After
six months of planning and preparation, our Vacation
Bible School and Habitat team of 18 was finally on
its way to Inagua on June 30. Returning to the islands
is always exciting, but this time we had with us 10
new team members, including our own Pastor Gee and
his family. We were greeted at the airport by now
familiar faces and there were hugs and smiles all
around.
Because
of the charter flight schedule, our team arrived three
days before the start of VBS, so we had adequate time
to set up the community center, make last minute plans,
renew friendships with the locals, and swim, fish,
snorkel and hike.
The
VBS started on Monday, July 4, and the kids were as
excited as we were. The first day we had 100 children
and youth and each day the number grew. Our theme
this year was “Lighthouse Kids VBS – Shining
God’s Light.” Everyone there could relate
to the theme because of the very prominent lighthouse
located on Inagua, as well as the nautical props that
we used.
Through
our skits, music, crafts, recreation, snacks, and
Bible stories, we were able to share the love of Jesus
with these precious children and show them ways to
be God’s light in the world.
After
the final day of VBS, we had an evening closing celebration
which was attended by the kids, as well as parents,
other relatives, neighbors and friends. Performing
in front of a full house, the children sang several
of the songs they had learned and our team presented
one final skit.
As
the evening ended, the children and parents invited
us back for next summer. We already have a waiting
list for the 2006 trip!
The
next day, Saturday, we walked to the Inagua All-Age
School where we began the first of many much-needed
repairs, using the donated building materials we had
shipped in advance of our trip. We scraped, painted,
replaced broken toilets and sinks with new ones, installed
new doors and windows, and classroom partitions. Having
noticed the heartbreaking condition of the school
during our trip in 2004, we were determined to make
a difference this summer.
There
were people in the community who came by the school
to see the progress – all of them expressed
their gratitude for what we were doing for their children.
Some of them even pitched in and helped. Several groups
of children came by during the second week and looked
excited to see their school getting a much-needed
facelift.
Members
of our team took turns each morning leading a devotional,
sometimes using music. We worked from about 8:00 a.m.
after breakfast until about 5:00 p.m. when many of
our team walked from the school down the street into
the sea – work clothes on – to cool off
after a hot day of work. There’s so much more
to do, but much was accomplished on this trip. Our
prayer is that the improvements will give the children
and teachers a reason to smile and that their school
days will be a little brighter.
There
are no adequate words to describe the beauty of this
rugged, rocky island. The huge boulders on the shoreline
and that famous Bahamian aqua-blue water are breathtaking.
The beaches are small, but beautiful and deserted.
There are no tourists on Inagua and that’s a
good thing! There are no restaurants, no hotels, and
only a few very small food stores – poorly stocked,
unless the Morton Salt Company ship from Cape Canaveral
has recently docked.
Inagua
is the third largest Bahamian island and claims 60,000
pink flamingoes, 200 Bahamian parrots, and a herd
of wild donkeys; however, its population numbers less
than 1,000 in the single town.
On
our last Sunday there, our team was invited to lead
the worship service at Wesley Methodist Church. Pastor
Gee, Sandy, Hannah and Teresa Brewer from Middleburg
UMC led the praise and some of our team read Scripture
and gave personal testimonies before Pastor Gee’s
sermon.
Last
fall, we collected backpacks and school supplies for
the 250 children at the Inagua All-Age School. The
children were so excited and appreciative of these
gifts. Each class made “thank-you” placemats
for us, drawing pictures of local birds on them, signing
their names, and some included photos of their class.
They still carry their backpacks, but with a new school
year beginning, new supplies will be needed.
Collecting
school supplies for the children on this island is
an ongoing project, and donations of notebook paper,
glue, crayons, pencils, pens, rulers, sharpeners,
plus anything else that a student might need would
be such a blessing . Your support of this mission
is needed and very much appreciated by the Inagua
community. God bless you!
