Bahama Mission Update
August 18, 2003
We are thankful that Tropical Storm Erika had not developed more than it had when it crossed the Bahamas, and so happy that no more damage was done in Mexico and Texas after if crossed the Gulf of Mexico. I did put the plane in a hanger for one day as a precaution, and had to buy some straps to keep our canvass cover from blowing away!
Dinah is visiting her mother and family in St. Louis. She just celebrated her birthday in the Bahamas before leaving to celebrate several more including her mothers. Yesterday she was able to worship with the West Central congregation in St. Louis. This congregation was well represented at the Caribbean Lectureship in Nassau last month, so it was a reunion of sorts.
I have completed 5--25 minute radio tapes for the Freeport Church,and am almost finished with the research on 5 more. We are dealing with some thorny problems of society including homosexuality and political correctness. The Islands have taken a pretty strong stand against the homosexual topic as discussed in the American media.I have been very concerned about the statements made by religious leaders and by ABC network. The program sponsored by the Freeport congregation reaches not only Grand Bahama but also the northern Bahamas. Radio is still very effective and I often meet people in very small out of the way places who remind me that they heard the program at 6 p.m. on Sunday evening.
We are collecting printed material for most of the Islands for distribution with Bibles. I am doing an assessment of how many Bibles are needed so as to minimize the cost of shipping and handling at the ports when we turn in the order.. I have bought a number of Giant Print Bibles for older people with eye problems. One of the ladies in the congregation in Marsh Harbour has built a new store room, and promised me some room in the corner for Bible Storage as we stamp them and fly them out to the different locations.
The Church in Freeport is doing well. They had 141 in worship Sunday even with many gone because of the peak of summer travel. James Miller ( One of their preachers) spent some time in his home settlement of Green Castle in Eleuthera and preached in Rock Sound recently.This Church, like all of our Island congregations, is very mission minded.
A group of ten adults from Wynne, Arkansas just completed a very successful effort in Rock Sound. This was their second year. The crowds were not as large this year, due to the time they arrived. Last year they averaged 120 per day in this small settlement of about 700 people. Most Bahamians who can afford it, are off the family Islands until time for school to start. However, their efforts were a great encouragement to the local congregation, also Lincoln Young, and made a wonderful impact on the community.They knocked every door and gave each person a special invitation to services on Sunday and to send their kids during the week. They learned first hand the difficulties of traveling in the Islands by air. Bahamas Air has a great safety record, but is not "always" on time! Nor do they always leave from the same airport of arrival. We were delighted to spend two days with this wonderful group. It is a small world! Fred Strasser who led the group and preaches for the Church in Wynne was a roommate to Danny Osborn who is an elder in our sponsoring congregation in Ft. Myers, Florida and does all of the financial book work for us as a CPA. This is yet another Harding University connection.
Dinah and I also spent some time with the Deveaux family in Cat Island. Brother Deveaux has lost most of his vision and is really excited about the assistance given once a month by a group of men from Highbury Park in Nassau. He could hardly wait to tell me that the group would be arriving on Friday for a long week-end of teaching and fellowship. We are thankful to these men for their devotion, and to Benny Morton in Detroit for the contributions that are now being used to help defray the expenses. Dinah and I rejoice that others are building on our efforts over the years.
Jason and Katrinka Quashie were in West Palm Beach with a group of young people from Marsh Harbour when the three tornadoes touched down. There were more than 500 homes destroyed, but no one injured.The Church building where they were meeting was in the path of this F2 storm. Dinah and I were in Cat Island and later learned that all three had been within 2 miles of our house in Florida.
Jason Quashie has begun the Sunset school by tape in Marsh Harbour and has 8 students meeting once a week to study. This along with the local work of the congregation and the outreach to the community of Crossing Rocks keeps him busy.
I have been working on the annual inspection for the airplane at different times between trips and hope to finish up later this week. Safety is a great priority and the scope of our work would be greatly reduced without the plane.
Dinah and I were thrilled to be able to visit with Steve and Suzette McQueen in Exuma. We sat and talked and prayed together amidst the boxes still stacked in their rented house. Keep this family in your prayers as they begin the work, and serve in this chain of Islands. We were able to deliver communions sets, song books, Bibles, and Bible class materials along with some treats for the children. I have known Steve since he was in high school and used to spend his summers helping me in Abaco. Suzette was the secretary for the School of Preaching in Jamaica and they met while he was a student. They have 3 delightful children. They are being sponsored by the congregation in Ringgold Ga. Contact Mike Gurganus (gurganus@catt.com). They are still in need of some assistance.
Next month I am scheduled to hold a short meeting in Pecos, Texas and speak for the remainder of our supporting congregations in the Texas area. Later we hope to make a short trip to Tennessee and see our granddaughter and visit with the Bedford congregation who helps support us. We have only seen Ella Kay for a day or so after her birth. I must be having withdrawals. Recently in Eleuthera I woke from a dream in which I was holding her and explaining that I was one of her grandfathers but she would not know that. In the dream she replyed, "yes I know". I in amazement asked it she could talk? "Sure" she replied! Not bad for a 4 month old. Ha
Mission work requires that we wear a lot of caps. Sometimes we are encouraging, preaching, teaching, hauling supplies, rendering aid both disaster and medical, writing lessons and reports, cutting radio tapes, working on the plane and many other tasks. No two days are alike and we never get bored. Please keep us in your prayers, as we do you. We are thankful for your support and encouragement.
david
Bahama Mission Home Page
http://www.flyingpreacher.com/
Mission Contact
David Caskey
Webmaster
Jerry Pickup
http://www.jpickup.com/
