Having been here for five years now, Fresh Creek really does feel like home and I feel more like a visitor every time I return to MA. However, when visitors from St. Timothy's in Norwood, MA travel all the way down here to visit (and help), it certainly deserves an entry in the blog.
Joe and Louise moved to MA from CA and we were at St. Tim's together for a few years prior to our beginning to work here on Andros. Joe and Louise have been supportive of our ministry financially an spiritually. I cannot stress enough how much your prayers are needed to support us here.
Every year, Joe and Louise travel for vacation. Using a timeshare they own, they trade in time they own to visit vacation spots all over the country. This year they traded for a week in the Bahamas and got to stay at a lovely resort in Nassau. Then, they spent a second week in the Bahamas - with us!
To say the resort was a bit more glorious than our accommodations is an understatement. I remember one of our visiting priests describing Andros as 'desolate' and, in some regard, he was right. Andros can be a challenge but Joe and Louise settled in and attended 3 weekend liturgies, joined us for communion calls with the sick, sat in on CCD classes, took the 90 minute pot-hole challenge and drove up to see the new church in North Andros, and even helped reupholster the kneelers our altar servers use here in Fresh Creek.
Here they are outside of Christ the King church in Cargill Creek with a very handsome Deacon.
While in Cargill, Joe and Louise met many of our parishioners from that end of the island. Here is Marian making a point of showing Joe the edition of the "Bahamas Catholic" that had published the pictures of the dedication of Our Lady of Hope in North Andros back in November.
Here Joe and Louise sit on one of our CCD classes. This was our grade 7-9 group and you can see them at the back table taking it all in.
Once the lesson was over the students have to do some puzzles and a quiz or two. You can see them working away and, not to be left out, I made sure that Joe and Louise did their puzzles too. Look at them working so hard on their papers - just like the kids!
Once back in Fresh Creek we put them to work. The kneelers used by our altar boys were in rough shape so they helped Ginni replace the cloth with a vinyl material. Here Joe shows off the kneelers that he and Louise helped Ginni reupholster. I think this pic does a good job of showing the before and after view and what a great upgrade it is!
After they did such a good job we did actually let them be tourists for a bit. We took them on a two mile drive into the bush and showed the blue hole that I have shown you here in the blog a few times already. Then we went over to the Fresh Creek Lighthouse. The lighthouse sits on the point at the mouth of Fresh Creek where, to protect it from pirates, the British had installed some rather impressive cannons. Here Joe and Louise pose between the two, right at the mouth of Fresh Creek.
Not wanting us to be left out, Joe and Louise had us take a pose as well. You know, after five years here I think is the first time anyone has taken my picture at the canon like this.
Well, as you can tell it was a busy week and we were glad they got to see a bit of our ministry, as well as some of the beauty of the island.
Till next time - peace
