Helen Lewis Gibbs' Reflections - November 2007
Reflection: As we sat around a table in Cary, NC discussing our plans for this tiny cement block church in Las Margaritas, Cuba I thought about my first trip to the village, and how it was a pivotal point in my walk with God. As I got out of our van and smelled the sewage flowing in the open sewer at my feet, I wondered how this island lifestyle could be so different than that of America, a mere 90 miles north. We met Zenaida, the pastor of the church and proceeded to take a tour of the village with her. The houses are mostly one story, square, cinderblock buildings. The homes are brightly painted but sparsely furnished. Children played next the sewer, most wearing only a diaper or shorts and tank tops. Most people stopped to stare, having not seen a group of Americans walking through their village before. The children stare, but then shyly smile as we take pictures. Their faces lit up as they saw themselves in digital photos. While they did not speak English and we did not speak Spanish, we were able to communicate through gestures, smiles and nods. As we moved through the village, we visited the pharmacy started by the church and stocked in a large part with over the counter products brought with us from the States. Back at the church we unloaded our suitcases full of gifts and proceeded into Zenaida’s house. We spread out everything we brought on two beds: medicines, candy, craft supplies, and clothes. When Zenaida walked in, her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes filled with tears. She was overwhelmed and speechless with gratitude for these gifts. As we stood together, we prayed with her that these gifts would be used to further the church’s mission in the village and bring more people to God. During this prayer, I felt the peace of God and the energy of the Spirit descend upon our group as we stood together in this small wooden house in the middle of Las Margaritas in a country most Americans may never have the opportunity to travel to. I felt the faith of Zenaida as she thanked us for answering her prayers and providing so many of the things the church prayed for daily. To look into her eyes, it felt like I was looking into the eyes of Christ. Her burden is great, but her faith is strong and she instills that faith in her parishioners and in all who visit this tiny church. I took that faith with me when I left Cuba and I remember the strength of her faith when my faith falters.
Description: Today we spent part of the day in downtown Havana. For a country full of people who are vivid and charismatic, many of the buildings are run down and neglected. I saw building with entire sides missing, but families living in the midst of the rubble. As I walked along the Malecon (the waterfront area), I saw people fishing with just a string and hook while others washed their clothes in the tidal pools. In the midst of this rubble and poverty, I saw the beauty of God’s creation in the beauty of the people of Cuba.
Reflection: As I walk through Havana, it feels familiar and comfortable. While I have only visited one other time, it feels almost like a homecoming. The smell of exhaust in the air is putrid, but at the same time comforting and familiar. The colorful clothes and the distant sounds of a mariachi band as I wander the streets remind me of my last trip to Havana, the excitement and the fear of being in a country most Americans have not been able to travel to – at least not legally. As I pass by person after person, I see the most beautiful mosaic of people. The Cuban islands have ancestry that includes the influence of the Spaniards, Russians, Americans, Yoruba tribe of Africa, and Caribbean natives. In my travels through Europe and North America, I have never seen such a spectrum of skin tones as in Cuba. It is a beautiful sight, and in this mosaic I see the faces of all of God’s children. So many backgrounds, but they are all united in their love of Cuba. While most of the people I talk with are not in support of Castro (and won’t even say his name out loud, just make the motion of a beard with their hand on their chin) they have a great love and a great hope for their country.
November 18 – Cuba
Description: As I awoke this morning in the village of Las Margaritas to the squawking of roosters and squealing of pigs, I wondered what new revelations this day would bring. As we did crafts with the children, communicating through nods and smiles, I knew God continued to be at work within this community of faith. It is in the simplicity and struggles of life in Cuba that I see the amazing gift of faith in the lives of these church members.
Reflection: It would be easier to write where I did not see God today. As we sat at breakfast, joking and talking with Zenaida, we also found out her greatest needs and dreams for her congregation. The one thing that was most important to her was being able to provide transportation for the people in the surrounding villages. Some of the parishioners walk more than nine miles each Sunday, just to attend services. The church has recently rented what is basically a big dump truck that picks up and drops off church members at a central location, but does not get everyone close to their home. Many members still have to walk several miles. I sat at the table imagining what our congregation would look like if people had to walk even one mile to church and I imagine the sanctuary would be very empty on Sundays. After our breakfast conversation we worked with the children’s Sunday School classes and made crafts with the kids. It was a difficult task with my limited Spanish skills and their limited English skills, but we were able to communicate simply through gestures. It’s amazing what can be said through a wink or a smile. After lunch, we spent the afternoon visiting some of the members of the congregation who are unable to get to the church due to distance and physical handicaps. The day concluded with evening worship, beginning around 7pm (but nothing really happens on a schedule in Cuba!). Our pastor, Randy, was delivering the message this evening. Dan, a young man who grew up in the church and is currently a Spanish interpreter in the court system, provided the translation. The evening started in the dark, because the power is unpredictable at best in Cuba and turns off almost once a day, sometimes for 5 minutes, sometimes for 5 hours. Again the thought crossed my mind – Would anyone even show up to Greenwood Forest Baptist Church in Cary, NC if the power was out? However, in Cuba, the pews were full and whoever couldn’t fit in the building was standing at the open windows trying to participate in the service. The service was full of energy, excitement, and faith. Not the faith I know, but the faith of people who have been persecuted, who struggle daily for their existence, who have so little to give, but give all they have. I am inspired and humbled every time I leave Las Margaritas. I have so much, but always feel like I can never do enough. How do I reconcile the needs of this marginalized community with the lifestyle I have been born into? The church has asked me to return for a three month period once I finish graduate school, and while I know that is not possible with my husband’s job, I told them I would try to return and spend three weeks. I think it is important to know what it is like to live and work among this community that we have partnered with. As we all learned in To Kill a Mockingbird, it is important to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to truly know them.
November 19 – Airport with Zenaida and Octavio
Description: As we stood in the Havana airport, waiting to be ticketed for our flight to Cancun, our dear friends Zenaida and Octavio arrived from Las Margaritas to wish us safe travels. They brought with them a gift, wrapped lovingly in old cardboard and taped with the newly delivered scotch tape from the craft supplies we left behind. I thought of the story of the woman who only had one penny to give, but gave all she had. This is the spirit of the people of Las Margaritas, they give all that they have to praise God and it is hard to leave them behind, knowing every time we see them, could be the last time.
Reflection: My time in Cuba has been too short. Leaving Pastor Zenaida and her husband Octavio is always so hard. We never know when our license will be revoked or when the government will add restrictions that make it even more difficult to travel to our sister congregation. Zenaida mentioned yesterday that the children had wanted to make us gifts, but they just didn’t have the resources needed prior to our arrival. Yet, today at the airport, Zenaida shows up with a gift for us to take home. She is always overwhelmed by the medicines, supplies, sports equipment, and household products we bring with us. We have so many resources from which to give, but always feel like it is never enough. They have so little material wealth, yet she gives all she has. Zenaida is a true woman of God. She recently fought a tough battle with cancer, but has just been given a clean bill of health. In our conversation with her about the cancer, she told this story: "A woman in the village asked me how a person of so much faith and who has dedicated her life to God can face this diagnosis and suffer as I do now. And I told her that I have spent my life building other people’s relationships with God and this was my time to work on strengthening my relationship with God." Faced with cancer, she was not angry and did not question, she saw it as an opportunity to become closer to God and stronger in her faith. I am always amazed by her presence and her ability to empower and love each person in her congregation. She has so little material wealth to give, but she gives it all and gives it in complete selfless and unconditional love. I am amazed and inspired by her life and hope to inspire people in the same way one day.