My Cuba Experience
During our trip, the week’s theme was “finding your treasures”. Boy did I find many! I was struck by how serious the Matanzas community took our visit and how this theme was woven through the whole week so beautifully. They are such a beautiful, creative, resourceful, fun, and loving people. My favorite use of the “finding your treasures” theme was with the children’s Sunday school and the pirate theme especially when one of the cooks came into the storage area for something only to find 4 pirates waiting to surprise the children and instead surprised him!
Their challenges are huge… getting enough to eat is the most urgent, getting fuel when you have to wait in line for hours, power outages daily and sometimes for days on end where a rechargeable lightbulb, like the ones we donated, would cost you a month’s salary if purchased in Cuba, the heartbreak of families being broken apart when a member immigrates whether legally or illegally, people not being able to travel from Cuba due to the visa offices being closed infinitely, and the continued embargo by the US when we are not at war with Cuba and other non-allies of the US are there investing instead of the US. It’s a very complicated situation and relationship between our countries of which I’m trying to learn more about our long history together.
Their strengths are many too… Their love for each other and willingness to take care of each other, to feed each other and strangers, and to love deeply. Their love of music, art, color, their ability to reuse everything. While we were there another group was touring the facilities and Judy was kind enough to translate. They actually asked them what they were doing about climate change. I thought wow what arrogance! They are trying to survive. Look around at the crocks and milk bottles cut in halve on the walls being used to grow plants, the way they reuse even disposables, how they stretch food to feed the many, how they used our left-over cardboard boxes to make the beautiful stage scenery used for their annual Christmas production.
I’ve heard for years about our Cuba trips and how they are “life changing” and now I understand this term fully. I liked to say Cuba broke my heart and then filled it. Initially, I will admit that I thought this trip was going to be an incredible experience, but I had no idea of how the week would build my relationships with our church in Matanzas and with the other 10 Pullen people on the trip with me. What an unexpected treasure that I now have 10 Cuba soul mates forever locked together from our experience and time together. Lots of laughing occurred on this trip!
My favorite moments if I can name just a few, were having unexpected free time to explore the revitalized river front with my Pullen friends, beach day with the children and swimming in the beautiful waters of the Caribbean, seeing the look on Orestes and Wanda’s son’s face when I gave him a piece of gum to help with his car sickness, taste testing Cuba’s 7 year rum ,watching communion elements being brought into worship with music and dance, worshiping with the congregation, witnessing Clinton sing for the congregation, hearing my other Pullen members share reflections during worship, but the most special and sacred moment during the trip was when Ian and the group, including Orestes and Wanda, prayed over the architectural plans for the addition the church is planning to do in the very near future. Ian’s Pentecostal background provided the very best prayer experience for the group. Words cannot capture the specialness and the spirit that presided over us all that last night in Cuba.
During worship on Sunday at the end of our trip, there was a lot said about our congregations, really being one congregation that just happens to havetwo locations. I feel that connection now and want to stress to others in our congregation to go, see it and feel it for yourself. It’s so powerful and there is so much love and community just waiting for you there!
- Heidi McLean
