From The Blue Music Blog

Cayman Islands – three islands in the Caribbean Sea. Paradise. A part of UK, photo of the Queen, the Prime Minister is David Cameron, weather is not typical British! We get up at 02.00 for a 05.00 o’clock flight from Havana to Cayman Islands and are welcomed by Greg Smith, the CEO of the Cayman Islands YMCA and we go straight to one of the schools on the island for a One Million Voice session with the pupils. An interesting experience for us all, and we could already observe one of the many relationships created by the youngest YMCA member of World YMCA.

The landscape is unbelievable, beautiful, the city is well organized and sunny most of the time!

We move on to see several possible facilities of interest for the YMCA, among them the second biggest skating park in the world.

We visit after school programmes, since it is Friday the kids are allowed to watch TV and eat snacks.

The rules of the game at the school we visited for One Million Voices. The only strange thing for us is that the school is sponsored by a fast food chain.

Pastor Randy is the President of Cayman Islands YMCA and was in Estes Park last summer when they became official members of the World YMCA. An excellent friend and hospitable host!

CEO Greg impresses me, he is very well organized, has a visionary mind and courage enough to make the YMCA have a great impact on the island. He is a team builder and relationship builder, and a superb host! We need leaders like Greg in the YMCA.

This evenings reception is for the founders of the YMCA and other donors and supporters. I meet with two government ministers and a lot of community pillars from Cayman – it is clear that the YMCA is well rooted in the local community. Earlier in the day we are invited to visit the Deputy Governor, and on Monday we will meet with the Premier on the island and early in the morning Romulo and I will be interviewed by the National TV. So a very well prepared visit with lots of doors open for the YMCA.

The reception included 75 donors and supporters of the YMCA, here the last group of smiling supporters.

Since it is Saturday, we are invited for a boat ride to the sandbanks outside the island with fabulous corals where we can snorkel away and see colorful species of all kinds, and before we know it we are surrounded by 20-30 Sting Rays, huge fish with a wing span of more than 5 feet, and they are playing with us. A unique experience in the warm water.

For more on this story and images go to: http://thebluemusicblog.ymca.int/2015/02/28/30-days-through-central-america-and-caribbean-cayman-islands-1/