I spent the day looking for a warm vacation spot for us, and I found it. I could give a clinic on what online vacation websites do wrong (don't get me started on Expedia again), but in the end it was all for the best. A week's all-inclusive vacation in Holguin for all four of us for a price that's cheaper than what we could get in Florida without meals. Dirt cheap. Hello, sun! We leave Sunday.
Update: We travelled to Cuba a couple of years ago and loved it (apart from the shark attack - I'm not kidding). I've heard some of the arguments pro and con about vacationing in a place with such poverty. Some say it's just wrong; others point to the benefits to the people there; that sanctions and boycotts don't work.
I don't know where I stand, and in the end expediency won out over certainty. It's something I'm thinking about, though.
That's living in today's world. Even a trip to Wal-Mart (or Cuba - never thought Wal-Mart and Cuba would appear in the same sentence, did you?) can involve some serious moral choices these days.
Say hi to Fidel
Now don't get our American friends all riled up...
Nope, wew won't get all riled up, as long as you share a few robustas! :)
Cool, how did you get such a good deal? What web site did you use? Me and my friend have been looking to go on holidays too?
I'm now taking orders for Cubans. And if you watched the Seinfeld episode, I need to clarify that I'm talking about cigars.
We booked through Trip Depot, which is run by Jetsgo:
http://www.tripdepot.com/
I guess this means I'm going to have to cover for you on the pulpit...
Have fun!!!
As you know, Darryl, we've hooked up with an independant mission in the Dominican Republic. They operate a bed and breakfast just outside Peurto Plata that is paradise. They have several guest houses (fully equipped) connected by bridges and pathways surrounding a pool with a waterfall. The best part is, they spend most afternoons doing ministry among the local population of Haitian refugees, and you're invited to get involved as much or as little as you like. And the beach is only a few miles away.
Next year we'll probably take a few weeks of vacation there so I can spend time with the family, but also expose them to ministry. It costs a lot less than most other Caribbean vacations, and the money goes to a great cause.
That's probably the best way to go to the Caribbean.
I like thinking through this. I don't think there's anything wrong with withdrawing from ministry for a season (as Jesus did), but it's also good to try to develop a theology of life - of vacations, retirement, everything.
Speaking of the Dominican, my wife and I went on a short term mission trip there in October. It was with the church we used to attend in Burlington (Brant Bible) in cooperation with Careforce International. It was at a place called Los Alcarrizos which is just outside Santo Domingo. We also were minimally involved with a Haitian village, where as you know Brian the poverty is incredible.
We all got to talking about how there should be more cooperation between churches in sending short term mission teams to different places. A lot is being done but probably a lot more could be done if there was more unity on the mission front.
We really feel God is calling people together to explore this further and I am excited about the prospects. So much more could be done and the need is so great.