MBC Bahamas Trip June 2022

 Well after 10 1/2 hours of labor including lunch, we finished out the rest of the ceiling in the enclosed breezeway! Cleaning, disc golf, swimming, and conversation pretty much wrapped up what little was left to the day.

I had the opportunity to preach once again this morning--it was a pleasure to take an exegetical approach in paralleling Ps. 24 and Col. 1 together! The afternoon was relaxing, and we played another round of disc golf. We went to The Gospel Chapel to attend an evangelistic service with Kevin Knowles.

Today was laid back--after breakfast with Ron and Denise, I spent some time at the coffee shop. Reconnected with Bronson, met Carmen, Denise, and Donnie and spoke to the later for quite a while about his church in Florida and his role as a pastor there. We also spoke for a while about outreach and some unique strategies that have worked to draw people into fellowship with other believers. Afterwards, I visited the museum and reconnected with Michael and Nancy who we met back in January when my whole family joined me. Electricity has been on haphazardly throughout our time here. With private, backup generators running on fuel costing between $8-9/gallon here, energy is precious, albeit unreliable. Aside from spending time on the beach and talking with Ron and Denise, I had a chance to continue planning for Sunday's sermon. Looking forward to it!

We tacked on a couple more visitations today--Ron delivered some leftover relief money to specific people who still needed help following the storm (Hurricane Dorian, 2019--which came with a series of tornadoes, and the reason for our work team and the reason for so much of the rebuilding going on right now in that part of the world). After another mini disc golf tournament between Ron and me, I went to explore/swim. I was chased up the island in a golf cart by a storm, and then it hit--hard. Felt like I needed to shelter since thunder was so loud, so I did ask cover in a shed sitting back off of someone's driveway. Good thing because lightning and thunder joined instantly together as it struck just outside where I was hiding. After the storm finally subsided I came out and found a great swimming spot. After a while, the sky started looking dark again, so I had to make another run for it and again took shelter under an overhang of a barn structure. After getting cleaned up, we welc...

 Ron and I started playing rounds of 18 holes of disc golf going back and forth using 2 metal baskets at opposite ends of a baseball field by the ocean. Good fun--keeping me in practice for the MBC Disc Golf League 😀 As I was out throwing this AM, I met Kevin and Regina Knowles--he's a visiting pastor to The Gospel Chapel church on the island--a Brethren church. Had a good conversation with the two of them, and may try to get down to an evening service he'll be leading later this week. Meanwhile in Pennsylvania... the work team landed and finally got back to the church by 12:10 PM. Tired but doing well! In the afternoon, Ron and I went out on visitations around the island. We stopped in and prayed for/with Lambert and Theresa, Ron gave a hand to Ralph and Lucas on a ferry boat they're repairing, stopped in to see Jan at the boat supply store and check in to see how her family is doing. We greeted Richard and Annie at The Sail Shop, and ended with a longer visit with Dolli,...

Todd thinks Ron and I should be able to finish the ceiling ourselves. The team left is some tools and equipment and took many of the other tools back to the shared tool shed on the island. The team caught the 8:00 Ferry back over to Marsh Harbour this morning. After golf carting around the island, swimming at the Low Place, and chatting for a while with a couple of couples at the rebuilt gazebo there (they both attended and enjoyed the sermon also), it was time to finalize some thoughts about sharing at the Potluck Dinner this evening. I was asked to share my testimony and a challenge. After delicious food and conversation, I shared a part of my testimony, and wove it with Deut. 6 and Ps. 119 as I highlighted my parents' work in reading through the One Year Bible as a family growing up. It did serve as spiritual light as I've navigated temptations, priorities, decisions, and challenges of life. Also discussed impacts of Self Confrontation and Perspectives, etc. Good feedback! A...