Page 2 - Presbyterian Connection

2 SUMMER 2024
Renewing
PRESBYTERIAN
acquaintances
in Cuba
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Sama Hernandez, serves. There, we experienced a full house with lively music and children of all ages from the community taking part and engaging us—especially one of us who was up to date on the latest “hip hop” music from Korea.
We then moved to Matanzas, where we spent three days at the Seminario Evangelico de Teologia. We began our visit by renewing our acquaintance with the Rector, the Rev. Dr. Carlos Emilio Ham, who had addressed the PCC Gen- eral Assembly in June 2023. Rec- tor Ham spoke of the challenges facing the seminary but also of the ways in which the faculty and administrators were working to overcome them. Like in Canada, few students can afford to be full-time residential students, so significant resources are being allocated to online learning. The upside of this is that all their edu- cational programs are available to laity and ministry candidates throughout the island.
Three further projects at the seminary focus on serving the
people of the city of Matanzas. First, there is the Weavers of Hope, a project begun at least 20 years ago in which women from the community come together at the seminary to weave and to knit—the yarn and needles are provided by seminary donors. Throughout the years, this has provided circles of friendship and much needed financial resources that assist the women in support- ing their families.
A second project, a significant garden built on the seminary hill- side, is again financed by dona- tions to the seminary. Local farm- ers are hired to ensure a robust crop, which is not only available to the seminary community but also sold at a reduced price to the people of Matanzas. Presently, the garden is underutilized as it needs a new irrigation system, not costly by our standards but beyond the financial capacity of the seminary.
The third, a water project, called Living Waters For the World, was begun by the Presbyterian Church (USA). We encountered Living
Presbyterian Reformed Church in Cuba ministers with PCC delegates.
Connection
Waters’ facilities in almost all the churches that we visited, learning that those who received access to purified water committed to shar- ing this source of health with all in their community. The hope is to continue to expand this much needed resource throughout the island, despite difficulty in ac- cessing parts from the US.
We visited three congregations in the Matanzas area: the Juan G. Hall Presbyterian Church in Card- enas, the Kairos Christian Center for Liturgy and Arts, and First Presbyterian Church in Matanzas. In all cases, the ministerial teams were graduates of the seminary, and the focus of the congrega-
tions was on projects of commu- nity outreach to provide pockets of fellowship, meals, musical training and, in the case of First Presbyterian Church in Matanzas, education for children with au- tism. How much the dedication of the ministers and volunteers impressed us as they worked tirelessly to make their commu- nities more inclusive, helping all become healthier physically and spiritually.
A common theme heard eve- rywhere we visited identified the devastating effects of the US blockade on Cuban farming, industry, church and family life. Effected in 1962 under the presi-
dency of John F. Kennedy, with a period of relaxation under Oba- ma’s presidency, the blockade was tightened under the Trump administration, with its ruinous effects remaining unchanged today.
Because of the blockade, farm- ers either pay an exorbitant price or are unable to obtain seed, fertilizer, fuel or parts for their machinery. When touring around between visits we saw farmers ploughing with oxen, fields lying barren or underdeveloped. We saw cars lined up for blocks at gas stations only to discover that no fuel was available. We heard of
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The Moderator’s Travels
Over the past several months, the Rev. Mary Fontaine, Moderator of the 2023 General Assembly, has been busy visiting congregations, partners and missions. A few highlights are listed here.
March 4–5 March 6 March 19
April 7 April 8–10 April 11 April 11 April 12 April 14 May 1
May 3–5
May 6–7 May 12
Life and Mission Agency Committee meetings Preached at Knox College, Toronto, Ont.
Led worship and spoke to students at St. Andrew’s Hall in Vancouver, B.C.
Preached at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Newmarket, Ont. Assembly Council meetings at Crieff Hills Retreat Centre
Visited Evangel Hall in Toronto
Spoke at Armour Heights Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ont. Attended PWS&D meetings
Preached at Knox Presbyterian Church in Oakville, Ont.
Preached at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Owen Sound, Ont., and visited within the Presbytery of Grey-Bruce-Maitland
Gathered with St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Orillia, Ont.
Took part in the WMS Council meetings in Mississauga, Ont. Preached at Vancouver Chinese Presbyterian Church in B.C.
Matanzas Seminary students and PCC delegates.
Wanda Hernández, Director of the Kairos Centre for Liturgy and Arts, and the Rev. Mary Fontaine.