The Hurricane Season is off to a good start again this year. We have only had one named storm this month, but had a low pressure system sitting off the Bahamas for the past 10 days of so. The low pressure makes the hot humid weather even seem worse. There has been a little much needed rain. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been flooded out due to the first named storm, and also from the results of this tropical low pressure system.
Dinah has been pretty sick for the past few months. Visits to the Dr. have given her some relief, but the ear and bronchial infections have always returned. We took her to a Pulmonary Specialist recently and she is doing some better. He says that it will take a month or more of medications to get her back on her feet. She has been a trouper, but flying has aggravated her condition. Both her mother and mine have had health problems of late. Dinah will leave Thursday for a trip to St. Louis to check on her mom. My sister and her husband have been up in Arlington, Texas with my mom as she has undergone a number of tests.
Abaco has had a lot of visitors in the absence of Jason and Katrinka Quashie, who have been in West Africa on a mission trip. Jack and Donna Stewart and their whole family have been down for an extended visit. David and Debbie Blankenship came to both Nassau and Abaco for a few days. David has long relationship with the Bahamas. I met him almost 25 years ago and flew to Nassau to bring him to Abaco for worship. He did the study for the government on the "White Crown Pigeon" in the Islands. It was through him that I developed our relationship with the Church in Rockport, Texas where he served as an elder at that time. David and Debbie now live in Abilene. Bill Miller has visited many of the Islands in the past few weeks, and has brought with him Don Logsdon from Oregon. Don is best remembered as the man who does not eat Bahamian food. Two men from the Palm Beach Lakes congregation visited for a week-end to assess the needs in finishing the class room building. Two of their elders will be over at the end of the week. Dinah and I have spent some time in Abaco. We had a baptism there last Saturday a week ago. Dinah was involved in a study with a man and his sister-in law. We drove to the sea right after lunch. There have also been baptisms recently in Freeport, and Exuma. Saturday and Sunday George Hall will be in Marsh Harbour to talk about the Preacher Training Schools they have in South America. We have a number of members in Abaco who have health problems.
We spent a week-end with Lincoln Young in Eleuthera. A fine group of singles came from the Highland congregation in Memphis. They have come now for several years. The group worked with children in a VBS, and also painted the front of the Church building. They painted two houses while they were there as well. One of the families had started the paint job, but due to illness of almost every member of the family they had to stop. Lincoln bought the paint, and with the group, the job was finished. Dinah and I carried Bibles to Lincoln as prizes for the winners of his Annual Bible Contest with the Island Youth. Lincoln also has a very talented baseball player whom he coaches that we hope to get to move on up with some help from baseball scouts. The group from Wynne, Arkansas is to arrive tomorrow with eleven men and women. We plan to be with them some, later this week. Lincoln is feeling very well. His teeth are completed and we are thankful for the help given him by Barry Zeigler (Dinah's Brother) and Sister Dorothy Allen from Crockett, Texas in paying the bills.His smile is back to outstanding! He is also sporting a new turn table stand to hold his plate as he eats. This was constructed and designed by Dave and Amy Collins in Abaco. It puts his plate at the right height and makes it easy to turn it as he eats. Ann Sands goes into Nassau for an examine on possible Cancer. Ann is a new Christian and we have high hopes of converting John her husband in the near future. Please keep this family in your prayers.
I have just received a FedExed copy of the manuscript of the book on the History of the Church in the Bahamas to read and then write the Forward. This has been a great labour of love by a father and son team for the past 13 months. Chris and Denny Curry have done a mammoth job and I am sure that many of you will want to buy copies when it is published in the not too distant future. I will be sure to let you know how to get copies.
We have been busy with our Clinic, and with a rash of emergencies in the Islands. Our old friend Lewis Key of Zig Zag Airways broke his ankle in three places and has been in bed, Andrew Pinder, nine years old , got his foot caught in a hydraulic bucket on a front-end loader and almost cut it off. He was flown out to Nassau for surgery. Two Lesbian tourist got into a fight over another woman and one was stabbed a number of times. The last I heard she had undergone 4 surgeries. The pilot who flew her out is still trying to get the blood out of his plane. I am scheduled to speak in Freeport this Sunday for "Bring Your Friend Day".
The West Broward congregation in Ft. Lauderdale was given an opportunity to help us get ready for this Hurricane Season and gave $1700 as a "start up fund". We are thankful for their generosity and for the delightful hospitality they extended when we were there to speak.Our prayer is that we will not need it this year, and can save it for the future.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Checks can be made to Bahama Mission Church of Christ, and sent:
Att: David Caskey-Mission, c/o Gulf Coast Church of Christ
3825 McGregor Blvd.
Ft. Myers, Florida 33901.
david
Bahama Mission Home Page
http://www.flyingpreacher.com/
Mission Contact
David Caskey
Webmaster
Jerry Pickup
http://www.jpickup.com/
