Love YOU! How wonderful to hear about your adventures and all the ways you have loved and received love in Cuba (as, of course, I knew you would). As the good Quakers say, I'll "hold you in the light" until you return. Missed you SO much at Christmas. Hope to see you soon - somehow, somewhere.
goodbye and welcome back! Mark, Kiran, Joy, and Leigh,
It is great to hear of your life there. I understand mixed feelings that you must be having. You have fallen in love with the people there, and of course, they have fallen in love with you all! What adventures and relationships you have had this year.
But selfishly, i will be glad to have you back. I hope these last few weeks for you is special, even if a bit sad.
Welcome back! We will be happy to welcome you back when you come! Your stay in Cuba sounds beneficial to all and that is wonderful! Hope you can make the 4th picnic! Enjoy these last days. Love, Louisa
Into the Mystery Dear Sigsils,
You have shared your experiences, feelings, and thoughts so honestly and creatively that I, too, have fallen deeper into the mystery of how we are all connected to each other and to God through love. Thank you. Thank you Leigh, Joy, Kiran, and Mark.
May your homecoming be joyful and anxiety-free.
Sue
Welcome to Asheville and Swan Mt. Farm thank you for sharing your Cuban experience, through all of the family's words, I think those of us who have read your blog have gotten a very full picture of what your days there have been, and I for one am very glad to have learned the particularities of the day to day life. No doubt this will prove to be the major shared experience that your family will have for all the years to come. You will always have that memory to recall "Remember that time...."
We are very excited to have you back in our Circle and I am sure Nancy will be glad to have any hours that Mark is willing to share at the prison in Marion now that she is responsible for the whole thing.!!!
Jo
Sweet Thanks so much for the updates. I'm so glad to hear that Leigh is better. I know this is a bittersweet time for y'all. Kiran, your comments about hoping your hugs and kisses can express what words cant resonates with me. And Mark, we are ready for y'all to "come home for dinner", though its "kinda" hot here. Nothing like Cuba, so 90+ days will be welcome i'm sure. Tell Leigh and Joy we miss them and can't wait to see them!
leigh being pope If there was to be a female pope and there could be as nothing is impossible with God. Then Leigh would be it. Looking forward to having you all back here in WNC. sandee
Good pictures Your latest blog gave wonderful mental and actual pictures! Each of you shares beautifully, and it sounds like you have a wonderful life there. We are happy for you and for the Cuban people that know you. We will be glad to see you certainly, when you return. Paul, Paul, Reed, and I are going to China with Melford's Winthrop group May 23rd for 12 days. We are all looking forward to it! Lee has lost 25 pounds on a diet and looks real good. Paul and I went to the Masters practice round last Monday--really beautiful there. Mark, glad your parents made it for a visit! Love to all, Louisa
Spectacular! Beloveds, I agree that this is your best entry yet. I loved visualizing it all: sledding in the pasture and bailing to miss the fence (just like at home, without the poop); the house of chocolate (makes me miss my childhood in Hershey); Leigh in the pope's hat; the stroll through your neighborhood; friends; baptisms and birthdays. You have captured it all with such beauty and spirit. Life-transforming times. Thanks for giving us these rich glimpses. And now I have to finish my sermon for Circle of Mercy tonight. As always, your candle will be lit and burning brightly on the altar. Love & hugs all around, Joyce
Great and exciting entries Mark, Kiran, Joy and Leigh,
Always such a fun and inspiring time to read your blog entries when they arrive. So grateful your family is having such a tremendous experience. Such windows into other parts of the world where God is at work in very different circumstances change one's life in so many ways ... some of then known now and some years later. Blessings. Larry
Sign me up! Thanks to all of you for your wonderful postings. I can visualize so much of what you shared or your life in Mantanzas.
I have to say, if Leigh becomes the first female Pope, I would consider re-embracing the church of my chidlhood. Keep me posted - she would be fabulous and the thought gives me hope and makes me smile.
Love to all,
Beth
With awe and expectation Your reports are all awesome, and I am filled with expectation of how this year's experiences will influence the years to come. Thanks from a deep place in my heart for writing so vividly and honestly. This entry may be the best one to let us know just how completely you have entered into the life around Matanzas. Leigh, you will be a marvelous seminarian and Pope; Joy will be a marvelous playwright and actress; Kiran and Mark will continue to be the marvelous contributors they've always been at whatever tasks needs doing. I'm filled with gratitude for each of you.
Hi!!! Hi!
I loved reading this post, and I really miss you guys. Joy, are you able to email? If so, then check your email for messages from me! I wish I could visit you-maybe I can at some point! As soon as you get back I want to see you. I wish you were going to Hanger Hall, Joy, so then we could actually do real catching up! We'll have to get together when you get back here.
Miss you,
Rachel C:)
blog I love the blog, the pictures and trying to picture all of you at home and feeling at home with what has now become familiar. You each have
your own slant on life there -food, friends, school, travel, getting better and better at Spanish. This experience will be part of your life forever.
You're such an outgoing and friendly group of people that I know you will be missed when you leave just as we miss you now. My house hasn't sold and is off the market so I will still be here when you get back. When you get back you may be asked the same question we got asked:
"What was it like?" - hard to answer. Hope you can all find a way to keep up your Spanish after you get back.
Love to all of you.Lee
frog I also like to rest in zip loc bags.. Keep up the good work; I love to read your stories. Also, there is a creepy guy staring at me in the cafe where I am writing this. Weirdo.
hey and happy birthday! Hey y'all, love getting your blog and reading about your adventures! We miss the fire out of you all! And a big happy b'day wish for Kiran today - ¡feliz feliz cumpleaños!
Thank you Thank you for sharing your experiences and feelings. How wonderful for Joy and Leigh to be going to school.
We will look forward to hearing more.
Happy Birthday Kiran Hi Joy, Leigh, Kiran and Mark. It is so much fun to read all of your tales about life in Cuba - I love that each of your voices comes through on your individual stories. And that photo of the frog - what a hilarious ending! I really get the sense that Cuba is home , for now at least, and that is wonderful and an accomplishment. We look forward to hearing all about it next summer when you are back!! Love,
Lynne
Saludos a todos Hello everyone. I love receiving your blog, especially the pictures. Next week Tracey Whitehouse and Jack are going to give a presentation to fifth grade and talk to the students about their trip to Cuba. I can't wait. I can relate to Leigh's problem regarding translating everyone's name. I go through that at the beginning of every school year. And it is true that only about half of the names can be translated literally. It's a big job, Leigh. I'm glad to hear that both Joy and Leigh are in school. You will both come back speaking Spanish well enough to teach my classes.
Love to all, Fania
Thanks So grateful for your updates. Thanks for including so many pictures. They really help tell your story. Miss y'all. G just finished filling out his schedule for High School next year. YIKES.
Happy Birthday, Kiran! It was great to get another report from all of you. What a treat to hear from each one! So glad the trip went well, school is going well, and your class is almost over, Mark! Kiran, we will be thinking of you and hope you have a very happy birthday on the 26th!! We are fine. Paul's mock trial won the regional much to his surprise, so we go to Raleigh for the state competition March 4 and 5th then go to Memphis March 6th. Shelly will be working, the children are on spring break, and Paul will be out of town with his team all week. Her parents are gone too, so we are glad to do that very pleasant job. No snow this week! Gustafsons are all well and will be here in July also. We took Marian to PF Chang's for her birthday. Love to all and prayers also, Louisa and Paul
I love to hear from each of you. Reading Joy's and Leigh's perceptions gives me great pleasure! They do a very good job of telling the stories. Of course Kiran and Mark are always so thoughtful. I am envious of your wonderful experiences. Would love to hear a talk or picture show on your return. Blessings...
can't wait what a thrill to check and find a blog amd a great one at that. you may find it difficult to describe your siuation, but anything you say is a treasure for us. one month from now i will have had each one of you in my arms, and begin to enjoy your friends. we go to raleigh in a few days to plan with the group and work out all the details. we will try to send them to you soon. at this point we are scheduled to arrive in havana around 2:30 p.m. on the 16th of march. let us know the things to bring. happy birthday kiran love you love you mom
Nancy O
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Love YOU!
How wonderful to hear about your adventures and all the ways you have loved and received love in Cuba (as, of course, I knew you would). As the good Quakers say, I'll "hold you in the light" until you return. Missed you SO much at Christmas. Hope to see you soon - somehow, somewhere.