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When our mission team traveled to Cuba in January, they saw first-hand the extremely difficult economic situation that the country is experiencing. There are almost daily power outages, sometimes for as much as 18 hours a day, and shortages of food, gasoline, and medicines. The tourist industry, upon which the country heavily depends, has been very adversely affected with many fewer tourists coming from Canada and Europe than in the past. Of course, the Cuban government is happy to blame the decades-long U.S. embargo for the county’s economic woes, even though there are other factors that also, undoubtedly, play a part. This week, there have been demonstrations in some of Cuba’s largest cities led by parents struggling to feed their hungry children. Please see this article for more information: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/18/cuba-protests-food-electricity-shortage



In response to the current situation in Cuba, we are encouraging people to write to President Biden in an effort to put an end to the embargo. Rosemarie Burton has written the following letter which can be used as a template for what you might want to say:

President Joseph Biden

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Biden:

I am writing to urge you to take Cuba off the State Department’s list of State Sponsors of Terror (SSOT). Cuba was first added to the SSOT during the Reagan administration in 1982 for alleged ties to international terrorism and support for terrorist groups in Latin America. With no requirement for regular review of SSOT designees, Cuba remained on the list until May 2015 when it was removed following an extensive State Department review shortly after President Barack Obama announced the U.S. would normalize relations with Cuba. 

Cuba was re-added to the SSOT in January 2021 by the Trump administration. The main rationale then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo offered was Cuba’s refusal to hand over to the Columbian government guerrilla leaders of the National Liberation Army. The rebels were in Havana for peace talks with the Colombian government, co-sponsored by Cuba and Norway. Cuba refused to comply, contending that the extradition would violate established protocols as a guarantor of the peace talks. The Norwegian ministry agreed. The reason for re-adding Cuba to the list, therefore, was flawed. Even this thin rationale provided by the Trump administration disappeared when Gustavo Petro was elected president of Columbia in 2022, restarted the peace talks, and demanded that Washington remove Cuba from the terrorism list, calling its inclusion “an injustice.”

I recently returned from my 14^th Mission Trip to Cuba. This was the hardest trip for me emotionally. The Cuban people have always been poor and faced many obstacles, but they always seemed to have hope. This time there was no hope and so much sadness. The food shortage and lack of money to buy food were devastating. The cost of one egg is over $2.00 and a loaf of bread is two days wages.  For the first time, we saw children begging in the streets.

Additionally, there are the deteriorating conditions of Cuban hospitals, not for lack of effort on the part of doctors and hospital staff. They have very few supplies and very few medications, and doctors are having to triage care in a way that is incredibly painful deciding which patients get surgery, which patients get treatment, with the limited resources available. No one should have to live like this.

These conditions are the direct result of our embargo, which has tightened significantly over the past six years. The United Nations recently voted for the 31^st year on an annual resolution calling for an end to the U.S. embargo. Of the 193 member nations, 187 voted in favor of the resolution. Only the U.S. and Israel voted against it, with Ukraine and 5 other nations not voting. This means that virtually all the world’s democracies-our allies- are against our policy!

Please, President Biden, I strongly urge you to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terror, and return (as you promised in your campaign) to the hopeful strategy of engagement that you and President Obama began back in 2014.

Sincerely,

If you are interested in spending three evenings learning to draw with Ron Pelt, please sign up and pay your $20 registration fee by April 8. The fee covers all art materials for the sessions. The class will meet each Sunday night at PRBC (exact location TBD), from 6-8p. 

Join Lou, whose TED Talk has been viewed almost 1 million times, as she presents her talk for us tonight in Helt Hall from 6-8p. Dinner will not be served, but you are welcome to bring your own if you would like to eat and listen.

Park Road will sponsor a Book-A-Palooza event March 27 so students at Starmount Academy of Excellence (PreK-5) will be able to select 3 books from our inventory to keep for themselves. Volunteers are needed on Tuesday, March 26, to transport the books from Park Road to Starmount and unpack them. On Wednesday, March 27, these helpers will assist students in selecting books. After the event, the volunteers will then pack up the remaining books, and transport them back to church. Please sign up to help here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4CAAAE2DAAFE3-48503410-bookapalooza

Lilies may be purchased to honor a loved one or as a memorial. A list of all names will be printed in the Easter Sunday bulletin, but the lily flowers will be used to decorate the cross for that morning. Prices have increased in recent years, but what proceeds are available are used to support our music program. Email the church office [email protected] or sign up in Helt Hall on Sundays. The cost for each lily in honor/memory is $10. 

Join us for these special services of the year. This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, and the children will lead us by processing into worship at 11a, waving their palms. On Thursday, March 28, our Maundy Thursday service at 6p, will include communion and a beautiful musical presentation of Christ’s seven last words from the cross, offered by our Sanctuary Choir. On Sunday, March 31 at 11a, we will be together to celebrate the good news of Easter. Following worship there will be an Easter Egg Hunt in the courtyard and on the playgrounds. These are wonderful opportunities to worship together as a community of faith. 

Anne and I began attending PRBC in 1988 when we enrolled our daughter, Anna Beth, into our CDC. We became members in 1990. Anna Beth and Sarah Grace (who is also a deacon) were “lifers” at the CDC.).

I was ordained as a deacon in 1997 and served as Diaconate chair in 1999. I have also chaired the CDC and AMP Committees and served on the Administration Committee.

In 2018-19, I chaired our Capital Campaign Committee which raised the funding to renovate our sanctuary and Helt Hall. Currently, I serve as Church Treasurer.

Anne and I became grandparents in 2019 and again in 2021. That same year, I retired after a 44 year career with Bank of America. There I held leadership roles in corporate banking, capital markets, and private banking.

Calling all gardeners!! We only have 2 plots left for the 2024-2025 garden season. Please email Laura Leach at [email protected] if you would like a plot or know someone who would like  one. The plots are $75.00.



Again, a huge thank you to the PRBC Community Garden Committee and the Community Gardeners who came out for "Mulch Day" and also to Janelle Travis who sourced the mulch for us.

Get ready – immediately following worship on Easter Sunday, March 31, all children are invited to hunt eggs in the courtyard and on the playgrounds. The Seasonal Parties team, led by Karen Holt, is hard at work making this year’s Easter Egg Hunt “Eggs-stra” special. Here’s what is needed from you: candy-filled plastic eggs. We can’t have too many. Bring them by the church office or bring them this Sunday morning. More details will be in next week’s newsletter, but this is just a reminder for families with children about the event and a plea for donations of candy-filled plastic eggs.

On April 7th, Youth Sunday, we will celebrate our students together with a fundraising dinner for their trip to Guatemala! From 4-8p, Panera on Sharon Amity Road will give us 25% of their profits when you say, “it’s for the Guatemala trip,” at the counter! Join us on the 7th as the youth lead us in worship and then later that evening for dinner. 

Yolani has passed the written exam for her driver’s license and is now learning to drive. She had never driven before but has now spent 5 one-hour sessions behind the wheel. She is comfortable driving from her house to the surrounding Plaza-Midwood neighborhood and has even driven on Central Avenue and Parkwood. Obviously, before she takes the driving test, she needs more experience on the road. Can you help by spending an hour with her behind the wheel? The car that was donated for their family is available, and I’m sure she will be more comfortable driving that vehicle. Marvin, who knows how to drive but has not passed the written test, could accompany you on Thursdays (his day off) if you are concerned about the language barrier. He would be able to give Yolani instructions in Spanish. However, she needs to learn to respond to directions in English (turn left, slow down, stop, etc.) speaking Spanish really is not a requirement for volunteer instructors. In order to work out the logistics of getting the car and scheduling a time, please let Dan know if you can help, and please help!

We have been enjoying supper and vespers each First Wednesday in the Community Center. This is a wonderful way to spend time with friends in a casual setting, enjoying a meal and spending a few moments in discussion and worship. Please join us by calling the church or signing up in Helt Hall, by Tuesday at noon.

Thanks to Missy Solomon, this year’s Deacon Chair, for leading a session preparing our deacons for a new year of service. The training included instructions for worship leadership, greeting, and security policies. We are grateful for the leadership our Deacons provide.

What could be better than enjoying America’s favorite pastime on a beautiful spring evening at Truist Field with your friends from Park Road? Plan to come and join us for an evening of family fun on May 3rd. Tickets are $15 and include $2 of concession value. Immediately following the game, stay for the dazzling fireworks display!

When Manny and Karen Madeiros moved to Asheville, they offered a generous donation of the baby grand piano that Manny had enjoyed playing for many years. It has graced Helt Hall ever since. It was wonderful Sunday to walk in and see Manny back at the keyboard. He and Karen were visiting, and he had a chance to enjoy the piano just as much as we have. We were so thrilled to see you, Manny and Karen, and thank you so much!

• 3.20.24 is Worship Wednesday 6:30-7:30p.  - Hank Smyth, Clara Kinney, and Reid Heaton will be lead the youth. Come out and support these students and worship the living God together 🙂 

• 3.24 is SNT and Midweek on 3.27 - The Youth will do a special project for Easter with/for the Deans! Please get your kiddo here to make JD look good. We'll need as many participants as possible. 

• 4.7 is Youth Sunday - Three spots are filled, and JD will be filling in the rest. The youth will have no Sunday School that day as they  finalize elements of the service. Please plan on having your students attend as well as having them participate in the planning. JD is really looking forward to this special day. 

• 4.7 Fundraiswer in lieu of SNT - The youth will be eating at Panera Bread on Sharon Amity because they will give 25% of their profits between 4-8pm to us for our Guatemala mission trip! 

• 4.19-20 is Spring Retreat - If your student is not already signed up, please let me know. We're asking $25 to cover food for the weekend and potentially to cover part of the activity. JD will email parents and guardians the week before which will include a packing list and more details.

• 5.19 - Baccalaureate Sunday.

• June 24-26 Compassion Camp - JD is really excited for our compassion Camp June 24-26 from 9:30a-12:30p. This will be a free and open to the public camp. We already have some of our own kiddos signed up and a good number coming from our campus partners. JD would love to hear from you about whether your kiddo aged 4-completing 5^th grade, will be joining so he can be sure we get the volunteer coverage that is needed. This is the perfect opportunity to invite a friend or acquaintance along who needs some enrichment over the summer. 



• July 16-19 Camp Prism – We tentatively have a list of 7 kiddos with 5 of those solidly confirmed to attend camp. JD is so excited! Also, all the kids this year are a part of our church, so there's room to have other friends join. If your kiddo would like to bring a buddy, please let JD know by May 1st. The camp is from July 16-19 and is at Bonclarken camp in Western NC (about 2 hours from Charolotte). The total price for EVERYTHING, including meals, lodging, and activities, is only $250; It really is about as good of a summer camp price as you'll find anywhere. Those who've completed grades 3rd through 5th are able to go. Please let JD know if you want to bring a friend by May 1, and Payment is due to the church by June 1. (Pay online and put "Child Name- Prism" in the memo, or do the same for a check.) If anyone has trouble paying for camp, please contact JD.

Coming Up at Park Road

Sunday Worship

Facebook Live and In-Person

11a

First Wednesdays

Dinner and Vespers

(Community Center)

5:30p Dinner / 6p Vespers

First and Third Tuesdays

Bible Study and Fellowship

(Community Center - Room C503)

10a

Tuesday and Thursdays

Flexercise

(Community Center)

9a

Park Road Baptist Church 

 3900 Park Road | Charlotte NC | 28209

Tel (704) 523-5717 

Fax (704) 523-8481

[email protected] 

 www.parkroadbaptist.org