New City Church’s team finished up their time in Abaco at the Community Center and saying goodbye to new friends.
Read past blogs from this team and others at Team Updates – Many Hands Impact
We woke up to an awesome devotional this morning reflecting on the joy of loving and the motivations that brought each of us to the island. We were just reminded once again of the beautiful stories of the Bahamian people who truly are walking miracles and as much as we came here to minister to them, we are definitely walking away knowing we were sent here so they could minister to us.
We spent some more time in Murphy Town today at the community center, a full circle moment to be back to where our journey this week started. We finished the majority of our painting project while another group worked on an exterior beautification project. A reminder there is always beauty in serving no matter what the role. Those who were working outside in the heat received a surprise as it began to rain, and it just brought joy to their hearts as they were reminded of the simplicity of childhood, where stopping to enjoy and take in the rain was something to be relished in and that we can forget as we are hustling to the next thing in our adult lives.
We also saw our new friend, JJ, again at the community center. He willingly jumped right in again to help, and you could tell he was sad that this was our last day on the island. I think we all are taking a piece of his heart home with us, and we will all be checking up on him as a good mother does. We also made sure to remind him that there are resources available to him through ministries here on the Island like Kirk of the Pines, who have told him to come and chat with them because he has inspired a need for a new ministry of young adults in the Abaco area. This young man definitely has all of our hearts. We prayed over him and before we left the Community Center, we prayed a special blessing over every doorway and space, and we know God has such amazing plans for this place!
We had more delicious food and some time to reflect as we finished the day with our Impact Journeys (a time to share what the trip has meant to each team member and to make a commitment to be love in action in their day-to-day lives). Who knew we all needed this island so much more than it needed us? The stories shared were powerful and there are plans to return home to be love in action in a new way.
We couldn’t have asked for a better time. Until next time…
