We outside for Borough! But not in the way you think...

Twenty-one years ago, a teenager from Point Fortin who had just dedicated her life to Christ a few months prior, approached an elder from her church to ask if she could spend the weekend with his family at his home in Dow Village over the Point Fortin Borough Day weekend. As a young believer, she had no desire to participate in the activities where there would be behaviours contrary to God's Word, so she was looking for a way to escape the festivities. When some of her friends from church heard what she wanted to do, they decided to come as well. This was the beginning of Borough Retreat, which became an annual tradition for the young people of Mahaica Gospel Hall in Point Fortin. At each Borough Retreat, we combine biblical sessions with fun activities, so it is usually greatly anticipated by all.

Throwback to when we spent the weekend turtlewatching in Toco

This year, however, was different. Apart from us not being able to host any retreats for the past 3 years due to covid-19 restrictions, from 2017-2019 there was not a significant number of teenagers attending Mahaica Gospel Hall, so for those years, the partipicants at Borough Retreat came from Bible Club - the community outreach we have to the children of Dow Village. God's Word is faithful and He continues to build His church, and we were excited to learn that in 2023, there is an active Sunday School class of teenagers at Mahaica Gospel Hall. After Easter I contacted their teacher, Candice, and together we started planning for this year's Borough Retreat. 

Most of the attendees at our last Borough Retreat are young adults now

We encountered one major obstacle - the current group of teenagers knew nothing about Borough Retreat. Most of them had only started attending the church within the past few years, so they had no idea what it was about. One young man informed Candice that he had already bought his jersey for J'ouvert, so he was not about to miss out from Borough Day this year. Only two persons indicated they were interested in attending, with a third saying maybe. We did not let the numbers deter us; we figured that two youths were worth having the retreat, and trusted that God would bring those who needed to be there and continued planning. Candice invited some young adults who had attended Borough Retreat as teenagers to share their experiences, and after they were finished, twelve children said they wanted to come. Candice contacted the parents to convince them to entrust us with their charges for the weekend.

                 Praise God that by Friday evening, we had 11 young people,
4 young adults and 3 of their children in attendance!

On Friday evening, I met with 4 of the young adults who attended Borough Retreat when they were teenagers. I told them that they had to start taking ownership of Borough Retreat from this year forward, so I wanted them to be a part of the process of developing the devotions. Together we studied the book of Jonah, and pulled out interpretation and application questions from chapters one and three that would help to challenge the teens to not shirk their responsibility to share their faith with their friends. It was such an encouragement to me to see these young adults leading the devotions on Saturday and Sunday morning!

See if you can recognize the leader who
was just a youth in the first photo in this blog ;)

Later on Friday evening a group from Wycliffe Bible Translators braved the drive down south to present a mini-workshop entitled "Taste of Translation" and "One Story". They shared about the number of people groups that exist in the world today that do not currently have a translation of the Bible in their language. Then the youths were taken through an activity to recognize the value in having the scripture in a person's heart language - the language that is most commonly used and understand by a people group. Finally they were able to practise telling a the story of Jesus calming the storm orally using Trini dialect. The session was very interactive and engaging, and the young people learnt a lot about Bible translation that they didn't know before, with a couple of them asking the facilitators questions long after the session was completed. We started watching a movie but had to cut it short when it was midnight because we had an early start the next morning.

The youths were fully engaged in this workshop

During the Saturday morning devotions, the youths were challenged to not be indifferent to the fate of those around them who do not know Christ. They were encouraged to know that even when we disobey God, He provides a way for us to be restored. After devotions, the team on Kitchen Prep headed to the kitchen to help with breakfast. We were provided with pancake mix from David, so all they had to do was to cook it. For some of them, it was their first time ever learning to flip a pancake. Others learnt about the need for cleaning the sink after washing wares. The parents were very impressed with the pictures we shared of their children doing chores over the weekend.

Proud of the finished product :)

After filling our bellies we boarded a big maxi and headed to Samsara Nature Park in Penal. There the children enjoyed petting a camel, holding snakes and turtles, and feeding horses, donkeys and macaws. After a delicious lunch of pelau and cole slaw lovingly prepared by Mummy, we drove over to Diggity Trace Mud volcano in Debe. The children had a ball here, immersing themselves in the mud, and sliding down the side of the volcano on the mud. I had brought five 5-gallon bottles of water for them to wash off afterwards, but after taking one look at the boys when we came down from the mud volcano, some men who were liming under a shed nearby said, "You know dais not enough right?" They were very helpful in directing us to a nearby standpipe, where I had to literally scrub the mud off of each child's body, one by one, before they were clean enough to enter the maxi. I thank God for the assistance of the men, because I did not know about that standpipe even though we had done a site visit earlier in the week.

You don't have to play J'ouvert to
have fun in the mud ;)

When we returned home, the children entertained themselves by climbing trees and playing charades while the team on Kitchen Prep made pizzas for dinner. After dinner, they went into their teams to come up with an idea to show what they had learnt for the weekend so far. One team acted out the Bible story of Jesus calming the storm in full Trini dialect - it was hilarious! Another team showed the danger of giving in to the influence of peers rather than listening to God. The last group demonstrated how doing your own thing might be enjoyable for a season, but there are negative consequences to be faced after.

One of the evening's skits

Sunday morning devotions encouraged the youths to not give in to fear, but to be bold and brave when sharing their faith with others. They spent time praying for each other to have the courage to obey God when they returned home. God graciously provided sufficient transport to take us to Majuba Gospel Hall in La Brea on Sunday morning where we fellowshiped with the saints there in communion, worship and ministry of the Word. After the service the youths wanted to come back by us for lunch, but it was time for them to go home. One young man who attended was not even a part of Sunday School, but was invited by a friend, and enjoyed it so much that he said he would come again. It was indeed a joy and privilege to be able to host Borough Retreat for youth from Point Fortin for the first time since 2016. We are indeed grateful to all who prayed and gave to make this experience possible for them, and we pray that the seeds of God's Word which were sown would grow deep roots and produce much fruit in the years to come.

They had so many first-time experiences this weekend,
including getting to pet and feed a camel!

How life came from a place of death

Over the past 30 years, once I am in Trinidad for Carnival I serve at Ekklesia Camp, pioneered by Uncle Terry and Aunty Carol. This camp, held on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, is an evangelistic outreach to the residents of Point Fortin and environs. We present the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and teach campers how to use Christian principles to live a full and godly life in a warm environment through the use of discussions, craft, music and drama. I was 12 years old when I served at my first Ekklesia camp, assisting in the 3 & 4 year old class. But no one knew then that in 2023, I would be performing a much different role...

With the next generation of camp leaders :)

 The theme for the last camp we held before covid hit was God's Medallists, presented against the background of the Olympics which were to be held in July 2020. At the end of that camp, we had a relay with the Olympic torch, with Aunty Carol holding it on the last leg and bringing it to the stage. When she arrived, however, she turned around and handed it to some of the younger campworkers who were singing on stage. We didn't know then that the handing over of that baton was prophetic, as that would be the last year that she, alongside other stalwarts like Aunty Gloria, Celia and Tony J, would spearhead the planning and execution of camp.

Aunty Gloria and Aunty Carol have been instrumental
to camp planning and execution since it's inception

Covid hit Trinidad hard in 2020, so there was no chance of having camp in 2021. Aunty Carol, Uncle Terry, Aunty Gloria (who was in charge of most of the physical preparations leading up to camp, along with Tony J) and Celia (who was in charge of the camp snack shop) all started experiencing major health challenges. Then in March we were devastated when Tony J's life was brutally taken; Ekklesia camp as we knew it would never be the same again. We were still under heavy restrictions in the first half of 2022, but when things started opening back in the latter quarter of the year, all of a sudden people started asking me if we were having Ekklesia camp in 2023. Aunty Carol made it clear that her season of leading the camp preparations was over, so it was up to the next generation of leaders to take hold of the baton and continue the relay that they started.

Some of the next generation of leaders who
took the baton to ensure that camp 2023 happened

By this time it was mid-November, so we only had 3 months to put EVERYTHING in place for camp. We held an initial meeting a few days later, and persons indicated their willingness to be on board. Some of the persons who had served in previous years were not available for this camp, but God provided others that we did not expect. We formed sub-committees and person volunteered to serve on them. We decided on the theme: God's Influencers, showcasing how influencers encourage their followers to make choices based on their values, and that as God's Influencers we have an opportunity to influence those around us to follow the standard outlined in the Word. Our next big challenge was a venue: our preferred school was not available, having been booked one month prior. Our second school option was not very appealing. Candice suggested a third option: the house that Tony J was building for his family in Spring Garden before his life was taken. His vision was that it also be used for ministry, so when we approached his wife with the idea of using this as the venue for camp 2023, she readily agreed.

Without the foundation laid by Tony J, and the support
provided by Gail and family, Ekklesia Camp 2023  
would not have been the success it was

We set about planning in high gear from December. Thanks to Zoom, our lesson planning team ably led by Natalie was able to meet and provide outlines for all 3 lessons by the end of the year. For the first time, we created a prayer team, as we recognized that having camp at the same location when Tony J's life was taken would mean some intense spiritual warfare; they met twice a week to intercede for camp. When we looked back at the end of camp, we were amazed to see how every single one of the items we prayed for was answered. Many testified that they knew that they only reason they were able to make it through camp was because of the prayers that went up in advance of, and during camp.

Some of our dedication intercessors meeting on site to pray

In February many of us met one another for the first time as we had our first physical meeting since we started planning camp. It was a clean up day at Spring Garden to get it ready for camp. People came from as far east as Manuel Congo, to as far west as St. James to be a part. The intercessors prayed while the manpower got started powerwashing, scrubbing walls and windows. Later on in the afternoon, some of us went out into the community, accompanied by a car with a loud speaker, to hand out flyers and invite residents to camp. It was a great opportunity to engage with the residents of Techier Village and share what God was about to do in Spring Garden.

Hard at work or hardly working?

One of our treasured traditions at Ekklesia camp are the fish pies, which are sold at our camp tuck shop, affectionately called Manna. The fish pie recipe was invented by Celia, who was also the chief supplier of the snacks which we sold at Manna. Since the camp  was offered free to the community, the sales from Manna would help offset the expenses for camp. After our last camp in 2020, Celia fell ill with Alzheimer's and deteriorated rapidly in the months leading up to camp. One of the items on our prayer list from day 1 was for us to have fish pies for camp. Initially, Celia's husband Tony had offered to make them for us, but as Celia's condition worsened and he was her primary caregiver, we didn't want to burden him. Three weeks before camp, God called Celia home. This was another blow to the Ekklesia family, as she was such an integral and memorable part of all our previous camps. After her funeral, Tony agreed to come to camp to make fish pies for Manna saying, "What is camp without fish pies?" Alongside his helpers, he made well over 400 fish pies during the two days of camp, and we thank God for his labour of love in the midst of his very fresh loss.

Fish pies in production!

In the week before camp, Garryn, who played a vital role as the Site and Services co-ordinator for camp, put his family business on hold as he did the final running around (that Aunty Gloria and Tony J would normally do) for camp. The Tuesday before camp we bought the majority of the groceries, and he suggested that we drop them off in Point Fortin that evening, instead of waiting until Thursday as we had initially planned (since that was scheduled as a final work/clean up day) His two year old daughter fell ill suddenly that day, and by Thursday his wife was also ill, making it impossible for him to go to Point, so we realized why God had led us to drop off the groceries earlier that week. God also graciously and unexpectedly provided the manpower that was needed to do the cleaning on Thursday in his absence. We were also grateful to God that Garryn was able to gather all the equipment and other items which were needed for camp before his family obligations required him to stay at home. 

Making the Pricesmart run

On the Saturday before camp, Matthew called to say he wasn't feeling well. Apart from teaching the 5-6 year olds, we were depending on him to help with transport using his van. Thankfully, he informed us in time for Reuel, who was planning to come to Point anyway, to switch vehicles with him, so all the persons and items that needed to be transported on Saturday and Sunday were able to be moved by Reuel. God answered our prayers and by Sunday evening, Matthew was well enough to be able to drive down to Point from far east! Monty also wasn't feeling well on Saturday, but he pushed through his discomfort in order to lend a hand on Saturday, putting together the final physical elements that needed to be in place for camp. God's strength was truly made perfect in our times of weakness.

God provided the manpower we needed 
for the tasks that needed to be done
every single time!

On Sunday morning, the day before camp, Garryn started feeling ill. His role on camp as one of the main co-ordinators, as well as the person responsible for all the technical aspects of camp, was now uncertain. A last minute call to one of the AV techs at my church resulted in a positive response, and he made the journey to Point Fortin to set up the sound system and show one of the youths who was assisting how to run it. Later that evening, we met at Spring Garden for a time of prayer and preparation. Various persons prayed, but the prayer of the seven year old son of one of our teachers stood out clearly in my mind. He said, "Lord, stop any kind of evil and let everything be normal." It was a simple prayer, but so powerful that everyone broke out in applause at the end. After camp, many persons commented that, for the number of campers we had, it was incredible that there were no serious incidents or behavioural issues. God honored the prayer of His precious child.

What is camp prep without tons of cutting and coloring?

On Carnival Monday morning I woke up bright and early and discovered that my phone did not charge overnight. I refused to panic even though I knew that having a working phone was vital to my being able to function adequately at camp. Thankfully Mummy's suggestion of using someone else's charger worked, so by the time we were ready to leave home my phone had enough charge (incidentally my charger worked fine after camp was over). When planning for camp, we catered for 300 persons. It was really a guess, because although we had over 300 persons at camp in 2020, we had no idea what the numbers would look like this year, the first camp after covid, and also the first camp at our new venue. When I arrived on site the chairs were already starting to fill up, and by the time we were ready to send the children into their classes, it was clear that the rooms allocated to some of the classes would not have been big enough to accommodate the numbers. On both days of camp we had over 300 persons on site!

This was one of the biggest classes with over 60 children!

After we found spaces for all the classes the teachers were able to start presenting their lessons. On Monday morning they focused on Satan's role in influencing the angels, Adam and Eve and eventually the whole world to rebel against God's authority. Lesson 2 focused on Jesus - the greatest influencer that ever lived - highlighting the effect that His life and ministry had, and continues to have, on the world, and challenging the campers to let Him influence their lives. In the final lesson, campers were encouraged to let the Holy Spirit fill them so they could be God's influencers in the spheres in which they operate. Each class had an opportunity to visit the Expo center, where they were shown how influencers got their message across before the days of social media, and they were introduced to the components of an influential message. This was vital information that was used when they had to do their class presentations on the last day of camp.

Children enjoying the Expo presentations

By the time I sat down to have lunch on Monday it was well after 2pm. Garryn checked in with me to find out how I was doing and I honestly felt drained. Apart from being on the go all morning, locating items which were needed by various persons, having to make decisions about how to deal with the flood of challenges which were presented that morning, and trying to do damage control after some classes had to wait two hours for lunch due to logistical challenges, I felt like I had nothing left to give. I wasn't even sure how I would muster the energy to drive back up to Dow that afternoon. Garryn and his wife Leannya took the matter to prayer, and I don't know exactly when it happened, but somewhere between 2:30 and 3:30 God renewed my strength and I was able to lead the closing off session, get everyone on the maxis to go home, and drive back to Dow Village. I have never before gone from zero to one hundred in such in short space of time, with nothing but the prayers of the saints to keep me going.

They may not have been on camp physcially but
their impact was certainly felt!

Jehovah Jireh showed up BIG TIME for Ekklesia camp 2023. A fisherman promised to donate fish for those who did not eat chicken, but up to a week before camp he was unable to catch any fish. One night Aunty Gloria prayed, inspired by the biblical account of Peter's miraculous catch of fish, that our fisherman would be able to catch fish even though all his previous attempts were unsuccessful. The next day she found out that he caught 900 pounds of fish - his biggest ever catch of fish in a single night! The weekend before camp there was rain almost every day; apart from one small sprinkle, we had favourable weather for the entire duration of camp. When we realized that we were running out of chairs, Garryn was able to locate a company which was able to deliver 100 chairs and an additional tent by mid-day on Carnival Monday - another miraculous provision. 

The 5 & 6 year old class made full use of the sunny weather

Coming out of covid with higher prices in the groceries, we were able to get all the flour and rice needed for camp donated free of charge, and the prices of vegetables in the market dropped just in time for camp! Three companies that we rented furniture and equipment gave us substantial discounts. We got sufficient financial donations to cover all our expenses for 2023, and have enough left over to start Ekklesia camp 2024! Talk about exceeding, abundant provision above all we could ever ask or think! Gail was also on hand to provide anything we needed - from tablecloths to serving trays to coolers to cutlery to an additional tent - it seemed like almost anything we found ourselves in need of she had at home, only two streets away :) I don't have room to mention all the human resources that God provided in every single area of camp - from workers in the kitchen to those who served at Manna to those who were in the classroom to those who supervised the children during lunchtime to those who provided medical services - we were not lacking anything!

Kent and his wife Kathy-Ann laboured
in the kitchen to provide lunch for over 300
persons each day

When choosing the songs for camp, Aunty Carol looked at the depths of the lyrics before considering how simple the melody would be for the children to pick up. As such, there were a few songs which even us as adults struggled with as we were preparing for camp. We were particularly concerned about how the theme song, 'Under the influence' would be received. Imagine our surprise when, following the first day of camp, we asked the children which song they wanted to sing, and this one was the top selection! On the journey back to Dow Village, the children from Bible Club sang all the camp songs without the help of the song sheets. God really planted the songs in the hearts and minds of the children, as many of them continued singing the songs days after camp was over. We pray that the message of these songs will infiltrate the homes and lives of all who heard them.

Music is always an integral part of camp

This year marked the first year ever that Aunty Gloria missed being physically present at an Ekklesia camp. Although she is abroad seeking medical treatment, she was still very much a part of the camp planning process. She made phone calls, solicited donations, recruited volunteers and lifted us up in prayer. When we decided to honor her and some others who were foundational members of Ekklesia camp from its inception, God ordained that her daughter would be traveling from Trinidad, so she could be presented with the token in person. Thanks to Zoom, she was able to tour Expo, and view all the class presentations on the Tuesday afternoon. We are grateful to God for the invaluable guidance that she, Aunty Carol and Uncle Terry provided as we accepted the challenge of leadership in camp this year.

Grateful for the opportunity to say thanks
to our visionaries while they are around
to appreciate it

In our review meeting, teachers thanked God that, despite the huge numbers, there were very few incidents or illnesses on camp. In the 4 & under class, there were parents who stayed with their children, giving them the opportunity to hear the Word being taught. In every class, the children were very attentive and responsive to the lessons being presented, as the teachers used interactive teaching methods to keep the children engaged. The teachers were able to improvise when the numbers were twice as much as they expected. There were persons who jumped in to assist when they saw the needs were overwhelming the assigned teachers. There were children who responded positively to the call to salvation, and teenagers who felt the warmth and love of their teachers. There were adults who usually play mas, but decided to come to camp instead. 

Grateful for these teenagers from my
church who said "Yes" to serving
at Ekklesia camp this year :)

We saw God multiplying the items at Manna and providing new items for sale when stocks started running low. Despite my uncertainty about how the Tuesday afternoon class presentations would come together, each item demonstrated that the children firmly grasped the lessons that were taught. We were able to honor the stalwarts who have been serving since the inception of camp, as well as those who passed on to glory. Although Garryn was not able to be on camp physically, he was able to co-ordinate a lot of the logistics remotely, and he and his wife prayed real-time for issues as they arose on camp. Persons who volunteered for certain areas of ministry recognized that they were specially gifted by God to be massively effective in those areas, and are now offering their services to their local church in these ministry areas. All glory to God for the resounding success that was Ekklesia camp 2023!

Could not have done it without Gail at
my side, and Christian had my back straight through

Gail did a phenomenal job in getting the house at Spring Garden ready for camp. When we did the first site visit in November 2022, it was clearly a construction site, with exposed electrical wires, no tiles, fittings, fixtures or doors in the bathrooms, and building materials that would have been unsafe for children. By the time we had camp in February 2023, it was safe for children, with 5 fully equipped bathrooms, a kitchen sink, a water heat and a water pump, and temporary railings where there had only been exposed staircases before. Gail and her family worked assiduously to ensure that the site was ready in time for camp, and we are grateful to God for all the sacrifices they made. For many who were close to Tony J, it brought a level of healing that this site which before was remembered as the place where he died, was now going to be remembered as a place where God brought life through Ekklesia camp 2023.

My Wayumi Experience

 In August 2022 I was invited by Ethnos360 Caribbean to participate in the Wayumi retreat. It promised to give participants an experience in cross-cultural missions, in the middle of Pennsylvania. “Wayumi” is a word in the language of the Yanomamo people (a tribe in Venezuela) which means leaving home for a period of time, for a specific purpose. The objective is that, at the end of the Wayumi experience, participants would come away with an appreciation of what is involved in serving as a missionary in a different culture, and be challenged to consider whether this is part of God’s plan for their lives. I was attending as part of a contingent from Trinidad and Tobago, since it is the desire of Ethnos 360 Caribbean to set up a similar program locally, which will be targeted towards participants from the Caribbean.

Safely at Wayumi after 8 hours of
flying and 3 hours of driving

On the first night we were given an overview of Ethnos 360 – a missions organization that exists to reach people groups who have never before heard about Jesus. The session then focused on what God was doing in the world. We recognized that since the beginning of history, God’s plan was to fill the earth with people from every nation, tribe and language who love Him. Since then, God has been reaching out to all ethnic people to make them a part of what He is doing, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

From every nation, tribe and tongue...

The following morning, we examined barriers to reaching unreached people groups, and what were the necessary steps for a missionary who was taking the gospel to people from another culture. ‘Culture’ describes why a people group thinks, does and feels the way they do. It is therefore crucial for a missionary to understand the culture of the people group they will be ministering to, which includes their language, belief, views of life, work, economy, food, manners, and even sleep! Understanding the culture of the people group would help them to understand how to accurately communicate spiritual truths.

There is an option to experience the culture of some
people groups by sleeping on hammocks in cabins 
in the woods

After this session, we were given the opportunity to enter ‘The Village’. This was a room set up to simulate what a missionary would experience when they enter the village of an unreached people group for the first time. There were huts set up with hammocks, campfires and basic utensils used in village life. We were able to sit with a ‘villager’ who only spoke to us using their native language, while we tried to elicit from them words for basic items such as pot, fire, hand, eye, etc.

Participants eliciting language from a
representative of the Tanomamu people group

We recognized how difficult it is to get an accurate idea of how someone's life is like if you only visit them for a short period of time. The experience helped us to understand how to pray for missionaries who have to learn someone else’s language and culture. There is spiritual darkness in these tribal villages when they don't know the truth about God. They don't understand the need to seek God, and the role of missionaries is to shine the light which would dispel this darkness.

An additional bonus to the sessions was the
gorgeous landscape we lived in during the retreat

We heard stories of the experiences of missionaries who had to learn a new language in the process of ministering to an unreached people group. They had to understand how to use the words from the new language to accurately translate God’s Word. They started at the very beginning and laid foundations to share the gospel, after which the church was born. New believers were then taught to be followers of Jesus, by feeding them on the Word of God.

Steps in establishing a church among a previously
unreached people group

One of the missionary stories which stood out to me was about a tribe that had no concept of music in their culture. When they started reading about how the early believers worshipped by singing, they wanted to learn how to do it, but none of the missionaries were musically gifted. The villagers were given translations of songs which they 'sang' by talking, but with greater emphasis on the intonation. They prayed for God to help them to sing the same words at the same time. When they were tired of ‘singing’ these songs, they started singing the portions of God's Word which were already translated. Eventually, they wrote their own songs! The principle was to allow indigenous people groups to develop how they live out biblical practises such as worship, baptism and even communion in their culture and not influence them into doing it the way we do in our context.

Sunrise making the mountains look like
they are on fire

The last session for that day highlighted the need for persons other than missionaries to be a part to taking the gospel to unreached people groups. Reaching the unreached requires many members doing different roles: language, maintenance, literacy, medical, teaching, translation, linguistics, culture, accountants, administration, construction. We were challenged to answer the following questions: What am I skilled at? What gifts has God given me to accomplish His purposes? How am I contributing to what God wants me to do?

Churches would send their youth groups
to get a taste of overseas missions - enjoyed
fellowshipping with them during free time

Throughout the course of the retreat, we were inspired by hearing how indigenous peoples responded when being taught the truth of the gospel for the first time. One people group built a shelter that the entire village could fit under so that when the missionaries started teaching the Bible, if the rain fell, they wouldn't have to stop teaching. They had never built something so big before, and they had to bring in leaves that only grew at the top of the mountain to make the roof. After hearing the live teaching in the morning, they would listen to the recorded message twice before going to bed. They even asked the missionaries to teach every day, with no breaks in between!

One of the missionaries who shared his
stories of experiences on the field

The Wayumi retreat was a sobering reminder of the need for more resources to be allocated to ensuring that all people groups have the opportunity to hear the truth of the gospel. There are programs which are targeted towards high school students, university students and church leaders. The objective is to challenge followers to Jesus to let their temporary lives in this earth count for eternity, by being faithful in doing the work God has designed for us to do.

There is still much work to be done...

God's goodness in Grenada

In February 2020 one of my friends from Grenada announced that she was getting married in June that year. She was the first of our liming crew to take this step, so we were all excited about the celebrations. Everything ground to a halt when covid hit our shores in March; my friend still got married, but it was scaled all the way down, and no one from overseas was able to attend due to closed borders. 

So happy to be able to catch up with her after 2 years!

A few months later I told someone that as soon as the borders reopened, Grenada would be my first destination. I wanted to go and visit my old landlords, Sister Wilma and Pops, as well as reconnect with my friends who were there. Unfortunately, Sister Wilma went home to be with Jesus in October 2021, so I never got the chance to see her again. I finally made it to Grenada in September this year when my brother planned a trip for the family to celebrate his and his wife's 10th wedding anniversary.

Enjoying the sun at Grand Etang Lake

I found a beautiful resort for us to stay in which had a balcony overlooking Grand Anse beach. The grounds were full of exquisite flowers, the staff was wonderful and my niece and nephew kept me laughing with all their antics, but I could not help think about how different this trip was compared with the last time I was in Grenada. Some of my closest friends had migrated, Sister Wilma was no longer there, and Pops was staying by his daughters in Canada. I visited my old apartment, and seeing my previous landlords' vehicle abandoned in the yard, and finding a stranger renting in "my" house broke my heart.   

One of the beauties at Blue Horizons Resort

While taking in the sunset on Grand Anse beach the first evening I was reminiscing on all the memories I had there which are no more - the 5am beach swims with Pops, the countless limes and sleepovers with my friends, the adventures all around the country discovering Grenada - and then I noticed something. After the sun had gone below the horizon, the rest of the sky lit up with colors which were not there before. It was as if God was showing me that even though the sun was no longer in the sky, beauty was still possible. Coming back to Grenada would never be the same since so many of my loved one are no longer there, but there is still something beautiful that remains.

Beach + sunset combines my two favourite aspects of creation

I was reminded of John 12:24 - 

    Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. 

    But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

Many times we see only the negative aspect of death and loss, but when we look at the bigger picture, it offers the opportunity for expansion and growth that was not possible before. For the rest of my trip, although I grieved the losses, there were so many opportunities for joy and beauty still to be found.

Even Mummy could not resist the lure of Grand Anse waters :)

I did not realize before how much closure I needed following Sister Wilma's death until I came on this trip. I was not able to attend her funeral last year, but being able to meet with some of her closest friends on this trip, and her granddaughter, allowed the opportunity for us to share stories and precious memories of our times with her. I thank God for providing those spaces for the healing conversations which were very much needed. 

At lunch with her best friend, Sister Joan

We saw the favour of God every step of the way. When we left Trinidad, we were experiencing rain almost every single day. In Grenada, we had sunny weather and blue skies everytime we had to venture outdoors! Thanks to my connections, we got a great deal on transport for the time we were there, and when my family left and I remained for an extra week to reconnect with friends who were still there, I was hosted by my second Grenadian family who took the best care of me. I didn't have a car during that additional week, but transport was provided whenever I needed it. I felt so loved and cared for!

Delicious lunch prepared by Mummy Patricia

Nine years ago when I went to Grenada to relaunch the ministry of Inter School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) I knew exactly one person. I only intended to spend one year there, so I immediately started sharing the vision and mission of ISCF with everyone I met. Everyone thought it was an excellent initiative, some joined for a season, others continue to be a part, new persons have joined. It was my joy and privilege to be a part of a panel discussion on a local radio station during this trip about the role of ISCF in the schools, alongside Don-rae Wilkinson who was a sponsor in my day but is now the Board chairman of ISCF, and Rodney Mc Intyre who now serves as the General Secretary of the movement.

It was such an encouragement to see ISCF Grenada alive and well!

As I was moving around town, I bounced into some of the young people who were ISCF students when I was the staffworker years ago - it was so strange to see them as young adults! There was one that I had hoped to meet with, but was unable to make contact with her before I arrived. One afternoon we took my niece to the mall where she had seen face painting being done the day before. Not only was she the last one that they did before they closed, but I noticed that the organization doing it was run by the husband of the young lady I was hoping to meet! I was able to connect with her in person later that week, and had a lovely time catching up while doing a painting. Talk about a God-set up!

Engaging my artistic side :)

One morning a friend invited me to see her sea moss garden which was in a nearby beach, with the option to swim in the beach afterwards. Due to the presence of sea urchins in the grass under the water, there is only a narrow area which is safe for bathing, but I accepted the invitation as I had never seen a sea moss garden before. After seeing how they grew and harvested the sea moss, my friend's daughter offered to take me to BBC beach (which is the second best beach in Grenada) instead of staying there to swim. This beach is not accessible by public transport; not only did I find someone with a car who wanted to go, but she also had the time to take me there, because she was still on vacation! If that is not a God-set up I dunno what is...

Can you tell I am in my happy place?

Later in the week I met with one of my first friends that I made in Grenada. Sister Wilma had introduced us when I arrived, and Sister Dale was responsible for me getting familiar with navigating around the country, especially those special streets in St. George's. We had breakfast on the beach, where the water was very calm and clear. On one of my swims out into the deep, I had the tremendous privilege of swimming with a sea turtle! I had seen many fishes and even starfish on my previous beach escapades, but this was my first time seeing a turtle and it was so beautiful! The week after I left, Sister Dale told me that the beach was so rough and the tide so high that people who went for a swim decided against going into the water. I recognised that God provided the perfect conditions for me to enjoy the beach fully that week.

First Grenadian riding partner :)

On my last full day there, I was supposed to meet with a friend for breakfast but due to a mix up, we missed the reservation. We were told if we missed our reservation time, we would not be able to be accommodated due to limited spaces being available. Since I was running late, I called my friend who I was supposed to meet after breakfast and she was happy to join us. When we were ready to go, we called the restaurant, and they were able to fit us in! The ambiance was exquisite, the food was scrumptious, and being able to meet with my two friends at the same time made the experience so much more enjoyable.

Good friends, good food, good times

This trip was filled with so many examples of God's goodness and faithfulness. He knew exactly what I needed, and made sure I had it. I was truly blessed and refreshed by my time there, and am grateful to all who made the trip as wonderful as it was.

Happy Anniversary to you two -thanks for this trip!