A Look Back to 1938-1960
There continues to be good news from Cuba regarding the growth of the work. Today, the original hall in Vibora is still being used and a group of about 20 believers meet weekly in this hall. In Pinar del Rio, five new believers were baptized this July during a small conference.
A Look Back 1938 - 1960 The article on Cuba in the Spring edition of HORIZONS resulted in Dawn Heels (daughter of Vern and Ilda Markle) forwarding this photo and providing additional information on the early days of the Lord’s work in Cuba.
These are the brethren and sisters who blazed the trail and raised the Gospel banner in Cuba before 1960. This photo was taken in front of the Vibora Gospel Hall in Havana some time before 1960 and those in the picture are: Back: Vern Markle, Ed Wickert, Tom Smith, Edward Doherty, Bob Leighton, Betty and George Walker, Arnold Adams, David Adams holding son Stephen or more likely Alfred. Middle: Ilda Markle, Henrietta Wickert, Jean Smith, Effie Leighton, Kay Adams. Front: Pat Ritchie (later to become Doherty), Kathleen Hamilton who was an American and Agnes Adams. Pat Ritchie worked down in the Pinar del Rio province; when Ed Doherty first came, he was single and later married, Pat Ritchie. Tom and Jean Smith were the most senior of the labourers in Cuba at the time and began in Vedado, Havana. When the Adams brothers arrived, they headed north-west to Pinar del Rio province. Ed Doherty, Kathleen Hamilton, Pat Ritchie, Bob and Effie Leighton and later Doug and Kathleen Reid also headed that way.
The Markles started up the Vibora work in Havana in 1948 and then after five years went south to the eastern provinces, returning to Canada in 1960. George and Betty Walker started up the work in La Salud area and stayed there. Arnold and Kay Adams and family moved down to the east (after 1954) and went up to the mountains of Confin where the "revolution" with Fidel Castro was born. They eventually had to move down from there to a city south of Bayamo. Of those early memories, Dawn commented "they can still overwhelm me as they were a very special time in my life".
Summer 2015
Written by Dawn Heels - Cuba
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