Christmas in Cuba

Dear Friends,

As a Christian community, we bear the fruit of God’s love together, not just as individuals. When our mission team members visit our sister church, they visit on our behalf and share our love for them.

As most of you know, a team of five people from our church will be visiting our sister church in Guanabacoa, Cuba, from January 4-11, 2023. The pastor of our sister church has requested that we bring the following items, which are sorely lacking in Cuba, to the extent that we can:

Items for donation for our sister church in Cuba

For children’s activities:
Paste—glue sticks, or school glues
Scotch tape—single-sided, in different widths
Colored paper
Christian-themed and other types of stickers

Over-the-counter medicines—large bottles when possible (which will be doled out in small bags)**
Acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) 500 mg. tablets (containers of 200 or more pills when possible)
Ibuprofen (e.g., Advil, Motrin) 200 mg. tablets (containers of 200 or more pills when possible)
Naproxen Sodium (e.g., Alleve) 220 mg. tablets (containers of 300 or more pills when possible)
Antifungal creams (e.g., Clotrimazole) 2 oz. or 60 gm tube
Triple antibiotic ointment 1 oz. or 28-gram tube
Hydrocortisone cream 1 oz or 28 gm or 2 oz. or 60 gm. Tube
Medicines for the stomach (e.g., Omeprazole, Famotidine or Zantac) 20 mg. tablets

Vitamins—large bottles when possible (which will be doled out in small bags)**
Complete Multivitamins for adults and seniors
Complete Multivitamins for children –chewable (not gummies)
Vitamin C 500 milligram tablets (large containers whenever possible)

Bed and bath items needed (should be new):
Flat sheets for single beds (not fitted because they may not fit the mattresses used)
Sets of sheets for a queen-sized bed
Bath Towels (bath towels in Cuba should be thin: plush towels do not dry out)

Small toys for children for Epiphany (like our Christmas gifts) – there are over 50 children being served in a childcare program and 50 to 60 in Sunday school and church
Inexpensive toys for children 3 – 5 years old (small toys under $10)
Inexpensive toys/items for children over 5 up to 13 years old (e.g., little book, toy, game, bracelet, etc.— under $10)

**For the over-the-counter medicines and vitamins, save your money and the space needed to pack them by purchasing the larger bottles whenever possible. Also, purchase the generic or house brands when you can because they are much more economical. The most reasonable places to purchase medications and vitamins are usually Walmart, Target, and Amazon.

You may contact the church by phone or email Gretchen Fleming if you have questions about items to donate: 630-469-9149 or gretchen_fleming@yahoo.com.

In Cuba, January 6, Epiphany, is the time when people receive Christmas presents. Our members will be bringing your Christmas Wishes for health, wellness, and joy in a time that has been very difficult of late. Our kindred in Christ have suffered greatly as a result of the economics and distribution issues plaguing the world. Together we bear the fruit of God’s love.