Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
themselves through dancing play- ing in the ocean and of course baseball. You dont need money to have fun and enjoy life. Eat healthy. Youd be hard- pressed to find an overweight Cuban. Food is simple with a lot of vegetables. It is organically grown and you can taste the difference. Learn from each other. At the resorts some of the staff members cross train and fill different shifts and departments. This is also in the spirit of sharing so tips and gifts are more equally distributed. Share what you have. The story of the widows mite reflects the attitude of Cubans. At resorts tips are pooled and shared. Gifts given by tourists are brought home and shared with families and friends. We are all equal. Doctors and waitresses make the same amount of money in Cuba. Its about 20 per month. University education housing and transportation are provided free of charge. Whether or not you agree with this you have to admit that it is a very visible and tangible way to show equality. Europe than to our American neighbors. In a similar way Cubas communism impacts the culture and mind-set not only of the nation but of individuals. Here are some things I learned from my trip that I am putting into practice in my work and ministry. Relationships are key. When you cant work for money and everyone shares everything life gets stripped down to its core people. Cubans care for others and for each other. Dont underestimate the power of touch. Cubans greet one another with kisses on each cheek and embrace. They also shake hands. Children are our future. Cubans love children. Both men and women will stop what they are doing to love on a baby whether its a tourists or one of their own. Cuban children learn to speak very early its an indicator that much time is poured into the lives of children. Keep active. With limited options for entertainment Cubans have found free ways to enjoy T raveling to a communist country is always an inter- esting experience. There are obvious differences of course just like travelling to any foreign land the culture the language and the to- pography. In Cuba recently I found swaying palm trees sands and beaches that rival any sun destination music and dancing that re- flects the countrys historya smooth jazz fusion probably leftover from the U.S. casino days. Cultural differ- ences arent as easy to separate from their form of gov- ernment than one might think. In Canada even though we are a democracy we are also a constitu- tional monarchy which binds us more closely to 56 WWW.AGRM.ORG MARCHAPRIL 2016 DAY-TO-DAY ACROSS THE STREET Michelle Porter From Halifax to Havana A trip to another country provides some surprising insights to use at home Michelle is the founder of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax Nova Scotia where she currently resides. The missions motto Always go the extra mile is based on Matthew 541. Contact Michelle at mporter.rescuegmail.com.