which ended with a service for the renewal of vows. We participated as part of
our 25th wedding anniversary. However, what was even greater to see
was the positive impact this made on 32 marriages and families.
While
not everything there can be duplicated here in western Greene County, or vice
versa, there are certain principles that we can learn and apply to us.
1. Grand
programs with hundreds of participants are sometimes an unnecessary burden. Relationships
are much more important and impactful.
2. Make
do with what you have; use what you have to reach the lost. This applies to
things in the home. I have never seen so many useful things made out of plastic
shopping bags!
3. We
Americans overemphasize material wealth. It is not our money that saves us! In
some situations, it may be our money that condemns us. Cubans look north to the
United States and their friends or relatives that live there and think they see
the answers to their problems but the truth is the answers lie elsewhere. The
answers cannot be found in American dollars.
4. Never
give up. The pastor in El Caney prayed 10 years for an American church to
partner with his church. He never gave up on his prayer.
5. There
is a strong sense of family and volunteerism in Cuba but it means something
different to them. They cannot just pick up paintbrushes and go paint someone’s
house. When they do civic work, it is always sponsored by the government (every
18-year-old does two years of civic work or serves in the military). Any extra
time is spent supporting extended family or, in the case of what we saw, church
family. That is where true volunteerism occurs in this culture.
6.
Despite a rainbow of skin colors these people all get along and are, first and
foremost, Cubans. Seems to be no identity politics here.
7. Lessons
in health and nutrition: drink coffee and visit after every meal, have fresh
juice more often, walk places when you can, wait until tomorrow on things of
less importance.
8. From
what we saw, Cubans are poor but they are not dirty; they put effort in to
looking their best for church and being clean. It proves that being poor is no reason
to not respect yourself!
9.
You can be poor and overworked and still be happy and kind and welcoming.
While
I am thankful to be home where I can flush a toilet, drink water from the
faucet, go to a store and find what I need and enjoy air conditioning, I do
miss the warmth and kindness extended to us by the people in Cuba. These are
people that we now call friends.
In
summary, it was one of the best experiences of my life! If you would like to
know more, my wife and I are happy to speak to community groups, churches or
other organizations interested in what is happening in Cuba.
