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| La Loma de la Cruce |
Prayer partner: Mary Kate Barnett
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| Kary & hardness testing |
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| Hector & hardness testing |
I may have slept eleven hours last night! After not sleeping at all first few nights, my body crashed! We had a lovely breakfast of pineapple & bananas, and soon after, little Hector and his friend came by to help us with the water testing. Two mischievous little boys made for a great morning of dropping chemicals into the hardness test and flinging a whirl pak! Pastor Maria and translator Tania (Hector's wife) came to discuss the final preparations for the upcoming clean water system installation. And just when we thought we were to leave for Gibara, Maria surprised us with fresh ice cream!
Today was a day to soak up as much information and as many of the sights as I possibly could. I felt like a sponge! Ramon Gonzalez arrived. He was once the Superintendent of Cuba Yearly Meeting. Now he works full-time for Friends World Committee(FWCC) and the Cuban Quaker Institute of Peace. He took us to Gibara, which is about 45 minutes from Hogluin. The drive was on a road adjacent to the ocean and would have even more beautiful had it not been cloudy and rainy. We arrived at the Quaker Conference Center. There are beds for 120 (60 on each floor, plus bathrooms). They have a dining room and full kitchen, and they host groups from all over Cuba for various events and camps. It was beautiful with a great view.
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| With Ramon & his wife |
After we sat with Ramon & his wife for a while, we tested the water at their house, as the idea would be to install a clean water system at the Center following the installation in Holguin. God is working wonders to create meaningful, life-giving partnerships between our Living Waters teams and the Cuban Quakers. During our conversation, Ramon & I also talked about me coming back to Cuba to teach Quaker Studies classes at the Institute of Peace!
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| Seafood restaurant |
Ramon took us to a beautiful restaurant for plates full of fish! As I have discovered, Cubans will feed you until you burst! They have also caught on quickly to my ice cream and chocolate addiction...and are serving one or both with each meal! After a tour around Gibara, and another stop for ice cream, we drove a wee bit past Hogluin, past the Don Quixote monument, to the top of the mountain. "Loma de la Cruce" shoulders up to the north side of the city and provides a great panoramic view of the Holguin province. One can attempt to climb the 458-step staircase, or ascend by car. We chose the latter, as it was freezing cold and raining! The cross was erected by the Catholics on May 3, 1790 ... And every year they process thru town and up the stairs to commemorate the anniversary.
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| Don Quixote Monument |
Today has been a good, productive day full of hospitality from our Cuban Friends. Though my Spanish may be worsening, it is providing for laughter and amusement amongst the group. My random observation for the day -- There appear to be three modes of transportation in Cuba (other than buses and planes). First, families/individuals may own a car. If they do, it is 1950's American made or an old-school Russian 4-seaters. Also of note, the license plate color denotes the typer of person who owns the car (private, religious, government, etc), and the first letter indicates which province of Cuba the owner is from. Second, individuals may have a horse and buggy. It could be a two-seater or have a cart attached to the back. Finally, everyone else owns a bicycle! Like motorcycles in Haiti, bicycles fill the roads and cars must be careful not to run into a bicyclist!
And thus you have deep thoughts from Ashley. With a belly full of chocolate ice cream, I bid you a good night! Peace be with you, friends!
