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Published: January 5th 2011
A Cuban New Year From what I could tell, the New Year in Cuba is a bigger holiday than Christmas. They have some of the same traditions, like staying up ‘till midnight, but they also have some different traditions.
Our neighbor Victor had the idea of roasting a pig for our New Year’s Eve supper. We invited our other neighbors Oscar and Marianela, and Victor and Danedy invited some friends of theirs to come named Betsy and Carlos who brought their beautiful husky. We all contributed to the meal. Victor cooked the pig. Mom and I cooked a Cuban kind of cake called flan and yummy banana chips called chicharitas. Marianela made salad and prepared a root called Yucca (don’t let the name give you the wrong impression. It is really good!) and the typical rice and beans. Betsy and Carlos brought a kind of Chocolate cake called Brazo Gitano, translation- Gypsy Arm (don’t know why) and helped with the cooking.
I did a lot of going back and forth between our house and Marianela’s house where they were doing most of the cooking. Our kitchen was hosting the huge pot of pork. Another important job is keeping
Monster Man
Another LIttle V monster attackthe three year old little Victor out of trouble, and that’s not easy. I bet Leigh and I spent about an hour chasing him around the house, keeping him away from the computers, making sure he doesn’t get in trouble in the kitchen. Leigh and I would switch “shifts” about every 15 to 20 min.
Since we were planning to stay up ‘till midnight, we ate around 8:00. Yes, I know it’s late but it’s a good tactic for staying awake. Marianela kept bringing out little appetizers. I don’t know what they are called but it was basically fried dough. Everybody was in a good mood so it was an easy going night. They talked. I tried to understand. We sang. The dog sang along. Dad learned a few Cuban songs on the guitar.
There were several countdowns to all the different settings of watches, but finally we started cheering and wishing each other a happy new year. One of the traditions that we don’t have is filling up a bucket of water and throwing it out onto the street to represent the washing away of the old and getting ready for the new. Someone had gifted my
Making Flan
Joy learning to make flan from our good friend Darlen parents a bottle of champagne, so after the throwing of the water thing they opened the champagne. Leigh was disappointed that some of the champagne didn’t come out with the cork as she had seen in movies.
Cubans sure do know how to throw a party.
Joy
The Arrival I was tired of saying, “When are they going to come?” We were at the airport waiting for the group to come. My dad kept on thinking that one of the airport workers was Tracey and kept on getting really excited.
Then, he said, “It is Tracey!” He saw a hand waving behind the glass door. We all stood up and I saw her too. We all ran in to the crowd with big smiles. Then the group came out. I had my arms up waving. I was very excited. Finally they came down the ramp. My heart was pounding.
I have never hugged so tight or gotten hugs so tight in my life. We started walking to the van. When we got to the van and started to drive, my mom started to talk about where we were going to stay. Finally, we got
(Not So) Wise Men
The Not So Wise Men at the dress rehearsal to the Martin Luther King Center.
Then, it was time to eat. We were all very hungry. After dinner, we played and talked and then it was time to go to bed. We all needed a good night sleep because the next day we were going to Camagüey.
Leigh
PS I miss you all. I am having a great time but it is hard without you all.
Bugs, Blessings and Baby Jesus What a few weeks we’ve had! I’ll begin with the nasty virus that moved in for about a week in the middle of December. Leigh was first to welcome this troublesome guest. While the sickness was a bummer, the worst part was that it kept us from doing a skit and some violin music at the annual seminary Christmas service. Kiran wrote a short version of Amahl and the Night Visitors in Spanish. With the help of some seminary students, we formed a cast of 7, made some wonderful costumes and all had even memorized their lines. Alas, on the day of the service, Leigh (a.k.a Amahl) had a high fever and could not get out of bed. Still, the practices and
Iglesia Getsemani
The children's play at Iglesia Getsemani preparations were great fun. We will just have to come back and do it next year.
Joy was next and then Kiran. By the time it hit Kiran, the bug had apparently grown in strength. In our many years together, I’ve never seen her so sick. She was in bed for 3 days. The girls and I had to leave her at home alone that Sunday before Christmas because I had agreed to preach at a friend’s church near Havana. Fortunately, her fever broke that same day and she had the energy to meet us the following day at the Havana Airport where we excitedly received the group from Circle of Mercy.
After loading the van with our luggage and 13 bodies, there was no room to spare. It was a good thing that we like each other. The trip down to Camagüey took a good 10 hours. With Kiran’s Cuban history lectures, lots of catching up, a few songs and some Luna bars, the time flew by...or at least passed without great suffering. It was quite a treat to be able to share our Christmas in Cuba with both the group from our home church and our
sister church in Camagüey.
The time with our sister church, Iglesia Getsemani, was filled with a wide range of emotions. Less than a week before we arrived, Consuelo Cosío, a major leader of their church and our good friend, died suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Consuelo was a huge part of the connection between our two churches. She had made most of the arrangements for our visit. In addition, before she died, she had planned two Christmas events for our time with them. The first, a presentation of skits from the children of church, was carried out using Consuelo’s hand-written and very detailed notes.
In the days before her death, she spent much of her time working with the children on this project. It was obvious that in addition to saying their lines, the performers were working hard to hold back tears. She was so loved by young and old. Everything, from the script to the costumes, was touched by her loving hands and generous spirit. Consuelo was fully present and all felt honored to receive once again her creativity, love and sweet, sweet spirit. She will be missed by many.
And, as usual, we were able
First Baptist Matanzas
Sharing "Mary's Song" at First Baptist Matanzas's Christmas service to laugh and enjoy each other’s company. On our second night together we had a talent show of sorts. Music was definitely the theme. Many from their congregation offered Cuban classics while our tunes ranged from the Indigo Girls to Green Day. It was a wonderful way to remember that the song goes on.
On Christmas Eve, the group piled back in for the long ride back to Matanzas. Our neighbors and friends, Danedy and Victor (parents of little Victor) had been preparing a wonderful meal for us throughout the day. Paco and Lila joined us and we all feasted on our front porch. It was the perfect Christmas Eve service.
Christmas Day involved some R and R at the seminary and a wonderful night service at First Baptist Matanzas. The youth of the church performed this amazing drama/dance of Jesus’ birth. But perhaps the most powerful moment happened in the pews, near where I was sitting. A man who could barely walk because of the alcohol in his veins wandered in the church and sat down by himself in the back pew. Two of the youth got up and went to sit beside him and offer a
Ethics 101
A quick ethics lesson for the young'uns. welcoming smile. As far as I know, no words were exchanged, by the action spoke loud and clear. The Word was made flesh.
Finally, I must share one other snapshot. During the Sunday service at First Baptist Matanzas, the day after Christmas, Graham Whitehouse (a 13 year old boy from our church) was invited to play John Lennon’s “Imagine” as the benediction. As he did, the church began to sing in English and Spanish this vision of a world with no borders, war, greed or hunger and full of sharing and peace. As I glanced toward the alter, I could have sworn I saw the baby Jesus smile.
The goodbyes the following day were hard. It was really fun having our friends and family here. The good news is that later, as we reflected on their leaving, nobody felt so sad that they wanted to go home. We are excited about another 6 months and all that this country and its people have yet to teach us.
May you too catch a glimpse of baby’s Jesus smile in these days!
Mark
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Sue Williams
non-member comment
Memories
You all will always remember Christmas 2010 and the beginning of the New Year, 2011 - such a time of giving and receiving among beautiful people with incredible spirits. Neil and I were not reaching out to new friends this holiday season, but we certainly did enjoy deepening the connections and memories with family. Here's hoping the viruses have moved on!