October
2003 Mission Trip to Cuba
On
Thursday, October 2, twenty members and friends of Fourth Church
joined Joanna and Al Adams in journeying to Havana, Cuba, where
Joanna had been invited to preach on World Communion Sunday,
October 5. In addition to worshiping with First Presbyterian
Church of Havana on Sunday and continuing to build relationships
with that congregation, the group also spent time in Cuba learning
about cultural and social issues there. Here they share their
thoughts and reflections.
In the wee hours of Thursday morning, October
2, twenty-two of us assembled at O’Hare: Al and Joanna
Adams, Bill Becker, Carroll Cole, Charlotte Davis, Linda Effinger,
Grant Feurer and Jennifer Tozer, Debbie Frisch, Martha Greene,
Marilee Hopkins, Carl and Laurie Leigh, Pauline Merrill, Meg
Nagel, Marjorie Rasmus, Bob and Vicki Reynolds, Custer Ritchie,
Helen Sowa, Sandy Spiegel, and Rosemary Withaeger. We were bound
for Cuba, via a 6:00 a.m. flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Many
people incorrectly assume that we traveled to Cuba illegally.
We traveled under a license issued to the Presbytery of Chicago
and also had religious visas to travel to Cuba.
After a six-hour layover that stretched into eight because of
thunderstorms, we finally arrived in Havana, a very tired group,
about 9:30 p.m. The Hotel Naccional, where we stayed, is an
old hotel built in the late 1920s and featured in several old
movies of Havana. The veranda on the back of the hotel looks
out on a large lawn that trails down to the Caribbean, with
a road separating the grounds from the sea.
On Friday morning we traveled three hours to the Theological
Seminary in Matanzas. The seminary president, Ofelia Ortega,
a longtime friend of Joanna Adams’s, described seminary
life at this nondenominational seminary with more than 200 students
(8 Presbyterian students graduated this year) and took us on
a tour of the campus, which overlooks the Caribbean and is home
to more than 200 banana trees. Joanna presented the seminary
with money that represented contributions from Fourth Church,
Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, and the PCUSA
Cuba Network.
That evening, we were invited to eat with the Session members
of First Presbyterian Church of Havana. Those of us who did
not speak Spanish well tried to converse with Cubans who did
not speak English well, and we discovered, with much fun, what
wonderful and amazing conversations we could have in spite of
the language barriers. At the dinner, we presented to First
Havana, on behalf of Fourth Church, a picture of our church
as well as a monetary contribution to the Havana congregation
and their presbytery. Following dinner, we were entertained
by the youth choir at First Havana and the Villa Azul musicians,
who played Cuban traditional music for our enjoyment and dancing
pleasure.
Saturday morning we met with Hector Mendez, pastor of First
Havana, who described programs and outreach ministries of their
church. We share a special connection with them, as they have
chosen our mission statement—“A Light in the City”—as
theirs. They truly are a light in the city for their community.
Reverend Mendez told us about a Little League baseball team
that asked First Havana to sponsor them. Although the church
turned them down several times, the team started showing up
at church because they wanted to be a part of all that was happening
at First Havana.
After spending the day exploring Old Havana, we had dinner at
First Havana (every meal we shared at the church was a feast!)
before heading out for the Cannon Shoot Ceremony, which is a
nightly event attended by hundreds of people. The ceremony dates
back to the time when the bay was closed each night at 9:00
to keep pirate ships from coming in and attacking the city.
Sunday morning we dressed up for the worship service at First
Havana. Even though it is very hot in Havana, the dress at church
is not casual and everyone comes in their finest. They are a
most welcoming congregation of approximately 450 members, and
there were hugs and handshakes from everyone. New friends were
made, and acquaintances from previous trips were renewed. The
worship service was more than two hours in length, but the joy
and caring for one another in the service made it seem no longer
than worship at Fourth Church. There were several musical numbers
in the service, and instead of applause, the congregation waved
church bulletins in the air—a beautiful and reverent way
to honor the performance. Joanna’s sermon was wonderfully
appropriate for World Communion Sunday and was translated into
Spanish by Reverend Mendez’s daughter, Suecia. Pastors
Martha Greene and Bob Reynolds as well as and elders from Fourth
Church assisted Joanna and Reverend Mendez in serving communion,
which was a particularly moving experience. As people were coming
forward for communion, Reverend Mendez would go down from the
chancel to give a hug or a word of encouragement to those grieving
or experiencing some personal pain.
That afternoon we delved into Cuban history by touring the Museum
of the Revolution, and afterwards we had dinner at a superb
restaurant known as a house restaurant, which is as it appears,
in someone’s home.
A visit to Havana is not complete without a visit to the Cigar
Factory, to see how and where the famous cigars of Cuba are
made. It is also an opportunity to visit with some of the locals
and find out more about their culture and how they live. Because
we travel to Cuba under a license, we were each legally allowed
to purchase up to $100 worth of cigars to bring back to the
United States, and most everyone bought their limit.
We returned to Chicago late on Monday, October 6. In the few
short days that we were gone, we made new friends, not only
in Cuba but also with fellow travelers from Fourth Church. Most
of us didn’t know each other before the trip, but we bonded
through our shared time together and are looking forward to
getting together here in Chicago as well as knowing another
person to greet while in Coffee Hour in Anderson Hall.
—Vicki Reynolds, Director of Mission
Memories that will remain etched in my mind:
• The joyful church service at First Presbyterian Church
of Havana, which began with the oh-so-familiar tune (but unfamiliar
words) “¡santo! ¡santo! ¡santo! Señor
omnipotent,” instantly recognized as “Holy, holy,
holy.” Emotion rising up in me as our voices joined together
in this glorious song that easily transcended language.
• Being unable to wipe the smile off my face while listening
to First Havana’s nine-member youth choir (really more
of a swing choir). Their talent surpassed anything I’ve
seen in years, but it was their freshness and joy that I’ll
always remember.
• Dancing (salsa, rumba) with several elders (in both senses
of the word) at First Havana.
• Listening to Ofelia Ortega speak (head of the only Protestant
seminary in Cuba) and realizing how I take for granted our access
to religious education in the U.S.
• Seeing Hector Mendez joyfully reunited with Joanna Adams
and Martha Greene, and also seeing Ofelia greet them with many
hugs and tears and feeling my own eyes well up with tears as
I realized what a (literal) lifeline these friendships have
become for Christians in Cuba.
• Feeling tremendous admiration for the Cuban people for
living through the ’90s, when other Communist nations abruptly
halted all financial support and the Cuban economy crashed.
Having self-sufficiency thrust upon them required tremendous
sacrifice, but they got by and made sure people were fed, educated,
and received the best possible medical care (with no access
to any U.S. pharmaceuticals).
• Walking away from this trip feeling completely different
about Fourth Church. Previously, it was more of a “showpiece”
church for me—the place I took visitors, the place I went
for celebrating major holidays. But it wasn’t my “neighborhood”
church because it just didn’t feel like that kind of church
to me, and the congregants didn’t feel like “neighbors”
to me. Now I realize that Fourth Church can and will be my “home”
church, certainly because I have twenty new friends there but
largely because I got to hear Joanna’s vision for helping
the church become exactly that kind of place. I want to be part
of it!
• Realizing that showing our solidarity and support for
the people and ministries of First Havana is every bit as important
on the emotional level as it is on the material level.
• Feeling the quiet joy that comes from buying the 1000-count
bottle of Tylenol (and similar bottles of Advil, multivitamins,
etc.) and thinking of hundreds of aching backs, heads, and knees
that may be helped—even if just for a few hours—through
having access to these medicines, another thing we take for
granted in the U.S.
• Appreciating the group dynamics as the participants came
to know each other through the course of the five days. It was
heartwarming to watch us learn to take care of each other, making
sure no one missed the bus, offering an arm to someone a bit
less steady on their feet, helping each other with shopping,
asking (and telling) increasingly intimate details about our
lives.
• Emerging from Havana with a powerful sense of God’s
presence creating strong relationships within our group and
between us and our new Cuban friends, and feeling an excitement
and anticipation for how those relationships will bear fruit
in the form of service and testimony as we move forward together.
—Linda Effinger
Some
of my personal powerful moments:
• A shared mission: What a warm feeling of connection we
felt with First Presbyterian Church of Havana when we learned
that we share a mission to be “A Light in the City.”
• Sharing one-to-one: A woman sat next to me at the church
service on Sunday and volunteered that she was a “spy,”
meaning she was a member of another church and had been attending
First Presbyterian Church of Havana for only a few weeks. She
translated those portions of the service that were not already
translated for us. She translated every speaker who came to
a microphone at the front to witness. I heard of the man who
said he had a need and prayed to God, and before he could finish
his prayer, God had answered! Another man was thankful for his
eighty-six-year-old sister’s life; she had died earlier
that week after suffering terribly. And I felt my own tears
as several speakers were thankful for the group from Fourth
Church. I explained to her our “open” communion, a
concept that she did not understand and at first didn’t
believe, but what a great feeling that we were able to walk
up together for the sacrament.
• The Light in the City: The baseball players who came
to First Presbyterian for sponsorship didn’t need uniforms
or supplies; they asked for the “credibility” of the
church. And isn’t that our greatest gift to the community
around Chicago Avenue—not the building, but our presence?
• Our land of plenty: In our country the people who have
money have all they want to eat and we have enough food to feed
us all. Yet we have many who don’t have enough to eat.
In Cuba, even if you have money, there is not enough food.
• How strong their faith: How easy it is for me to attend
church. I have the support of parents, children, friends, community,
and my government. Many of our Cuban brothers and sisters have
no such support. As difficult as their lives are and as difficult
at it is for them to attend church, how joyous and thankful
they were on Sunday when they filled the sanctuary.
—Marilee Hopkins
The Cuba
trip far exceeded my expectations. Poignant, interesting, faith-building,
fun, educational; Cuban people at the Matanzas Theological Seminary
and First Presbyterian Church of Havana demonstrated a hope
and faith in Jesus as well as a graciousness that was a lesson
to us all. Even though Marta, the parishioner sitting next to
me on Sunday, and I were not able to communicate with language,
her smile and warm hug spoke volumes. Muchos gracias to all
these wonderful new friends!
—Sandy Spiegel
It
was such a wonderful experience to meet the people of Cuba.
The church there is remarkable
and so firmly based in the Christian tradition. Hector Mendez,
the minister, is truly a spiritual leader so interested in living
his faith. What they have done to restore their church is remarkable.
Everyone I met was warm and loving, and the people are just
beautiful. I was truly moved by the generosity and spirit of
those sweet people. I am so thankful that I could be part of
interacting with them. The service on Sunday with Joanna preaching
was beautiful.
—Charlotte Davis
For information about participating in future Fourth Church
mission trips, contact Vicki Reynolds at 312.981.3384 (vreynolds@fourthchurch.org).
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