Virginia Episcopalian Magazine Spring 2012 Issue | Page 13

hired as a teacher at a local primary school, while one young
woman was hired as the vice principal at the same school.

Building up a support base is also a challenge.
Jennifer and her husband, Darryl Ernst, will sponsor a
fundraiser this spring through their organization, Hope
for Humanity. Participants are invited to experience
how Hope and Resurrection students live in a re-created
village at Christ Church, Glen Allen on May 6 (more info at
hopeforhumanityinc.org).

Once people hear about the project, they get excited.
But, “South Sudan is not something people can touch and
feel,” explained Ernst. Some donors want to be in contact
with the students – but without electricity, there’s no video
or Skype capabilities. Others want to mail supplies and
letters – but there’s no postal system. “It’s a challenge to
communicate,” said Ernst. “You really have to work hard on
having people understand the stories.”

For members of St. Barnabas’, Annandale, their recent
mission destination is a bit easier to reach. It’s in the same
time zone, even. But the mental roadblock is a bit more
substantive. Cuba has been a historically difficult country
to build mission partnerships with, for obvious reasons.
Starting in January 2011, when the U.S. government loosened
travel restrictions to Cuba, particularly for religious and
mission purposes, some of the fear and baggage inherent in
the idea of traveling to Cuba were loosened, too.

Len Leroy of St. Barnabas’ spent most of his childhood
growing up in Cuba. The son of missionary parents, his
family lived there for nine years. “I always sort of wanted to
go back,” said Leroy. So when it became more feasible for
church groups to make the voyage, he started investigating.

First, Leroy tried to get in touch with some contacts
in Cuba via e-mail, without much luck. But then he saw an
article in the Virginia Theological Seminary newsletter about
a student from Cuba. Leroy set up a time to meet with the
student – which just so happened to be the date that the
student was picking up a delegation from the Cuban National
Council of Churches from the airport. Soon enough, Leroy was

One of the surprises that St. Barnabas’, Annandale had in Cuba was
the first night of the Church Music Festival. The first act was Los
Peregrinos (The Pilgrims) from St. Barnabas’ Church in Cuba. Pictured
(left to right) are Len LeRoy, Mareea Wilson, Diosdado Marin Mainegra,
Omar Gonzales, Eileen Walsh and Charles Walsh-LeRoy

receiving an introduction to the Rt. Rev. Griselda Delgado del
Carpio, then bishop coadjutor of Cuba. That convergence of
circumstances and initial introduction created an opening for
the first mission trip from Virginia to Cuba in recent memory.

The team consisted of Leroy; his wife, Eileen; his
son, Charles; and Mareea Wilson, another member of St.
Barnabas’. The group traveled in July and August 2011 on
what became an exploratory trip to learn more about the
Episcopal Church