So while we were in Eleuthera during the weekdays we would do some sort of a work project and in the afternoon we had the option to go to a beach. For the first week while we were there we worked on taking the shingles and felt off of the building that we were staying at which was a super awesome experience and also cool to me because you can physically see a difference that you made on the building. (A group of professionals came and actually re-roofed so no worries, the finished project looked legit). The rest of the time while we were there we worked on 1) cleaning out the volleyball court by EBTC and 2) making a 4 foot perimeter around the EBTC basketball court and mixing sand, rocks, water, and cement to make concrete. I'll just talk a little about the basketball court and the heart behind fixing it up. I know going in to the trip I was expecting to meet a bunch of locals, tell them about Jesus, and possibly change lives (big aspirations, i know), but little did i know that God was going to use us in ways that might be less noticeable than i thought. We were working with the CMA missionary Bill Landers, whom is one of the coolest guys out there, and he was basically the one giving us all the instructions for the month. So Bill decides that while we were there we could begin to fix up the basketball court in an attempt to broaden EBTC's outreach. On the island of Eleuthera, there is lots of basketball going on and theres so much potential in the players there, but little to no good courts around. EBTC has one of the best courts as far as quality and it is located in a fairly central location on the island. So Bill's reasoning for redoing the court is that if there are stands, lights, nice goals, and a decent place to be at, maybe lots of games could be played there at EBTC, which is a HUGE ministry opportunity for Bill and his wife Teresa.
Besides working we would hang out around EBTC, go explore the island as far as you could walk, and go swim and hang out at beaches. So needless to say, although we worked hard in the morning we definitely had plenty of time to rest and relax with good friends and with God. Eleuthera is freaking legit because one side of the island is the Caribbean and the other side is the atlantic and we got to enjoy both of them. The entire trip was filled with good friends, beautiful scenery, and a really really good God. It was not easy to say the least: I was sick within a week of arriving which wasn't fun, the work was difficult and when you try and rely on your own strength it was just impossible to be uplifting and encouraging to the people around you when you aren't fully relying on God. Another difficult thing was the entire trip i was waiting to hear back about college admissions and about summer plans, and for a while i really let the stress and worry about that get the best of me. I was worried and anxious a lot and not knowing what it meant to actually trust and lean on God in all circumstances. However, God is so faithful and continuously showed me that he loves me and cares for me which was awesome. That being said, i just want to talk about a couple things i learned while i was in Eleuthera:
1) Mission trips do not always mean you need to go in thinking you are going to "change people's lives". One of our main focuses that we went into the trip with was to serve and not be served, and i hope and pray that even through a group of 30 people just redoing a roof and fixing up a basketball court the gospel would be made known to people through the lives of Bill and Teresa. Sometimes all you need to do is aid the people who have been called to full time ministry.
2) Trusting God is hard. Trusting in a plan that you can't see a rhyme or reason to is hard. But in Hebrews it talks about how without faith it is impossible to please God, and throughout these past couple of months i have realized that just having faith that God will provide and take care of you is what you need to do, not sit and worry about everything that you can't control. The God who created the human heart holds my heart and he knows what is best for me and what is destructive. I have learned the importance and the magnitude of the common prayer we have heard since we were young, "not my will, but yours be done". CS Lewis says in Screwtape Letters, "Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys." I'd encourage anyone who's going through a situation that they don't understand or feel like the Lord has abandoned them in to remember that the Lord requires faith of us and we need to trust him and pray that our hearts would be aligned with his will and our hearts desires would line up with His.
I could seriously talk about the Bahamas and what the Lord showed me for days, but no one wants to read that much and i would be surprised if you're even reading now- so if you are THANK YOU for being awesome and listening to whats been going on in my life these past couple on months! I love y'all and I'm so thankful for everyone who has been praying and encouraging me along the way.
