Bahama Mission Update
November 24, 2003
We are just six days from the close of the Hurricane Season. We have had a number of small storms and a lot of rain and wind, but have escaped the destruction of a major storm. We are thankful, and our hearts continue to go out to those who suffered.
Since our last report, Dinah has visited with family in Phoenix and I made a quick trip to Texas for the funeral of my brother-in laws mother. Mertle Hyde lived to be 93. She was a wonderful Christian role model and all of us will miss her.
We are thrilled at the response to a need in Marsh Harbour for a classroom building. The congregation there determined that they could handle the labor, but would need some help in buying, shipping, and paying the Customs duty on the steel for the 40X50 building. The slab is already poured, and foundations will be dug around the perimeter. The Highland Church in Lakeland, Florida started the ball rolling with a contribution of $11000 given on the condition that we could raise the additional money to pay the shipping from Houston, Texas and the Custom duty levied by the Bahamas Government. Very quickly we received a check for $2,500 from and individual in Ft. Myers, Florida and an invitation to speak at the West Broward Church in Ft. Lauderdale the week before they took up a special contribution for the project. We were thrilled when they sent a check for $12,000. The building has been ordered, and should be ready to ship in about 6 weeks or so. We think it may take another 4 to 6 weeks in shipment. The Church in Marsh Harbour is working on the building permit, which should be ready before the steel arrives. The sides of the building will be filled in with cement blocks and steel reinforcement to meet the Hurricane code.We should have enough money to buy the blocks and cement as well. This building will provide much needed room for expansion for Bible Class and Correspondence Bible School classes. We are thankful for all of the sacrifice made by so many.
Soon after the first of the year, the Frank Sarvers will return to Marsh Harbour for the 12th year to spend time in teaching and personal evangelism. They are to be joined for one week by Dick and Debbie Willis from Augusta, Georgia. Then in February we look forward to having John and Gay Muery from Rockport. A number of special efforts are planned for Marsh Harbour this summer. They include VBS and evangelistic outreach. The congregation has almost completed a long term project to air-condition the auditorium which will provide much need comfort during the heat of the summer.
Our efforts in handing out World Bible School lessons continues. Most of our family Islands do not have Port Offices, and letters are still handed to the captains or passengers of the supply boats to take to Nassau. This has kept the traditional way of mailing WBS lessons from being effective. We have discovered that handing out the lessons in person and collecting and grading them works great. Our next road block was the need for money to buy the lessons. Many congregations have been willing to grade lessons in the States, but up until now we have not had anyone who would purchase lessons for us to hand out. We have bought what we could, but have fallen far short of the opportunities. Recently we heard from Sandy who works with the WBS program in Lewisville Texas, and he is working to get us some lessons shipped. We are most thankful.
In between trips, I have worked on our aging plane ( 37 years old) We have redone the landing gear and brake systems. Dinah and I landed in Marsh Harbour a few days ago and discovered that the left brake was not working. We turned right all the way around to turn left, and got the brakes repaired that afternoon. I have also noticed in servicing the main landing gear that one of the chrome struts is sloughing chrome near the bottom. We are checking to get the cost of re-chroming and finding out what the down time will be. A new strut we are told is $1000. Wow! After we landing in Florida, my little care would not start. I assumed that the 3 year old battery had failed. We pushed the car and bought a battery. Still it would not start. The mechanic said that the 31 year old starter was worn out! They just don't make things like they used to, or most people do not drive a 31 year old car?
Dinah and I delivered some nice dress clothes and suits to Marsh Harbour, and also a number of good religious books. We took more than a dozen boxes of tracts and study materials to the McQueen family in Exuma along with some treats for their children. Peanut butter and pudding is nice to have when you live a long way from civilization. We met Kerry Ann who is a sister of Suzette. You may remember that Steve and Suzette met while he was a student in the Jamaica School of Preaching. Kerry Ann has moved to Exuma to help with the children so that Suzette can spend more time helping Steve in the evangelistic outreach. We had an amusing thing happen when we were taken to meet an old couple with whom Steve is studying. We had already met Miriam when we were handing out Bibles last December. Steve was taken back by how small our world is.
We flew from Exuma to Cat Island to spend the night with the Deveaux family. We got into a heavy rain shower about 15 miles out and decided to land without flying 3 miles north to "buzz" the house and let them know we were in. When I got to Customs, I could not use the phone right away as it was busy. Dinah and I unloaded and saw Cindy waiting for us. Cindy is the granddaughter of the Deveaux's. I asked how she knew we were there? She said her grandfather heard and recognized the sound of our plane from 3 miles away! The reason the phone was busy was that Cindy had called the airport to confirm that it was us.
Our next visit was with Lincoln Young in Rock Sound, Eleuthera. Lincoln is doing well, and had some visitors from Nassau who had come to assist him. His electric wheel chair was not in as good shape. The tires are about worn out, and the chair would not turn left. He had someone looking at it that afternoon. I have not been able to get hold of him by phone to find out if he got it going. We need to find out the size of his tires and get some replacements. This chair has been one of the most wonderful aids to Lincoln in his ministry.
We arrived back in Marsh Harbour and I was sick. An old friend (96 years young) suggested that I needed some "Neem" tea. The Neem tree was imported into the Bahamas to provide "Bush Medicine". Mr. Albert told me that he was nearly dead two years ago when he started taking a cup of Neem tea every morning. Now he works every day, and mows his lawn with an old push mower (not power). He chops wood and farms every day. I started the tea he gave me and am feeling better than I have in a long time.I will continue to drink my bitter cup of tea every morning! I might get to be in as good shape as my old friend?
Thank you for your support and prayers. I hope that all of you have a delightful Thanksgiving holiday season. Dinah and I will be in Freeport on Sunday, the Lord willing, for the 5th Annual Mission Day sponsored by the Freeport congregation.
david
Bahama Mission Home Page
http://www.flyingpreacher.com/
Mission Contact
David Caskey
Webmaster
Jerry Pickup
http://www.jpickup.com/
