I am listening to the rain from Tropical Storm Matthew, and have been watching Nicole move into the North Atlantic, and a strange new storm in the Atlantic move south. Fourteen named storms so far and we are still jumpy.
The harsh reality of what has taken place is beginning to sink in. It will be months and sometimes years before life returns to normal for so many in various areas. The stories of fear and terror, the sad looks and the gaunt eyes make a lasting impression on all who visit with the victims. Materials are not available for roof repair, crews who do repair work are booked for months, blue tarps are everywhere, piles of debris are a common part of the landscape. Many are bereaved and mourning the deaths of loved ones. A new ailment is traveling over the area, it is called "Generator Envy".
Sunday we were privileged to be with the West Broward Church in Ft. Lauderdale. They took up a very generous second contribution to be shared with the Bahamas, Cayman, Jamaica and Haiti. We were uplifted and so very thankful for their generosity. We express to each of you who have been so giving, not only our gratitude, but the heartfelt thanks of the people of the Islands. The money is relieving suffering, and the knowledge of your love and care is lifting spirits.
Yesterday we had lunch with three ladies from the Marsh Harbour congregation. Ruby Rolle is over in Florida to have her baby in two weeks. Greta and Lynn came with her to help her get settled and to buy supplies. They talked of the damage to the town and Church building, of flooded homes, flooded cars, days of rain, and of roofs being ripped apart in high winds. They all mentioned the gratitude of those in the congregation for the small packets of money given to families in the Church to help them survive. Brethren from the Palm Beach Lakes Church in West Palm plan a trip to help do repair work on the building at the end of the month.They will be shipping over tools and supplies before they go. Repairs that were done after Francis were torn away during Jeanne. Ruby told of water at the airport in Marsh Harbour being up under her shoulders!
Our hope and prayer is that the badly needed large shipment in the 40 foot container to the brethren in Freeport will be available today.( 38,000 lbs. of food and water) They are back meeting in the building and had a contribution Sunday of $3000. Many of their members are out of work because of the shutdown of the tourist facilities. Brethren from Nassau plan to travel to Freeport to help with the unloading and distribution of water and food. Many hotels will not open before February. They continue to help each other with food,and water, and to help those out of work to pay their bills. Power is coming back on in Freeport and they are again able to use phones and cable in many places. The landscape is changed, but leaves are popping out on some of the trees.
With the help of strangers and Brother Roy Graneau the preacher,at long last we got hold of Brother and Sister Bothwell in Cayman. She is very ill with Wegner's Disease, but has a great attitude. Yesterday I reached them again by cell phone. Ella May was sitting in the ruins of their home that was flooded with salt water and the roof was badly damaged. She quoted her late father who said years ago after losing everything,"If I had not had it, I could not have lost it". 8000 homes in Cayman were destroyed, winds gusted to 232 miles per hour. 8 feet of salt water came across the Island. People climbed into attics and prayed the roofs would hold as the escaped flood waters down below. Hotels on the beach are gone and the place is hard to recognize. Power and phones are still out in most places. Doors that were heavily braced bowed in the winds. Three feet of salt water came into the Church building, 8 members suffered serious roof damage, two lost their homes, 10 had sea water flooding. We have some money coming to help them care for the needs of those members, and also a check to help buy sheetrock for repairs to the building. Through a generous discount from John Howard of Howard Publishing in West Monroe, we are sending them 75 brand new song books to replace those lost.
In Granada there is still suffering from the 80% who had their homes damaged. Schools have been closed, Brother Terrence Baptiste (the preacher) and family are staying in the damaged Church building. Looting is still going on. Hurricanes bring out the worst in some and the best in others.
Jamaica is working hard to rebuild the two Church buildings destroyed and the many damaged. The roof on the School of Preaching/Mona Congregation building is having to be completely rebuilt. The timbers were more than 40 years old and were too damaged to just roof over. Some of the money we got Sunday will go to this project. Sunday all the congregations in Jamaica had special contributions to help their brethren and to send some help to Granada, Cayman, Cuba and Florida. "It is not what we would do with millions if riches should fall our lot, but what we are doing at present with the dollar and quarter we've got".
Efforts are on going to help the Brethren in Cuba. There has been a lot of resistance to U.S. help from Castro!
The situation in Haiti is horrible. In addition to the loss of more than 3000 lives in flood waters, and the stench of bodies being uncovered and buried, they are having a political uprising again. Food and supply convoys are being attacked. We are no longer taking supplies in as outsiders arriving with food and water are considered fair game for all. We are trying to get little bits of money to the brethren to buy their own food. Communications are sparse. Gas for travel and to run a couple of generators to charge cell phones is hard to get. Those trying to help with recovery on the ground are exhausted. We lost 109 brethren here in the first count, and have not had an update in a couple of weeks.
We thank you again for your prayers for the victims, and your generous contributions to help our brethren survive and recover. More is still needed and if you would like to help, you can make checks out to Bahama Mission Church of Christ. Send them to:
David Caskey-Missions, Gulf Coast Church of Christ
3825 McGregor Blvd.
Ft. Myers, Florida 33901.
These funds are being overseen by the Elders of the Gulf Coast Church and Danny Osborne, CPA is doing the financial report. We are keeping careful records, and the accounting will be available to all as we get nearer the end.
david
Bahama Mission Home Page
http://www.flyingpreacher.com/
Mission Contact
David Caskey
Webmaster
Jerry Pickup
http://www.jpickup.com/
