C2C
mission team a credit to the diocese
by George
Porter
The young
people of this diocese who embarked on a C2C Mission to Cuba this
summer fulfilled our mission goals and are a credit to our diocese.
Despite heat, illness, language barriers and cultural differences, our
team persisted and strong relationships were built. Joining with their
new friends in Cuba, the C2C team also brought to life the words of
Mother Teresa that we took as our motto: “Together we can do something
beautiful for God.”
We left
Fredericton airport on a very early morning flight that eventually took
us to a very hot and humid Cuban afternoon. We were met at
José Marti International Airport in Havana by Fr. Carlos Tamayo,
priest and youth leader in the Diocese of Cuba.
 After a brief stop at the bishop’s
residence –– also Fr. Carlos’ home –– we made the four hour trip to
Cuatro Esquinas (stopping on the way to pick up a live pig and more
passengers). We arrived late in the evening to a candle light
spaghetti dinner. The candles were not for effect, the electricity was
off.
The local people had planted a living welcome sign
in English in anticipation of our visit. A collection of herb plants
spelled out “Welcome, The Lord be with you, Cristo Rey.” This was just
an indication of the warmth and enthusiasm of their welcome.
Team
member Londa Burchell later said: “The people treated us like royalty,”
and “I’ve never had so much love poured out on me, aside from my mom.”
 The entire team was impressed with was the sincerity and
opennessof the Cuban Christians in caring for one another.
The night
we arrived we met briefly with a group of older teens and Andre, a
seminarian working with youth in the parish. Then we connected with our
host families and went off to bed.
The
next morning we were introduced to other adults in the community and
began morning work routines. The girls worked with a woman named
Virginia in the herb garden next to the new church building, weeding
and replanting. They also did some painting. Virginia owns the house
where the new church is located. It is difficult to obtain permission
to build church buildings in Cuba, so new churches generally have to be
part of someone’s house.
 The
guys helped sift sand for cement for the new building and clear some of
the surrounding area. Later in the week they also helped to harvest
palm nuts and worked on the roof of the church.
Afternoons
we played with some of the younger children in the
community and then engaged older teens and young adults in baseball,
volleyball, football (soccer) and dominoes. Younger children hung
around as well. Relationships developed despite language barriers.
Young people came from four area communities.
In
the evenings we worshipped with the congregation of Cristo Rey and,
when the electricity worked, we danced together into the late hours.
These times of worship and dance were really the best cross-cultural
bridge-building times of the trip.
The
experience of Cuban food was difficult for some team members, and most
suffered some digestive problems, though the source was never clearly
identified. A young doctor living in the community spent many hours
with us.
When the
rest of the team returned to Canada, I stayed behind to do two weeks of
continuing education, studying Spanish and working with youth camps in
the Anglican cathedral complex in Havana.
During
that first week, Hurricane Dennis hit the island. The next day I went
with Fr. Carlos and his father, Bishop Miguel Tamayo, to tour the
provinces most severely hit. While no one in Cristo Rey was seriously
hurt, the wind and flood damage was extensive. The garden was under
water; larger plants and trees were broken off. The roof of the church,
however, held out.
After
all the team expenses, we were able to leave more than $5,000 with Fr.
Carlos to help with hurricane recovery and building. Despite the loss
of much of the project work, the relationship bridges that were built
and experiences of the mission could not be destroyed. It was
still worth it.
The Rev. Dr. George
Porter is Diocesan Youth Action Director
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