September 2008

Ike was my first encounter with a hurricane.  I never had an opportunity to observe the wrath of Mother Nature.  The hurricane brings darkness, uncertainty and fear.  It’s a time of prayer, a time to ask God for sympathy and protection. 

In the human body, the process of inflammation is initiated as a response to tissue injury.  It’s a healing process that takes time and energy.  It’s fair to say that Cuba was at this healing phase when Ike arrived to the island.  Gustav had recently attacked the island and depleted most of its limited resources.  Hence, Gustav left Cuba vulnerable to the rage of Ike.  Now, the healing process will be much longer and more excruciating.

As you now, Cuba’s resources are finite and limited.  Nonetheless, they have always shared what they have with other nations around the world.  Now, however, those resources are less than ever before.  For instance, it is much more difficult to find the season’s fruits and vegetables.  You can’t go to the corner market to get them anymore because the market is closed.  There are no fruits and vegetables to sell.  It was all destroyed. 

Safety is a priority in Cuba before and during a hurricane, as I experienced first-hand during Ike.  A few days prior to the arrival of Ike, the school was on lock down.  Students were not allowed to leave the school premises.  Food was distributed to each dorm throughout the day during the hurricane.  We were worry-free because we were provided with all of our needs during the hurricane.  They kept us informed throughout the day of any changes in the direction of the hurricane.  At one point it was believed that the eye of the hurricane was going to pass through Havana.  As a safety precaution, a caravan of yellow school buses arrived to the medical school, ready to evacuate the 3000+ students at ELAM.  It was incredible to see the coordination of the Cuban safety system in an effort to prevent deaths.  At the end of the day school officials decided that we needed not evacuate.  We were safe at ELAM. 

Many medical schools were destroyed or damaged severely throughout the island.  These catastrophes will not stop the ELAM project, however.  The students affected were transferred to different medical schools and have now resumed their studies.  The healing process will take time and we are hopeful that better times will come.  For now, we ask that you keep us in your prayers as we diligently continue our studies in Cuba.