Eleuthera, Bahamas [ Part 2 ]

I am SO EXCITED for this post!  If you saw the first one- you know that Eleuthera has a special place in my heart.  The people of Eleuthera are incredible.  They live simple lives filled with endless possibility!  THEY are what keep me coming back year after year- building relationships with my Bahamian Family is such a gift!  While I shared a rough timeline of what our days looked like in Part 1, in this post I wanted to share a few of my favorite highlights from the trip and finish up with the end of our week!  These moments are the ones that stood out and really made THIS trip my most favorite out of all of my four trips I’ve made there!

When most people hear that I do missions in the Bahamas they chuckle and make a joke or two about how it can’t really be a missions trip if it’s in paradise.  I chuckle right back, because trust me- it is!  Eleuthera IS paradise!  But it’s also extremely hot, bugs are EVERYWHERE, it’s dirty, you can’t drink the water (unless its in a bottle), drinking and driving is LEGAL… and cars really don’t need to have much to be considered ‘driveable’.  Needless to say, just like everywhere else on the planet, they need hope.  They need Jesus!

So without further ado, I am SO EXCITED to share with you a few of my most favorite highlights from this years trip to Eleuthera!!!

Ending the week with the very people we started it with- I made this my first highlight because it is SO special.  Most everyone that started the week with us, ended the week with us.  From Vacation Bible School to trash pick up days, our kids, a few parents, and our teenagers did consistent life with us all day every day!  We were able to dig deeper, have intentional conversations, love relentlessly and do life with the same people all week!  It was SUCH a gift!

Having our Bahamian Family Surprise us with Dinner! –  I love a good home cooked meal.  There is almost nothing better! Especially when the women of the town you’re ministering to decide to surprise you and your team and cook for you after a long day!  It was SO GOOD!!! 

Giving the St. Gregory Town Warriors Basketball Uniforms- Basketball is so important to our teenagers in Eleuthera!  They play as part of a small league, but lacked uniforms for the longest time.  SOOO a few of our team members saw the need and felt led to fill it!  We were able to give each teammate a uniform, socks, shoes, and so much more!  The boys had NO idea!

Watching the Warriors play their first game in their NEW uniforms- Right after we gifted the uniforms to our boys,we were able to see them play !  They did SUCH a great job and WON!  It was a BLAST!

Building a wheelchair ramp for one of our teenagers – Drinking and driving is one of the main causes of death on the island.  It’s effect has touched EVERYONE in the community- including one of our teens, Delroy.  Delroy lost mobility in his legs after a fatal car accident.  His mom wasn’t able to take Delroy outside without the help of others because she couldn’t lift him down the stairs in his wheelchair, but now with the ramp, she can!  

An afternoon of Baptism – God is SO GOOD!  Countless people declared their love for Jesus and dedicated their lives to him!  Including one of our own team members! She wasn’t a believer when she came to Eleuthera, and when she left, she was! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!

Our Team- This group…. I have no words….  So many incredible, and wonderful people served alongside me.  Each of them blew me away and it was SUCH a treasure getting to know and love each and everyone of them!

Celebrating the Fourth of July, Bahamian Style, with some team building at a local Fish Fry! Street dancing, experiencing bahamian culture, listening to Junkanoo Rush, watching fireworks and eating yummy bahamian food was the PERFECT way to celebrate the fourth of July.  Though it wasn’t celebrated in the traditional “American” way- we had so much fun!  

Team bonding on Harbor Island… literally this team was so selfless the whole trip!  We were able to spend one of our last days on an adjacent island for some team bonding time and it was SO MUCH FUN!
Finally, Our Hope- Jesus spoke four words over me during the course of my 10 days in Eleuthera: Hope, Peace, Promise, & Patience.  He did SO MANY things that tied into each of these words.  Our Hope is in Jesus and I am so blessed by that simple truth.  Keep Praying for these sweet faces.  Every face has a story- if you would like specific names, testimonies, or stories from my most recent travels, feel free to email me!  I would love to share more with you!

 “Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”

-Hebrews 10:23

Happy Thursday!!

xo

AnnaFilly

AnnaFilly@comcast.net