July is always a busy month, trying to squeeze in all the mission work, grandkids’ time, seminar hours required, and enjoying a little downtime, which there’s not much left. I can’t believe school is about to start back! I remember my summers during junior high and high school working in the tobacco patch or gathering tomatoes and peppers to earn some money for school clothes or a special item I had my hopes of saving enough for. Early mornings, extremely hot weather and not much money for a day’s work but we all had a good time being together. And then there was Holiday Beach! I was a lifeguard one summer, believe it or not. Baking in the sun with all the baby oil I applied was not good for my skin (didn’t know anything about sun damage). Skiing in the lake was always fun, too, but I never mastered that skill. It seemed as if time was slower then!
My love for missions continued this July with my second trip to St. Vincent and Union Island in the Grenadines with First Baptist Church. Ten days of extremely humid and hot weather and traveling up and down mountains to minister to children and many people in their communities was an experience I will treasure in my heart forever. During the mornings we had worship rallies for the children, singing, Bible and missionary story time, puppets, and more singing. The afternoons were filled with eye screenings for adults and children. Dr. Ellen Fitzgerald trained our team, the best she could, to understand how to screen and fit each individual with readers and sunglasses. I cannot express to you how rewarding it was to see the smiles and tears on the faces of those precious people to be able to see and read their bible. Many of the six churches we visited were in a remote area and the people there had no access or money to purchase glasses. God was so present every minute of our time in the Grenadines blessing these people. The travel is hard, the hours are early but the work God accomplished there and the seed that was planted, we may never see the fruits of that, but the sharing of Jesus and witnessing to the hearts of those people will continue to grow.
Union Island was devastated by Hurricane Beryl. The church we ministered to last year is demolished but hopefully FBC and others in our community can help to rebuild Union Island Baptist Church. If you would like to contribute, please contact FBC in Douglas at 912-384-5598 for more information. I pray that God will continue to grow our mission work and to Go and Tell about Jesus every day, no matter where we may be. Our scripture for our trip was one that is familiar to most but it was very applicable to our mission. “For God so loved the World that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believed in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
I pray God’s blessings on you today,
Pam
