I recently travelled to Cuba on a mission trip.  I wrote a 4-part report on the trip that was first published in The Yazoo Herald that I am now reposting on my blog.

Cuba looks exactly what you expect a Caribbean country to look like. We flew in on a big, modern Airbus and landed at an airport in Santa Clara that had more grass than concrete. I noticed the late-era Soviet attack helicopters parked along the sides of the tarmac while we taxied before disembarking into a concrete airport staffed by mostly military customs agents. It was an unusual mix of communist military personnel and American airline agents. After retrieving our luggage from the only baggage claim (makes Jackson Airport look huge!) we stepped into a different world outside. The land is beautiful and flush with tall palm trees and flowering vegetation that is blooming in January. The countryside has a gentle roll to it and mountains loom in the distance of almost every view.

But it is the structures and vehicles that truly feel Caribbean. Almost every building is built from concrete, presumably because I never saw an oak or pine tree anywhere. And the vehicles are exactly like you’ve seen in the movies. The streets are mixed with 1950’s American sedans, bicycles, horse-drawn carriages, modern electric scooters, and the occasional Mercedes, Lexus, and Chinese-made tour bus. It is a striking comparison to see an ultra-modern 55-passenger bus slo
wing down as it comes in behind a horse-drawn carriage. The mix of old and new is everywhere. One village I visited still had no running water, and each block had a hand-pump well from which the families would draw their water for the day. On the other
hand, the audio/visual guy from the church wore an Apple Watch on his wrist from which he often made phone calls. And the most striking thing is that there seems to be no jealously or animosity over the imbalance. We could learn a lot from them.

The people are the most hospitable people I have ever met, and frankly we could learn from this part of their culture too. Our southern hospitality dictates that we wave and say hello to strangers on the street, which they rarely do. However, their Cuban hospitality dictates that they invite you into their home and offer you coffee (This coffee is served in what I call a coffee shot-glass. It is piping hot and includes more sugar than actual coffee.). They are incredibly hospitable, and we often joked with our translators that if we knocked on doors like they did we’d most likely be the targets of a shotgun.
Also, they are extremely hard workers! I typically went to bed about 11:00pm each night and my Cuban hosts were still awake. When I awoke at 6:00am the next morning coffee was served and breakfast was already on the way. They seem to never sleep, and they work hard each day. Even on Saturday as we visited neighbors the families would be busy cleaning their homes and doing laundry. I am confident that the kitchen in our home got mopped 2-3 times a day, each time with a towel attached to the end of a stick. The Cubans are an impeccably clean and hygienic people.
The bottom line is that I am impressed with the people of Cuba. They have a high work ethic that thrives despite the oppressive environment in which they are forced to live (next installment). They are gracious and kind, and live in a beautiful part of God’s creation. Meeting the people there makes me extremely excited about the opening of relationships between our two countries. Not only because our wealth and experiences can benefit their lives, but also because we can learn from their culture and from their church.