We are excited to share the following excerpt from the All Souls Newsletter
ALL SOULS WEEKLY VOLUME 12, NUMBER 29, JUNE 16, 2019
THE MESSAGE: ¡CUBA SI!
A horse-drawn buggy clomping down the street beside a new Peugeot and a classic American car from the 1960s. The Lord’s Prayer being recited simultaneously in English and Spanish, while a rooster crows behind the church and Cuban music wafts through the neighbors’ doorway. The sounds of children playing, dogs barking, life happening. These and so many other memories of being in Santa Clara two weekends ago are still so fresh in our minds, but what we were really impacted by were the people we met. They are warm and caring, gracious and generous. They gently cupped our faces in their hands, and when they looked at us they were totally immersed in what we were saying. They were so hungry to know and be known.
We were honored to be the first from All Souls to meet the leaders of our new partner parish, Iglesia Episcopal Jesús Nazarene. Over the weekend, we were able to get to know the community and the people who will be working to rebuild the church in the coming years. We were struck by their passion and infectious energy for their faith and work, and we know that they will be working hard to not only rebuild the physical church but also to invite the whole Santa Clara community to become part of this church family. It means so much to them that we care, that we want to be in relationship, and that we want to help.
There are three ways that you can be involved: pray for those in Cuba who are working on this project, especially Bishop Griselda and Father Gerardo, the priest in charge of our parish; give a financial donation to support this work or purchase specific items that we'll be collecting in the coming months to bring with us on our next visit; and go: we're planning to head back to Cuba just after Christmas. More information about these opportunities will become available over the next few weeks. What an exciting way for All Souls to Serve.
—Wynsor Taylor & Stefanie Vestal