A Fruitful Day

One of the great things about being in a village in the Caribbean is the easy access to island fruit. There are trees with ripe fruit dangling all over the place. Just a few houses down from where we are working is a fresh mango tree. The kids were very willing to risk life and limb to climb on the longest and highest branch to grab mangoes for us. We were uplifted by the juicy deliciousness of our afternoon snack.

Besides actual fruit, we witnessed the fruit of the spirit alive and well in our team. It is easy to stand back and watch God at work through our team members. Whether it’s the singing and laughing of the children at play, or the dirt and sweat pouring from our souls, a smile was not far away. It’s been awesome to witness God working in so many ways through us and in us too.

Once again, there wasn’t a time during the day when we weren’t actively engaged in a project. A group of about 15 kids were enrolled in a makeshift VBS led by Jeff, Clare, Kate, Kim, Lizz, Catie, and Ali. John had his team of carpenters perform an old-fashioned nursery raising. Carrie S, Tina B, Jess, James, and Dan M. summoned their Amish heritage to get the structure in place. Our team of painters, Todd, Tom, Linda, Helen, Jackie, Jenny, and Lissy finished with the trim and touch up of Forbes’s house. The garden club – Chelsea B, Chelsea R, Warren, Rob, finished all the frames and loaded dirt into 7 raised beds. Carrie J spent her day working one on one with Forbes, the homeowner, in putting up the trim around some windows and doors. And I spent my day making 4 trips to the hardware store and feeding center. And I started working on my special project, refurbishing the family’s shed with a parachute roof (ask me about it later).

Unfortunately the traditional Wednesday night church services have been dwindling, and we were unable to attend a local church service. However when God closes one door he opens another. We ended our day with an amazing beachside service that reinvigorated us all. We prayed, we sang, and we spent time alone with God, all while enjoying the majesty of this gorgeous island – the sunset, the moon, and the lulling waves were a perfect backdrop to a perfect evening.