Stuck at the airport

I arrived in Havana at about 7:30 pm.  But I didn't get out of the airport until 10:15 pm.  Minor glitch.  They had my last names reversed.  They were looking for Patricio Rodriguez Texidor instead of Patricio Texidor Rodriguez.  The lady in charge of my visa said she went crazy looking for me.  I was standing in a long line with other passengers the whole time.  No one told me that I could have gone to the VIP line for a speedy checkout!  Seriously!

But an elderly employee of the airport really was too kind for me to truly express.  I told him what was happening and he actually let me use his personal cell pone to contact my friends who were waiting there to pick me up!  My iPhone does not work in Cuba.  Once I did that everything worked out.  It still took another hour or so to get me out of there.  I was so grateful for this gentleman!  What a generous heart!

...pronto volveras a visitar tu tierra (soon you will return to visit your land)

I received an email from Cuba recently.  My young friend's words stuck in my mind: "...soon you will return to your land."  It set me to thinking about my cultural ambivalence: am I a Cuban or an American?  I am bicultural: both Cuban and American.  Neither of the two roots that have grown in each culture have been uprooted. It makes for a complicated life, but a rich one as well. For many years I have been navigating the adjustments required of me in my adopted land. It's curious that after more than fifty years, the adjustment will now flow the other way!  This is one of several concerns that have grown within me in the past few months and even years. This trip has heightened them, but with the help of fellow believers, these concerns have not overwhelmed me. Perhaps it is also helpful that I will be connecting with Christ-followers in Cuba. That special bond between us is undeniable, even if we do not know each other. I know they will extend grace to me as much as I would to them. 

Glad to be in Miami to prepare for Cuba trip

At my cousin's house in Miami, there is a beautiful lake. The weather has been clear and sunny. I didn't think it would be as warm as it is (75-80 degrees). I imagine it will be similar in Cuba. I was inside until she suggested I go out in the patio. My consciousness is still ruled by the northern cold. Warmth and openness is the new paradigm for me during this trip. I should bring that back up north when I return. 

This morning I went to Cosco with my cousins. I found a lot of medications and other necessities which Cubans had requested. But I'm going to need another duffle bag in which to put it all!  My other cousin will help me with tips for packaging it all.  

I have to focus on my presentations for the next few days. I want to use the internet for more research while I'm still in the US. 

Keep praying for me. Sunday is the big day when I fly into Havana. 

Pray for a beautiful land and its beautiful people

I had posted this photo The Future of Cuba on my other blog last spring.  But I thought about printing up some prayer cards for people who are interested.  If you would like one of these, let me know.  I can print them up in any size you like.  Put one up on your fridge, keep one in your wallet or purse or frame it.  I will mail you as many as you like.  If we have more people praying, nothing but good things can come of that!

Link to my previous Cuba trip blog

I didn't think about until now, but I decided it would be a good idea to provide a link to my previous blog of my first trip to Cuba.  Here it is:

Cuba 2014

I will also put a link to this blog on that blog so that you can all have quick access.

The Self and Confidence

My friend Mark invited me to his church yesterday.  It was a great experience: friendly people, good sermon and a prayer time at the end that changed my outlook tremendously.  Check it out at:

Thrive Vineyard Church

At the end of the service, Mark encouraged me to go to the front and ask for prayer.  I didn't know what to expect, but he eased my apprehension by accompanying me with his wife Hiroko.  I met a man by the name of Michael who was very friendly.  He asked how he could pray for me.  I told him about my trip to Cuba and what I was expected to do and that I was a bit unnerved by it all and needed some prayer.  He held my hand and said with a firm tone that I was not going over there to present on my own, but that Christ was going to work through me.  I immediately understood that my ego was getting in the way.  I was selfishly thinking of what a fool I would make of myself because I lacked skill or preparation.  But I was usurping God in the process.  It wasn't about me at all!  It was about Christ doing things through me.  This realization put me at ease instantly.

I know I have to prepare and strive for excellence.  But I don't have to fret about being perfect because Christ will be there communicating through me.  I guess I had forgotten a bible verse I had memorized many years ago in my early years as a Christ follower: 

Philippians 4:6-7New King James Version (NKJV)

 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

How could I forget?  How could I continue through life without applying that incredibly powerful truth? Peace that surpasses all understanding...what a fantastic offer!  I'm all set now!  Let's go!

Going Again

I will be visiting Cuba for the second time in just a few months.  It's hard for me to comprehend that this vision I've had and prayed about is actually becoming reality.  How did this happen?  Is it a recent development?  Or has my entire life been leading up to this?  Maybe it's both.

How does one explain where and when one is born, or even why?  I have not wondered much about that until now.  It seems to be falling into place...my life, I mean.  I was born in Cuba, raised in the US, born again here, and now I'm going back to Cuba.  Everything else is detail.  But it's the details that clarify things.

The first detail is that I have pursued the visual arts as a passion since I was a little boy.  At first, like all children, I was fascinated by the skill I could acquire to reproduce a recognizable object in two dimensions.  This leap in abstract visual thinking seemed to come naturally to me.  But later in life I found a strong connection between my passion for creating physical works like paintings and drawings and the inner life of the spirit.  My work was always a metaphor for that inner life.  I was drawn to artists who saw that connection throughout history, from the time of the cave paintings in Europe thousands of years ago to this day.  Artists seem to be instinctively aware that art and spirit are closely if not intricately linked. I was always drawn to communicate this connection in my art through visual metaphors.  I felt compelled to convey a spiritual message to the viewer.

Secondly, I have been directed to use a gift for communication not only through my art, but through writing as well.  I have used this gift in my livelihood through my work in graphic design and advertising as well as in editorial work.  But most importantly, I have sought to use it in a more intentional manner through personal writings.  I use experiences like travel, personal relationships and most importantly my interaction with God's Word as the content for these communications.  I plan on merging both the literary and visual elements of my work someday in an appropriate medium such as film or video. 

Lastly, I believe strongly that God has planned for me to use my background, experiences and skills to serve Him in a particular way.  I believe this "fit" for me is a global ministry in my home country of Cuba.  I want to help the evangelical church grow in Cuba through the training of pastors.  I have teamed up with Action Ministries International and hope to be of some help to them as they pursue this ministry strategy in Cuba.  They need not only my help, but yours as well.  

Here is a link to their pastor training project: 

Action Bible Training Workshops for Cuban Pastors

Here is another link to contribute to this effort online:

Contribute to Pastor Conferences in Cuba

Does Cuba matter to God?  I have to ask that question, already knowing the answer, because to those who do not know or care about Cuba, the answer is this: God cares about the entire world.  He is that big to care about each individual on this planet, no matter where they are or what language they speak or what they look like or what customs they follow.  He cares about all of us.