Today we toured the town of Marsh Harbour and saw first hand the devastation that still remains from hurricane Dorian. There are many buildings that remain completely destroyed and many more without a roof. Laura took us to a concrete slab that is the only thing remaining of a local church. Laura shared that the church held a worship service/concert on New Year’s Eve that lasted until 2am on that concrete slab. The people continue to praise God even without a building and all the familiar things that we typically use during a church service. This represents the unwavering faith and resiliency of the people of Abaco. The more we learn about the people of Abaco, I am aware of how they have learned to be content regardless of their messy situations or destroyed buildings. This is a lesson I hope to carry back home.
After lunch we toured the local Christian school and met Rebekah, a leader at the school. As Rebekah shared her vision for adding a Thrift Store to be operated by the students, I was in awe of how God works all things together for the good for those who love Him. Several people in our group have worked or volunteered at the Many Hands Thrift Markets in Des Moines. We had the expertise we needed to bring order out of chaos as we sorted through the bags of donations.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
The mission of Many Hands is to be love in action in a broken world. I witnessed this today at an after school tutoring program. Many Hands missionaries work with 4th-7th grade students to provide additional reading practice and homework assistance. The students had been in school all day, yet they were joyful, attentive and respectful to the teachers. One 14 year old boy told me his parents had both died when he was young and he now lives with his aunt. The loving and affirming environment the teachers offer these students is truly love in action in the midst of brokenness.
The first day on camp Jimmy power washed lumber that had been stacked for about 3 years. Jimmy was able to remove the black mold that covered the 2X4’s, but some dark stains remained on the lumber. During devotion time, Jimmy shared how this was similar to the way Jesus washes away our sins (black mold) when we surrender our lives to him. We are forgiven and our sins are washed away, but there may be some scars (stains) from our past that remain. This lumber is still useful to make bunk beds and shelves for the dorms. As we move into a fuller relationship with Jesus we can see him work through us to bring Him honor and glory. Understanding our unique purpose, empowers us to be used to further God’s kingdom as we shine His light in the darkness, regardless of the stains or scars from our past. God uses what we see in the flesh as negative to grow His kingdom when we fully surrender to the power of the trinity.
As the team leader, I (Pam) was aware of many things that could be challenging during our time in Abaco. One of those concerns is how well the team will bond with each other as we live and serve together for a week. During these first two days, that concern was eliminated as I witnessed our team praying and singing praises together, couples playing cards together, the youth performing a puppet talent show for the entire team, and the team working together to build, paint, clean, sort, and organize.
The verse God laid on my heart for this trip was Psalm 34:3-4:
“I sought the LORD and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; Their faces are never covered in shame.”
As I step into unknown arenas like leading mission trips, God reminds me over and over that He goes before me and works all things together for His good. He delivers me from ALL my fears as I trust in His faithfulness. All praise and glory to Him!
