Good evening,
Our trip is winding down at a rapid pace. This morning began with Ashlyn’s devotion over 2 Timothy 2:1 emphasizing the need for us to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus in all of its forms. We then had an island staple for breakfast, iguana stew. It sounds strange but tastes like a hearty chicken soup with a lot of meat on very small bones. We also had scrambled eggs, toast, meat, cheese, and homemade hot chocolate. Our KP crew washed up the breakfast dishes and then we prepared for our work project out on Bandabou.
Lucas and Bill drove us out to the home of our mutual friend Gerda. Gerda has an incredible ministry to single moms and their kids. She is currently in s season on transition and is beginning to start a small Air BnB business and all the proceeds will go to her foundation. Once she has income coming in to the foundation from the small business, she is going to begin reaching out to the young children who have essentially been neglected to the point they are invisible. Her desire is to bring them onto the property and provide teaching, basic healthcare, meals, and whatever else they may need. This is a perfect fit for her as she has three of her own grown children, several adopted children who are also grown, two adopted boys living with her currently, and over the years has had several foster children.
There were so many jobs to do on her list I feared we could not get them done in the time we had. However, I should have known that this crew would knock it out of the park and finish with time to spare. The team sanded either window frames or chairs, painted walls in shipping containers which have been converted into small apartments, cleaned and painted old tires, ripped out flooring, installed new flooring, weed whacked a huge portion of the property, yard work, painted the chairs that had been sanded, and staining window frames. It was a lot of work but such a joy to help a sweet woman of God! The afternoon heat began to set in and we had reservations at Discover Lagun for lunch so it was time to say goodbye and head to Lagun.
Discover Lagun is an outside beach shack that serves outstanding burgers and seafood. It was a nice respite and a wonderful meal with a view of a small, beautiful bay. Satiated and hydrated we headed to our favorite beach Grote Knip. It was quite crowded when we first arrived but two tour buses left after about a half an hour and that eased the feeling of being on a densely populated beach. Grote Knip is a wide bay surrounded by cliffs, greenery, and cacti. The green of the flora in conjunction with the white, coral sand beach provides a stark contrast to the azure waters of the bay. We all spent quite a long time in the water today and everyone except Kelsey (one too many ACL surgeries) went cliff jumping. Kelsey, Bill, and I swam out to where the kids were jumping to watch. The afternoon passed far too quickly and it was soon time to head back to the Youth Centre.
As soon as we got back, we began setting up for our farewell barbecue in Lucas and Esther’s backyard under their magnificent mango trees. Lucas grilled chicken teriyaki skewers, pork tenderloin skewers, steak skewers, salmon, ribeye, and a tomahawk steak. Jerseley made coleslaw, beans with ham, fried potatoes with mushrooms and onions, chicken fried rice, an avocado salad, and oregano punch. By the time we had finished, we were all nearly in a food coma. As if this was not feast enough, Jerseley brought out banana croquettes with salted caramel and strawberry ice cream on the side. I am certain we have all gained weight this trip despite the calories we have been burning while working on all our projects.
Great feasts create great piles of dishes so the girls took over and washed everything up. We had our final debrief afterward and then spent time signing thank you cards to the people who have made this trip possible and who have allowed us to work with them. It will be hard to say goodbye after church tomorrow!
Until tomorrow night,
Lisa
Our trip is winding down at a rapid pace. This morning began with Ashlyn’s devotion over 2 Timothy 2:1 emphasizing the need for us to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus in all of its forms. We then had an island staple for breakfast, iguana stew. It sounds strange but tastes like a hearty chicken soup with a lot of meat on very small bones. We also had scrambled eggs, toast, meat, cheese, and homemade hot chocolate. Our KP crew washed up the breakfast dishes and then we prepared for our work project out on Bandabou.
Lucas and Bill drove us out to the home of our mutual friend Gerda. Gerda has an incredible ministry to single moms and their kids. She is currently in s season on transition and is beginning to start a small Air BnB business and all the proceeds will go to her foundation. Once she has income coming in to the foundation from the small business, she is going to begin reaching out to the young children who have essentially been neglected to the point they are invisible. Her desire is to bring them onto the property and provide teaching, basic healthcare, meals, and whatever else they may need. This is a perfect fit for her as she has three of her own grown children, several adopted children who are also grown, two adopted boys living with her currently, and over the years has had several foster children.
There were so many jobs to do on her list I feared we could not get them done in the time we had. However, I should have known that this crew would knock it out of the park and finish with time to spare. The team sanded either window frames or chairs, painted walls in shipping containers which have been converted into small apartments, cleaned and painted old tires, ripped out flooring, installed new flooring, weed whacked a huge portion of the property, yard work, painted the chairs that had been sanded, and staining window frames. It was a lot of work but such a joy to help a sweet woman of God! The afternoon heat began to set in and we had reservations at Discover Lagun for lunch so it was time to say goodbye and head to Lagun.
Discover Lagun is an outside beach shack that serves outstanding burgers and seafood. It was a nice respite and a wonderful meal with a view of a small, beautiful bay. Satiated and hydrated we headed to our favorite beach Grote Knip. It was quite crowded when we first arrived but two tour buses left after about a half an hour and that eased the feeling of being on a densely populated beach. Grote Knip is a wide bay surrounded by cliffs, greenery, and cacti. The green of the flora in conjunction with the white, coral sand beach provides a stark contrast to the azure waters of the bay. We all spent quite a long time in the water today and everyone except Kelsey (one too many ACL surgeries) went cliff jumping. Kelsey, Bill, and I swam out to where the kids were jumping to watch. The afternoon passed far too quickly and it was soon time to head back to the Youth Centre.
As soon as we got back, we began setting up for our farewell barbecue in Lucas and Esther’s backyard under their magnificent mango trees. Lucas grilled chicken teriyaki skewers, pork tenderloin skewers, steak skewers, salmon, ribeye, and a tomahawk steak. Jerseley made coleslaw, beans with ham, fried potatoes with mushrooms and onions, chicken fried rice, an avocado salad, and oregano punch. By the time we had finished, we were all nearly in a food coma. As if this was not feast enough, Jerseley brought out banana croquettes with salted caramel and strawberry ice cream on the side. I am certain we have all gained weight this trip despite the calories we have been burning while working on all our projects.
Great feasts create great piles of dishes so the girls took over and washed everything up. We had our final debrief afterward and then spent time signing thank you cards to the people who have made this trip possible and who have allowed us to work with them. It will be hard to say goodbye after church tomorrow!
Until tomorrow night,
Lisa