Jan Guthrie's Reflections - March 2008
There is no denying God's work in Las Margaritas. The experience was remarkable, incredible, amazing, spiritual. We arrived in Las Margaritas Thurs. afternoon, and my initial thought was, what poverty! How can these people live like this?! Over the next 3 days, I saw just how they manage. And they are not poor at all. In the economic strata of Cuba, they are middle class, even though they live in concrete or cinderblock or tin houses, even though they live within a few yards of the pigpen, even though there is an open gray-water drainage sewer flowing between their houses and the street. There are stray dogs everywhere and the cats come out only at night, to hunt. The dogs may or may not be regarded as pets, but the cats are considered a nuisance. There are lizards living in everyone's house. Some houses have only partial roofs, and the floors get squeege-eed after every rain (daily, this time of year). They cook over open flames and use old door and window frames for fire wood. If they want to serve freshfruit with a meal, they go outside and pick a banana, or grapefruit, or mango right off the trees in the yard. There are no screens or glass in the windows except at the church building. Water comes from a cistern on the roof--no hot water heaters means if you want hot water, you heat it over the fire. The flies are thick and pervasive and our hosts worked hard to fan them away--I presume for our comfort, since they didn't seem to be as bothered by them as we were. The food is all fresh and without perservatives or additives--you really can taste the difference.
The people LOVE God with all they are. The know that FAITH in Him makes their lives worth living for Him. They TRUST Him in everything that comes their way.
It is a totally different lifestyle. There is no rushing around. There is no sense of impatience or worry. God is in control of everything, and will bring blessings through and in all circumstances.
We also learned a lot about the past and current political situations. Things are getting better, but have been horrendous. A communist state is so controlling. To say the least.
My life was significantly impacted, as were the lives of all of us who went. I miss my new friends terribly. One young woman, Zulema, was so sweet and funny. She is 27 and teaches Spanish grammar at the local school in Las Margaritas. At the worship service Sunday evening, she led the call to worship which was the 100th Psalm. Just hearing her read it in her beautiful voice brought me to tears. To know this wonderful sister in Christ is such a blessing. As we were leaving to go back to the hotel after worship, she handed me a small Bible. I didn't look inside till we had left in the mini-bus. The inscription read (in Spanish): Janelle, I was thinking of something for you to remember me by. And "this is the best": the Word of God. I love you in Christ, Zulema.
On the facing page were her name and address. This Bible was her own personal Bible--the thing worth the most to her--that she wanted me to bring home to remember her by. I can't even describe the magnitude of this gift. Another young woman, Maelaides, is married with a 3-month old son. She and her husband are probably in their late teens or very early twenties. I had my bangs held back with a bobby pin Sunday evening because of the heat (and the ensuing sweat). At the end of worship, Maelaides approached me, dug down deep into her diaper bag, and handed me 2 gorgeous painted hair clips and indicated that I should wear those instead of plain bobby pins (which I had borrowed from Carrie--another one in our group). Out of her poverty, she gave me all she had.
One other person who deeply impacted my experience is an older man named Juan. He lives across the street from the church. He was very interested in hearing all about my daughter Bethany. He told me many stories from the past--all about the farming he did, harvesting sugar cane. He described the landscape of Cuba in great detail, and we talked at length about the weather, the seasons, the mountains and beaches. We also talked about his family, some of whom live in Florida. He teared up as he told me how much he misses them. I had brought a few photos of Bethany with me to Cuba, and showed them to anyone who had any interest at all. Juan was quite taken with Bethany's picture, and asked to see it any time we were together. I could see that he really cared about me and my family. I gave him the photo the night before we left, and he took it home to put it in a frame. Juan knows the Bible like no one else I know. He has memorized all of the books of Psalms and Proverbs. He can quote large portions of the Gospels and Paul's letters. I was touched to read the Bible together with him. Actually--I was reading along as he recited from memory. Only later did I learn that Juan has struggled with alcoholism. Knowing this made who he is now even more remarkable. Many times, he begged me to keep walking with God and place all my faith in Him alone. Here is a man who has learned that lesson despite, or perhaps because of, his difficulties.
These are amazing people who truly model what it is to love God, to follow Christ, and to humbly worship Him who made us all.