Over Spring Break I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Cuba and serve the Lord. I was such a life-changing experience and I just wanted to share some of my day-by-day experiences with you guys!
Leading up to Cuba I was super excited, but also very scared. I knew that Cuba was a hard place to go as American's, but I didn't realize how hard it truly was. When I realized how dangerous it could be for a 19 year old American girl to travel there, I began to freak out honestly. I thought "Oh great, I am gonna go over to Cuba and get taken and never come back to my family and friends and I am just gonna die there." (Yeah, I realize that thought was probably a little over dramatic, but hey, I am just being honest here and these thoughts really did cross my mind quite often). On March 12, our team was to meet at 10 AM sharp in the Sherman Bible parking lot to head off on our adventure to Cuba. Let me tell you something, March 12th really snuck up on me. One day it was February 2nd, the next it was March 12th, BAM! just like that.
I loaded my bag up with last minute things we had all brought to give away to the Cuban people once we got there, said bye to my family, hoped in the car to head to the airport, and the rest is history. We were off! A new adventure, with people I had only partially known, going to a place I was certainly quite afraid of.
We arrived at the airport, said goodbye to the man who had driven us there, and entered into the airport. Our first stop wasn't directly to Cuba, it was to Canada. And although we rode to the airport with 7 people from our team, we were meeting two more people at our terminal inside the airport, and one more in Canada upon our arrival. The first day would really mainly just be travel (lots and lots of travel), in route to our final destination. We met the two members of our team who live in Houston named Wayne and Pat, and then we hoped on the plane and were off to Canada around 1:30 on March 12. This was it. No turning back. I texted my parents that I would miss them so much and that I would see them when I got back from my trip (hopefully, unless I got taken).
We landed in Canada at about 6 in the evening, and boy was it cold! Coming from Texas, you expect everywhere to be about high 60's/low 70's and sunny, but Canada was definitely not that. Snow on the ground, -3 degrees... CELSIUS. I loved it. We really didn't do too much after arrival, besides meet the newest and last member of our team at the hotel, Dell, who is from Pennsylvania. We also had our last "American" meal, at a restaurant connected to the hotel. It was only 9 by the time all of this was done, and me and the "younger" part of our team weren't really all that tired at all, so we decided to play cards in the lobby of the hotel. That was a super great way to really start off the trip, creating a bond with some of the people that would end up becoming like family to me. I taught them one of my favorite card games, and they enjoyed it, and we just all had a relaxed time before our big week ahead.
When we finished the game, we all headed to bed, and me and my roommate Anna just couldn't go to sleep. Anna is super special to me, we went through discipleship together and she has grown to become like a sister to me. We were the only girls on the trip, and I was so thankful that God paved a way for us to go on this trip together. We laid in bed until about 12 tossing and turning, every once in a while saying to each other, "Hey, are you still awake?" "Yeah, I can't sleep, I keep thinking about tomorrow and how scared I am of entering Cuba." "Yeah, AND being taken." These types of conversations happened 3 or 4 times until Anna and I finally fell asleep, and slept like angels until we had to wake up at 1:45. A solid one hour of sleep really does the body well, let me tell ya! We got up, I zombied my way down to the hotel lobby, hopped on the bus to the airport, and then zombied my way all the way through the airport to our gate. Our flight didn't leave until about 6:30 in the morning, so we had about 4 wonderfully long hours to hang out in the airport. Once the time finally approached for us to board our flight, I was super nervous, but also just so excited to finally be there. We took off, and there we were, on our way to our final destination of Cuba!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Back in the States
Over half of Spring Break and all of last week I was given the opportunity to serve the Lord in Cuba. It was definitely a very life-changing experience. Over the next few days, I will be sharing things that happened each and every day while on the trip, like people I met and places I went. Also the ways God worked in my life while over there. Right now though, I just wanted to share my thoughts as I make the transformation back from Cuban lifestyle, to being here in the USA.
Although I was only in Cuba for a week, it felt like Cuba had become my home. I got so accustomed to the way I was living my life there, and the best part was how dependent I was on God in that time. Being back in the States has definitely been somewhat of a struggle for me. Although I am super thankful for toilet seats and water I can drink, I miss the sweet Cuban people who were so loving and accepting they even called me their family. I miss how willing the people were to open up their doors and invite me into their homes to preach the Gospel with them. Today I am in America, on my MacBook Pro, about to attend a college class that will further my career, and although I am blessed with these materials and experiences, my heart is still in Cuba. Thriving off of the memories I made while I was there.
Yes this time last week I was in a strangers home in Cuba presenting God's truth and telling them the Good News the Bible provides up. But this week is a new week. I am in the USA, my home, and I am here for a reason. I am here because God wants me here, on the campus of Texas A&M, to make a difference in the lives of the people HERE. My mission field last week was Cuba, but today it is College Station, TX, and I need to remember that as I am transitioning back from Spring Break.
I am reminded today to pray constantly, stay in the Word, and seek the lost. And I would encourage you all to do the same. Don't let what happened to you last month, last week, or yesterday determine the way you share the Gospel to those who need it so desperately today. I pray that we would be people who present the truth of God often, not because of anything we do, and not to build us up, but to seek and save the lost, and build up the Kingdom of God.
Although I was only in Cuba for a week, it felt like Cuba had become my home. I got so accustomed to the way I was living my life there, and the best part was how dependent I was on God in that time. Being back in the States has definitely been somewhat of a struggle for me. Although I am super thankful for toilet seats and water I can drink, I miss the sweet Cuban people who were so loving and accepting they even called me their family. I miss how willing the people were to open up their doors and invite me into their homes to preach the Gospel with them. Today I am in America, on my MacBook Pro, about to attend a college class that will further my career, and although I am blessed with these materials and experiences, my heart is still in Cuba. Thriving off of the memories I made while I was there.
Yes this time last week I was in a strangers home in Cuba presenting God's truth and telling them the Good News the Bible provides up. But this week is a new week. I am in the USA, my home, and I am here for a reason. I am here because God wants me here, on the campus of Texas A&M, to make a difference in the lives of the people HERE. My mission field last week was Cuba, but today it is College Station, TX, and I need to remember that as I am transitioning back from Spring Break.
I am reminded today to pray constantly, stay in the Word, and seek the lost. And I would encourage you all to do the same. Don't let what happened to you last month, last week, or yesterday determine the way you share the Gospel to those who need it so desperately today. I pray that we would be people who present the truth of God often, not because of anything we do, and not to build us up, but to seek and save the lost, and build up the Kingdom of God.
Monday, March 11, 2013
compartments.
Lately I have started to notice how compartmentalized we are as a society. From our school lives, to your work lives, to our spiritual lives, we are always striving to live each and every part of our lives separate. I believe that the one we most struggle to make a part of each area of our lives is Jesus.
The thing is, I completely understand it. I am not here saying I am better than anyone else, because I do it too. But what can we do to change it? Each day I go to class, sitting by random people and making small talk to pass the time until the professor begins to speak. "What are your plans this weekend? What are you doing over Spring Break? How are you liking this semester?" These are questions my random classmates and I will exchange back and forth in an effort to make conversation.
What I am wondering is why don't I make a conscious effort to create spiritual conversations out of those awkward questions? Sometimes I will talk to people about where I go to church or a Bible study I will be attending that night, but why don't I ever dig deeper? And right there is how I believe we change it. We have the desire in us that we WANT to dig deeper. We begin to subconsciously dig deeper and have spiritual talks that matter with people.
Whether it be a random classmate or a friend you have known for years, don't be afraid to have a deep conversation with someone about Jesus. Yeah it can be awkward, and you might know how to bring it up, but just know that He has your back. If you are working for Him and possibly bringing others to salvation, He will work for you and in the moment when you have no idea what to say, He will help you out.
So remember this, next time you are in a class or office or even a store, talk about what matters most. Because what you're doing this weekend, or how you're enjoying your job is no where near as important as how your relationship with your Creator is. I must continue to remember this as I walk through life, and I hope that some of you would grasp it and take it along into your future as well.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes; first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."
--Romans 1:16
The thing is, I completely understand it. I am not here saying I am better than anyone else, because I do it too. But what can we do to change it? Each day I go to class, sitting by random people and making small talk to pass the time until the professor begins to speak. "What are your plans this weekend? What are you doing over Spring Break? How are you liking this semester?" These are questions my random classmates and I will exchange back and forth in an effort to make conversation.
What I am wondering is why don't I make a conscious effort to create spiritual conversations out of those awkward questions? Sometimes I will talk to people about where I go to church or a Bible study I will be attending that night, but why don't I ever dig deeper? And right there is how I believe we change it. We have the desire in us that we WANT to dig deeper. We begin to subconsciously dig deeper and have spiritual talks that matter with people.
Whether it be a random classmate or a friend you have known for years, don't be afraid to have a deep conversation with someone about Jesus. Yeah it can be awkward, and you might know how to bring it up, but just know that He has your back. If you are working for Him and possibly bringing others to salvation, He will work for you and in the moment when you have no idea what to say, He will help you out.
So remember this, next time you are in a class or office or even a store, talk about what matters most. Because what you're doing this weekend, or how you're enjoying your job is no where near as important as how your relationship with your Creator is. I must continue to remember this as I walk through life, and I hope that some of you would grasp it and take it along into your future as well.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes; first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."
--Romans 1:16
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