Catch up with The Way IMPACT team after they spent their first full day in Abaco helping rebuild a home and interacting with local children. The group’s hard work and dedication made a lasting impact on the community and left them feeling blessed and fulfilled. Read more from Steve and Jo to hear about their experiences and the heartwarming stories of those they met!
Our team divided and conquered our first full day on the island. The majority of us helped finish Zhivargo’s home rebuild- his original home was devastated by Hurricane Dorrian in 2019. We finished mudding and sanding the interior, finished exterior upper trim, as well as painted the whole exterior of the home in a vibrant lime green color! It was amazing how much we accomplished in just 6 hours!
Some of us did tasks we had never done before (Jo and Zeke painted for the first time!) It was very fulfilling to contribute to the finished product! Our team enjoyed working together, sharing stories, and building relationships, especially with the homeowner, Zhivargo. He gave us a tour of his garden and shared his dream of expanding it once he is able to move into the home.
As we left for the day and took our group photo, Zhivargo was all smiles with gratitude for his freshly painted home. He is so excited to be able to enjoy his home with his son, who has had to live with other family members since the Hurricane five and a half years ago. What a blessing it will be for them to live together again!
The rest of our group spent the day at the elementary school with Carrie Veenstra. They shared that their time with the kids was very fun and fulfilling. The kids were so eager to interact with our group, and they were so filled with JOY! Our team was invited to help make costumes for the island’s upcoming Junkanoo parade, and the kids were very excited to have our group’s help!
It was a great first day to see the island, make new friendships, and to see the fruits of our labour in such a tangible way at Zhivargo’s home with his infectious smile, and the smiles on the kids’ faces at the school. What a blessing to be able to Immerse ourselves in the island culture and in the work God is doing here with Many Hands through our team! We are so blessed to be a part of it!
— Steve and Jo Rossler
