FUMC Long Island Mission Team was hard at work repairing house roofs and enjoying fellowship with island locals. Local home owner Clayton, Joe Collier, Caribbean Youth Network missionary Merry Grayson, Joanne and Harvey Brown, Jim Whitaker and Missionary Lane Grayson.  

Recently, four members of the Greensboro First United Methodist Church Mission Team traveled to Long Island, Bahamas to help hurricane victims there.  Team members Joe Collier, Jim Whitaker, Harvey and Joanne Brown spent eight days in the blazing sun installing new roofs and helping to rebuild houses destroyed by Hurricane Joaquin in October 2015. The island community was devastated by the storm.  Roads were rendered almost impassable and scores of homes there were damaged or blown away entirely.

Fishing is the main source of income for the island’s men.  Fishing boats were propelled out of the water and onto land, ending up either upside down or broken into pieces. To help with the local income, women of the island community made straw baskets, hats, and placemats, but most of the palms used for these crafts were uprooted and ruined.  Many families left the island to find work. Numerous Long Island residents that remained now live without power or water yet today.  Scores of children are still going without meals.

FUMC team members consider their mission trip a true blessing.  They are thankful for the opportunity to help and give back to the warm and wonderful residents there. These people live on the island with little but still have huge smiles on their faces when they see volunteers reaching out with a helping hand.  A number of the residents worked side- by- side with volunteers to help rebuild their homes.  Even little four-year old Calena helped by picking up damaged roof shingles as they were tossed off the house. What a real sweetheart she was!

Charlene, a twenty-eight year old mother and her nine year old son reside in one of the houses rebuilt during the mission trip. The house was an eight-by-ten primitive structure with only a double bed and a chair, and no water or power. Charlene was there every day, helping to rebuild her new home. She now has a house with three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living area with water and a power generator provided by our missionaries.

The Greensboro FUMC Mission team is grateful to Merry and Lane Grayson, members of the local church, who now reside on Long Island as missionaries for the Caribbean Youth Network. The Graysons moved to the island just days before Hurricane Joaquin hit that community last year. They serve the devastated residents there and oversee the area’s volunteer missions.  In addition to current rebuilding projects, the Graysons provide fellowship activities for island youth that brings God into their lives. Each week, children meet with them to sing songs and engage in Bible studies.

A new goal of Greensboro FUMC is to send Bibles to the Grayson’s Long Island Mission, so that each child will be able to take home a Bible to read.

If readers are called to help these families, please pray for them or send donations to:  The Caribbean Youth Network, c/o Grayson’s Missionary Support, P.O. Box 27047, Pittsburg, PA 15235. For more information contact the Greensboro First United Methodist Church at 706-453-7064 or visit the church web site at fumcgreensboro.org.