Students arrive in Cardenas

For the second part of their Cuba SST experience, the students are staying at the Christian Center for Reflection and Dialogue in the city of Cardenas. The center is an autonomous and not for profit organization. The students arrived in Cardenas June 14 after a long 5-day field trip to Santiago de Cuba at the southeastern end of Cuba. Cardenas, approximately 2 1/2 hours away from Havana, is the location for the SST service assignments. The city, founded in 1827, is better know in the United States as the home of Elian Gonzalez. View from Cuba... on the way to Cardenas you drive past the tallest bridge in Cuba. (pictured at upper left). Martin Luther King Center in Havana, is one of Goshen College's partners. This mural is from their indoor courtyard.(upper right).

Yordy Visit

John Yordy, Provost and Executive Vice President and his wife Winnie visited the Goshen College Cuba SST location in Cardenas. The administrative visit included meetings with the Goshen College local partners, meetings with students, and providing support to local leaders. They also served as couriers, bringing letters to students and taking letters back to family and friends! The Yordy's met with Rita Morris, Associate Director and Fredy Rodriguez, Director of Public Relations at the Centro para Reflexion y Dialogo in Cardenas, the students new home. Pictured left to right: Rita, John, Winnie and Fredy.

Centro Cristiano Para Reflexion y Dialogo

Goshen College is working with the Centro Cristiano Para Reflexion y Dialogo (Christian Center for Reflection and Dialogue), a local not for profit institution. Students will serve for the first three weeks in one project and will then switch to another location. If space is available, students may spend the full time in one location. Rebecca, Anna and Mark are relaxing at the Center (lower right). Also, see Julia, Joel, Rebecca, Anna, Mark, Kristin, Derek, and Heidi enjoying time reading newspapers here.

The Center's main objective: ...to provide a pastoral perspective as we cooperate in seeking solutions for different kinds of conflicts through reflection, social service and reconciliation dialogue. We work in cooperation with governmental, non-governmental, religious entities, and individuals, in Cuba and other countries. The Center's slogan is: If we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem. (More information). See photo of Rebecca relaxing and reading a book here.

Casa Goshen

Every Wednesday night while the students were in Havana, they met at Carlos and Celina's apartment. The evening usually included a devotional, announcements, and broad conversations about the students' experiences. The tradition continues at Cardenas. In the following pictures the students are at the Casa Goshen meeting being held at the roof of the Center in Cardenas. Maria, David, Emily and Julia on the roof (at right).

Tom, Derek, Sarah, Elise and Amanda on the roof (at left)
Also, see photo of Heidi, Mark and Matt on the roof here.

After every Wednesday Casa Goshen meeting we always have snacks. Julia, Tom, Dan and Joel enjoy snacks (lower left). David pictured at right.

Dance Classes

Tim, Emily, Tom, Sarah and Paul with the dance instructor (click on picture at left). Another photo of Sarah, Paul, Krysta and Jesse in dance class here.

Service Projects

For the first three weeks the Center organized the following service projects: (scroll down to view all service projects and photos)

Working on the farm
Kristin, Amanda and Julia enjoying lunch on the farm (at right). Snapshot of Emily and Jesse here.

Working in the canning shop
All of these pictures are from the canning/preserving operation.
Pictured at left: Heidi and Sarah working
More snapshots -- John & Winnie Yordy, Fredy and Heidi: 1 | 2

Construction work in the local Episcopalian Church
David explains to John and Winnie the work that he is involved in the local Episcopalian Church.

Contruction work rebuilding a home damaged by the hurricane last fall
Matt (pictured at left) at his serving site. This home, owned by a worker at the Center, was severely damaged during Hurricane Mitch last fall.

Working with Senior Citizens in the community
Dan also works with the Senior Citizens (left). Part of their task is to deliver meals "meals on bicycle" throughout Cardenas. In this picture he is organizing the containers they use for the meals. Anna welcomes Celina and Cristian to her working site (right)

Students are also working in the local Presbyterian Church.

The Center carries programs in the following areas:

Academic: According to their objectives, the center works in areas such as environment, its problems and protections, ethical values, human rights, reconciliation and peace, natural medicine, ecumenical and inter religious dialogue, spirituality, conflict mediation and many others.

Production of food, spices and medical plants: The objectives are to support institutions that offer social services, help take care of the most vulnerable people, help reforestation, support the activities of the center and generate income. Among the institutions the center supports are hospitals, schools, homes for pregnant women and others.

Support to community infrastructures: The objective is to offer help to some community service infrastructure such as schools, health care centers and others.

Pastoral companionship: The objective is to offer support to persons and families that require assistance because of their conditions.

Health and Environmental Protection: The objective is to contribute to the solution of the ecological and environmental problems that affect nature and human beings.

Alternatives and wastes energies: The objective is to develop the use of natural energies sources such as sun, wind, water, etc. Bio gas is produced from the wastes of the sugar cane production, animal excrements and other residues

Hands of friendship: It is focused on keeping and creating good relations with other countries, institutions and groups by means of visits, exchanges and reflection.