A Great Catch

This week ended with a first - God in Nature Day. We started by cleaning and reorganizing all of the supplies we used during the week. Then once that was finished we headed out on the open seas on Karazim’s two boats - Karazim 1 and Southern Lady. We spent about an hour getting to the cove where we dropped anchor and spent about 4 hours enjoying the spoils of this beautiful island. We snorkeled, swam, ate, talked, and had a wonderful time in fellowship with each other. One of the members of the fishing ministry was on board with us and he brought in one or Karazim’s traps. In it were 6 lobsters and 1 blue crab - a great catch for one trap. Not only did we grill up the hot dogs and hamburgers we had brought with us, but Raoul prepared some fresh lobster tail for the group. Definitely a great way to wrap up the week. After a quick clean up, we prepared for our final group devotion of the week. For many this is their favorite part, an opportunity to lift up team members, the work we did, and praise Jesus for the opportunity to serve him this week. Our verse for the week came from 1 John 4:4 - “..the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” When we focus our time and love on God and less time on the things of the world, we can fulfill the purpose the God has for us. And one of those purposes is to go and make new disciples. And as we were wrapping up breakfast, talk of next year’s trip has already begun. There are lots of promises of coming back next year, maybe even becoming an intern. So I reiterated something that Raoul has said year after year. We don’t need to go and bring recruit everyone on of our friends, but if “each one can reach one” we can make a huge difference.

The Longest Good-bye

As the clock ticked closer to 4, the smiles, laughs, and other expressions of happiness were slowly changing. Frowns, red eyes, and tears replaced them. The typical mad rush to the bus for dinner had become one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. Not only because the team didn't want to let go, but many of the village children wouldn't let go. Many even hopped onto the bus for one last hug or kiss. The challenge on the last day is not just finishing the project, but letting go. Knowing that there won't be a tomorrow to patch the last hole, or cut out another stump, or paint that last wall. That's it. We're done. And that's a very difficult pill to swallow right now. But the physical transformation isn't the only effect we had on Miss Velma's house. We gave them hope. Tyeosha, one of the girls living in the house, shared a few thing with me today. She was writing an essay for her summer classes (they have half-day school during the summer) about who she admired most. Her topic was about Clare and the impact she has had on her life. She wants to go to nursing school after she graduates in the spring, hopefully in the states. Something she said wasn't even a dream of hers until we came into her life three years ago. As Tyeosha walked through her house today, she sobbed as she saw each room. And as she was hugging and thanking each of us, she was also thinking Jesus for bringing us there. Seeing the children shuffle off back to their homes as the bus pulled away, we can only hope that even as the paint fades, the weeds grow back, and the work in the house begins to break down, the work we completed in THEM will be what is most important.

Odds and Ends

For the first time this work week, the sun was shining brightly when we all woke up. This phenomenon of clear skies gave everyone a little pep in their step. We were able to get out of the feeding center and on our way an hour earlier than the previous two days. And with only two work days left, we definitely needed the extra time. With some major projects close to completion, the group was looking for some extra little jobs to do. One was the building picnic tables for the children to use outside the house to replace the makeshift one they had built. Another was to replace a section of the water line because part of the PVC had cracked. One group was put to the task of removing a huge tree trunk and roots. But the highlight of the day was the removal of a broken down car that had been in the front yard of the house for over 10 years. The car was also crushed by a fallen branch from recent hurricanes. Raoul was determined to get this car our of the yard this week any way possible. And he coaxed us into flipping the car over as the best way to do so. I think he just wanted some to destroy something because it made it harder to move it. We had to flip it back over and ended up pushing it out to the street. It was a lot harder than it sounds with 4 flat tires, a broken steering wheel, and 10 years of garbage inside. But once it was in the street, the front yard opened up with a safer play area by the front door. We ended our day with our traditional Wednesday beach service. We played music, listened to testimonies, and had private devotional time, all while enjoying the beauty of God's creation on a very pleasant night. The crashing waves and setting sun were the perfect setting to truly appreciate just how awesome our Father is. I believe that this is one of the highlights of the week. The team is determined to get as much completed as possible tomorrow on the last day at the job site. We don't want to leave with anything unfinished, but sadly there are a few projects that will have to wait until next summer. Keep praying for the clear weather we had today so we can maximize our work time.

Half-way there

The day started off the same as yesterday - rain. The morning yoga session and running groups were sidelined. Attitudes were gloomy. Not again, most of us thought. We only have 4 complete work days at the site this year. With Friday being our "God in Nature" day, we wrap up work Thursday. There was a sense of - can we get it done?? Those thoughts faded as quickly as the morning clouds. By around 10 am, the rain was gone and the group was on its way. We split up into two groups - one went to the house while 15 of us ventured off to the farm. Now let me just give you a little information about this farm. Try to imagine a typical farm with green grass, animals grazing, and crops growing in every direction. It is nothing like that at all. It's rock, lots of it. With its only structure a large storage containment unit. Raoul has purchased 18 acres of land that he intends to grow various vegetables, create a tilipia farm, and eventually raise chickens. Our team headed out to build a raised garden bed. Not the 4 x 8 foot ones we have built in the past. This is a 40 x 90 foot bed that takes 1900 bags of dirt to fill. Today they built the frame and cleared and leveled the area. Tomorrow they will go back to dump about 500 bags of dirt to get it started. Back at the house everyone jumped right back into action. The kitchen cabinets are being rebuilt and painted, the bathroom shower is ready to be retiled, and Velma's bedroom has walls. The yard continued to be cleared and the house has a coat of primer. And all the while the kids of the neighborhood kept us occupied. We've reached the halfway point of our work week, with more than 2 days of planned work left. There's a real chance that the tasks we had hoped to complete won't be finished on time, but that's ok. The transformation will be amazing, not only in the appearance of the house, but the lives of those people who call it home.

51 is the Magic Number

For the past few weeks, the word on the streets was that I was a crazy man. Crazy for having 51 people on the trip. Crazy for letting someone join on Tuesday before we leave. Crazy for taking my wife on the trip (oh wait, that was just me thinking that). For a while there I was starting to think that too, especially after seeing the sea of blue walking through the airports Saturday. Then once we got here, the chatter from the group was beginning to grow. "How are all of us going to work at one site?" and "Is there going to be enough jobs for everyone?" I begin to worry that maybe everyone was right, and that this group was too big. And to top it all off, early this morning there was a huge storm that started around 4 am and lasted until about 10. This lost time waiting for the rain to stop would put us behind the 8-ball in trying to get the job completed this week. But once we finally got the job site (two hours late), something amazing happened. The groups split up in their assigned tasks, got rolling, and for the next 6 hours never stopped moving. A group went across the street to the park to take care of the kids. A group got started with the landscaping, cutting branches, raking up weeks, and picking up trash. A group went into the bedroom to take down the old walls and being to put up sheetrock. A group began the kitchen renovations by cleaning out the cabinets and countertops and prepping for new doors and shelves. A group headed to the bathroom to prepare the bathtub for tiling. And as I was driving to the local hardware store to pick up supplies, I left not worried about the team members being without work. I was finally listening to the words I had been speaking to the team at each meeting and the first two days - "We are here to fulfill God's plan, not ours." All of the anxiety and tension left me, and a sense of calm came over me. I heard from some leaders and some kids this evening about what they were worried about most when the day started. And the majority of the answers were about trying to find enough work for all 51 people to do. They added that their worrying seemed silly now. Why should we worry about it? God put us all on this trip for a reason. He put us at that location for a reason. He knew how many people needed to be here this week to fulfill his plan for us. 51. What a magical number.

Out of Our Comfort Zone

Human nature typically makes us shoot directly for our comfort zone, and here that means always sitting with your friends. So of course, the first thing the adults noticed at breakfast was the table arrangements. It seemed that all kids were in their "home" groups. Kids from the same school, same age, same everything. So we made a new rule - each time you ride the bus or eat a meal you must mix it up and sit with different people. Only a few grumbles but they all know how important it is for a successful trip. For the first time we visited a new area on the island - Eight Mile Rock. It's about a 35 minute drive and for most of us, it's the farthest we've ever had to go on the island at one time, so it seemed to take forever. You see, Grand Bahama is only about 95 miles east to west and 7 miles north to south and everywhere we work is usually only about a 15 minute drive. So even for the veterans, the change in scenery was refreshing. We visited Community Holiness Church, and with the guidance of Jeff Hill, we definitely stepped out of our comfort zone. He asked us a group to separate and sit all over the sanctuary to meet the people of Eight Mile Rock. Not only that, but he stood at the entrance of the church to explain to the congregation members who we were and why we were all over the place. The experience was great. We met a lot of people and the kids did a great job of participating in the service. After church, we headed back to the Chart House, a renovated restaurant that the Raoul and Karen bought as the home base for Karazim Ministries. We spent the afternoon organizing all the donations (thanks Adventure Club), painted part of the building, and cleaned one of the school buses. We ended our day with our small group devotional time. For some members, it's the first time they've been in this type of environment, and opening up to a group of strangers can be a little bit daunting. But from what I've heard so far, the kids really stepped it up and had not problems sharing about their faith. Now that we've been here for a few days, we are all really looking forward to our next step on this trip - getting down and dirty at our project site back in Eight Mile Rock, hopefully stepping our of our comfort zones once again.

Ch Ch Ch Changes

After 7 years of participating in this trip, the last 5 as the trip leader, there are certain things that you come to expect. The early morning meeting at the church, the group picture. the long lines in the airports, etc. But the one thing that will no longer be the same is our wonderful week at the XANADU Beach Resort. We have changed locations for our home base this year to the Flamingo Bay. Now for those of you who have not been on this trip, the Xanadu was once a great Freeport landmark for movie stars from the 50's and 60's. Now it's just an empty shell of a hotel that we Woodside missionaries lovingly called home for the week. It was a special location that we sort of took over for the week since we outnumbered real guests by 10 - 1. The new resort is a lot nicer, almost too nice. It comes with working A/C, a mini-fridge, and a great view of the marina. Finally, the pool is a real pool. Not the greenish rectangle that we often used as a "pre-bath" tub before our showers. Not gonna happen this year. The veterans on the trip are a little nostalgic for the old days, but the newbies don't know any better. Once we settled in to our new digs, we ventured out to see the area. We had dinner by the beach under the pavilion, played in the ocean and the pool, then got ready for the usual first night activities. But the more things change the more they stay the same. The plans that Raoul and I made for the day were changed. Instead of lunch then hotel, it was hotel then dinner. (notice the missing lunch). That led to a bunch of hungry people. But as always the food here is worth the wait. Finally, the area that we will be working at and attending church will also be brand new location with brand new people. As much as we will miss working in the villages of Pinders Point and Hunters, we are looking forward to making our mark on Eight Mile Rock. Sometimes change is hard, especially when it is sudden, but when on a mission trip you must remember the first rule - Thou must be flexible. Second rule is just as important - Let go and Let God lead the way.

From Mission Trip to Mission

When the idea of a mission trip began as a seed way back in 2004, who would have thought that over 110 different people would have accepted God's invitation. Not only that, but three young ladies have taken internships for a month visit to the island. And there is still more, but let me start at the beginning, obviously. In the summer of 2004, Ken Parker received some mail about a youth trip to the Bahamas. Sounds innocent enough but he had been praying about some type of international trip for the youth group. So he decided to let God's hand guide our church's youth on this adventure. Sixteen people - 10 kids and 6 adults - were on the maiden trip. Most of us had no idea what to expect or how to feel about what we were about to encounter. Some of us were only going because it would look good on a resume or college application, or so people would think we were cool. But we all left feeling something special about the work we had just accomplished. The next few years continued to be awesome trips, but that was the extent of it. Just a trip. It took until our 4th or 5th trip to find a deeper connection. That was when a bond was truly formed with our island partner, Raoul Armbrister. The relationship grew beyond just being one week a year partners, we became friends and eventually brothers. Our Woodside team continued to be one of the few remaining groups that continued to come back, and our numbers grew consistently. We jumped from 26 to 46 to now 49. The future of the youth group trip continues to be strong, so much so that we have had 3 month long interns and the possibility of breaking off into two trips. This relationship has branched off into many areas of our church at home as well. Our Adventure Club mission team has organized multiple "backpack drives" to be donated to the Bahamian school kids. And last year, one of the men's groups fixed up a truck and a van, had the entire church pack them full of donated food, and shipped them down for the ministry to use. But there is a new adventure on the horizon. Last winter, Raoul and his wife Karen spent a weekend here visiting and preaching at our church. In order to save some money, the stayed at my house during their stay. After some great time sharing life stories and testimonies, we decided to take our family down to the island for our own mission trip. On our return flight, my wife decided that she had found her calling - organizing a mission trip for families with young children - Vacation with a Purpose. The seeds were planted 8 years ago and the fruits look to be growing for years to come. This mission trip has become more than just a trip, it is now a mission.

Ten Mens Work

Each year we head to the Bahamas, we meet someone new. Well, that’s obvious, but what I meant was someone who we will build a relationship with. Initially it was Raoul and Karen, followed by Terry, Jurel, and Clevie. Last year we met Marlon, one of Raoul’s many relatives on the island. Marlon has a skill. What started as a hobby and a passion is now a burgeoning business opportunity. Marlon is a master at woodworking. Not building furniture, but wood-art. He has learned how to craft images of animals, people, figures, and objects out of the fallen branches and trees on the island. Beautiful pieces of pure art. Last summer, Raoul decided to give Marlon a space in the Karazim Ministries workshop to do some carving. The only caveat was that Marlon would also be part of the staff of Karazim, doing odd jobs and being a general helper wherever Raoul needed him. His first few days on the job were the week we arrived and his initial job was to trim some of the branches on the trees that surround the feeding center. So after a day of this, Marlon took the wood into the shop and began working. When he first arrived, he had a handful of items, but by the end of the week, Marlon had created a table full of beautifully crafted statues, crosses, figurines, and even walking sticks. He set up a table for us on the last night where we subsequently gobbled up his entire inventory. When we arrived home, there was a lot of buzz about his work – How much? Is there more? Can I get something? I called Raoul with a plan, and if you know Raoul, he never met a plan he didn’t like. The plan would be to drum up enough business that Marlon could open his own shop and sell his items full-time. He already has a name – “Ten men creations” which came from one of Marlon’s previous employers because he said Marlon does the work of ten men. But with any new business, you need customers and something to show the customers. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking about this on the trip and didn’t take any pictures of the items. But when I went back this winter, I made sure I snapped up a bunch to share with all of you. I don’t know the specific prices of each, but they range from $10 to $70. If you see a particular item, email Raoul at Raoul@karazim.com and he’ll get back to you. They al have a PayPal account set up on the karazim.com website if you want to purchase something. And if you have an idea about a possible creation, send that as well.