Thursday in Miami, I'll meet the small delegation of Florida Lutherans I'm accompanying on a visit to their companion church, the Lutheran Church in Cuba.
Friday we fly to the Isla de la Juventud (the Isle of Youth) off the southern coast of Cuba. During our visit we will labor on the church farm (planting trees, it sounds like), visit the “Vietnam and Community Colony Hotel” (hmmm), and meet municipal authorities and church people. Then we fly back to the mainland and get to be tourists in Havana.
A constitutional change in 1991 changed Cuba from an atheist state to a secular nation with religious freedom. Relaxed travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans mean that about 35 charter flights to Cuba leave Miami every week. Unless they enter through Cancun, Americans still must get official permission from the U.S. Department of Treasury, which oversees and enforces the embargo. I can’t buy cigars or rum, but I made the official list for this trip!
I'm pretty excited, ready to go. Look for my photos and posts to start about February 26, when I get settled and find an internet cafe in Cuernavaca, Mexico, the next stop on my viajes.
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