| Calamity in Cuba |
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| Cuba |
| Written by Manny |
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A while back, Felix, our national coordinator for Cuba, was traveling in an ancient van that he has kept "alive" for decades. Felix graduated as a mechanical engineer from the university in Havana, so he has been able not only to keep the van going, but also to make many improvements. He turned the four-speed transmission into a seven-speed for better gas mileage. He raised the roof so that workers could actually stand up inside it. He has done a heroic job of inventing and duplicating parts, even recreating some of them with a lathe. It is almost impossible for Cubans to own a vehicle because the government considers this a luxury item. A license plate is the ticket to ownership, a very rare privilege in that island nation. It's so valued that if your car is ever destroyed in an accident, you salvage the license plate and build your next car around it! 
Just to purchase an engine for this van, we had to go through an incredible process-government approval of the purchase; permission for installation; registration of the new engine; and a host of other complications-including "special gifts" for officials in order to shorten the timetable to just under a year! So regardless of how old a vehicle may be, a working vehicle is a priceless possession in Cuba—especially for keeping our growing ministry going! But in the middle of a busy work day, Felix was going down the road in the van-and suddenly something snapped underneath. A wheel flew out-and the van instantly went into a roll and caught fire. Felix, doused with fuel, was thrown out of the van. Momentum drove him into the asphalt, scraping off his scalp and ears. With major burns and broken ribs, Felix was left unconscious. Yet by God's grace, his life was miraculously spared. The broken ribs required major surgery. His scalp was repaired; his ears reconstructed. After more than three weeks in the hospital, Felix was moved to his house, because-unlike any room in the hospital-he has an air-conditioning unit in one room. Praise God that Felix has recovered almost completely and continues serving faithfully as our national coordinator. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites         |
