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An American In Cuba: The Gift of Hospitality

Easter has officially come and gone, and what I very different Easter we had this year. No fancy clothes, no rushing to church to get a good seat and no singing in the front pew, “Christ the Lord has risen today, Hallelujah!” As much as I enjoy all of this, the solace and calm of this Easter was just as special, maybe even more.  Following Ester, I have been pondering the stories of Jesus appearing to his disciples after his resurrection. It may be because I myself am eager to see Jesus these days of COVID life or maybe it’s a way to keep Easter going despite the day actually being gone. I am a miracle believer and perhaps Jesus may be appearing to us today, just not exactly has he did then.  My favorite of all these stories comes from John chapter 21; here, Jesus is seen standing on the bank at Lake Galilee. He advises his disciples on their fishing skills, then he sits with them and serves them bread and fish. There are few details of this story, which leaves … [Read more...] about An American In Cuba: The Gift of Hospitality

An American in Cuba: Faith and Ferry Rides

Our trip originally flew us into Havana directly from Atlanta, GA. Immigration as well as customs was simple and hassle free. It was the same way leaving Havana, returning home to the US.  In order to reach Pastor Enrique on The Island of Youth, we had to take another full day of travel. Kindly, Brian O’Neil had this all pre-arranged for us and in his words, “you’ll take a bus, and then a ferry to meet Pastor Enrique!” I’m a believer in all things bright and beautiful. I imagined a quick little tour bus picking us up, followed by a quaint ferry ride across a bay, as if we were headed to Statin Island.  This is not what happened. What did happen was this: a three hour wait at a bus station, a 2 hour bus ride to the water’s edge, a 2 hour wait at the docks, a three hour “ferry” ride (actually a ship) and then we met jolly Pastor Enrique. Our day trip was nothing like I expected, it was better. It was complex, it was random, it was questionable, there were … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Faith and Ferry Rides

An American in Cuba: Fishers of Men

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Mark 1:17 As a child I spent, my summers at the ocean with my family. I first learned to float with my grandmother in the ocean, and my first catch of fish as a child was on the beach.  I remember hovering over the innocent fish in my red sand pale for what seemed like hours. It was the only fish we caught that day. He was our little pet for the afternoon, and I remember throwing him back into the ocean.  I have fishing stories spanning my entire life, and it is something my husband and I do with our children today. We have fished streams, wide rivers in canoes, vast ponds and lakes all over East Alabama. I feel as though it is a life skill and a rite of passage for a child. “Teach a man to fish…” my husband says. And he’s right, it something you carry with you forever.  While in Cuba and visiting the Methodist church near Gerona (Herona), pastor Enrique told us of their “fishing … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Fishers of Men

An American in Cuba: Seek and you Shall Find…

God is everywhere, in all people. This is a fact. For I see it with my eyes, I feel it, and it is real. I have yet to visit one place where God’s presence and existence isn’t found.  I’ve seen him in prison. I have felt him at sunrise, singing worship with 400 children in Honduras. I saw him in a mother in Los Angeles, holding her 2 small children close and smiling, on a sidewalk, in a poor neighborhood. I see him at the local coffee shop and in the sunrise on our farm, holding hands with my daughter. He is all things and is in all things, and the farther I seek, the more God becomes real. My journey to Cuba with Third Lens Ministries was no different than any other. I knew I was to be amazed. Perhaps this is why I’m always eager to go. It’s one thing to read about God’s greatness and hear of it, but when you meet the Lord face to face, there is nothing more marvelous.  For when you have felt the closeness of the Lord, as if his hands are upon your shoulder, … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Seek and you Shall Find…

Tom Rhodes: Director of Design

Tom Rhodes started working with Third Lens Ministries nearly six years ago. He was introduced to Third Lens’ president Lee Carroll through a man at church. Carroll brought Rhodes on as an architect for Third Lens’ projects, and now Rhodes serves on the board of directors as the Secretary/Director of Design.  Rhodes is a principal member of Bradfield, Richards, Rhodes and Associates, an architecture firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been working as an architect for nearly 35 years after attaining both his undergraduate and master’s degrees at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also studied at the Le Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France.  During his partnership with Third Lens, Rhodes has worked on projects in Uganda, Haiti, Cuba and other locations. He has also traveled to China and Venezuela to do mission work with his church.  Rhodes says he has learned valuable things about himself from his work with the people who live in these … [Read more...] about Tom Rhodes: Director of Design

An American in Cuba: Javier’s Coffee

One of the first things I learned about Cuba is that there is normal time, and then there is “Cuba Time”. These folks get in no hurry nor do they always stick to a precise plan. On the flip side of this idea, is that they are all cool about this. No fussing or mumbling. No eye rolling or loosing their marbles. They just go with it. An ‘All is well and all will be well’ mindset. I loved this from the beginning. Everyone just gets along. It’s the neatest thing.  When our airplane landed in Havana, it took about 20 minutes to get some steps located to bring up to our door so we could exit the plane. When asked of the issue, the pilot announced, “They weren’t quite ready for us to be here.” I died laughing inside. How could they not know?? No one was upset though, or uptight about it. Not one, single Cuban. When we finally made our exit, a small bus took us into immigration. Once again, no immediate need to get through. “Let’s just all chill a hot minute and we’ll … [Read more...] about An American in Cuba: Javier’s Coffee

Meeting Cuba, Face to Face

To bare honesty, I knew nothing of Cuba going into my trip. I had heard of a man named Fidel Castro, and my idea of Cuba was one of skepticism. That is all. I went into this adventure completely blind.  I see this as an offering. The ability to have a completely open and new mind, to learn and gather my own thoughts and opinions. My curiosity and eagerness to ask all the questions and learn as much as possible sat my soul in the hot seat. I was desperate to find out about these people, excited to dive into their world. I wanted to talk to them, walk into their homes, eat their food. I wanted to laugh with them and cry with them and put myself in their shoes, even if just for a tiny moment in time. We did this and so much more. We drank coffee with them, listened to their stories, broke bread with them, watched sunsets together, prayed with them, sat in their homes and simply listened to each other.  The stories to come in the following weeks will tap into each … [Read more...] about Meeting Cuba, Face to Face