Bahama Mission
September and October 2002
The Past weeks have been very enjoyable and busy. We rejoice in the fact that many of the tasks that we did for years have now been taken over by the men and women of the Islands. This is great progress! What a joy to sit and listen to my former students as they teach and preach. Programs of evangelism are being carried out by the various congregations. There is still work to be done by all, but so many of the aspects of the work are being shared.
The Guinn's from Ft. Lauderdale came down and spent 3 days with us in Abaco, Exuma and Long Island. We were able with two planes and two extra people to be much more effective in delivering the Bibles and Drug Education materials to the students in Exuma. We visited all of the schools on the Island, made contact with the commissioner (Like our Governor), the Superintendent of Schools, and many other people we are working with. Mike Gurganus plans a trip down in December to follow up on contacts he made this past summer with the group. On the same trip we got to visit with the Brethren in Long Island for Sunday worship, and view the progress on their building. They are still doing all of the work themselves.
Lincoln Young has been busy getting the outside work on the building going. There were large trees to be trimmed, plaster to be applied, the roof to be cleaned and sealed, structural repairs to be made and finally the painting to be done. Dinah and I have made two trips to complete the inside, and have a few more things to do. I made another trip to deliver the roofing mastic (400 pounds) and then to take Lincoln with me to Nassau where we were both to speak at the Manpower Conference. We have some large evangelistic programs planned after the first of the year. People in the town have taken notice of the face lift. The building sits in the very center of the small town. Brethren in Houston have spent hours making a special metal tray to fit on Lincoln's wheel chair that will allow him to preach and eat from the chair. The tray tilts to hold his Bible or will go flat so that he can also eat without having to move from the chair. We are thankful to Oz Samford and Bogan Smith for the long hours, and to Cleo Tarver for planting the seed and doing the leg work.
A number of baptisms have been reported in many of the congregations. The group of brethren who get together each week under the name, “Untold Stories”, for fellowship and encouragement sponsored the First Annual “Manpower Conference” in Nassau. I was honored to be one of the two key-note speakers. This two day program had the theme of God's Role for Men, and dealt with the Church and the Society. It was well advertised on T.V. and with 7500 handouts and tracts in the capital city. ZNS, the National Radio station, recorded each of the two hour sessions for rebroadcast to the nation. The singing, fellowship, study, panel discussions and questions all pointed toward getting all of us more involved in taking the message to the 700 Islands.
I have conducted several short week-end meetings and have had the opportunity of worshiping with other congregations for Bible Study periods. This next Sunday, Dinah and I are to be in Freeport for the Annual Mission Day. I will be speaking and showing slides of the various congregations in the Family Islands where we work. All of the men supported by Freeport are being flown in and a great day of fellowship and food is planned. This time Dinah and I plan to spend the night, so that we will not have to leave before the evening periods. There is no night flying in the Bahamas except emergency medical flights! The following week, I am to be with the Central Church in Nassau and again plan to pick up Lincoln to share the week-end. Brother Andrew Major has a very successful program with young people in the inner city. He has been having between 75 and 80 at each weeks get together. I will preach, and Lincoln will speak and be an inspiration and motivator to the kids.
Drexel Major is doing better. He made a visit to Abaco and was the hit of the town for a week-end. We are still very hopeful that he can move back and work full time with the Church in the future. We were saddened by the death of Sister Jenetta Lowe in Marsh Harbour. She fought a courageous battle against cancer. The funeral was delayed in making arrangements to move her body back home from Florida where she died in the hospital. This was the largest funeral I have seen in more than 20 years in Marsh Harbour. There were people from all over the Islands, including two members of Parliament. Franklin Simmons and Leonard Edgecombe assisted me at the funeral.
Frank and Bea Sarver are to arrive in Abaco on January 2 for their eleventh year of spending ten weeks working with the Marsh Harbour congregation. Everyone is excited about their return. By staying 10 weeks and returning each year, they have built on the success of their work and become a vital part of the year's activities with the congregation. We are hoping to have a special Teen Week-End Meeting while they are with us. We will bring in a speaker from Florida.
Many of you have continued to give Memorials to Bahama Mission. We thank you for these contributions. We use this money to help start new works in the Islands. We are optimistic that the 'Manpower” program will cause a number of our young families to move from Nassau and Freeport and work and aid the Church in several of the family Islands. This is the hope we have for the future. We need men in Abaco, Cat Island to work with Brother Deveaux, San Salvador, and now Exuma.
I was recently given a digital camera by Terri Hursey from Ft. Lauderdale. I will soon be working with Jerry Pickup to update and make some modifications to the Web page. Thanks to both of them for helping me into the 21st century!
Thank you again for your prayers and support. Checks can be made to:
Bahama Mission Church of Christ and sent:
Attn: David Caskey Missions
Gulf Coast Church of Christ
3825 McGregor Blvd.
Ft. Myers, Florida 33901
If you need additional information about the work in
the Bahamas, please feel free to write to the above address, or refer to our
web page.
david
