Three Days of Bahamas

High School Mission Trip

The Methodist Habitat, Bahamas

7/15-17/08

Well, the journal each day thing didn’t quite work out so well. I thought about it, each day, but when it came to the end of the day and I was ready for bed, I was very tired and put it off thinking I would get to it in the morning. Didn’t happen. I believe I have settled into what we have labeled as “Bahamas Time”. And I think I would really like it here. Granted I would need to have my AC running constantly. The food is good. The people are great and friendly.

Now to Tuesday. Tuesday we divided into two crews. One headed off to finish one roofing project and then off to a second. The other crew stayed back to work concrete at the church across the street, do some weeding, and finish clearing the land for the church’s beach view. Our crew that stayed behind worked hard and diligently. We definitely had more people than work, but we spread it around and everyone pitched in well. This day was a little shorter and we knocked off at about 3pm. Dennis, a man who was helping with the concrete. Kept saying, “Take it slow. No rush, we’ll get the work done.” However, we came to work and wanted to get it done. We were quite getting it yet. The second crew went out to the first roof and finished the job. By lunch they had headed out to the next site ready to work. When the arrived, they did not have all the supplies needed and still needed a generator for power. Once that had all been gathered, they realized they had way too many people for the work, building rafters for a house. There just weren’t enough tools for everyone to be working all at the same time and many literally laid down on the job. They returned frustrated and upset that most of the day was wasted. I still thought that this might be a cultural issue rather than a preparation issue but it was feeling like the work was not prepared for us. Almost as if, the work was being thought of on the spot. What we find though is that it was just a cultural thing. Day three also ended with a dip in the ocean another wonderful dinner, bbq chicken, mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. All cooked Bahamian style.

Wednesday, day four. As we awoke this morning, Andre greeted us in the morning and stated that we would be divided by girls and guys. The guys were going out to the roofing site and the girls would remain behind. At first some of the group was bothered by this but they all adjusted well. The girls stayed back to organize the shed and clean up the house. They did an amazing job and when we returned it was cleaner than when we arrived. The guys all headed out to the house to finish building the rafters on this home. As we were getting ready to pull in, KP realized we had forgotten to pick up ice. We turned around and headed to a local fish camp. It was a quite nice tropical location. Lots of flowers trees and right on a creek. We sat and talked for about an hour, waiting to go off to work. The person with the keys to get the ice wasn’t there and we were waiting hanging out enjoying the conversation. After an hour had passed we decided to head on over to the work site. Once we arrived we again waited for a generator although KP found it and got it to us quickly. We are really beginning to notice that everything is just on their schedule. The really is no rush. As we ran out of wood for the rafters, we packed up heading out. The was a little for the remaining pieces, but KP said, “That’s another day’s work.” As we pulled out, there was a little bridge that the local jump off of into the creek. We stopped. We jumped. We swam. Returned home by about 3pm headed out to the shore and waited for dinner to be prepared. Tonight’s menu? Pork chops, and mac and cheese. Abraham had also arrived. He is the director of the Bahamas Methodist Habitat. So I asked about the slow pace. He explained like this. Think of the Bahamas as an endless summer. It’s always hot. You will always sweat. And tomorrow will always come. On a hot summer day, you just not in a rush to do anything, especially outside in the heat. This is the daily life. A gentleman, who lives on the beach next to the church, had worked on his boat each and every day we have been here. However, he only worked about an hour or so each day. The remaining time he sat by the boat and watched the water roll in. it all was really beginning to make since to me. I found comfort in it. Abraham shared that other groups struggled with this too. It really is a cultural difference. It has been a challenge for our group to really grasp this, yet they dealt with it well. it allowed for other interactions to take place. Most of our group has spent time playing with the local children in the evenings, something that would not have happened had we been exhausted at the end of the day.

Now, Thursday, day five. Again we divided into two groups. We took 8 out to finish the rafters and begin playing plywood and attaching hurricane shingles. The others stayed back to plant plants. There job didn’t take too long and they finished quite early. In Bahamian time, this was a hard day’s work, even though they were fully finished by 11am. The others were hard at work this day from the point of arrival until we left at about 3:30pm. We finished the last few rafter pieces, a team of about 4 laid plywood, and I, Koven, and Mr. Johnson attached hurricane straps. These are straps that help tie the roof down to the rest of the house to hold it on during the storms. Everyone worked hard and stayed on task. No matter how much or how little the work everyone on this trip worked as hard as they could and worked with excellence, wanting to show others how much they cared about them that they would take the time to do the best work possible for them. They did. All week they worked with excellence, both in their work and in their attitude. A couple of the girls even baked a cake to take back to an elderly woman whose home we had worked on. The final work day ended with another delicious dinner. This night was fresh, homemade bread and chicken wings. But not your mama’s chicken wings. I’m not sure what that means, but unless you mom is Bahamian; her wings are not as good as these. They were cooked with no sauce. Rather, they were cooked in water with onions, potatoes and salt and pepper. It created a juice for you to dip the bread in as you were eating the chicken. It sounds simple but without the Bahamian love, I’m not sure it’s the same. Our devotions were great this night, too. We took a look at John 15. Jesus calls his disciples friends instead of servants and sets forth the commandment to love each other. This is not en emotion of love, but an action of love. In all I have seen this week. Our group has show me what it means to be a servant, sacrificing all of their personal desires, time, and their selves to put love into action, to help out, to build, to work, and to build new relationships. We leave on Saturday and I will be sad to go. But I hope and pray that what was learned here is remembered and applied as we return back home.