Hello from Rachel:

Let's get the introductions out of the way....


Hi, my name is Rachel and Cuba is my birthplace.

Actually Havana although my birth certificate says Pinar del Rio...but that's another story. Still in Cuba, though.

I love Cuba. I love the people. Their warmth..., their wit..., the way they move to the beat of the music

I bet you were expecting a photo of scanty clothed women :-D

And, I am more in awe of their ability to “conseguir” [con-say-geer] than of the many old cars that cruise the streets of the capital.

Conseguir is one of those words that gets lost in translation. It means “to get”. But conseguir is hard. The word itself connotes that meaning.

It requires street smarts, salesmanship, pushing the envelope, achieving through any means possible. A lot of conseguir goes on in Cuba to get the basic needs of everyday life. Cubans are experts at conseguir.

Many times I think that we are so stubborn that God has to conseguir us. He gently moves us in the direction He has designed for us. He loves us through the process; He pushes the envelope of what we perceive to be the limits of our possibilities; He is there to help us achieve what we cannot even imagine. And then, we stand back in awe of what God has made possible -- what he has done. How wonderful is that!

That is what compels me to go to Cuba. I'm sooo expectant of what God is going to do that I can barely wait.


- Rachel