Celebrate Church’s team played games at the beach, enjoyed local farming, and reflected on their hard work.
Read past blogs from Celebrate’s team and other teams at Team Updates – Many Hands Impact
Today was a busy day! We started the day with a great breakfast made by the amazing LuLa and Dorine (they’re the best). All 13 of us filled the van and we traveled south. Our first stop was a beach called Winding Bay. It was such a beautiful day to be outside enjoying the sun. We played a lot of football and volleyball, and some of the guys snorkeled and explored the rocks. We even saw a stingray!
After the beach, we packed up and headed to Pete’s Pub for lunch. We had a lot of good conversations and quality time together waiting for our food. I (Faith) enjoyed a hamburger, rice and beans, and coleslaw. It was such a beautiful view of the ocean too!
Next, we headed to Driftwood Farm to enjoy quality time with amazing people. When we arrived we all set out on our own tasks to help out the family who owns the farm. I (Faith) got to collect eggs from the chickens and fill up their water buckets. I also got to cut fresh lettuce from the farm that we got to eat that night! Being able to experience new things from the local Bahamians is such a blessing and an amazing experience!
After we got done working, we jumped on the volleyball court and played some intense matches. Even though some of us suffered from a foot injury (Judd) we still played and put our best effort out on the court. Lots of running, diving into the sand, and cheering each other on!
Overall, it was a fun-filled day and I know all of us are exhausted and ready to set out tomorrow to finish up some work!
A Word from Big Mike:
I (Big Mike) have been having a great time. I set out to be one of the site project managers and have enjoyed finding what people are good at and comfortable with. We have some amazing crew members who are always willing to take on new roles with eager hearts. We had a big day today and got to enjoy some fantastic beach activities. The power and immensity of the ocean always impresses me.
After that, we went to the part of the island that wasn’t affected by the hurricane, and what a beautiful island it can be. There were tall trees, beautiful landscapes, and people who are counting their blessings because they know how close they were to losing everything. The happiness on the island’s South Side surpasses the Middle and North Sides by a lot. You have to understand the mentality they are going through when serving one or the other. The hope of this island is to someday become the beautiful island it once was. It isn’t just a fond memory, it is a reality that there are so many good people on this island striving every day to help those around them.
We are just a small part of what is going on, on this island, even though what we are doing now may not feel like it is impacting those around us immediately. We don’t always get to see the flowers we planted bloom, but we know that they will turn into an amazing thing someday, and that is why we strive so hard in the unstoppable heat and humidity to keep going. To keep painting, and to keep planting seeds in this community that will grow back into the beautiful trees and landscape that once ruled this land. To bring joy back to the whole island.
P.S. Today I was promised ice cream and we didn’t have enough time, but tomorrow Miss Laura said we would get 5 scoops of ice cream instead of just 2. LET’S GO!!!!!
