Serving in the Caribbean

Surprise!!! [on the phone] “Oh, Mr. Flunker will be driving the bus…” [to me] “Mr. Flunker, can you drive the bus?” As Ms. Gibson hung up the phone I knew my plans had been changed. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force called needing a place to lodge. The “best” part – they’d be arriving in only 3 hours.

We barely had the dust settle from the students moving out of the dorms (in fact we still had two boys living there), and next thing we knew we were furiously cleaning and prepping for the new recruits to arrive. Little did I know what had been volunteered for me in serving at their personal chauffeur for the next two days.

The Bahamian nation does not get many invading countries – really who is going to war with the Bahamas. Nonetheless they have a Coast Guard or Marine equivalent called the Defense Force. Part of their program for new recruits is to have them serve on the family islands doing community service.

I had been told that their ship was particularly impressive, but I was about to see first hand how amazing it really was. After a 4 hour delay from when we expected them to arrive, finally there was a ship on the black horizon. It had a spotlight that was like turning on the sun, and as it approached with speed and stealth, its size was very intimidating. The cruiser pulled along side the dock and I couldn’t help but see it as a life size battleship sitting right there at the dock in Governor’s Harbor.

Finally I had a bus full of recruits and it was back to Windermere. After troubleshooting some items on campus they finally found “lights out” and around 1am I was finally in bed. But I had forgot military drills, and at 4am their cadets were right outside our house doing drills and jumping-jacks with enthusiasm and shouting with gusto. Emily was bewildered why anyone would be up at that hour exercising.

Once breakfast came and went I dropped each of them off in their respective settlements for their work duty, and after running errands to fetch them supplies, their first crew was finished and needed to be swapped out for the second crew back at the boat.

As I parked the bus back at the dock to wait for the next crew, I noticed that their shuttle ship was parked at the dock and some officials were waving me over to it. So I made my way over, turns out they were waiting for me! They tossed me into a life vest and before I knew what was happening I was on board with the Island Administrator and his staff headed for a lunch and private tour with the ships Captain!

I couldn’t believe what was happening. Here I was, the lowly bus driver (and an American at that) being treated to the “royal treatment” by the Royal Defense Force. We got on board after some choppy transit and soon we were deep in the bowels of the ship. After some quick instruction we were escorted up levels of ladder shoots and on to the ship’s bridge and command center.

I could’t believe it! Here I was practically sitting in the Captain’s seat. I felt completely out of place, not only was I not anyone important like the Island Administrator or Secretary, but I had been working with the recruits and I was still in my work clothes – everyone else was in uniforms or suits… I felt very much like I stood out like a sore thumb.

Right then Emily and Micah showed up on the shore and took a few pictures as the boat made its way back to the dock. After our tour of this 26 million dollar ship from top to bottom, we found ourselves in the Captain’s dining chambers with all the other Senior Officers for a steak dinner. The Captain turned to me and said that he had invited Emily to come on board and have dinner too.

IT WAS AMAZING!!! Here we were, these two podunk American missionaries eating dinner in our work clothes with the what is the equivalent to eating with an American General and Military Staff – and we have a 4 year old with us on board!!!

Micah was very well behaved and he was mostly in shock during dinner. But Emily was another story. She sat across from me, and as the ship began to rock ever so slowly from side to side, you could see little beads of sweat form on her brow. Until her face went pale and she had sweat pouring down her. She mouthed to me, “I think I’m going to be sick,” and then we had to politely excuse ourselves, before she did get sick. Everyone was very gracious and they understand sea sickness.

What an adventure! We’ll never forget our dinner with the battleship Captain as we found ourselves the very unlikely guests of what may as well have been dining with dignitaries.

And Emily had to go an get seasick!