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So, where did I leave off…

Yes, yes, yes. We got a good nights rest the night of Junkanoo(we got a good nights rest every night in the Bahamas because we were so tired and it was so incredible hot…in a good way).

The day ahead of us would be a hard one. We had decided to move the time of the Jump Off at Pinewood Gardens Park from a start time of 11 am to a start time of 4 pm. You see, the day before, we were passing out fliers when a christian Bahamian woman told me that the only people crazy enough to go outside at 11 am in the Bahamas were us and that we should move the outreach to later in the day when it wasn’t so hot. (Lets put it this way, I’m sweating just thinking about how hot it was). 

So, the first thing we had to do was go to the park, put up posters with the new time on them, and pass out updated fliers.

When I got back to pick up the team they told me that at least 50 children had already showed up for the event @ 11 and there was one 15 year old guy who told me that he was going to wait there for us until 4. I laughed and said, ‘see you later then.’

We got back to the ALC, prepared all the supplies, sports equptment and food for the outreach, had lunch, a moment to rest and then off to the park once agian.

Now, last year we had between 50-75 young people show up and it was amazing.

Well, when we arrived at the park this year kids were already waiting. Nate and a young girl walked around picking up glass because there was trash and broken beer bottles all over the park. Edy and Eileen prepared their face painting booth. Nate, Time, Carol and I began to set up the kids olympics, and Owen set up the grill for all the hamburgers and hot dogs.

Before 4 o’clock even came there was so many young people waiting that we decided to start. Now remeber there was only a total of 11 of us on the team, so how many people could we really run an event for? Hmm. I guess we’d soon find out.

I’m not sure exactly what happened next because so many people were there, but at one point in the midst of a footall game I was playing, I stopped and looked around and saw the Children’s Olympics going on, Nate playing football with at least 15 people, Edy and Eileen painting kids faces and so much happening and I just stopped for a moment and praised God for how He was using us.

On a side note, there’s nothing like being a tool in God’s hands when He’s using you to help others.

Well, the food was ready, but I knew that before we did the food we should have a time for all that were there to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. I shared with them the infamous t-shirt analogy, decribing how Jesus switched shirts with us. We explained to them how Jesus wants to take their dirty shirt and give them His perfectly clean shirt. It’s always interesting to see the spiritual light go on in people hearts when they get that Jesus Christ already paid for their sin and that He wants to give them His perfection.

Now, it was time for food. We tried to keep order during this time but it was like trying to plug a hole in a dam with only your finger. It would be like the eleven of us trying to get a stampede of 500 bulls to stop dead in their tracks. We didn’t have nearly enough hamburgers and hot dogs so we cut them in smaller pieces and thy we gone it seemed before we could blink our eyes. Also, school supplies and prizes and candy were given out to all the kids.

What a blast we had? How cool it was to hang out with all of those kids. I can still see many of their faces in my minds eye. Oh Lord, do something fantastic in their lives.

Neko, was with us all day, watching us serve in his coomunity, and this was the beginning of him learning to serve the Lord by serving others also. Reshawn came to the event and brought some friends and ended up leaving with us and staying with us for the rest of the week.

Neko and Reshawn were such a blessing the whole trip. Day by day they became more and more part of the team.

The Jump Off in Pinewood Gardens park was a testimony of what God + a group of surrendered christinas can do. The odds were against us 250-11 but truly God + you always equals the majority and the victory.

Oh yeah, I almost forget to tell you that yes, even in the Bahamas, when the Jump Off takes place it always rains, but no worry, God was there and He was glorified.

Coming up next:

Trip to Orphanage

Salvation of Fado, Trip to AIDS camp, Salvation of airport security guard & more.

God bless and I hope all of you can come with us next year. Hike!!!

Pastor Billy