The death of Fidel Castro has brought a flood of memories and reminded me of one of the most unexpected and rewarding experiences of my life. I recorded this story in my book, Our Father: Discovering Family, published last year by www.WipfandStock.com. This began in October 1962 and continued for the next several months.
The Cuban Missile Crisis ignited while we were in Baton Rouge and the city was flooded with Cuban refugees. Somehow I was asked to teach a course in oral English for them at the YWCA. The television program, Sing Along with Mitch (Miller) was popular at the time; therefore my courses quickly became known as Speak Along with Mitch. What a turn of events. Remember I flunked Spanish at Mars Hill College. This exposure and acceptance by members of a different culture broadened my knowledge and appreciation for people whose backgrounds were far removed from my own. Again the teacher learned more than the students.
This is a story that has played an important role in my development and in my understanding of who belongs in God’s kingdom. Who would have ever believed that I would have this brush with history.
