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We Are Painting in Cuba!!! Alleluia!!!

     On the morning of the fourth day Livan came and looked upon the scraping and saw that it was good. And yea verily we painted the ceiling this day. Two coats. Alleluia and Glory to God in the Highest!

     The women are our unsung heroes. La Jefa, Heather, Linda, Jackie and Drema have scraped innumerable coats of paint from below the chair rail and off the rusty iron staircase railing. This is dirty, sweaty, mind-numbing, bent-over manual labor; and performed while the macho guys climb on ladders and hang from windows and rain paint chips down on them from above, scraping the upper walls and the ceilings. But I have heard that someday the last shall be first.

     It is time once again to meet more of the bozos on this bus travelling around Cuba (though mostly back and forth from the seminary). Randy Datsko is our Deputy Assisstant Fearless and Intrepid Leader. That means Linda is training him to lead his own mission team to Cuba someday. Randy comes from the mountains of Pennsylvania; from a little town stradling the Eastern continental divide where there are more trees than things to do. Maybe that's why he comes to Cuba so often. But in truth, Randy inspires us with his faith and caring.

     Jack and Linda Brown are from Tampa and this is their second trip. Linda is learning the language amazingly quickly; and she is kind, compassionate, empathetic, patient, understanding and has a fantastic attitude. All of which is a good thing, considering she is married to Jack.

     Jack and John Gorzka, also from Tampa, are our Co-Deputy Assistant Chief Jokesters. That means Mike Burgamy is training them to be Chief Jokesters on their own mission teams some day.

     Did I mention that we were bonding really well together as a team?

     The seminary historian told us today that formal Methodist services began in Cuba after the Second Cuban War for Independence in 1898. The Methodists acquired the site where we are working in 1901 and built the seminary between 1921and 1925. The government siezed the school in 1961 for the National Chemical Institute but gave it back in 1998. The current seminary opened more than a year ago and will have 75 full time students next year.

     Happily helping paint (Tomorrow: Walls!!!), your faithful correspondent, Roberto 

Pictures From Cuba

 Family Reunion in Cuba. Drema Muller with her husband´s mother´s sister. They had never met.

"Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!!¨ (Psalm 150). Girls from El Tabenaculo dance to the glory of God.

Third Work Day in Cuba

     Last night we went to a prayer and Bible study service at the local church attended by our translator Laura, our cook Elena, our driver Jose Luis and our work foreman Livan. An overflowing sanctuary reverbrated with the joy of high energy Cuban worship as singers, guitar, drum and trumpet players warmed up the congregation for the pastora. Alleluia!! Alleluia!! She expounded brilliantly on Ruth 3 for 55 minutes. Churches should not have large clocks visible over the minister´s shoulder.

     Fearless and Intrepid Leader Linda, whom we are now calling "La Jefa" (rough Spanish translation), says every team member contributes with his or her own unique talents. I personally contribute fluency in bad Spanish. I asked Livan for some solvent so John Gorzka could clean his "escoba de pintura" (paint broom). Later, Owen asked about Mickey Bailey´s height. Knowing that the Spanish word for "inches" comes from the word for "thumb," which is "pulgar," I confidently told Owen that Mickey was "6 pies, 5 pulgas." Which means 6 feet and 5 fleas. Pulgas, pulgadas, whatever. We are communicating, not translating Cervantes.

     It is time to introduce more team members. Mickey Bailey, he who is 6 feet and 5 fleas tall, cannot go more than 4 hours without "gelado" (ice cream). He is personally making a very large contribution to the Cuban economy. He has found every "geladoria" within 10 blocks of both where we work and where we stay. "Geladoria" may or may not be Spanish for ice cream store. Mickey and his lovely wife Jackie are from Rocky Mount, NC.

     Except for putting the second coat on the fifth floor landing, we scraped instead of painted again today. I Do Not Want To Talk Anymore About That. BUT WE ARE GOING TO PAINT THE CEILING TOMORROW!!!

     Translating freely, happily and indiscriminently, your faithful correspondent, Roberto

  Here are John, Mike and Randy putting the first coat ("primera mano") of paint on the top floor landing.

Second Work Day in Cuba

     Scrape, scrape, scrape the paint, gently down the stairs, merrily, merrily, merrily...you get the idea. Foreman Livan says the Cuban heat and humidity will peel the new coat right off the wall in six months if we don´t scrape off every last loose flake.

    Actually, Mike and John did paint the the uppermost of the five landings. Seeing how good the yellow walls, white woodwork and salmon wainscotting look is keeping the rest of us going. Picture to follow tomorrow.

     Mike Burgamy presented the seminary caretaker with a new light aluminum walker to replace his wooden home-made one. Friends with several team members from previous trips, he was equally pleased with gift and seeing old friends.

     Coleman Archer, at 15 our youngest team member, worked most of the afternoon with our foreman Livan´s 13-year-old son Owen. They needed surprisingly little translation help. Kids pick up languages like they pick up video games.

      Tomorrow after lunch, we will paint the ceiling in the main upper stairwell!!! Since some places are over 20 feet high, it is a good thing we have with us the mother of all paint roller handles.

     Still a scraper and not a painter, your faithful correspondent, Roberto

  

First Work Day in Cuba

       We are painting a four story stairwell in the 75 year old seminary ¨desde arriba por abajo¨ (from top to bottom). O mejor dicho (or better put), we are scraping a four story stairwell top to bottom because the way old dried out paint flakes off the ancient plaster walls, we have eight hours of preparartion  for each hour of painting.

     The team is bonding well, o mejor dicho, we are now making fun of each other. Chief jokester is Mike Burgamy, which shouldn´t surprise anyone who knows him.

   The team scrapes the stairwell in the Methodist Seminary in Havana prior to painting.

   Your faithful correspondent, Roberto the Paint Scraper.

Church Service in Cuba

     This morning we joined several hundred highly energized Cubans in joyful singing, dancing, swaying and rocking to the glory of the Lord. We had guitars, we had drums, we had a troupe of folk dancers, and we had singing groups and soloists.

    Passionate worship characterizes fruitful congregations, and "El Tabernaculo" is multiplying biblically. People overflowed the sanctuary and literally hung out the doors and windows. Pastor Emilson has been praying for a TV camera to pipe video into an overflow room ready and waiting with a monitor (believe me, transmitting the sound is not a problem). At a reception after the service, the Spirit moved the team to take up a collection. Problem solved.

     We tour Old Havana this afternoon and then we hit the painting of the seminary tomorrow.

     Your Energized Correspondent, Roberto del Tabernaculo

Family Reunion in Cuba

     Team member Drema Muller´s husband Elio is Cuban and still has family on the island. Yesterday as most of the team enjoyed Varadero beach, Drema visited the sister of Elio´s mother, who lives there. Drema and Haydee had never met before.

     During a six hour reunion, four generations of relatives and friends wandered in and out of the house without knocking. Bread was broken together. Gifts, tears and photos were exchanged. Drema heard stories about Elio´s grandparents she had not heard before. His grandmother, with only three years of primary school, adamantly made the sacrifices necessary to ensure all eight children received great eductions.

      Although Haydee is Presbyterian, some of the relatives are passionate true believers in Jose Marti, Che, Raul and Fidel. Far from being hostile or overbearing, they welcomed the opportunity to share points of view and listened as well as talked. We took our leave with embraces and kisses all around.

     Priviledged to have tagged along as interpreter, your faithful correspondent, now known as Roberto.

We Are in Cuba!

     After a great dinner Thursday at a Peruvian restaurant, the Cuba Mission Team from Hyde Park hit Miami International at 5 AM sharp today. Intrepid Leader Linda negotiated a good discount on our overweight luggage; allowing us to bring all our very much needed painting equipment, medicines and gifts; and still afford to eat tonight. So far we have changed our money, eaten black beans and rice, and sweat a lot.  Returning veterns have hugged and kissed old friends. Pastor Yorti has a new church, still performs his charismatic guitar act, and has been promoted to DS.

     Tomorrow we go to the beach and Sunday we go to church and Monday the real work begins and we should be acclimated to the heat by then. Cuba is fascinating: rather than commercial messages, the ubiquitous billboards are filled with inspirational messages, "The Revolution Lives after 50 Years!" On the street we see a mix of prerevolution American cars, Russian era Latas, and modern Hyundais, Peugeots and VW´s. 

     Thanking God for a safe arrival, your faithful correspondent, Bob    

Buenos Dias from Nicaragua!

Hola,
At the moment Monica and I, Ana, have just finished a marvelous breakfast! It is a glorious day and we enjoyed the view while eating breakfast in rocking chairs overlooking the barrio. Right now a group of around fifteen students are headed out to hike the Cerro Negro volcano. The others enjoy a little more time before they head out to either the construction site or a new school. At the school we will be doing the usual VBS while offering snacks and our willingness to play a fun game with them.

The team plans to meet up for lunch and then this afternoon the group will split up to construction or to deliver care packages to families in the landfill. It's amazing how fast this time has gone by, it feels like we arrived yesterday! Everything has been so great: the food, children, staff, weather, and landscape. Can't wait to see yall on Saturday!!

         God Bless,
                    Ana Alfonso and Monica Mills :)

We Are Going to Cuba!

How do you pack for a mission trip to Havana? Fearless and Intrepid Team Leader Linda Archer says we need long-handled roller handles. I have found the mother of all such handles at Lowes, a James Bond device that expands from 45 to 108 inches with the flick of a lever. But had to build a special “suitcase” of cardboard and packing tape to meet airline rules: my box is 45 x 10 x 5 (total less than 62!) and stuffed with painting supplies. Anyway, we have dinner tonight in Miami before returning to the airport at 5:30 AM Friday for our flight. Excited about meeting the other eleven, your team correspondent, Bob

 

Have Suitcase, Will Paint and Travel! Praise Be to God.