Hyde Park Speaks

Expanding The Mission Field In Cuba

by Elio Eduardo Muller Jr.

The Lord has just expanded the borders of our mission field. For the past ten years Cuba has been making significant progress in freedom of religion. The Cuba United Methodist Conference has grown to more than 400 congregations, they have opened a wonderful retreat camp, and more recently they refurbished the building of a pre-revolution Methodist girl’s school into a great new seminary. Now it seems that Cuba is inviting us back to the roots of Wesleyan tradition in ministering to incarcerated prisoners. John and Charles Wesley started out while as seminarians at Oxford, ministering to eighteenth century English debtor’s prisons where many people were incarcerated for merely not being able to pay their debts.
 
The Cuban Government has recently announced that it will allow incarcerated prisoner to openly worship in jail. That means that prisoners will be able to meet, use hymn books and crosses in their services. Unfortunately the policy will also allow for non-Christian religions like Voodoo and Santeria to be practiced by prisoners. This means that the blessing comes with a challenge to Christian churches on the island. If Christians do not step up the missionary work to minister to these prisoners, then only Santeria will be alone in filling this new space. Much like the debtor prisoners in the Wesley brother’s early missionary work, prisoners in Cuba are mostly incarcerated for petty crimes, political opposition, or for just trying to flee the island on boats. We here in Florida should also hear this missionary call. The Cuba/Florida Covenant has a great program of sister church support that will allow us to extend our love and our gifts into this important work www.cubafloridacovenant.org.  We should be looking for this program to call on us in the near future to support this new mission field.

Read related AP Story

Adios to Cuba!!

     Well, we have said our last good-byes and exchanged tears, hugs, gifts and addresses. The scaffolding that Mickey ingeneously erected in the seminary stairwell to reach the highest of the most high places has been dismantled. Our paint brushes, rollers, scrapers, and yes even the mother of all paint roller handles have been left behind for other teams.

     As a team we have attended our final high energy passionate Cuban worship service. Pastor Luis has annointed our foreheads with oil, blessed us and our families; and asked God for a safe trip home and that we all come back some day. Pastora Heather has in turn blessed his family. We have left behind our last package of Sunday School supplies and children´s toys.

     The 100,000 doses of Cipro that Mike begged, borrowed or stole (we still don´t know which) from his pharmacist friend in Atlanta have been distributed; as have the Spanish language bibles Randy brought.

     MIckey has eaten his last Cuban ice cream. "Hollywood" Laura of the muy-cool sunglasses has translated her last palabra. Jose Luis has driven us the final kilometer in the green and white bus. Elena and Magdelena have packed the final pound on our frames. Pastor Yorti has sung us his last song. We have held our final team devotions. John will never again keep us waiting as the last one ready.

     For everything there is a season; and for everything under heaven there is a time. It is time to go home.

  Hollywood Laura is a Woman of the Word.

Jose Luis always went the final mile for us. 

More Pictures from Cuba

In a rare serious moment, jokester Mike Burgamy presents the seminary caretaker with a new walker.

The Unsung Heroes scraped (and scraped and scraped and scraped) in the low places. La Jefa with Linda Brown. 

  

On The Last Day They Painted!!

       Today was our last workday and almost everyone painted; all the walls of the two upper staircases. We painted in 4 hours what took 4 days to scrape. Progress occurs on alternate Fridays. Livan was well pleased and declared victory. Our Mississippi Minister, Heather Hensarling, presided over a celebratory communion.

     There comes a time on almost every mission trip when even the most blase and skeptical experience a moment of epiphany and clearly feel the presence of the Holy Spirit; or Jesus at work; or true love between brothers and sisters; or that their personal faith and relationship with God has just been greatly strengthened. The bozos on the green and white bus would like to share some of these "aha" moments.

Bob Oelschlager, Aldersgate UMC, Alexandria, VA

     My church in Virginia is reinventing itself through ¨The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations." One night as Deputy Assistant Intrepid Leader Randy described his prison ministry work, it hit me like a 2x4 across the forehead: between the overflowing and high energy Cuban congregations and the works and faith of my nutty team members, I am experiencing Outrageous Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Extravagant Generosity, and Risk-taking Missions every hour of every day on this island.

     The next day Mickey Bailey was whistling "Here I Am Lord" while he worked. I told everyone it was my favorite hymn. Immediately the Unsung Heroes down below broke out singing in perfect harmony and all three verses wafted up the stairs. I completely lost it and got choked up emotionally. The presence of the Lord was in that staircase; I could feel its mighty power and its grace in every pore of my body.

Linda Brown, Hyde Park UMC, Tampa, FL

     All my life I´ve worshipped in traditional services. I like the old songs from hymnals rather than contemporary ones projected on a screen. I do read from "The Message," but always go back to the King James Version. I am comfortable speaking to God formally, as¨"Father." While I understand the concept of Cubans addressing God informally and personally as "abba" (daddy), I rarely have addressed him so initmately.

       Then I worshipped in Cuba for the 5th time in 2 visits this Tuesday night. This time I rejoiced in the words of the songs projected on the wall for two reasons. The practical one was I can read Spanish and understand it far better than if it is spoken or sung. But the main "aha" was for my soul. Projected boldly on the screen were the words "Tu eres Dios." The entire congregation was addressing God in the familiar form; not the formal. This informal, intimate, loving reflection of the Daddy image of God felt by the people worshipping resonated within me.

       Calling God "Daddy" is not less respectful than calling him "Father;" and truly exhibits the profound love I´ve seen in both Cuban worshippers and the members of this team worshipping with them. Real love requires a closeness, a relationship Cubans understand and now I understand.

                                 _______________________________

     Well, we have a busy day tomorrow, visiting the Museum of the Revolution in the morning; going to the market in the afternoon; and taking the kitchen and maid service staff from where we are staying out to dinner tomorrow night. So no new post tomorrow.

     Celebrating painted walls and "aha" moments, your faithful correspondent, Roberto

  

John Gorzka on the topmost landing. Sand walls, white woodwork, salmon wainscotting!

 
 

Randy Datsko paints the wainscotting salmon, helped by Livan´s son Oliver, 8.

Coleman Archer just roll roll rolling along.   

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