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10 years ago I met a young man named Justin who came from Alabama on a mission team. He and I have stayed in touch ever since and this past year he contacted me. In the years since serving as an intern, he is now a youth pastor at a church and I’m a missionary on Eleuthera. He asked would it be possible to bring a team to the island we had just one week left open to fit his schedule.
The Bethel Baptist team was a team that grew on you, and maybe because its nearing the end of the summer and there have been some long days, but more than many of our summer teams I found it very hard to say goodbye to this team.
This team accomplished an incredible amount of work and ministry. On the classroom side of things they finished installing all the new ceiling panels. We stood back and looked and thought that after the Union Park team installed the new lights that the ceilings looked great, but now after the new panels are installed it makes it look like we need new lights!
We really felt comfortable with this team, and even though we just met, in so many ways it felt like we knew each other for years.
This team really was hardworking. There was one night where I heard some glass break at about 10:30pm. I went outside to look and there was one of the men on the team, busy at cutting more ceiling panels and installing them while everyone else was sleeping. The helped resurface the driveway, they retiled the 2nd story boys apartment, they hauled out the old trucks, and installed new sports equipment for the 5th and 6th graders.
Not only did they do an immense amount of work at the school, but in the afternoons they would split into two groups, one of which went to our church to host a VBS with games, songs, skits, and puppets; the other group went into the settlement to help do construction on some of the poorest of the poor.
One gentlemen’s house was a little more than an open shack. His floors were dirt and grass, and we could literally see through his roof. We went day after day to his house and installed a new leakproof roof, and along the way we got to talk to him about his new found faith and help share the gospel with the woman who lived with him. Two other houses saw new roofs and some plumbing work. Whether it was construction or VBS this team left all they could in the name of Jesus and for His kingdom.
We so appreciate Justin’s initiative to come back and serve and it was such a blessing to see him and fellowship with him again. I pray the Lord keeps us connected for another decade of ministry.