Cuba was great! The people were amazing! We enjoyed the experience and there were many things that the Lord taught me through this trip. Below are just some of the things that I took away from my time in Cuba.
View of the city from the seawall
1. We don't need to know each and every step of our journey all the time. There were many times when we didn't know details about our day. The Cubans would let us know the bus was here and we generally knew what was to happen that day but we didn't know the details like... how long will it take to get to our destination.. are we making any stops...when/where will we eat...why are we stopping here...for how long... I learned early on that it was way more stressful to try to answer these questions than to sit back and trust that the Cubans who were hosting us knew what they were doing and we could trust them. It is difficult to trust others and to trust the Lord with the details of our lives but that is exactly what He calls us to do. Trust Him even when you don't know what is going on.
2. Reduce, Reuse, recycle- The Cubans do not have a recycling program. They use everything they have over and over again until it is impossible to find any more use for it. They do not recycle plastic forks, cups, etc. They wash them and use them again and again and again. The do not buy dog food or chicken feed, etc. They collect all the leftovers from meals and give it to their animals. They find uses for everything as they cannot afford to waste.
a beer keg reused as a grill
3. Everything you do should be to further God's kingdom - The Christian people that we spoke to were very outspoken about their faith and were quick to share their thoughts about Jesus and His word. We even met people on the street that shared with us their faith. At one point I was speaking with a leader at the camp helping him practice his english. I was sharing with him some of the things that my husband and I enjoy doing with our time here in the States. I mentioned that we were part of a running group. (I am a starter runner and not very good but my husband has run a few half marathons and enjoys running more than me). The man that I was talking to asked if we joined the running group in order to share the gospel. He assumed that this would be the primary reason for everything I did. Of course, the primary reason that we joined the running club was to practice our running. As I reflected on this conversation I realized that the primary reason for doing anything I do should be to further God's kingdom. How can I change my mindset to be more like the Cubans to do everything for His glory?
4. You can focus on the heat or you can focus on the breeze. It was hot in Cuba. We had air in our hostel at night but during the day in the bus, in the church, on our walks through the city the sun was bright and the humidity was high and the temp was hot...but... there were many really nice breezes that helped cool us off. If you focused on how hot you were you could spend the day miserable but if you enjoyed the breezes and the occasional shade it changed your perspective. I think this applies to much of life. There will always be a combination of heat and breeze in your life. You can choose what you want to focus on. Focus on the hardships and all that you have to go through you will be miserable. Focus on the blessings that the Lord provides you will find joy. ALWAYS focus on the Lord and not ourselves!!
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