Cuba, 2012, Day Six and Seven

Tuesday would be our last day in Pedro Betancourt. We visited another mission, our ninth in 5 days, and would conclude the day in the church with a Bible study. I spoke on John 15, encouraging the church to "remain" in Jesus, as He instructs us, and that we can "do nothing" apart from Him.

As we closed the service, Parks and I were given the opportunity to share a last word with the congregation. We shared with them how blessed we were to have been with them and how Hope UMC prays for them regularly.

Dezi, one of the mission leaders, was intentional about telling us how much she loved us and how thankful she was for our visit. And I took the time to speak to Janni, the young woman who expressed some emotion when sharing about her leadership of her mission, now that she was on her own and did not have Annia to co-lead with her. I told her that God does not call the equipped, but that He equips the called and that I could see God's hand on her life. I also told her I would pray for her protection while she leads her mission, which I continue to do.

Wednesday, we travelled back to Havana, saying our goodbyes, though Pastor Julio would be going with us as he had business in town. We said goodbye to Raulito as well, as he was meeting his fiance' and had finished his work as our interpreter. I gave him my card and asked him to keep in touch as I felt we had developed a friendship over the past week. We ate lunch, then rested. Later I took a walk with Parks and we took a picture of a nearby statue of Don Quiote.

We had supper and then I went to bed around 10 p.m. Tomorrow we would leave early for the airport and our return home.

Cuba, 2012, Day Five

It took a little longer to wake up on Monday, as the busy week was beginning to catch up with me. I got up, showered, got dressed and sat in the front room. Pastor Julio was daily on his knees when I would get up, his face and hands on a chair, praying for the events of the day.

We ate breakfast after Raulito (our interpreter) arrived from the home he was staying in nearby, which he went to every night, and we were off again to visit some of the missions of the church. The missions we went to were filled mostly with children, as it was during the day and their parents were working. We also learned that the kids were out of school that week as part of a "celebration" of the revolution in 1959.

We again shared our testimonies, returned home for lunch, and took some time to rest. We sorted through all of the medications we brought with us (about 45 pounds of aspirin, cold remedies, etc.) according to type and labeled everything. At 2 p.m., we went to the church to install the sound equipment that we were able to bring with us. Pastor Julio loved his wireless microphone, as did the rest of the praise team with their new equipment. I joined in a rehearsal, playing the guitar I had brought to them from my personal "collection" and after a few minutes, the sound stopped. Forty year old stereo speakers simply could not handle the 500/1,000 watt system we provided. After some thinking, we had some used speakers delivered from a man down the street and once they were connected, they worked like a charm.

Parks and I discussed what we might be able to do, and we decided to give out of our own resources to offset the unexpected cost of the new speakers. (We would present the money the next night.)

Later, we returned for dinner, and then went to yet another mission, finishing out our day. Pastor Julio was appreciative that we had taken the time to not only set up the new equipment, but that we stayed with them until everything was as it should be. We watched a little baseball and went to bed.

Cuba, 2012, Day Four

Sunday had arrived. Half way through our visit at this point. I had prepared to share from Ephesians chapter one, but the leader of the adult Sunday School had just taught on it minutes before. Thankfully, God had already spoken to me during my morning devotional, placing Matthew 6 on my heart. After Parks shared his testimony, I spoke on the need to trust God as the One who provides for us.

Worship began with singing and an excitement came over those gathered. The musicians are talented and though the words were in Spanish, I worshipped right along with them. A couple presented their child for dedication, Pastor Julio shared with the congregation everything the church at Hope was able to provide (money, a new sound system, and our visit), followed by Parks' testimony, my preaching and then about 5 young people came forward to make a decision to follow Christ. After 2 hours, which felt like 30 minutes, we greeted the church members on their way out (320, a record crowd) and then returned to the house for lunch and some rest.

Later, we returned to the church for another service, again shared our testimonies, and returned home. Pastor Julio had baseball on his TV, so we watched a little and then went to bed. Though it was not as busy a day as the previous three, it was a full day and sleep came quickly.

Cuba, 2012, Day Three

On Saturday, we ate breakfast, traveled to the church, and then boarded a large truck with a covered, seating area to make our way to a plantation owned by one of the church members. Today, 14 members of Pedro Betancourt were to be baptised into the faith. The drive was rough, over a dirt road, and since the truck was full, I found myself standing in the truck, which was difficult, but manageable. I had to constantly be aware of the relationship of the roof to my head, avoiding the possibility of bouncing into the top of the truck.

Once we arrived, I exited the vehicle and helped a few others down the steps. We made our way through a gate and sat in a shady spot, under some trees, on some old train or construction rails. Wild turkeys were in the banana trees nearby and the steady breeze made the heat of the day bearable. The plantation went of into the distance further than the eye could encompass.

Pastor Julio gathered the crowd and began to teach them about the importance of baptism. He then asked me to share a few thoughts on what they were about to do and I shared that we celebrate baptism as both an act of obedience - following the example of Christ - and as a symbolic act of our willful decision to grow in faith. We then made our way to a pump house and cistern. The water was being pumped through a pipe into a concrete "pool" about 4x6 feet in diameter and about 3 feet high. From the edge of the cistern jutted a descending "slide". Once the water rose to a certain height, it would flow down this "slide" and then irrigate the fields. I took off my shoes and socks, and entered the water in my long pants and shirt. (Actually, they were an old pair of pants that Parks was too thin to wear, so I borrowed them. I would leave them in Cuba, which was Parks intention in the first place.)

The water was cold, but quickly turned refreshing and comfortable. Parks and Pastor Julio also entered the water and we began the process of immersion. Each candidate, one by one, made their way up the "slide", with family and fellow church members on either side, laying hands on and praying for each one. Some were overcome - slain in the Spirit, as it is often referred to - and getting them into the water (and subsequently out) was sometimes tricky. Pastor Julio gave me the responsibility (honor is a better term) of baptizing each one in the name of the Trinity. I have to admit, this was not only the highlight of the entire journey for me, but next to baptizing my own children, was one of the best moments of my life. To be in a different country and culture, yet baptizing brothers and sisters into the Kingdom; well... Let's just say it doesn't get much better than that!

Afterwards, the children all jumped in for a swim, with Pastor Julio getting out, only to jump back in to make sure Parks and I were good and wet! We got out, put our shoes back on, and went back to the shady area. There, one of the little girls offered me a fresh mango, which I thoroughly enjoyed, along with some chicken soup. The truck failed to arrive, so we began to walk back to town via the bumpy dirt road.

Along the way, we stopped at another mission, a wooden shack. We met the woman who lived in that home and visited her husband, who had an ulcer on his leg, just above his right ankle, that was not healing very quickly. We prayed for him and then continued back to Pedro Betancourt. (Later, Parks would find some anti-bacterial cream and bandages to present to the man in order to help him.)

We rested at Pastor Julio's home, ate dinner, and then visited 2 more missions that evening, again sharing in songs, worship, and giving our testimonies. We returned late and I went to bed, as I had developed a slight headache from all of the activity of the day. Tomorrow was Sunday, after all, and I would be preaching in the morning and we would be visiting another mission in the evening.

Cuba, 2012, Day Two

We awoke at the Methodist Center in Havana and had eggs and fruit for breakfast. Little did I know those would be the last eggs I would see all week, as they are hard to acquire and relatively expensive in Cuba.

After cafe', we got our things together, packed the van, and headed to the city of Matanzas, about an hour west of Havana on the northern coast. Taking the highway along the coastline was a sight, seeing the beautiful, clear water through a rock-hewn beachline. Along the way we saw oil dericks and two large power plants. We stopped to stretch our legs at Mirror de la Becunayagua - a huge ravine with a lookout point, restrooms, refreshments, and souvenirs.

After a few pictures, I waited for the rest of the group, finding a book display nearby. Every book focused on the socialist revolution, Che Guevarra, or some other pro-government cause, including one book about Guantanamo and why the U.S. should give it back to Cuba, authored, like most of the books, by Fidel Castro. Nearby was another store, with shirts out front with Che Guevarra's picture on them. (If you look closely at the picture above, you can see them on the right.) I would see many more of those same images throughout the rest of thee week - on billboards, buildings, and the like.

We got back on the van, crossed the ravine, and made our way to the Matanzas District Superintendent's house where we had lunch. Afterwards, Pastor Julio and Diana, his wife, arrived to take us to Pedro Betancourt. It was a thrill to finally meet and greet them. They are a loving and devoted coulpe who I would soon discover work very hard for the Kingdom in Pedro Betancourt.

After about an hour and a half, we arrived in Perdo Betancourt. Like the rest of Cuba, the masonry homes need much work, paint, etc. but due to the economic circumstances, will not see for some time. Pastor Julio's home is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house, with a sitting room and a kitchen. A member of the church, who lived a few doors down, did all of the cooking, which was delicious!

We got settled, ate dinner, and then made our way in a 1957 Buick to visit 2 of the missions of the church. The ride, in the cool night air, was refreshing, and the car had been very well restored, making the ride on poor roads enjoyable. Both missions were small, the first being led by Annia and the second my Janni, two teenagers who had previously worked together, but had to separate to accommodate the growing numbers. Singing was followed by introductions and then Parks and I each gave our testimony (a pattern we followed at each mission) and we then prayed with the groups.

We arrived at Pastor Julio's home about 11 p.m. and sleep came quickly, with the travelling of the day and the knowledge that another busy day lay just ahead of us.