Bill and I spent January 2025 in and around Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas. We are forever thankful for our time with John and Michele. They have been with us during some of our best and some of our worst sailing adventures. “Worst” referencing my seasickness episodes, fatigue during long crossings, and likely more hard stuff that my mind has blocked out! “Best” referring to the many hours of exploring God’s creation together with awe and admiration, their wise counsel, and taxiing us in their lightening-fast dinghy when they could easily have left us in the dust! We thank God for their friendship.
This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it. Psalm 118:24
View off Green Turtle Cay
Tony and Anne joined us this year for a week at Green Turtle Cay. They are such a sweet couple-like a breath of fresh air. Anne is a little more quiet in her joy and happiness; Tony is full out revelry, excitement and wonder! It is simply not possible to feel Tony’s delight in what God has made and put before us. And that makes me smile every time I see them.
For instance, this is what this beautiful beach looked like before Tony:
Green Turtle Cay
And this is what it looks like with Tony:
Tony doing a pop up in Green Turtle Cay
As Scripture records in Psalm 27:9, “A sweet friendship refreshes the soul”. Thanks, Anne and Tony for being our friends and joining us in our adventures.
February and March 2024 found us volunteering at the Grand Bahama Children’s Home again. We arrived later than we had in earlier years and were so happy to see that the garden was doing fantastic! Some of the tomatoes and greens that we planted last year had come up again on their own, and were already being harvested! The children were enjoying fresh tomatoes, lettuce, cauliflower and broccoli. (Note for the future; the cook said the children don’t like bok choy!)
This year we had some new volunteers with us and they brought talent. You know-knowledge and skills! Stefano was professionally trained by Home Depot and Marilyn owns an organic farm in New Hampshire with her husband. Lynden owns his own farm on Grand Bahama specializing in fruit trees. While Bill and I, and the other volunteers, are willing workers, the mastery offered by Stefano, Marilyn and Lynden can’t be overstated.
True story, and totally typical Bahamian: Marilyn and I met Lynden Saunders’ wife (while we were ordering chocolate at Bootleg Chocolate), she told us we should go to the farmer’s market that morning to meet her husband. While chatting up Lynden, Marilyn bought two fruit trees (avocado and soursop) from him to plant at the Grand Bahama Children’s Home. Lynden then insisted on meeting us at the Children’s Home to dig the holes for the trees. Lynden spent two hours of his own time jackhammering the holes and teaching us how to use banana leaves to nourish the little trees.
The gathering together of all these people, from three different countries and varied backgrounds, to labor joyfully under the hot sun reminds me of God’s Word: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. Ephesians 2:10
Unfortunately, the funding for Grand Bahamas Children’s Home does not provide for a hot meal for the children on Fridays and Saturdays, so we like to provide a pizza party or two every year while we are there. This year’s party was so much fun. Unbeknown to us, our friend Al had been keeping a secret. We know he is fun, can play several musical instruments, and has a great singing voice. However; we did not know that he is an accomplished yo-yo aficionado! So we brought to the party pizza, soda, Susie’s homemade chocolate chip cookies, and Al’s One Man Band and Yo-Yo Show! Three hours of food, fun and games were enjoyed by all. It had been awhile since I had seen a rousing game tug of war. And now Bill knows that any attempt to win a foot race against elementary school boys ends in a pulled muscle!
The Bahamas is predominately a Christian nation. The mission of the Grand Bahama Children’s Home is to provide a safe, secure and comfortable place for abandoned, abused and neglected children to feel safe and protected. And I am thankful that June, the director, is ensuring that these children experience the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, ensuring that they will rise to their potential.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
