February 8, 2002

Blessed assurance Jesus is mine fills each heart with courage.
Another day is given to us once more to serve the Master of creation through service.
We gladly reaffirm our decision, here am I Lord, send me.

The night was cooler than it has been, and the dogs only barked a few times. The roosters on the other hand serenaded us with a symphony of fowl music from 3 am onward.

Our team heads for the worksite with angels surrounding them, the mile is shorter and the heat less intense with their wings lifting them on their journey.

Elise Dickerson along with Jessica McGowan are teaching a sign language course to Kimberly and her mom, along with several other interested islanders. Do you remember me telling you about Kimberly? She is the adorable little deaf and mute girl that captured the hearts of Bob Young and Gary Wagner on their first visit to the island. Elise and Jessica were asked to come on this trip with the special task of teaching her to communicate in sign language. Elise tells me Kimberly is incredibly smart and feels that in this 2-week period that they will be able to make great progress with her and her mom. How wonderful it is to have so many of the other islanders interested in learning to sign. Kimberly's world will now be opened up to many new adventures in communication.

Bob Young has spent the morning traveling by boat to Savannah Bight and then on to the Cay. He has been busy making arrangements for half of our medical team to spend 2-days at each place. He is now down at the work site overseeing the pouring of rock into the road so it will be passable.

Jan Caster, Rachel Bugbee and I went to speak to a woman who has been confined to a wheelchair for the last 3 years. She has diabetes and her foot is very swollen and ulcerated. She will be seeing one of our doctors this week. She told us that during the storm she had to be carried to higher ground and how frightened she was. Having to be completely dependent on the mercy and goodness of someone else for your life really makes one think. Isn't that exactly the situation with all of us? And yet how many of us realize that if it weren't for Jesus Christ saving us personally, that we would all be doomed to die?

Yesterday I spoke with Jean Moore who lives a few houses down the street. She had found some notebooks that belonged to our group and wanted to return them. I asked her if she would like to sit and talk and she said yes. Both of her children go to the Adventist school in which we are sleeping. She feels it is the best investment she could make with the little money she has. Just last week someone asked her why she didn't just put her money in the bank instead of wasting it by sending her children to that school. She said she was putting it in the bank, the bank of Heaven! Oh how right she is. A Christian education is the best investment one will ever make for their children. The returns are tremendous and eternal. Her children are Orley Grayham, who is now 15 and Brandon Brice, age 12. Orley is out to sea right now with his dad and before he left he told his mom that he had intentions of making enough money on this fishing trip to pay for at least a month of school himself.
When the storm hit, they were in their small fishing boat near the Cay. Jean, her boys, husband, mom and dad, a cousin and her child plus a friend, were all in this small boat during the storm. She thought for sure they would capsize. They had fled this area, as the seas grew too high to stay at their home. They stayed near the Cay until the seas were calm enough to navigate. They had no water or food to eat and no way to get any. They sailed back home to see what was left, the island was devastated, and no trees, bushes or vegetation were left standing. The mountains were stripped to dirt and bare rock. It was barely recognizable, but there in the water stood her house on its stilts. Just as it had been before they left, minus the cement retaining wall that was in front of it. How had this house, which was built in the water, remained standing through such a storm? I think I have an idea. Jean told me that when she saw all the destruction and that no one had shelter to live in, she offered her house for others to stay in. Many families lived there while they tried to rebuild their lives, and Jean and her family stayed very uncomfortably in her boat. Wouldn't you think an angel must of sheltered that house for her, knowing that she would use it to bless others? That is my humble opinion. It certainly was a miracle that it stood.
Jean has a heart for Jesus and even though her children have been baptized into the church, she has never made that commitment. I have invited her to come to our meetings starting Monday and to do so. She said she would be there, and I expect to see her.

At the work on the EEG building is coming along splendidly. Everyone is working in unison. One child came up to Gary Kasekamp and told him to keep laying those blocks, that he wanted to go to school there. These youth are excited about what is taking place on their island and the opportunities that will come about because of it. The children of the Adventist elementary school have taken our suggestion to sell drinks and treats to the American workers who look forward to them so much. They come each day with cold fruit drinks and delicious cookies. The economy is booming over where the Americans are working.

The huge tent we use for our crusade is in the process of going up right now. It is not an easy thing to put up. Pastor Gene Thomas who has been our all around handy man is out there now working up a sweat along with several other men. He has been very beneficial in keeping everything working right.

Michael Danahey is not only working at putting up a building, he is working on quitting smoking. This is the absolute best opportunity for him to stop as there is nowhere to buy them and he intentionally didn't bring any. This is his 4th day without cigarettes, and I want to ask everyone reading this letter to join us in prayer for Michael. Anyone of you that have ever smoked knows just how hard a battle he faces. We would like to make that battle as easy for him as possible. We estimate there are over 3,000 or more of you reading these letters. If we all go the Lord in prayer for our brother, his success will continue on way past these two weeks. The victory will be sweet, I assure you.

Each night after dinner and worship, several of the group has been meeting in the dining area to play games or sing. The first night I walked in I saw them playing an exciting game of charades, last night they were in there singing up a storm with Nancy Dixon playing her guitar. Sounds of lovely harmony mixed with refreshing re-creation as they sang songs of His love and mercy. Smiles and laughter were in abundance.

The medical clinic had 138 patients today. Most problems they are seeing are the typical 3rd world country problems, worms and skin problems.

The dental clinic pulled 29 teeth and filled 10, 35 cleanings and examination, 5 deep scaling and 3 regular exams. It was a very busy and productive day despite the challenge due to several generator outages. The portable drill needs electric to run. Everyone was polite and courteous even under the less than ideal situation as they waited for repairs. They have a very large dental team today. Jenna, Stuart, Valerie, Gordon, Myra, Ashley, Evaughn, Kathy Donna and Judy. Tim Bainum M.D., came in today during a lull in his office and was coached in how to pull a tooth. He did very well and the extraction was a success.

The construction team was able to lay 594 blocks today. Things will start to slow down a bit now that they are higher up they will start having difficulties because of lack of enough scaffolding set ups.

With another wonderful day behind us we look forward to a day of rest.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Philippians 2:3,4

With love in my heart and a smile on my face, I wish you the peace that passes understanding.

Smiling in Guanaja,

Jennifer Young