Cuba, A Love Story and Some Heartbreak
Taken March 2023
Bags filled with toiletries, basic home items, and medication that we brought to Havana with us.
On March 6, 2023, I joined 18 others from the DC area on a weeklong church trip to Havana. We represented four congregations (3 Presbyterians and 1 AME) that participated in the Cuba Partners Network, and it was our first time back in Cuba since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While some of the participants have been going for over 20 years, this was actually my very first time on the trip! (I know, life goals!). So, what was the trip? We traveled to Havana to spend the week learning and sharing with the First Presbyterian Reformed Church of Havana. This congregation was established in 1906, and while the Catholic Church is the only recognized religion in Cuba, the 32 Presbyterian churches across the country are vital sources of support to their communities. And that’s why we were there — to learn how they provide services to their communities. We learned by listening to their stories, and by participating in the work of their community.
It was apparent when we first arrived that the Cuban people are struggling right now. Faced with the worst economic crisis in decades, inflation is growing exponentially. Food is hard to come by, and many are hungry. The U.S. embargo (“el bloqueo”), the Cuban government’s consolidation of the currency, the pandemic, who to blame for the latest suffering? All of the above. People seem to have lost hope, and without a positive future in sight, 3% of the population has chosen to leave the country in the past year. This leaves a lot of families torn apart, often leaving behind older pensioners when their children and grandchildren leave Cuba to try to make it elsewhere. Families also are barely making ends meet, surviving on rationed food, and prioritizing whatever luxuries they can afford — such as milk — for their children. In all of this, there stands the church. We heard from community members, the U.S. Department of State and the Cuban government’s foreign affairs staff that the church we visited was essential in keeping their community afloat.
What is their community, and how do they do the work that they do? First Presbyterian of Havana is located within Barrio Chino, or Chinatown. This is the historic neighborhood where the Chinese community used to live. (“Used to” is a common qualifier of sorts in Cuba, recognition that the present is very different from the past.) You can still see the legacy of their vibrancy in Confucius Park and the social clubs that still exist, along with several Chinese restaurants that I understand are quite delicious. One can also take in the radiance of the sunflowers sold on the streets by followers of Santería, outside the Catholic Church nearby. Mostly, it’s a community filled with the beautiful, vibrant diversity of Cuban people, most of whom are quite poor. The church provides several vital programs that help to support the older members of the community, as they go at it alone, with their children living abroad. They run an Elder School that offers TaI Chi, socializing, Bible study, mental health support, etc. While we were there, we had the chance to go on home visits with older members who are not able to get to church, and we met with the church’s psychologist to learn about their mental health call-in time when community members can just call and speak with someone about their mental health – they can also make in-person appointments. I was fortunate enough to go on a visit to an older homebound member of the community. She was warm and gracious, inviting a bunch of strangers into her home. We laughed and shared, but mostly listened. We learned about her two sons, living abroad, and how she gets by on her pension. And she wanted to know how we were enjoying our time together in Havana.
We ate our meals together, a buffet of simple, delicious food (a meat, rice, salad, chips made from sweet potatoes or plantains, and always a little dessert) that was prepared for us by church staff Encarga and Nures, with the help of a nearby restaurant. As I learned more about the economic hardships and food scarcity in Cuba, I grew more and more grateful for each meal I ate, realizing that our meals were probably more than what most families could afford. When not breaking bread or learning about their community, we were out exploring the neighborhood. Our morning walk along the Malecón sea wall was especially moving. We walked at sunrise, watching the sun rise over the buildings, enjoying the quiet of a city about to come alive. We watched the early risers, the fishermen, snorkeling in the water, and talked to some about their catch and their family members living abroad. It didn’t escape me that we walked along the same sea wall where hundreds of thousands of Cubans had left the island over the years in search of a better life, in boats barely able to carry the passengers.
We loved our little “guagua” (that’s what Cuban’s call buses) that could, and our driver Rodolfo took us where we needed to be, on time (despite my extreme extroversion and proficient Spanish, which meant I was usually off chatting with church staff when I was supposed to be elsewhere – “DIANA, WE’RE LEAVING”). Our guagua did break down one day, and while it was off getting fixed, we whiled away the hours sharing stories with each other, offering knitting tips (three of us brought our projects along), and singing songs – I especially loved belting out the chorus of Maná’s “Rayando el Sól” with our host. Community is built in these moments. Love for our neighbors is built in community, in these moments. Through time we spend together, we build a deeper understanding of each other, and a richer appreciation for each other’s experiences.
One day, we rode our guagua to the Presbyterian church in Guanabacoa, on the edge of Havana, to learn about the magical little day care center that they managed to build during the pandemic. Tuition is $10/month, but cheaper for families who can’t afford that (and many cannot). The church provides a safe, fun and educational space for young children to spend their days before they’re old enough for school. Also onsite, is a clean water program, sponsored by a church back in the U.S. Community members can bring their own bottles and jugs and fill them up with clean, filtered water. This is huge, since Cubans otherwise need to boil their water in order to drink it, and bottled water is hard to come by.
It’s hard to put into words the impact this trip had on me. I will tell you that experiencing Cuba in community meant so much to me. Our wonderful host is now a friend. She made me speak Spanish all week, and I loved that she believed that I could (and I did). It was powerful meeting others from the DC area who also care so deeply about their world that they too want to learn more and do better. My church talks about church folks being “Pilgrims on a Spiritual Journey.” Well, on this trip, we all were Pilgrims. We got this far on our own paths, and together on our Cuban path, we got to be in community together, learn from each other, and rededicate ourselves to showing up for our neighbors. Whether we derive our commitment from spiritual or other moral means, we each can play a part in showing up for each other!