These reflections look back on a Missionary Journey to Cuba January 16 - 26, 2004.
 

Before I departed for Cuba, I had know idea that this would be the most thrilling Holy Spirit- filled ten days of my life but also the most disturbing of all mission experiences. In North America we live minute by minute. I live by a day timer that is precisely planned each day. I have specific deadlines, meetings, and events that need to be planned and followed by a specific schedule. At times it can seem that the things that I am planning and doing are more important than the actual relationships that are made with the people during the event. Numbers of attendance has become most important rather than the life change that can take place through events I have planned.

In Cuba this was not the case. People are extremely relational. The people I met were so concerned with how I was doing, making every attempt to spend time talking with me even though I could not speak their language. One morning while the team was still sleeping, I woke early and walked around outside. In the backyard of the church, two young ladies came over to me while I was sitting on the bench just enjoying the sunrise. Without hesitation, they began to speak with me. Even with the severe language barrier we were met with, it did not stop us from attempting to communicate with each other. You see, at other times when I was traveling with the team, there was always someone who could translate for me. But at this early hour of 7am in the backyard of the church I was all alone with these ladies trying to communicate with them.

Isabel, Mary and I communicated even though there was a language barrier. We communicated through pointing at objects and pictures and all three of us just laughed and enjoyed our time of fellowship. Here in North America, if you make any attempts to even approach someone whom you did not know, the individual will look at you funny and if they do not speak the same language as you, they would wonder what planet you came from! The excitement and enthusiasm would not be present. The people in the Cuban churches have something very special that we in North America could learn to emphasize: they put the highest precedent on people. Not on times, events, schedules or the business of each day. They value people as individuals with feeling and great concern about their well-being.

I believe in North America we view people sometimes as objects with little feeling or even concern about their true thoughts and concerns. This example that I have shared is just one of the many examples that were illustrated to me concerning how the people in the Cuban church view relationships. They view relationships as everything. Relationships hold the highest importance. The essence of time plays no role, no issue! The Church in Cuba knows and lives out God’s time. It is practiced in their lifestyle. As I spent more time there, I came to know what God’s time is. The Cuban people have taught me that it is all about the people and being with God, not necessarily doing for God.

From this culture, I have learned that God wants us to learn about God’s time and not our own. They see people not as objects or inconveniences but a people who truly need to be loved, cherished and cared for. This truth was evident in so many instances throughout my 10-day visit in Cuba. Even the house pastors we visited were not set in a tight schedule for the time of the meeting but were more concerned about hearing the testimonies of the people and especially our personal testimonies. Not once can I remember a deadline being put as a high priority but rather hearing our testimonies of what Christ is doing in and through us.

Now that I have returned home, the word relationship has been given a whole new meaning. Just how the people in the Cuban churches would greet each other was simply amazing. Their gesture of love has greatly impacted me. Even to the point where I long for that same type of loving relationship where you are deeply concerned only about the person and nothing else. I hope and pray that in our ministries we can exude the same concern and care the Cuban church does for one another.