Bahamas: Beautiful Sunshine and Powerful Storms
When people think of the Bahamas, they think of beautiful sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and lots of warm sunshine. And they are right! But, that is not all that makes up this beautiful place. There are 700 islands that make up the Bahamas, and we serve on one of them, Abaco Island. Abaco Island is 120 miles long and averages five miles wide with a population of about 15,000 people.
Along with the beauty of this island are some real hardships. First, Abaco is a favored destination for Haitian immigrants. The influx of this people group causes them to live in very poor conditions.
Then on September 1, 2019, one of the most powerful hurricanes in the Atlantic directly hit Abaco Island, but the greater impact was that this hurricane of 185 mph winds hovered over the island for 24 hours. There were three 22-foot water surges. The wind and water completely took out a main Haitian community of about 8,000 people. No one will ever know how many lives were lost from that community, and the rest were displaced.
All of the island was completely destroyed, every building affected. As the island began to receive help and begin the rebuilding process, COVID-19 hit the world and all development stopped for 18 months.
When we arrived on Abaco Island one year ago, the first thing we saw were the needs of the kids. They had been through a very traumatic event, and they had lost almost three years of attending school, building friendships, going to church, sports, and sometimes being a family as parents moved to other islands to work.
Working with our organization, Many Hands for the Bahamas, we are focusing on three main ministries. Lisa volunteers within the public elementary school three days a week working with 40 kids who are in 3rd and 4th grade. These kids haven’t been to school since Kindergarten, so they lack reading and math basic literacy skills. Sam helps coach 40 young boys in baseball and ends each practice with devotion. They also help their church with the Wednesday night youth group that constantly has 50-70 kids attending.
The resilient people of Abaco have seen the POWER of God in the form of a record breaking storm, and they have experienced His POWER in His people who come alongside them in love, with prayers and support.
Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Jesus promises us that we will have trials and tribulations in this world, but because He has overcome the world, we can trust Him before, during, and after the storms.