Preparing African American communities for climate resilience is groundbreaking work. The two years of hard work required to bring this trip into reality was softened by the many auspicious events that surrounded our experience. In July President Obama re-established diplomatic ties with Cuba, ending 54 years of broken relations that began during the Eisenhower administration. In September, the Pope visited Cuba, bringing with him torrential rains that seemingly ended a dry spell, which has drained the country’s reservoirs.
We arrived on the shore just as hurricane Joaquin (category 3) was turning back out to sea. Our inland greeting from Mother Nature was a full horizon rainbow, seen from afar in our tour bus; seen from underneath as we drove through and seen in retrospect as we arrived in Havana from the Matanzas region. In these events we can see human hearts opening up and the heavens responding in kind. Just as in the book of Genesis, the condition of the earth followed the condition of human hearts. What a blessed feeling that God’s rainbow covenant was embracing our mission of regenerating Mother Earth!
We found the Cuban people as warm as the climate and as resilient as the ancient trees still standing in many urban plazas. The strength of their communities was characterized by strong neighborhood associations which enrolled members at the age of fourteen. Community based arts organizations were often equal partners in nurturing wholeness and education was formalized in many aspects of everyday life.
These are the highlights of our Tour Summary
Check out our article in the Huffington Post!
Other mission partners include Eco Cuba Network , Eco Hermanas, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference and Bread for the World.
Rev. Dele is a theologian, visiting professor in permaculture, contemplative and social activist who uses her skills as a Climate Reality Leader and spiritual director to assist churches to model sustainability efforts in underserved communities. She serves as a grant making advisor for The Pollination Project, liaison for Green the Church, board member for Virginia Interfaith Power & Light and the UCC Potomac Association. She calls forth a management team in Nature’s Friends to help train the next generation of mission leaders in faith, ecology and policy. Her vision is for all human souls to redeem and nurture the earth’s soil for climate resilience. For speaking engagements contact revdele@naturesfriends.coop