At our regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge East, we were treated to some heart warming stories by our in-bound exchange student Lynette Kux and by club member Dr. Chuck Galambos and his family.
 
Lynette recently returned from a trip to San Diego and to Tijuana, Mexico where she helped build a house for a very poor family.  Below are some pictures of Lynette hard at work, her house building team and a picture of a very grateful family that received the house.  Well done Lynette!
 
Our main speaker for the evening was Dr. Chuck Galambos.  Chuck with help from his daughters, Diana and Daniella and his Cuban born wife Leydis did a lively job of telling us about their recent trip to Cuba.  Chuck gave us a brief history of the island which included the long history of American involvement and the rise to power of Fidel Castro.  We learned about the Island of Youth ( Isla de la Juventud) as it is called today.  Leydis was born on this island and left for Canada 15 years ago.  The local economy is quite impoverished and there are many challenges for the people that live there.  It is difficult to live as there is very little cash in the economy and it is a challenge to find parts and equipment.  For foreign visitors it is extremely inexpensive.  There are beautiful beaches and great fresh fruits and vegetables.  Below are some pictures of the Galambos' trip to Isla de la Juventud.
 
 
We all learned some new things about Cuba.  Incredibly beautiful country with lots of history and political issues.  Thanks again Dr. Chuck and family.