Finding 100lbs of rice, beans, and bottles of oil is quite the scavenger hunt. Why? Because you can’t find these foods in large quantities (nor at reasonable prices) at established government stores anywhere in Cuba. But this doesn’t stop the mission teams from buying these basic necessities to “donate” to the families of the kids with disabilities.
I say “donate” because in Cuba you give gifts—you can’t donate publicly. In order to make our food "gift bags," we take our teams to local farmers’ houses. If we can buy our 100lb sack of rice or beans right then, lucky day. If not, the farmers send us to each of their friends’ houses where we might be able to find what we are looking for. After 2-3 hours of going around town in the incredible heat of the Cuban afternoon looking for these goodies, the teams are finally able to make the donation bags. This is just a snippet of the Cuban-style shopping that mission trip teams get to experience during their week in the country.
These food bags are huge blessings to the families at the disability center. When week after week incoming teams donate $100 worth of rice, beans, and oil, the families served by the disability ministry are encouraged and their basic needs are taken care of. At least this summer, for two months straight, the mothers didn’t have to go on a rice-bean-and-oil search themselves. They were able to save their time and money for other necessities.
So, on Wednesdays when the mothers bring their children with special needs to the ministry center, they have their own time to share what they have learned in their weekly individual Bible studies. When they go home, they take back with them a further understanding of God’s word and His love, their growing faith, their joyful kids, and the food bags made by teams with love.
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