Today we went to a rural town called Bocas, which is about 40 minutes away from our church. We boarded the truck to Bocas where we helped paint both the inside and the outside of another small Quaker church. We painted the church a peachy color giving the church a joyous feel. During our work, we met new friends including a 6-year-old named Sally. We also were served a very nice lunch of black beans, rice, salad and ham. During our breaks, our hosts served us snacks a fruity drink and crackers. After lunch, we continued painting until the inside was nearly complete. We then took a walk around the town of Bocas. We saw a garlic farm and learned about the harvesting process. Afterwards, we took a tour of a cigar factory where we saw infamous Cuban cigars being hand rolled. This factory made 3 different types of cigars: breva, crema, and petite. Each factory worker rolls about 350 cigars a day!
After our work was complete, we took a stroll to a baseball field where we watched young Cuban boys play baseball. It started to drizzle, causing us all to huddle up under a shelter, allowing us to get to know one another. We used our Spanish skills to communicate with the young boys, and we shared our interests, names, and ages. We also took a group picture to capture the moment. We also had dinner at the church, after which we wrapped up the day grateful for another community experience. We headed back to Holguín to unwind and get ready for tomorrow’s adventure!
Margaux, Priya, and Dylan
We are loving the updates from the students. What an incredible life experience they are having in Cuba. They are learning so much about the history and culture, and the importance of being a global citizen. We find it humorous that each post they students write about the food. We cant wait to hear more….
Pamela and Jeff Becker