I can not remember this many serious Hurricanes in such a short time and in such a small area. We are making some progress in areas, and still have not heard from brethren in other places.
Don Yelton with Whites Ferry Road Relief Ministries, and Randy Steigle and Joe Smith with Healing Hands in Nashville are really working hard to get a 40 foot container of food and water to Freeport. Grand Bahama before Ivan slows down the process. At this writing they have 1/4 of the container filled with food, are hoping to put 1/2 with drinking water, and then fill the rest with rice and beans etc. Supplies are low because of Charlie and Francis. I talked with Elison Delva, preacher in Freeport and told him it might not be the kind of food they were used to, and he said they would learn to love it! The cost of shipping from Nashville to Freeport is going to be about $5800.00. We hope to have it on the way before the week-end as these brethren are in serious shape. Their building held up well as was used as a shelter.
Abaco is doing pretty well. The water should recede enough this week-end to get the airport open again. We will get them some help in time, but water is being produced on the Island and they are better off than some others. Brother Bill Miller had gotten a call through to Abaco yesterday checking on them from Nassau.
No more word from Lincoln since the first day, but indications are that the central and north part of the Island took a bigger hit than Rock Sound. Still no word from Cat Island and the Deveaux family, or from San Salvador and the little church there. They took a direct hit from Francis.
No word from Brother Terrance Baptiste in Granada. We have gotten reports of wide spread looting and efforts to rescue 800 American students from a school. A call indicated that they were with little food, but had a generator and water purifying system. They had armed themselves against gangs of looters and were hunkered down hoping the State Department would help get them out.
We were in contact with Gladwyn from the School of Preaching in Jamaica yesterday and they were as prepared as they could be. Gilbert hit them directly in 1988 as a Cat. # 3. Ivan will be a #4 and maybe a #5. I talked with Brother Mac Bothwell in Cayman and they were hunkered down. Charley did a lot of damage in Cuba and our brethren were affected. Ivan will hit them hard also.
Ivan seems now to be heading in the tract of Charley and is off more to the West Coast of Florida. The tract keeps sweeping back and forth across the State.
Pray for all the victims of all of these storms.
If you would like to help with the recovery efforts: Make checks to Bahama Mission Church of Christ, Send:
David Caskey-Missions
Gulf Coast Church of Christ
3825 McGregor Blvd.
Ft. Myers, Florida 33901.
The Gulf Coast elders are overseeing these funds as well as our regular funds, and Danny Osborn CPA will be doing the accounting.
david
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Jerry Pickup
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