Gibara

Gibara is on the northern coast of Eastern Cuba. We had come there to lead a retreat with the board of the Eastern Baptist Convention. The Quaker 'camp' where we met was comprised of three buildings with a small courtyard -kitchen, dining room with a new chapel being built above. A two story dormitory and the church. The pastor's home is connected to the open kitchen. We were grateful and humbled that they decided we should not stay in the dormitory. They put us up across the little street and three doors down in a private home with a room for rent. Glen would have kept the entire dorm awake each night with his coughing and gasping for air.

Daisy and Ivan welcomed us warmly and took us up to the room on the roof with 3 big windows with wooden shutters. One had a view of the ocean looking over the tops of many family homes. The life of the neighborhood played out before us for four days as we heard their conversations, fights, sick family members, their roosters, dogs, etc... Inches, if that, separate homes and with windows wide open to snag the smallest puff of air – all is displayed for everyone!