UBC Family Mission Trip- Freeport, Grand Bahama

The members of the UBC Family Missions trip had an exciting first day on our mission to serve Kazim Ministries in Freeport, Grand Bahama. We all arrived safely and Peter gained some copiloting experience on our charter flight! We arrived on the island with over 300 lbs of turkey and ham and over 167 gifts. In addition, we brought over 100 toothbrushes, and undergarments, and backpacks to be given to students at our Christmas celebration on Wednesday.

Once we arrived on the island we were heartily greeted with warm hugs by Mr. and Mrs. Armbrister. They whisked us away to the feeding center on their renovated bus. The facilities of the feeding center, including our apartments, are spectacular.  The bunk beds we are sleeping in were built by UBC during the last mission trip to the island. The weather is perfect, and the plants sent by UBC sent are growing very well in the newly landscaped gardens.

The feeding center has a small vegetable garden filled with yummy veggies! The feeding center also has a new restaurant that runs on a buy one-feed one program, where patrons buy lunch in order to provide lunch for someone else. We sampled the cuisine at the restaurant by tasting the Conch Fritters they made there. They were amazing!

After lunch, we went on an Island expedition to explore some of the local neighborhoods. We all climbed into the church bus and Raoul Armbrister gave us a tour of the island. His tour included ecological and historical facts about Grand Bahama. Some of the plants he pointed out had medicinal used, such as the wood from the Madera plant that, when soaked in water, produces a red liquid that can be used as a digestive cleanse. He also pointed out shephard’s needle which is used as a disinfectant. In the Bahamas, they use the milk from the stump of the papaya tree to “Knock the Dengue Fever right out of ya”.  Perhaps the most amazing ecological fact he shared with us was about the Geranium plant  which is known to science as a poisonious plant, but is drunk daily here as a preventitive medicine. On our tour, we also visited a part of Freeport known as “the Settlements” because each neighboorhood in the

Region is named after a founding family in the Grand Bahamas. On the way back home we stopped at the house of a local woman. All 15 of us piled into the home following the sweet smell of a variety of breads that wafted from her kitchen. The tantalizing smells were irresistable and almost of all us walked away with rolls, bread or a coconut tart. After arriving back at the mission we sang Christmas carols led by Pilar on the guitar and Jose led an incredible devotion. Jose reminded us that our work here is not just about what we can do. Our purpose here in the bahamas is to share the word of God and to be light to the people of Bahamas first and foremost. We are all very excited to begin the work God has for us here in the Bahamas. Keep sending us your prayer UBC! As Pastor Simeon Outten said this Sunday, Heaven is filled with unlimited blessings and your prayers are the key to receiving them!