As many of you know, my husband and I, along with other family members, go to Cuba every year, partly vacation, mostly humanitarian in nature. Usually we go for two months, but because of my recent operation and lingering complications, we decided to go only for 4 weeks this year. We're glad we went, but really glad to be home. This year, more than any other in the ~20 years that hubby's family has been going to this same area, we were totally immersed in the poverty and struggles faced by our beloved Cuban friends. Life has long been harsh there, but these past 4 weeks were heartbreaking as we could see so clearly the hunger and the neediness of our friends. A young boy with an infected leg, another with serious tooth pain...Cuba has some of the best medically trained personnel in the world, but no equipment or enough medicine (because of the US embargo) to treat them…our friends could not even get OTC painkillers at the local pharmacy. We always bring lots, so were able to treat them at that simplest level. Even when we gave them the money to buy what they needed, they couldn’t, because it simply wasn’t available.

It was tiring and frustrating and very very sad. We’ve known these people for so many years, they’re precious and dear to us. To see them suffer like this is intolerable. We did what we could to help out, but as usual, it’s never enough. But what really struck me was the purity of their love and generosity towards us. These people, who literally have NOTHING, were the ones who phoned me from Cuba the day after my operation to see how I was…that one phone call cost them close to $40!!! That’s 4 months wages for them! These same people went out of their way to celebrate my good health, buying special food and flowers to provide a wonderful meal for us. One of the mothers even gave me her own shirt, because she knew it was my favourite colour! She might have all of 3 in her closet, so it was truly a gift from the heart!

Anyway, I won’t write too much here, just enough to say it was, as usual, an eye-opener, and I’m yet again returning with great gratitude for all that we have and take for granted. Little things like toilet paper and running water are luxuries for so many.

I'll post a few pictures as soon as I remember how, LOL.