The Back Story of how we found Eleuthera

We have often been asked, "How did you find out about Bahamas Methodist Habitat?" - I usually respond - "It's a long story" and check to see if I really have time to tell it.

It's all because of two cartographers, Herwig Shutzler and Luis Feille that we found the island. 

I worked making maps for student text books and Bibles for about nine years. The two persons I would credit  with bringing R.R. Donnelly and Sons, Cartographic Services to Lancaster would be these two guys. Herwig hired me right out of college.

Both Luis and Herwig are outstanding men of good character. Luis was also known to tell great tales of his life. When working along side of Luis, I had a project which included a map of the Bahamas. He informed me that he and Herwig both owned property on a island there however, they had never visited the place. He said most likely it was not much more than a sand bar. Of course, I thought this was quite peculiar. Luis shared how the two friends had purchased this land very cheap as an investment in the 1970's and they still owned this parcel. The name of the island where the land existed was Eleuthera. With a name like that I could hardly forget it, however, life moved on and so did I.

Spin the clock ahead about 15 years and it's time for Mason to graduate from High School. We had hoped to plan this big European vacation to visit each of our exchange students for 5 days. We'd been saving the money and were ready to buy tickets and make plans.

It turned out however, that the 3 weeks we would need for the trip would not fit into David's employers schedule. For a multitude of reasons and a lot of prayer and soul searching we had to change our plans from a 3 week trip to Europe to a 2 week vacation closer to home. We had already been excited to get our passports so we were hoping to at least get out of the country. We had been to St. John and camped there at Maho Bay - we didn't want to go back to the same place but enjoyed relaxing on the island. We also knew this needed to be a trip of true relaxation with little to do but spend time together.  

We have been travelers for year and most of the time we return from our vacations just a little tired because we try to pack so much in. We needed a vacation, not a trip. We had truly prayed and knew this was going to be a time for us to think about what comes next for our lives. 

I remembered the island of Eleuthera - and Googled it.

I was hooked. It sounded like the place for us spend two weeks with little to do. Not a lot of tourist action but plenty of adventure. Caves, kayaking, beaches, simple living, it was all calling out to us. We aren't the sunbathing beach type - we are more the snorkeling and beach combing breed. We are not the night life and shopper crowd, we are the nature and nurture nuts. The more I read about the remoteness of the island, the more I was intrigued. We would have to rent a Villa, because there are no large or abundant hotels. The villa's all warned about the insect population, the occasional power outages, and the need to rent a car. It also told of the helpfulness of the people and the natural beauty.

This is how we found the island - but there is more to the story of how we found BMH...

Online Regular Donations

I'm posting this here but the same information also appears on our
"How to Donate and Support Our Ministry" Page

To make a regular monthly donation - Here's How:

Contact Lancaster Church of the Brethren by mail at 
1601 Sunset Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17601

 or call (717) 397-4751

Let the church administrator, Tiffany, know you plan to make regular monthly contributions to the Byers' Mission. 

Request an "Offering Envelope Number" - they will assign you a number to include in the memo line of your checks so that your regular contributions will be added together for an end of the year tax statement.

You can mail a check monthly to the church 

OR

Set up, through your online banking, a regularly scheduled payment to the above address

BE SURE in the memo space you include Byers' Mission and the contribution # the office give to you.

 Donations collected over the year totaling under $250 will not receive a statement. (use your cancelled check as a deduction receipt) - giving over $250 will receive a statement.

Your Mission - if you choose to accept it

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO PRAY! 

WE SALUTE YOU!

What do you need for Christmas if you are going to leave to be a missionary - well this is our prayer list

How to Pray for Us and Our Work with Bahamas Methodist Habitat

The following is a list we hope you will keep handy in the next few weeks and months as we take this step in service.

-          Pray for us to be listening to hear God’s voice in resolving the needs of leaving our home and family. There are many things for us to do – from getting rid of things to finding save storage for what will remain here while we are gone – from saying good-bye to family and friends to helping them feel comfortable with our absence.

-          Pray for Mason to continue to be surrounded by caring and nurturing adults who will help him grow and be confident God is with him while we are not with him physically. Pray he is able to ask for help when he needs it and to be aware of others needs around him. Pray for Mason to be protected from harm and wise in his choices. Pray in moments of loneliness he will know he is not alone.

-          Pray for those who will be caring and nurturing Mason. This gift of being called does not go without calling others to share in our mission. We pray God continues to bless the Bohannon family as they offer  their home and welcome Mason into their family. Pray for the church family to seek Mason out to hold him in close connection. Pray for Mason’s friends and the people in his life that they too are good influences in his maturing Christ-like character.

-          Pray for David and I to have continued peace and to know and be aware of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Help us to be aware when we are to step up to help and be aware when we are to rest. Prays for our health and safety as we work and travel.

-          Pray for those we will be working with and those who’s good we are working for when we arrive on Eleuthera. We will weekly meet many new volunteers from many walks of life and with many reasons to be responding to their call to go on a mission. We pray God’s light will shine through us. Pray for the staff and co-volunteers we will be working with too as we keep focus on the mission and reason we serve.

-          Pray for our happiness to be apparent, our strength to be unchallenged and our spirit to be lifted when we are feeling overwhelmed with change or stress.

-          Just Pray! We know God has the power to make you aware of our needs and how to pray for us in ways we may not even think of right now.

Thanks you for your support and we hope you continue to know you are a part of this mission too.

Byers' Bahamas Blast Off

THERE IS STILL TIME to RSVP

You are Invited to attend

an evening of 

Music, Fun, Fellowship,

 and Delicious Assortment of Ethnic Foods as we 

Celebrate and Send-off 

David and Linda Byers!

Date for Departure Celebration: Saturday, December 27
Launch Time: 6:00 PM
Attire: Your Favorite Work Clothes (t-shirt and jeans - mission work attire!)

Provisions: A free-will offering to support the mission to Bahamas Methodist Habitat, Cards, prayers and Well wishes will also be collected!

RSVP by December 21st 

to the Lancaster Church of the Brethren office -  (717)397-4751 (ext101)

Celebrations!

Just Got a Party for our 25th Anniversary! 

     OK, they could only surprise one of us because between David and I working and planning and arranging things for our normal lives - no one could know our schedules. I got the surprise.

     I even threw in a last minute church meeting David didn't know about on the day of the party - which was being organized at the church (without me knowing) - I still had no time to think about someone taking time to organize a special gathering for us. 

     David's sister Kelly and her daughter did a great job - they got OLD photos scanned (and back in the photo albums without me knowing), she even got us orange tiger lilies for the tables and balloons (just like at our wedding) She worked to make all the food and served it up with all her dishware!

     And this wasn't the only celebration. Last week at the last Ministry Team meeting they celebrated my work as Youth Director. The chair, Bob, had cupcakes and drinks and they gave us cards and a gift certificate.  (I even got a flock of Ducks donated in my name to Heifer International! - that's just cool!) And a week or so ago I was gifted a "Wordle" as a thank you from the church board at our Congregational Business meeting.

We are both feeling SO BLESSED!

There is another CELEBRATION being planned so save the date!

December 27 - 6:00 pm 

at the Lancaster Church of the Brethren

Our Farewell Gathering / Sending / Funraiser

I'll post more details as they are arranged - and the awesome thing is

WE DON'T HAVE TO PLAN IT

They even have a committee working on the plans!

Love it!

We have a Video!

Missionary Community

     We've been working to learn how mission ministries outside the U.S. work. David and I did not grow up in missionary families, and really, we've never even known anyone who has been working as a missionary. We have had to ask a lot of questions about how you do this.

     There is a whole network of people and organizations who work in the background supporting mission ministries and the work of those serving in far away places.

     Agape Flights is a service in Florida who will become part of our network. Who knew - they may even be delivering our Turkey Dinner next year! How Cool it that!

BMH Video

I found an old videos about the ministry of Bahamas Methodist Habitat I wanted to share:

Flexible Ministry

We've learn in mission work you need to expect to be flexible. I think God sort of leads us into the unexpected so we always need to be prepared to live out the grace we are called to give other.

As we were going about our week at Camp Symonette, I was off on a mission with Miss Pauline (head chef) to shop for groceries north in the settlement called The Bluff. David was at camp doing some repair work when two vans drove up.

Class from the College of the Bahamas

You must remember, it's a small island, not many people, so when two vans loaded with visitors arrive unannounced and unexpected it really is a surprise.

Abe is there to welcome the leader however, he's a bit perplexed. Conversation ensues and it turns out this group was under the impression they had made confirmed plans to stay at the camp for a couple of days.

The group was from Nassau. A class of students from the College of Bahamas with their professor. The class is an astronomy class who was planning this trip to see the night sky from Eleuthera.  Most all of these students are from Nassau where they have the same troubles we have in Lancaster in looking at the night sky, light pollution. Many of them have never been to this island before and have never been to a camp like Symonette. They are "city kids" - not like the local "island kids". This trip for them is like traveling to the country or the mountain. Their professor not only want to share with them a lesson about the stars and planets, he wants to show them their island heritage. Of course, not all are kids or youth. The student group ranges in age from 20 to 30 or so.

I would also say almost all of them grew up attending private schools. This is another discovery we've learned about the islands. Those who have the means will send their children to private schools where they will emerge with a better education and societal advantages over those who go to public schools. We haven't learned all of the reasons and problems behind the public school issues. We know it is a problem for this small country, much like other countries around the world. It is the reason BMH does it's best to help support the local primary school in James Cistern.

Of course, the camp was not prepared to welcome this additional group, however, we also know they are limited in their options of where to stay now that they have arrived. So, what to do? There are rooms not being used in the dorms so at this point David and Tori spring into action to be sure they are clean and also they re-install the air conditioning units in the windows.

If you didn't know, yes, we are thankful to have air-conditioning in the dorm rooms for sleeping. However, because of the cost of electric they are only used from 9:00 pm to about 6:30 am. In the summer months it is very necessary to help with the humidity. This time of year, it's still needed.

The group is told they can stay and they will be required to work with the current groups of volunteers to do the chores. We are also going to share a few meals together. Also the following day the group would be joining us for the excursion trip around the island. Now the challenge is how do you blend this group of college young adults from Nassau with the volunteers from Georgia and Colorado.
Answer: you make them mingle!

As the team assembled for the evening meal and prayer, the group was informed each person needed to sit next to someone who did not share the same area code. It worked and mingling began.  The groups began to not just know each other from the places they lived, they also learned each other's name.

Knowing each other by name is one of the most important ways to build peace and it is key to community. It is so easy to group people as "them" or "they" and put individuals in categories if you don't know them by name.

This group of people who had been gathered at this place for different purposes (one to work as volunteers and the other to gaze at the stars) could begin to form a community.

At first reaction to a new or unexpected situation we have the opportunity to draw a conclusion to think the best of people or we can think the worst. I think this is what we are meant to do according to 1 Corinthians 13. In three different versions of the Bible it is stated in different ways:
        Common English Bible
Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.
                NRSV
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
                Living Bible
You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.

I want to be one who welcomes the best in everyone. I know our new experience with BMH will need us to.

Miss Mae's New Bible

     Mae Culmer's home I wrote about in the blog titled "What a Little Paint Can Do." But there is more to her story.

     I wasn't there on the first day of the job. I arrived on site for day two. During the bus ride over the other volunteers, who were from Colorado, shared about day one. The group had met and spoken some to the home owner, Miss Mae. Groups are always encouraged to engage with the people as they work. The job isn't just about the work you get done in a day - it's about the connection with the community. The team had introduced themselves to her already so I would have to make a special effort to meet her today.

     The house was laid out with the kitchen as you enter, a small room to the left just large enough for the bed and a 3 foot space to walk. Through the doorway from the kitchen was a living room where Mae was seated in a plastic chair in almost the middle of the floor as we entered and began work. She is an elderly woman who must be in her 80's. I had learned Mae had had a stroke several years ago and it was difficult for her to get around. It was especially difficult since the floors of her home were so unstable as she could only shuffle across them slowly. The volunteers greeted Mae and I introduced myself as a new worker for the day and told her my name. She didn't speak much and I was not sure how much her condition affected her abilities.
     As the day wore on Mae was just sitting in her chair, sometimes asleep, as we were busy working. Once I looked in on her and on her lap was a worn, tattered and torn book. I could see the tight layout of the printed words on the pages, just like a Bible would appear. Her head was down and I wasn't sure if she was awake to hear me but, I asked anyway. "That looks like a very worn and much loved book." and the conversation continued something like,
     "Oh yes," Mae replies, "It's what gets me through. I'm always learning something from my Bible."
     Investigating more, I say - "Looks like you could use a new one."

Miss Mae's worn out Bible

The maps look familiar to me - her Bible might not be that old - Just WELL used

    "Yes, most Bibles the words are too small. I have this one with large print and so it's easier for me to read."
     "Well, Miss Mae, I'm going to see if I can do something about that. I'll see if I can find you one from the camp."
     "Oh, that would be wonderful."
     We shared a moment to talk about how much wisdom is in the Bible and then I went about going back to our painting. I was surprised to learn how well spoke she was even through all her troubles. Miss Mae seemed as sharp as a tack.
     The camp has several Bibles on a bookshelf in the dinning hall most likely left by volunteers who needed less in their luggage to pack for the trip home. Volunteers are always encouraged to leave things, if they are in good shape and usable - sneakers, work boots, work clothing, bug spray, sun screen, books. A Bible is always a good thing to leave behind. I asked if it would be fine to take one to Mae, and as I thought, it was fine with BMH. When we got back to camp I begin to page through the self looking for an edition with large print. No luck. I share my mission to get Mae a Bible with David so he was on the hunt too. We had several places to check.
In my head, Miss Mae was getting another Bible - even if I would have to mail her one when we got back to the states. By Wednesday - still no luck in locating one.
    David had taken on the job to clean up and organize the storage room at the camp. (The same storage space he had previously organized when we had been there in December) There is where he found it. A big white leather, red letter edition Bible with the famous Warner Sallman image of Jesus on the cover. Just perfect. Couldn't wait to take it to Mae!

     The morning of the day to leave, David and I took the car to visit Miss Mae and bring her the Bible. Mae saw us coming from the window of her bedroom and called us to come inside. She shared how she goes to a Bible Study every Saturday at 4:30 in the morning with a group who meet together from several different congregations. On her wall she showed us several certificates from her study of the Bible and an ordination from her church. Miss Mae asked us to write in the Bible and next time we return, she would love to cook us a meal. I'm looking forward to seeing her again.

Celebrate! 25 Years of Marriage

     Asking people to fund us to be a 'Mission Volunteers' is a totally new experience for us. We are self sufficient people who, in our 'American Dream', have always been able to meet our own needs and work for the life style we choose to live. It is so humbling but still exciting to invite you along!

     God's shown us that we need to invite other to share in this new journey.

     One way we are sharing is through this blog. Here we can share our stories with you and let you know how God is touching people through our work with BMH. (and we haven't even left yet!)

     Why not join us and be invested in the mission. Take a personal stake in helping us follow God's call to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We know not everyone is called to go. God's been at work molding us to be the people he can send. 

     How has God been molding you? Are you able to be the support beams? Are you able to help to be our firm foundation? The journey is just beginning and we know God has great things in store.

     In a few days David and I will be celebrating 25 Years of Marriage. Who knew God would get us to where we are today. We are still deeply in love and now stepping out to share our joy in the world as volunteers.

     It would be our Greatest Joy to Celebrate God's Goodness and Faithfulness in 25 Years to reach our funding goal of $6,000 by the end of the year. Help Us Celebrate! 

 Let us know if your gift to the mission is in Celebration of our 25 years. 

We want to recognize your gift in a special way.

Or become one who is willing to make a regular contribution of $25 a month. 

(let us know if you have any questions on how to set this up through a direct payment) 

We need 50 people to donate $22 a month for the next two years to meet our mission needs.

This funding goes to support our need for insurance and personal expenses to be volunteers. 

Share a donation check to: (tax deductible donation)

Lancaster Church of the Brethren
1601 Sunset Avenue
Lancaster, PA   17601
(MUST write in the MEMO - for Byers' Mission)

What a Little Paint Can Do

     When you volunteer at BMH you most likely don't see a project from the beginning to the end. Every week the volunteers jump in to serve at a job site where ever the last team left off. You may be the first team on the site or you may be the team to celebrate the last of the work on the residence home. Most teams end up somewhere in the middle of the repair.
    There was a team in October working on a home where we had helped during our stay in December. Each home has a different level of up grading and repairs to be done. Some homes are in need of a new roof and some necessary small repairs while another home needs a total makeover and major construction.
     I had never seen a home from the beginning of the job until Miss Mae's home.

improvements begin with removing the old

     Miss Mae lives on Cupid's Cay just beyond the view of the beautiful white Wesley Methodist Church and the Haynes Library in Governor Harbor. Her front porch looks out over the empty lot at the shipping dock where cargo and goods come in to the settlement. The entire home is a bit smaller then a two car garage. It seems it's wall have survived many a storm in it's day.
     The crew arrives for work and it is the first day to begin the job. The floors are so worn and unstable you could fear you would fall in at any moment. The work will begin at the front of the house to the kitchen and the bedroom. All of Miss Mae's items have been relocated and the removal of the old wood begins. From the floor boards to the weak joists, everything is tossed out to a pile outside in front of the home. In no time 2x4's and plywood make a new and stable floor on day one. It's really stunning to see the change already. At the end of the work day the bed is restored to the bedroom for Miss Mae but the kitchen is now just an empty dark space.

     Day two the team returns. Time to scrap and paint for some workers (me included) and others will be building new wooden shutters for the two open holes in the kitchen. I can't call them windows there is no screen or glass, just a framed opening. 

     Scraping paint in a well worn kitchen wall doesn't always go well. The walls are made of a mix of materials, some wood and some plaster. The wood is pocked with holes from nails and some historic termite damage. The goal is to make the home safe and livable. If a wall is not crumbling down it remains. 

     It doesn't take long for the small room to be prepped so it's on to the paint. Two five gallon buckets hold a pastel 'island pink'. One of the two buckets only holds a few inches in the bottom and it is not the exact match to the new 5 gallons. One bucket of paint on the island is over $200. (compare to home $40) We are directed to mix the two so the room will not have a line of start and stop for the two shades. We do the best we can with the one roller and three paint brushes. We fill the pock holes with caulk so the paint covers more smoothly. By the end of the day the two rooms are remarkably different and the light streaming through the windows is now shining off the bright pink walls. The whole space appears bigger than before. And this was just day two.

     At the same time shutters and new front door have been completed and now the kitchen cabinets are being made. All of these things are measured and built right on site. There is no door to order from the hardware store. You won't find a cabinet built at a shop and ready to install. It's all created right there with the instruction of the site leaders.
   

Site Leader TJ working on the plumbing under the new cabinet.

By the end of the week Miss Mae's kitchen has come a long way

Miss Mae looks forward to the repair of the rest of her home.

     There is so much more to Miss Mae's story, this is just the story of her home. The spirit of the volunteers and the joy of restoration is transforming - for everyone. God is Good.

'Island Boy' feet

     I'm not one who is comfortable walking barefoot through the grass. I'm sure it has something to do with stepping on a bee when I was a teen. It used to be I was OK with lawns I knew, like my own back yard. I knew where the clover lies and I could be sure there would be no broken glass or shards of metal to step on. Today, I am just more comfortable with something on my feet. As a protective Mother, I know I did not encourage this free footloose style in my own child.
     When Mason returned home in August from his summer as a Lifeguard/Summer Camp employee, he was concerned. It happened after a few weeks of working with his shoes firmly on his feet that calluses on the bottom were wearing off. Over the summer he had exposed his feet to every surface from sand to grass to gravel to pavement. He had built up a good thick surface on the bottom of his feet. Mason would never have built up thick skin on his feet if he had stayed at home.
     The surface around the camp of BMH has much of that tough thick blade grass you often find in Florida. It's tough stuff. It can take the heat of the summer and long days without rain. This grass survives and holds tight to the dirt in torrential down pours and tremendous storms. This is not your manicured lawns of the northeast suburbs. The grass holds a mix of several types of weeds with sharp barbs on the seeds they produce.

Kickin' it 'Island Style' on Excursion Day 

     On our trip back to BMH in October, we had met Khan. (see previous post) As a typical youth, he too has this carefree shoe-less lifestyle. One afternoon I saw him walking through the grass without shoes. All I could imagine was the weeds and bugs and shards of who knows what he could be exposing his feet to as he walked around the grounds.
     "Khan, You should have shoes on.", I commented.
     "It's OK," Khan says, "I have 'Island Boy' Feet"
     This became a running theme for the rest of the week.
     Khan was now - "Island Boy". Everything he would do was now done - 'Island Boy style'. We joked that Tori, the new long term volunteer, was learning to be 'Island Girl'.

Tori, Khan, me and David

    
     There is something to be said for the building up of a thick skin to protect ourselves from the barbs of life. If we are easily hurt or injured by the rough surfaces of abrasive situations there are places we will object to tread into. Mission work is going to call us to have 'Island Boy' feet. Open and willing to go where we are called and do the tasks we are called to do. Our faith will need to be thick. If we use our time to concern ourselves with the 'what if's' or reason out all of the dangers, we don't allow room for God to be our protection or to know He is there to cover us with his grace and love.
     My prayer is, God, keep my feet tough and my heart tender.

The People Connections - "You're That Deb!"

Meet Deb from Colorado. I knew who Deb was before I actually met her.

Deb walking along the shore of Gaulding Beach

     Serving over the Christmas holiday in 2013 David and I got to work with a team from the First United Methodist Church of La Grange, Illinois. These eleven were a group who ranged in age from high school to retired.

     On the team of volunteers were two lovely couples. (in photo standing at either end of the truck) The wives, both named Sue, also happened to be retired elementary school teachers.
     The work for the week was on the Hatchet Bay home of Mr. Ken Clark. The two ladies were not sure if they would be as helpful away at the job site so they asked for us to find them work to do closer to home, at the camp. There is always plenty to do around Camp Symonette and the garden was also in full swing at the time. The two Sue's spent a couple of days tending to the tomato plants that need to be staked and tied.

     As the days even in December can still be hot and challenging, the ladies were invited to help in another task to get out of the heat and the sun.
     Boxes stacked in a back room had been shipped from Colorado. Anyone who has ever spend time in the classroom would recognize inside was a collection of a lifetime of teaching. These boxes were full of primary school reading books and phonics teaching games. Clearly, this was a task just meant for Sue and Sue to tackle. They ooh'ed and aah'ed as we opened the boxes holding the educational treasures. They reminisced about the books and jumped in right away to organize them into the correct levels of education. Sue and Sue were so excited to help the after school program with this new library for learning. They even purchased sticker to help in creating a system to keep the books on the proper shelves and in the correct category. We labeled the shelves and created a key that would work for both children and adults to keep organized.
     A former volunteer, who also spent a career in education, had sent these several boxes of essential reading resources to BMH to help with their after school program. All of the boxes had shipped through Agape Flights, a ministry in Florida that supports missions throughout the Caribbean Islands. Each box was labeled with the address of Deb from Colorado. Sue and Sue both commented how great it was for Deb to share this wealth of resources with the children who come to BMH. They wanted to send her a personal message of thanks and tell her what they had been able to do to organize the collection.
     Fast forward 10 months later and David and I arrive back in Eleuthera. We are there to learn more about what the next two years will bring and to work a bit with the current teams at camp. As we begin to get to know the group and chat in the breezeway. We learn Deb is the very same person who had volunteered the summer before and had packed her library mailed to BMH.

"Your that Deb!" I exclaimed.

This was Deb, the same person who's gift to BMH we had unpacked and organized over the Christmas holiday. What a small world. And here I was, able to share with her in person how much Sue and Sue were blessed to work to help her gift reach the hands of the children.

Just more proof - there are no coincidences

Don't Miss the Bus

Meet our new friend, Khan

Khan

Linda & Khan at Rainbow Beach

     We will always have a heart for youth and there always seem to be a couple of local youth hanging around at Camp Symonette. Khan is in 10th grade and after school he walks from James Cistern, back the long lane to see what's going on at the camp. Sometimes, he's still wearing his school uniform when he arrives. 

     Khan seems to be the kind of kid hungry for knowledge and enjoys learning from whomever is volunteering at the camp. I've seen him sit quietly listening to the conversation in the breezeway among the volunteers. Sometimes he'll ask a question about what life is like in the U.S. and the volunteers are happy to share. They'll ask him too questions about life on Eleuthera. 

     For a youth, he doesn't seem to mind hanging out with the adults. We did have four kids on the team from Georgia who came along to volunteer with their families. Khan would just as easily be playing basketball at the back of the camp with them too. Really, he's just an all around personable young man, He's making new friends where ever he goes. 

     Khan did arrive one day, not in his uniform - and during school hours. It turns out, Khan had missed the bus the day before and it was the third day he was late for school. When that happens - it's an automatic out of school suspension for three days. 

     Missing the bus is a big deal. Most of the kids do not have another option to get to school on time. The junior high and high school youth have a long bus ride to another settlement for school. It's a 30 minute ride without stopping to pick up other students. School starts at 9:00 and Khan needs to catch the bus at 7:00. 

     On the island it is typical and considered safe to help out a person waiting at the side of the road for a ride (yes, pick up what we would call a 'hitch hiker"). Drivers are highly discouraged from picking up by school kids in uniform. The folks of the island know, if there is someone in a uniform waiting for a ride - they must have missed the bus. They also know youth receiving rides become vulnerable targets for people with bad intentions. The community does not want to encourage this so no one supports offering school kids a ride. 

     Gas for the ride to school on the bus is provided by the government so families want to take full advantage when the price is over $5 a gallon. That 30 minute drive one way makes for an hour round trip. Working parents don't have time to go out of their way to take a youth who is late to school or they won't be working for long. That of course assumes that the family has a car and money for gas to tackle such an errand.

     Needless to say, Khan being at camp was welcome because it gave him a great place to hang out and stay out of more trouble. There is a group of young men (and some not so young) who have found a place to hang out down by the dock at JC. They don't seem to be very motivated to be earning a living. It's a small town. I'm sure everyone knows these young men by name and a story of why they are hanging out there. It would be easy for a kid like Khan to head down to the dock instead to become a part of that crowd. 

     The Ministry of BMH is about community and it takes a community to support youth like Khan. We didn't let Khan down. We welcomed him back to the camp and put him to work helping out around the grounds. Continually we reminded him how much easier it would be to be in school then working in the sun. We joked around about his being late a lot and also let him know, if we didn't care, we wouldn't be picking on him. Khan smiled. He worked at the camp on Thursday and we invited him to come with us for the "Excursion Day" around the island. We ribbed him more about getting to bed on time so he didn't miss the bus again. Friday, our bus was leaving at 9:00 and he needed to be there on time.
     Khan made it and we had a fun day with the entire group for our last day together.
     David and I looking forward to getting to know the community and get to know more about how BMH is touching lives there. We hope to see Khan again - just after school.
     

Teach a man to fish...

Now I know who owns this Boat

     When I thought about David and I opening a blog, I knew I wanted a clever title to go along with our mission. I had taken this photo in 2012 the first time we visited the island and I've always loved the image. I used it as a cover photo on my facebook page about the time we were praying more intentionally about our call to mission ministry. The phrase "Getting Out of the Boat" just worked.

     This little boat can be found along the shore of the calm water of the settlement, James Cistern. It was moored there with a fishing net strung out into the deeper water. We would usually see it at least once each time we would stay on the island. When driving by, I'd even watched other tourists stop on the beach to photograph it too. I've wondered how many people have taken this same picture. Just like photos of the gondola's in Venice, it seemed like, if you've been through James Cistern, this is the tourist shot. You just don't often see boats around there, not even at the dock.

    I never wondered who this boat belonged to. The boat was taken care of, that was obvious. Sometimes the net was cast out, sometimes it was lying on the rocky beach. Occasionally, the boat would even be pulled in to shore. I never thought about who was using it or why. Was it for fishing for income? Why was no one tending to it when we passed? What could you actually catch in those nets left unattended. (I don't know much about fishing)

     This week at BMH we met some of the crew leaders we had not worked with before. Crew leaders are Bahamian young men (most under 45) hired by the ministry to work with, teach and lead the tasks for the volunteers on the job sites. They are patience people. They have to be. They take workers with little to no building skills and put them to work repairing homes. Or, they may encounter highly skilled workers who need to learn the island way of doing things. Either way, each week they work with whomever has joined the team.

     Crew leader work is so important to the ministry. The work crew leaders help to provide the cultural piece of the puzzle. As volunteers go out on to the job, this is the Bahamian they will get to know the most. Each work day it is also the teams job to make lunch for their crew leader. There is a list of what sandwich to make for each leader and the team has to include it in the cooler as they pack for the work site. To the volunteers, the crew leader represent ALL Bahamian people. The crew leaders I have known are well mannered, fun loving people who like to lighten the load with a joke or a smile. (or a song - TJ is always singing something) They share their stories of island life as the working day brings people closer together.

David helping Luke with the new ceiling.

Luke inspecting the next part of the job.

   So far we have met or worked with Bush, Jerry, TJ, Smokey, Pedro and Luke. This week we had 4 team sites running. Two in Hatchett Bay and two in Cupid's Cay. The groups traveled on two buses, one heading north and one south. David and I worked south in Cupid's Cay. Crew leaders arrive for the morning, and with the team, gather the tools and supplies needed after consulting with KP, the construction coordinator. Teams get a chance to chat on the bus ride to the job.

    The one full day David and I worked, it was one of those chats when we learned who owns the boat. It's Luke, the crew leader. When we asked where he lived, he shared he was from JC (James Cistern). Luke asked if we had seen the little boat on the beach and proudly told us it was his. He uses it to catch food for himself, family and friends. If he has a need for fish, he'll go fishing in his little boat just across Queen's Highway from him house. The meal is right there just waiting to be caught.

     The people of the island need to continue to learn to use the resources of the sea and the land. Imported meats are expensive and their income can reach farther when they can catch fish for the family or grow fresh vegetables at home. These are skills they don't teach in school. Growing things and fishing are lessons passed down from one generation to the next. However, with the economic changes on the island and the need for money for things like cell phones and satellite TV, young men and women have to seek out someone to teach them these basic island life skills. Year's ago these were trades in times of the simple life but, life just isn't so simple any more.

     There is so much to learn about the new country where we will be living. So much to learn from them and so much we hope to share. This ministry goes to the heart of community to share Christ's love. The ocean of joy and peace is right there in our hearts when we have faith in God. We just have to learn how to fish it out. As we seek out God to teach us His way, we will no longer be hungry for He will fill out nets.

Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalms 25:4-5

A Heart in Two Places

Beginning of restoration.

     We just returned from the shortest stay we have ever had on Eleuthera. It was also the most busy stay we have had on the island too. We got to do some of the "behind the scenes" errands at BMH. We learned about handling medical emergencies and met Nurse Colebrook. We learned about the BMH connections with Social Services and how to shop for groceries. We also learned about flexibility and making the best of surprise situations. We met more lovely volunteers from Colorado and Georgia who came to serve. We got to work on two job sites and meet Mae Culmer on Cupid's Cay. We also met a class of astronomy students from College of Bahamas.  The start of our week was a little rough but it was feeling like home by the time we had to leave.

End of the week

 There are so many little stories to tell.
I'll try to share this week what more we have learned from our journey.

On Monday when we tried to get back to work David and I both felt we are now living in two places at the same time.

Come and Learn More About It

So what's it like to go on a Mission Trip to Bahamas Methodist Habitat?

What are you guys going to be doing there for two years?

We are answering these questions and more

THIS SUNDAY 

September 28

at the Lancaster Church of the Brethren 

1601 Sunset Avenue, Lancaster 17601

Join in at 11:30 for the Youth Fund Raising Soup and Salad

About 12:30 we'll begin to share about our plans and the ministry at BMH

Hope you can make it!

How to Join in Our Mission

Donations to support David and Linda in their Missionary Service:

Make Checks to: (tax deductible donation)

Lancaster Church of the Brethren
1601 Sunset Avenue
Lancaster, PA   17601
(MUST write in the MEMO - for Byers' Mission)

We hope to raise $6,000 by December 31, 2014

Camp Symonette - James Cistern - Eleuthera - Bahamas

Going World Wide

OK, I must admit, I am new to the world of blogging.
I had no idea how exciting it is to be able to look at the statistics of a blog page.

You can see how many people have checked out your page. It even tells you where they are when they are viewing the page.
It is just the coolest thing to see the map where people live who have seen the blog. (and this is just after one day)

Pageviews by Countries Entry Pageviews United States 212 Bahamas 8 Germany 4 Austria 3 Singapore 3 Brazil 2 Switzerland 2 Netherlands 2 Colombia 1 Czech Republic 1

Of course, we can guess who those people are in those foreign countries logging in to the site! They are all of our former exchange students plus students we have had connection to through exchange. We have a whole family of friends around the world.

I just can't help but feel so international right now! I guess this really is how hosting exchange students touches the world!

We can't wait to share all about our mission and calling with ALL of YOU!!!