September 2015
Welcome to Red Bays! After a fast and furious summer in the States, we are back on Andros and trying to get ourselves back into the usual routine while fighting the hot and humid days.
We arrived to discover that all the people we worked so hard to get ready for Passports were still waiting for the Mobile Team from the Nassau office to come to Andros, and more requests from other Red Bayans to continue working to secure all their legal documents needed so they, too, can be ready when the Team arrives.
Through a series of events and a generous Christian couple from Maine, God provided a 2005 Chevy Silverado which we brought back (by request) to pay off the balance due on the building that we are purchasing. When the truck arrived, the man requesting it didn’t have the money to pay for its shipping and customs duties. Yes, we had to do some scrambling to find money to pay those bills as there was a crucial time frame per Customs to claim it. At present, we are waiting for him to come repay us those fees and sign off on the building. In the meantime, that put a hold on purchasing a vehicle of our own. Please pray that this will be resolved soon.
I just wanted to introduce this wonderful couple to you because Elder Robert Evans and his wife, Rose, are our local Church Sponsors for us to remain on Andros as Missionaries. They are a wonderful, dedicated, loving couple, who believe as we do, and are supporting us in every way they can to keep this ministry moving for the Lord.
Despite the heat and humidity, within hours of arriving we had several requests for cookies, and so I got right to work to get some batches in the oven. Seems like some of them were suffering withdrawal while we were gone!
One of our construction teams is expected to come in January to help with the renovations, and a second group is trying to put together a trip for March. Getting this building renovated and completely operational looks to be a monumental task and I expect it will be a year or more before all is completed. I have been working to clear out the main area of the building so that we can fix it up, get electricity installed as well as a bathroom, and then be able to start Bible Clubs again. It has been over a year now since we had clubs and we don’t want our Red Bays children to forget or lose out on the opportunity for spiritual growth in the biblical values we’ve been trying to instill in them. Once we get the building in shape, we will also be ready to begin Sunday services.
Pumpkins, Pumpkins everywhere! We returned to find our farm overrun with pumpkins. Pumpkin vines climbing over everything else that we had set out: pineapples,banana trees, coconuts, and sweet potato vines…anything and everything! Happily, Sue has been bringing home a great variety of sizes and colors of pumpkins as a result, which will be cut up and shared around town or made into cookies or dried and made into “flour”. Guess we will have to do something to keep them contained on the next round. Our boys did the best they could while we were gone to keep the weeds in check, and we rewarded them as promised when we got here.
(As of yet, we have not had our land surveyed, but I will be checking on that in the next few days.)
Our house in Maine has not sold as of the writing of this letter. At the realtor’s recommendation, we just signed the paperwork to lower the price by $5000, making it more compatible with other Sumner homes on the market. Please pray with us about this as we prefer not to rent again, nor to have someone burdened with watching it during the winter months either. Plus, it represents a financial burden on our shoulders!
Since we returned to Red Bays, God has been re-emphasizing the importance of “Being Dead” to the Self and allowing Him to live through us. I am the first one to admit that I have trouble with this. I’m often saying, “Just let me work this out in my own way”, but that is not God’s way. Learning to just DO what He says and let Him do the Driving is an area that I need to constantly work on. (Just sharing this with any of you who might have difficulty in this area too. We need to pray for one another so that we can see God honored in our lives.
Our prayer for you is that we all watch and prepare to be caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds soon–what a reunion that will be! Everywhere we travel, those who know and love Him are saying the same thing–there’s expectancy and excitement in the midst of increasing darkness and struggles. Only the Lord knows if there will be opportunity to fellowship with you one way or another before that great event.
Keep praying for Red Bays and Andros Island in the Bahamas, that lives would be changed forever by coming to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, and for us as we serve Him here. We love you!
In His service,
Dave and Sue
Email: grampsbryant@gmail.com; (Sue) flynfa@gmail.com
Phone: (MJ) 1.207.956.8164; (cell) 813.713.6224.(USA)
Mission Address: EBM International/ P.O. Box 189/ Summerfield, FL 34491.
U.S.A. Mail: P.O. Box 254/ Buckfield, ME 04220
