Machetes and Coconuts

Dave climbing a coconut palm tree today.

When you are trying to break open a coconut with a machete, you have to slowly pick away at the outer skin, which takes time.  Then, after you peel away the outer skin, you have to work on the hard coconut shell.  This, again, takes time.  But, you finally get to the white flesh inside and the coconut water.  Coconut water and actual coconut flesh is not that sweet.  Of course, we are used to the sweetened coconut products back home, but a real coconut, just cut down from a tree in a nearby park (our chaperone Dave Glerum has amazing tree climbing abilities – up to 20 feet!) isn’t all that sweet.  But, it is still very good!  And, just to give a few parents a “heads up” that their son may be bringing home a machete in their check bag.  Just felt like I wanted to let you know…  =)

As with coconuts, sometimes we can be difficult nuts to crack sometimes – teenagers too.  But, by God’s grace, the Spirit slowly works His way into our hears, like only He can and begins to make life-change.  I do believe that life-change is slowly occurring in the lives of our seniors.  Trips like this tend to lower everyone’s guard, so the real ministry can begin.  Sometimes, with a group of Christian school students, it is difficult to make any progress while at school.  The right words to say and the right way to act in the bubble is well-rehearsed at times and creates a veneer of Christianity.  Here, away from the lockers and classrooms and the “bubble”, all of us are more open, more transparent with each other and with God.  It’s good.  This week has been very good.  I am proud of how the students have worked hard and how they respected each other and the leaders.  They have rarely complained about the tasks given them and have done it to the best of their abilities. 

a coconut

As far as our schedule today, we finally saw the sun again!  Yay.  It rained a bit this morning, but nothing like yesterday.  We had two work groups during the day – one did trash clean-up at the paintball field and the majority were in the gym painting.  We will probably finish our step of the painting process tomorrow.  (By the way, the five-gallon can of paint that we are using cost the Camp – $250!!!  Welcome to the Bahamas where there are no Home Depots or Walmarts and everything has to be shipped in.  This explains why no one throws anything away down here… they cannot afford to!)  We then loaded up the bus and went to a park in Tarpum Bay, but no local kids came.  It was drizzling a little, so we played volleyball and basketball with our own group and then headed back to camp.  Coming back early did give us more time to play in the water.  A large group went kayaking out to Wooster Island (yep, we named it) and went snorkelling.  There’s not much to see.  There is some coral and fish, but not much.  The water was cold (relatively speaking), so we all came back.  Now, we are about to eat dinner and have some group time tonight. 

Tomorrow is our last work day and Saturday is our free day.  Pray that we continue to have good attitudes and finish well. 

From paradise.  Eric.