Our host, Denis Lopez Castillo, told us about having fought in the revolution and about the challenges of administering the farm. We asked lots of questions, and teased Denis that although he was younger than we were, he was teaching us as a father would teach his children. It was a terrible thing to have to see, but a valuable gift gently given. As that first trip taught me, the Sister Islands program is about building bridges between people. I think the depth of our connections makes our sisterhood program special.
Many communities have sister relationships.
Usually, politicians visit each other and trade delegations and business people visit now and again. And we don't stay in hotels or inns. We tend the relationship, and we understand that the projects we do are secondary to the friendships we build. It's a process of building connections that will last a long time. I had visited in 1988.