TRINITYWOMEN on A MISSION: Cuba Missions Trip
I realized once I got back home that I had left something behind in Cuba.
I’m not sure what I thought Cuba would be like. I knew that I wouldn’t see Ricky Ricardo. Other than that, it was an open slate for me.
Cuba is 90 miles from Key West, Florida. Key West is closer to Cuba than it is to Miami. Yet, they are worlds apart. After exiting the airport in Cuba, I walked out to the airport parking lot and it was like going back in time. The cars were ones that I remembered as a child or those that were in our old family photographs. They are kept running by ingenuity; parts for cars from 1945 -1963 are not readily available.
Ingenuity is a hallmark of the people that I met or saw. I saw “taxis” made by cutting cars in half and putting a wagon bed on the back with extra wheels. I saw bikes that were motorized so that they could serve as “taxis”. I would see people working on each piece of the engine until they had it running again. Yes, ingenuity and patience.
We worked with a variety of churches in the district where we were stationed. During the day, there were sessions held for the pastors and breakout sessions were held for the women in attendance. We had an assortment of Bibles to give out, including pastor study Bibles and various children’s Bibles. All were in Spanish and were big blessings to the pastors.
The first women’s session was about children’s ministry and they made a sock puppet during the session. There was a lot of laughter and fun. I will freely admit that I was concerned about the cultural differences when I was developing the women’s workshop. I also wondered how well the translator would do. They were all needless worries. The Lord marvelously blessed.
There were several things that I learned throughout the trip. One was that women, no matter where they are, experience the same issues with time. “Can I manage to do even more in my day?” “Am I spending enough time with my family?” “How do I carve out quality time with God?” Women are multi-tasking jugglers. They can be washing dishes, doing laundry, watching the baby, cooking a meal and helping children with their homework all at the same time. They are expected to know exactly where someone left something, even if it is not in the house. They are the family calendar, family historian and family doctor. And, we are our own worst critic. “My hair is too flat; my hair is too big.” It goes on and on. It is no wonder that women find it hard to carve out time to spend alone with God. I had the women promise me that, even if they had to lock themselves in a room or run and hide, they would start spending 10 minutes each day alone with God. That would be their time; no interruptions.
At each church, a lunch would be provided and they were already working on it when we arrived in the morning. It was a special meal, lovingly prepared and lovingly served. After the lunch, we would wrap up the breakout sessions and get back together. The people in attendance always wanted to pray for us. No language barrier there. Another lesson learned – the language of God is universal.
After the sessions ended and before dinner, we’d visit a home church. And that is exactly what it was. This was a pastor’s home that was also a church on Sunday. Some had 25 members, others had close to 80. People would come and stand outside the home to hear the Word of God! The goal was to see where we could help financially. There were buildings that needed new roofs, walls repaired or bathrooms installed. It was humbling to see first-hand the needs. I can’t describe here the emotions that I went through. I’m still processing them.
In the evening, the team would be split up and we would be sent out to various churches to be the guest preacher. There would be people waiting outside for us. Some sat across the street and listened. The churches would be packed and there were no padded pews. The worship could continue as long as an hour or so. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have a clue as to what was being said; the joy was contagious.
So went our days. Our translators were exhausted and growing hoarse. We were in 3 cars and the driver of my car didn’t speak much English. The longest phrase in Spanish that I knew is “Where is the bathroom?”. But, it seems that there was always laughter in the cars. At night, I’d roll the window down and look up. There were no highway lights, so I could see a zillion stars. I was amazed and so excited. God’s handiwork is stunning. I’m sure that the driver thought that I had lost my mind since this beautiful night sky was something that he could always see.
The people that I met were gracious, patient, loving, joyful and hungry for the Word of God. Most of the pastors that we met were young and had been preaching for less than 5 years. At some churches, the youth outnumbered the adults. The church is growing.
The churches in Cuba were full of joy and I was reminded of Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV): “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Yes, it was their strength; they were joyful, regardless.
I will never forget Cuba; how beautiful and green it is, how loving and joyful the people are, how hungry they are for the Lord. And what did I leave behind in Cuba? I left a piece of my heart and I will definitely have to go back and find it.
Please remember to keep the Cuban churches in your prayers. They are growing but there are challenges. There is so much more that I could say but there isn’t space here. If you’d like to ask me any questions, just let me know.
Dios bendiga!
