Mangoes Everywhere!

by Mary Bodkin, EM Summer Staff in Cuba

What an amazing first week here!

For those of you who don't know, I love mangoes! I love dried mangoes, fresh mangoes, mango juice, I love it all! It's mango season here in Cuba and you can find them everywhere. At the ministry farm, they have 17 trees with small mangoes and 58 trees with large mangoes. When I first visited there were mangoes laying all over the ground, and I just wanted to start gathering them all up, thinking to myself, "somebody has to eat these perfectly ripe delicious mangoes!" As you walk through the city you see mango trees everywhere and people on the side of the street selling their mangoes; and of course, we've eaten mangoes for most meals.

Our first team was able to be a huge blessing to this "mango ministry" they have at the farm. They collected, washed, peeled, and boiled around 30 gallons of mangoes! We laughed, sang, and became sticky messes together during this peeling process! Many of the team members had canned tomatoes and peaches before, as well as peeled crawfish during their season so they were already pros! We peeled the mangoes so that they can be canned and preserved. During the mango season, many of these mangoes go to waste because selling them is difficult since everyone has them. These canned mangoes will bless those in need here in this community, as well as giving the farm mango juice all year long. Praise God!

I've been really enjoying my time here so far. I'm meeting so many amazing people and making friends at the farm, the place we are staying, and some of the local churches. I've felt so loved and welcomed! I'm working on my Cuban slang and I am starting to get used to their accents and language differences. I've made a few mistakes and caused some laughter. Our first mission trip volunteer team here was amazing and made me feel like part of the family. I feel so blessed by their love and patience as I learn all the ins and outs of being an EM Field Staff member in Cuba.

I'm so looking forward to the rest of the summer! Go eat a mango and pray for Cuba!

You must have a group size of at least 6 members to join this trip. Please view the Small Team trips or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.

View Small Team Trips

For most trips, you must have a group size of at least 6 members. Please view the Small Teams tab on each Community page or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.